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Shannon Flynn Describes Working with Forger/Bomber Mark Hofmann

Shannon Flynn Describes Working with Forger/Bomber Mark Hofmann

Season 1 Episode 1173 Published 1 month, 3 weeks ago
Description
Shannon Flynn was a former close associate of the notorious Mormon forger and bomber, Mark Hofmann. Recorded before Flynn’s 2021 passing, this conversation provides a chilling, up-close look at Hofmann’s methods, his personality, and the desperate unraveling that led to two murders. We’ll get up close and personal and discuss this crazy chapter of Mormon History.
https://youtu.be/9QcITtuSxLo
Don’t miss our other conversations Shannon: https://gospeltangents.com/people/shannon-flynn

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Check out a transcript of the interview on Amazon.

Mark Hofmann’s Beginnings

  • The Origins of a Forger (Early Life & Coins): Hofmann’s life of deception began long before he forged church documents; he started electroplating fake mint marks onto coins at just 12 years old. Flynn reveals that Mark Hofmann successfully fooled experts for years, though a simple block of dry ice would cause the forged mint marks to flake right off.
  • Fabricating Provenance (The “Oath of a Freeman”): Flynn details the ingenious ways Mark Hofmann established legitimate backstories for his fake documents. For the highly valuable “Oath of a Freeman,” Hofmann slipped a forged copy into a stack of pamphlets at a massive New York bookstore, took it to the register, and obtained a genuine receipt to prove where he “found” it.
  • Mastering the Art of Deception (Forgery Techniques): Mark Hofmann’s historical research and chemical techniques were unprecedented. He would steal blank flyleaves from 19th-century books at the University of Utah and BYU so the paper would pass carbon dating. To age the ink instantly, he placed documents in a fish tank with an old electric train motor, using the ozone (O3) to oxidize the ink. This technique eventually led to his downfall, as the rapid drying caused the ink to crack—a telltale sign investigators later used against him.
  • Beating the Polygraph: Despite murdering two people and fabricating dozens of documents, Mark Hofmann passed a polygraph test with a highly truthful score of +14
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