The Wall Street Journal had an article on their front page on Friday, Feb. 8th about the Church being in the spotlight because of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign. Although the article had some insightful comments (along with many false remarks from people who are anti-Mormon), the article also contained some historical errors as follows:
Error 1: The article states that the Church did not discontinue polygamy until 1904.
Correction 1: Polygamy was official discontinued in 1890 by a declaration from the Prophet and President of the Church at the time, Wilford Woodruff. In the sidebar on the article, it makes this distinction (sort of) between 1890 and a re-statement in 1904.
Error 2: The article says, "Mormonism began in 1830 after Joseph Smith, a farmer in upstate New York, said an angel led him to some golden plates that contained a 'New World gospel' -- the Book of Mormon."
Correction 2: The wording of this sentence needs some clarification, or it can be misleading. Although the Church was officially formed on April 6, 1830, Joseph Smith had the First Vision in 1820. Further, the article refers to the angel Moroni and the gold plates, which Moroni first appeared to the Prophet Joseph in 1823.
There are also some other important facts that are left out of the history in the sidebar. I recognize that it is impossible to give each of these subjects a full discussion in one article, but the events mentioned seem to focus on controversial topics--even ones that were resolved (such as the service in the Senate of Elder Reed Smoot.)
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Hey Jeff. The article's reporting of the end of polygamy is accurate. The original Manifesto in 1890 was intentionally ambiguous so as to allow polygamy to continue being practiced in Mexico and Canada. It was also continued in Salt Lake and other areas in Utah, in sealings performed by members of the first presidency and quorum of the twelve. When this was brought to the attention of the United States government and American public in 1903-04 during the Reed Smoot hearings before Congress, Joseph F. Smith issued a second manifesto (in 1904), ending polygamy in very specific terms.
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