Is it possible Joseph Smith had schizophrenia?

excellent question! I cant find the source, but at one time I had read from official Mormon documents that it was said he had "serious mental inflictions" as well as a list of other past Mormon leaders and their mental illness. Since then, that document has "miraculously" disappeared and the denials are in full force. I believe he did as well he had an addiction to drugs, mushrooms, which were very common on the hill where he lived.

I had a good friend who developed schizophrenia just after we both graduated from high school. Schizophrenics have moments of clarity that could last for hours or even days inbetween their fits of complete insanity. During my friends bouts of delusion, he believed there was a man who was orbiting the earth and broadcasting my friends thoughts to the world. When he was in his crazed state, he made no sense at all, he couldn't follow his own thoughts from one point to the other. He was obviously crazy. From what I read of Joseph Smith, this was not the case for him. Joseph Smith was a visionary, but so were a lot of people in his time. Visions were part of Joseph's culture. But, his teachings actually make some logical sense. The Book of Mormon follows one point to the next and tells a very complex story for 530 pages. There's no way it could be the product of a schizophrenic. It makes too much sense, even if it is a little crazy. Also, there's no way a schizophrenic could gain the following JS had. They are obviously insane, even to a group of people who believe in visions and the supernatural. Those closest to him probably would have thought he was possessed by a demon, because that's how schizo's act. They are crazy. But the people who knew him and spent time with him actually believed in him.

Honestly, I think it is more likely that Jesus had schizophrenia. I think that Joseph Smith was a charismatic opportunistic fraud.

I don't believe so. I think narcissistic personality disorder is more likely.

Believe me, schizophrenia would have been the LEAST of his problems!

He did engage in mysticism -

Definitely