[Utah Binger]

This has always intrigued me. To think that he could actually trick the experts, especially a prophet in the Mormon church is just beyond belief.

I am familiar with numerous experts regarding fine art and the ways that one can detect forgeries. This Hoffman thing should never have gotten to first base. My only conclusion was that the Mormons wanted to cover-up any and all possibilities just in case they (the documents) might be real.Salamander Letter

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[Utah Binger]

Interesting show coming up next week.

[MinuteGal]

Wasn't there a detailed TV documentary about Hoffman and his scam aired some years ago? I remember watching it in fascination.

Hoffman was brilliant in his forgeries and game plan. So brilliant that I suspect he was always hovering on the brink of some form of madness.

Perhaps the upcoming program will shed some light from the ex-wife's perspective. I'll watch with interest.

If folks can lay aside the distracting religious infighting, the tale of Hoffman is fascinating indeed.

Leni

[teppe]

I don’t think it is very difficult to figure out why Hoffman was so successful. All of the experts believed his documents were genuine.

As for the Prophet thing ... you seem to believe that Prophets are perfect. Adam wasn’t, Moses wasn’t ... nor were James or Paul. Why should a modern Prophet be any better than these?

[redhead]

I was reading "The Mormon Murders" on a plane trip a few years ago. As I was going to my seat, a man in the row behind me tapped me on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me. I'm IN that book...!" Turned out he was the forensic document analyst who did all the tests. I was impressed.

[Lazamataz]

Nearly six years after his first "discovery," a few people began to suspect that Hofmann had forged the controversial documents. Hofmann made bombs, intended to attack those who suspected him. Two people died in two explosions, and Hofmann was injured in a third blast in his car.

Jesus. The guy sounds like a Muslim.

[cherry]

the whole point of the book was the quick action of the Mormon elders to buy up anything that Hofmann produced, especially since some of it was quite negative about the beginnings of Mormonism....

that is the big reveal of the book...

Hofmann was nothing more than an opportunist and a sociopath....he passed a lie dectector test...

I guess this is what my own Catholic church did in the face of negative findings.....try to buy off people to keep quiet instead of facing things head on and ending them...