Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
In this episode of A Logical Deconstruction of Mormonism, we tackle one of the most overlooked and potentially consequential historical problems in early Mormonism: the Priesthood Restoration Timeline.
The story most Latter-day Saints know is familiar. Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were visited by John the Baptist and later by Peter, James, and John, restoring the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods through angelic ordination. It is presented as a foundational event, one of the pillars upon which Mormon authority stands.
But when we slow down and examine the historical record, the timeline becomes far less straightforward.
Early revelations are silent. Contemporary records describe the High Priesthood being conferred for the first time in 1831. Joseph Smith himself was ordained a High Priest under the hands of Lyman Wight. David Whitmer later said he had never heard of John the Baptist ordaining Joseph and Oliver until years after the Church was organized. Richard Bushman acknowledges that the late appearance of these stories raises difficult questions.
So what happened?
Did priesthood authority unfold gradually? Did understanding develop over time? Or do later accounts appear to retrofit miraculous events into earlier history?
In this episode we examine:
• The original records from the June 1831 conference
• Joseph Smith’s ordination under Lyman Wight
• David Whitmer’s statements
• The 1835 additions to earlier revelations
• Richard Bushman’s observations
• Apologetic responses from FAIR, Scripture Central, and others
• The growing tension between contemporary documents and later narratives
The question is not whether there are answers. The question is which explanation requires the fewest assumptions and best fits the data.
"A Logical Deconstruction of Mormonism" and all of my other books are available on Amazon in Kindle, Paperback, and Audible formats
amazon.com/stores/Bill-Reel/author/B0H1NLJLP6
Also if anyone needs extra support as they work through their faith deconstruction, I am a certified Somatic Informed Trauma Coach and you can look into my work at awakenandthrive.org
#Mormonism #LDS #JosephSmith #Priesthood #MormonHistory #BookOfMormon #ChurchHistory #ExMormon #LogicalDeconstruction #MormonismLive
In this episode of A Logical Deconstruction of Mormonism, we tackle one of the most overlooked and potentially consequential historical problems in early Mormonism: the Priesthood Restoration Timeline.
The story most Latter-day Saints know is familiar. Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were visited by John the Baptist and later by Peter, James, and John, restoring the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods through angelic ordination. It is presented as a foundational event, one of the pillars upon which Mormon authority stands.
But when we slow down and examine the historical record, the timeline becomes far less straightforward.
Early revelations are silent. Contemporary records describe the High Priesthood being conferred for the first time in 1831. Joseph Smith himself was ordained a High Priest under the hands of Lyman Wight. David Whitmer later said he had never heard of John the Baptist ordaining Joseph and Oliver until years after the Church was organized. Richard Bushman acknowledges that the late appearance of these stories raises difficult questions.
So what happened?
Did priesthood authority unfold gradually? Did understanding develop over time? Or do later accounts appear to retrofit miraculous events into earlier history?
In this episode we examine:
• The original records from the June 1831 conference
• Joseph Smith’s ordination under Lyman Wight
• David Whitmer’s statements
• The 1835 additions to earlier revelations
• Richard Bushman’s observations
• Apologetic responses from FAIR, Scripture Central, and others
• The growing tension between contemporary documents and later narratives
The question is not whether there are answers. The question is which explanation requires the fewest assumptions and best fits the data.
"A Logical Deconstruction of Mormonism" and all of my other books are available on Amazon in Kindle, Paperback, and Audible formats
amazon.com/stores/Bill-Reel/author/B0H1NLJLP6
Also if anyone needs extra support as they work through their faith deconstruction, I am a certified Somatic Informed Trauma Coach and you can look into my work at awakenandthrive.org
#Mormonism #LDS #JosephSmith #Priesthood #MormonHistory #BookOfMormon #ChurchHistory #ExMormon #LogicalDeconstruction #MormonismLive
