Dan Vogel

Daniel Arlon Vogel^[1] (born 1955)^[2] is the author of a number of books related to early Mormon history. He is a former member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, an atheist and a skeptic.

Joseph Smith biography

Vogel was awarded the "Best Book" award in September 2004 by the John Whitmer Historical Association and the "Turner-Bergera Best Biography" award by the Mormon History Association in May 2005 for his biography Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet.^[3][4]

In this Smith biography, Vogel argues that Joseph Smith was a pious fraud--that he essentially invented his religious claims for what he believed were noble, faith-promoting purposes. Vogel identifies the roots of the pious fraud in the conflict between members of the Smith family, who were divided between the sometimes skepticism and universalism of Joseph Smith, Sr. and the more mainstream Protestant faith of Lucy Mack Smith. Vogel interweaves the history of Joseph Smith, Jr. with interpretation of the Book of Mormon, which is read as springing from the young man's psychology and experiences.

Reception

Vogel's scholarship on the topic has come under fire by Mormon apologists who allege he is biased and critical of Mormon faith claims.^[5] He is sometimes also criticised by ex-Mormons and anti-Mormons for not being sufficiently critical of Joseph Smith. There is wide appreciation, however, for his contribution of the multi-volume Early Mormon Documents, which placed an unprecedented number of important documents within the reach of the average researcher.^[6]

Vogel has also edited volumes skeptical of the possibility of receiving the future through the word of God.

In 1991, Mormon religion professor and FARMS apologist Stephen E. Robinson suggested that Vogel's arguments closely resemble those of Korihor from the Book of Mormon.^[7]

Many of Dan Vogel's books have been critically reviewed by FARMS.^[8]

Publications

• Vogel, Dan (1986). Indian Origins and the Book of Mormon. Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books. ISBN 0-941214-42-7. http://www.signaturebookslibrary.org/indian/preface.htm. 
• —— (1988). Religious Seekers and the Advent of Mormonism. Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books. ISBN 0-941214-64-8. http://www.signaturebookslibrary.org/seekers/Introduction.htm. 
• ——, ed (1990). The Word of God: Essays on Mormon Scripture. Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books. ISBN 0-941214-93-1. http://www.signaturebookslibrary.org/word/cover.htm. 
• —— (1993). "Anti-Universalist Rhetoric in the Book of Mormon". In Brent Lee Metcalf. New Approaches to the Book of Mormon: Explorations in Critical Methodology. Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books. ISBN 1-56085-017-5. 
• —— (ed) (1996–2003). Early Mormon Documents. (Vols. 1-5). Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books. ISBN 1-56085-072-8. 
• ——; Brent Lee Metcalf, ed (2002). American Apocrypha: Essays on the Book of Mormon. Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books. ISBN 1-56085-151-1. 
• —— (2004). Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet. Signature Books. ISBN 1-56085-179-1. 

Notes

1. ^ "Mounds Indians and the Book of Mormon : the Book of Mormon and its early...". Copyright Catalog (1978 to present). United States Copyright Office. http://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=37&ti=26,37&Search_Arg=vogel%20dan&Search_Code=NALL&CNT=25&PID=h73ImJ24z4Nsx9LFd1SSURyMGuLA&SEQ=20100118180217&SID=2. Retrieved 2010-01-18. 
2. ^ "Indian origins and the Book of Mormon : religious solutions from Columbus to Joseph Smith / Dan Vogel.". J. Willard Marriott Library Catalog. University of Utah. http://hip.library.utah.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=122461D7RE625.33642&profile=mrmain&source=~!horizon&view=subscriptionsummary&uri=full=3100001~!764302~!0&ri=39&aspect=subtab75&menu=search&ipp=20&spp=20&staffonly=&term=Vogel%2C+Dan%2C+1955-&index=PAUTHBR&uindex=&aspect=subtab75&menu=search&ri=39. Retrieved 2008-10-21. 
3. ^ "JWHA Awards"
4. ^ "MHA 2005 Award Winners"
5. ^ "Dan Vogel's Family Romance and the Book of Mormon as Smith Family Allegory"
6. ^ Morris, Larry. "Joseph Smith and "Interpretive Biography"". http://farms.byu.edu/publications/review/?vol=18&num=1&id=611. "Dan Vogel has made a significant and lasting contribution to Mormon studies, and he deserves to be thanked for his bibliographic work. I sincerely appreciate his prodigious research." 
7. ^ Stephen E. Robinson, "Review of The Word of God: Essays on Mormon Scripture by Dan Vogel" (Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, 1991), pp. 312–318.
8. ^ FARMS reviews of Dan Vogel's works

External links

• Works by or about Dan Vogel in libraries (WorldCat catalog)

Persondata
Name	Vogel, Daniel Arlon
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1955
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death