Book of Mormon First Criticized by Obadiah Dogberry

Obadiah Dogberry issued the earliest published criticism of the Book of Mormon (or as he called it, "Jo. Smith’s Gold Bible"), quoting from the new "scripture" at length without permission.

Dogberry published The Reflector, a regional freethought newspaper, using the shop of Palmyra printer Egbert B. Grandin. At that time, Grandin was also engaged in printing the first edition of self-styled prophet Joseph Smith’s Book of Mormon.

Dogberry rented Grandin’s shop on evenings and weekends. Alone there after hours, he could peruse the most recently printed pages of the Book of Mormon and even appropriate Grandin’s set type to reprint long passages in The Reflector.

In the Reflector of January 2, 1830, Dogberry published his first Book of Mormon excerpt: First Nephi 1:1–2:3. First Nephi 2:4–15 followed on January 13. An “extra” issue on January 22 presented an unauthorized “Extract from the Book of Alma, Chapter XX.” Along the way, Dogberry generated some 16,000 words of commentary challenging Book of Mormon claims at length and engaging in pointed satire. For samples see here and here. Despite its heated rhetoric—in one editorial, Dogberry called Smith a “spindle shanked ignoramus” and called the Book of Mormon “one of the most ridiculous impostures, ever promulgated”—many of Dogberry’s objections to the Book of Mormon are upheld by secular critics today.

According to Lucy Mack Smith, mother of the Mormon "prophet," late in January 1830 Joseph Smith confronted Dogberry at the print shop, demanding an end to unauthorized printing of Book of Mormon passages in The Reflector. Dogberry is said to have challenged Smith to a fistfight. Smith declined, the conflict was arbitrated by unknown parties, and Dogberry printed no more “pirate” Book of Mormon excerpts.