William Hall as an Accuser

Three of the accusations against Joseph Smith were published in 1852 by William Hall in The Abominations of Mormonism Exposed; containing many Facts and Doctrines concerning that singular people during seven years' membership with them, from 1840 to 1847 (Cincinnati: I. Hart). Concerning Hall, historian Hubert Howe Bancroft wrote:

William Hall was an old gentleman of simple mind and manners when he wrote his book; he appears to be earnest and truthful. As he says of the saints, so I should say of him: he meant well, but he should beware of bad leaders. Hall was not a great man in the church, like Bennett; nevertheless, like Bennett he wrote a book, but unlike Bennett's, his book reads like that of an honest man, although it is full of bitter accusations against the Mormons. All such works should be taken with some degrees of allowance; for when a person begins to rail against any people or individual, he is apt to be carried away and misrepresent, intentionally or unintentionally.[1]

Non-LDS sociologist Lawrence Foster agreed with Bancroft: “William Hall’s account, are of extremely dubious accuracy and must be evaluated with the caution used in evaluating any malicious gossip.”[2]

In most ways, Hall's claims resemble tabloid level reporting. If more credible evidence is found to corroborate his charges, then his allegations become much more believable. Unfortunately for him, nothing is found to substantiate his accusations and reliable historical sources contradict his reconstructions.

[1] Hubert Howe Bancroft, History of Utah. 1540-1887. San Francisco: The History Company Publishers, 1890, 152fn

[2] Lawrence Foster, Religion and Sexuality: Three American Communal Experiments of the Nineteenth Century. New York: Oxford University Press, 1981, 308en93.