Reply #59: Thank you for your insights. The differences I see at this point are.....

[grumpy old fart]

significant with regard to scope and purpose.

Smith appears nothing more than an opportunist, creating a hoax for the credulous to swallow whole. His goal, an egotistical attempt to gain fame and followers.

Mohammad's aims appear much bigger. As you said, by the end of his life, "Muhammad had established Islam as a social and political force and had unified most of Arabia". While this makes him an infinitely more important figure on the world stage, I'm still unclear as to where his "teachings" fit in. Did he begin as a simple prophet, then grow into a military and political leader as events unfolded? Or did he use his "teachings" as a way to unify his people to achieve personal, political and/or military goals?

The statement "If Muhammad were to have profited from his military campaigns and short rule, it is sad that when he died he only owned a few possessions" does not really answer the latter question, of course, as many a man comes to a bad end no matter his intention.

That both Smith and Mohammad wound up as founding figures of large religions appears rather ironic.