"My Soul delighteth in the Law of the Lord for he forgiveth my sins and <will> confound mine Enimies the Lord shall destroy him who has lifted his heel against me95 even that wicked man Docter P Hrlbert [Doctor Philastus Hurlbut] he <will> deliver him to the fowls of heaven and his bones shall be cast to the blast of the wind <for> he lifted his <arm> against the Almity therefore the Lord shall destroy him." — Joseph Smith1
Doctor Philastus Hurlbut (first name Doctor), born on February 3, 1809, in Chittenden County, Vermont, had a multifaceted and controversial career that intertwined with the early Church and Joseph Smith. Initially a preacher for the Methodist Episcopal Church, Hurlbut converted to the Church between 1832 and 1833, getting baptized in Jamestown and ordained as an elder by Sidney Rigdon in March 1833. However, his association with the Church was short-lived, and he was excommunicated in June 1833 due to allegations of immoral behavior while on a mission.2
Following his excommunication, Hurlbut became an outspoken critic of Joseph Smith and the Church. He was employed by critics in Geauga County, Ohio, to gather damaging information about Smith and the origins of the Book of Mormon. He contributed significantly to the anti-Mormon treatise Mormonism Unvailed by Eber D. Howe in 1834.3 Hurlbut's actions escalated to threats against Joseph Smith, leading to his arrest in 1834.2
Hurlbut joined the Salem United Brethren Church around 1836 and became an ordained elder there about a decade later. He also held a position on the board of trustees for Otterbein College in Ohio starting in 1847 but was permanently suspended from ministry in 1852.2
