Robert Matthews
Robert Matthews (
1778–
1841) was a
United States religious
con artist whose aliases included
Robert Matthias,
Jesus Matthias,
Matthias the Prophet, and
Joshua the Jewish Minister. He is remembered today chiefly for his brief encounter with
Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the
Latter-day Saint movement.
Matthews began his career in
New York City, where he succeeded in convincing three wealthy merchants named Mills, Folger, and Pierson to give him a great deal of money and the deeds to two houses, in exchange for "promised abundance in the kingdom of heaven." Folger went bankrupt and in
1835 had Matthews arrested and briefly incarcerated for obtaining money under false pretenses. Matthews was also accused of murdering Pierson, but was acquitted.
Upon his release from prison later in 1835, Matthews traveled through
Ohio, and on
9 November of that year he paid a visit to
Joseph Smith under the pseudonym "Joshua the Jewish Minister." The two discussed
resurrection and
reincarnation. Matthews claimed to be both God and the reincarnation of the
apostle Matthias; he also said he was a literal descendant of Matthias, and that transmigration of the soul typically went from father to son. False rumors circulated that Matthews had joined the Mormons, but in fact his meeting with Smith ended with the two prophets denouncing each other as
Satanic.
