Salamander letter was a controversial document about the history of the Latter Day Saint movement that later proved to be a forgery.
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11 Facts About Salamander letter
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The salamander letter presented a view of the life of the movement's founder, Joseph Smith, that stood sharply at odds with the commonly accepted version of the early progression of the church Smith established.
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Contents of the Salamander letter implied a magical aspect to Smith's life, a controversial subject debated amongst scholars of Latter Day Saint history.
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The letter was useful to these organizations because it seemed to support the opinions of Reed Durham, D Michael Quinn, and others regarding "magical" aspects of Smith's religious experiences.
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The contents of the Salamander letter seemed too similar to Howe's Mormonism Unvailed to others in the LDS Church's Historical Department.
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The Salamander letter was offered to other interested parties, including Jerald and Sandra Tanner, prominent critics of Mormonism.
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Salamander letter even went so far as to publish an attack on the document, which surprised many scholars and students since this and other "discoveries" of important Mormon documents by Hofmann often appeared to bolster the Tanners' own arguments.
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In 1985, when he learned that the pedigree of the salamander letter was under widespread suspicion, he produced and placed a number of bombs.
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Salamander letter suspected someone had planted it there after she sold the book.
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