I never could figure out that guy, even when i was a TBM. What I can't figure out is if he helped forge the BOM (I'm convinced by the evidence that he did), how did he remain a believer when it comes to folk magic? And why did he risk losing all he had invested into his fraud by coming down so hard on JS's polygamy? No honor amount thieves? Was he making a play for control of the church? Any thoughts?

Keep in mind that he started out as essentially co-president of the Mormon Church with Smith (and, according to one of Cowdery's law associates, helped in critical ways create the Book of Mormon narrative, not to mention, as other sources show, the basic storyline line of Mormon Church origins); in other words, Cowdery saw himself as an important and indispensable player in the invention and rise of Mormonism.

It would be understandable, therefore, that Cowdery might have seen himself as entitled to ultimately control the Mormon Church, particularly when Smith had shown himself to be inept, hobbled by poor judgment and self-destructive. Enter, therefore, Cowdery, eager to take the reins.

Example 1: Smith's adulterous affairs were conceivably seen by Cowdery as undermining of (and perhaps even fatal to) Smith's leadership credibility and therefore possibly viewed by Cowdery as opening up the chance for him to rise to the head of the Church (hence, Cowdery's unrelenting criticism of Smith's affair with Fannie Alger, which also had deeply upset Emma--as well as Cowdery's strong criticism of some of Smith's later doctrines that were "revealed" during a time when Smith was the target of growing and threatening resistance from other prominent Church dissenters).

Example 2: When Smith was embroiled in his illegal Ohio banking scam (one that was threatening to tear the Church apart) and which led Smith to ultimately flee Kirtland for several weeks, Cowdery quickly turned his allegiance in Smith's absence to an attention-grabbing local Kirtland seeress who was issuing her own prophesies. Smith managed to snuff out that fire when he returned from Canada, but Cowdery was left simmering and unrepentant.

Example 3: After rejoining the Mormon Church in 1848 and before dying in 1850 (following his stint in Ohio as a lawyer where he had hooked up with the popular Methodist church in Tifflin in order to advance his professional career and his personal standing in the community), the ever-angling Cowdery made a short-lived attempt to gin up support to take control of the Mormon Church from Brigham Young. However, any ideas of leading some kind of internal revolt were cut short when he was prematurely cut down by a terminal case of consumption (combined with the fact that Young was in ruthless control of the Mormon Church and would have likely suppressed any Cowdery-led insurrection).

Example 4: Fellow member of the "Three Witnesses" David Whitmer declared that at the time of Cowdery's death Cowdery was still of the view (expressed by Cowdery back in 1836) that Smith's "Doctrine & Covenants" was replete with false doctrine and deserved rejection. That hardly sounds like someone who never denied his Mormon testimony or who wasn't interested in putting Smith in his place (i.e., below Cowdery).

Cowdery, in short, was in the Mormon Church for Cowdery.

http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,382839



Edited 25 time(s). Last edit at 01/06/2012 09:56PM by steve benson.

Thanks, Steve. This now makes sense to me.
So do you think that Cowdrey and Rigdon saw themselves as the real power behind the throne? Did Joseph Smith see it that way too? At what point did JS see Rigdon as no longer necessary, or as someone that he wanted removed? Same question re Cowdrey. Do we have an idea about the circumstances surrounding the first events that JS used to remove his rivals? Was JS able to take each man out on his first attempt, or was it a series of events to discredit them before their outright removal?
Also, why did Cowdrey move to promote a Seeress instead of just stepping into the role himself? Were there aspects of his personality that prevented him from stepping up to the plate when he had an opportunity? Did he lack charisma, was he off putting, was he shy, conflicted?

Thanks in advance for being my personal MorGoogle. Lol

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/06/2012 01:09PM by steve benson.

I think Rigdon saw himself as charismatic, but Joe had the real charm.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/06/2012 02:37PM by steve benson.

I think everyone involved with Joseph smith made the huge mistake of underestimating JS's charisma, and powers of deception. People are still doing it today!

He obviously was constantly lying to everyone involved. He was a pathological liar with charm, who had an intense drive for money,sex, and power. People put their trust in him over and over even they had already been robbed by him. I think they did that because he was promising them a piece of the pie. Emma was duped by him on every level, but kept going back for more. I'm surprised she wasn't the one who killed him. It's too bad she was also a chronic liar. She could have put a lot of questions to rest.

I was raised with the Mormon rumor that Cowdery never denied his BoM testimony. Thanks for the enlightenment, Steve. You are a resource for history, and your work is appreciated.

Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 01/06/2012 08:39PM by steve benson.

+1 with Bagley