The Mormon church says this is a question often asked by those who wish to denigrate Mormonism; it refers to the Mormon belief that God is the father of all.

Some liberal Mormons, unable to swallow the whole story literally, believe that Smith was divinely inspired but think it unimportant to dwell on the historical details surrounding his revelations.

A tall, soft-spoken Mormon academic at Harvard Business School, "Clay" Christensen (born 1952) sprang to prominence on the strength of one book, "the Innovator's Dilemma".