Solution: Angel said to have visited Joseph Smith - NYT Crossword

“Angel said to have visited Joseph Smith.” Easy, right? That would be MORONI, who, various accounts say, inspired the young Smith, an American, to found the Mormon Church in 1830. With its strategically placed vowels, MORONI looks like an excellent crossword entry. To my surprise, however, its sole appearance in the Times puzzle during the current Reign of Shortz was in 2016, clued essentially as it was today. MORONI also appeared way back in 1988 in the Maleska-lithic period, clued as “Capital of the Comoros,” and therein lies another mystery.