Go to:

http://archives.exmormon.org/taxonomy/term/37

Then scroll down to and click on "Unholy Cow, and How!--How the Mormon Church Created the Cowdery Myth"
_____


The Mormon temple Satan will not stop this from being reposted. :)



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2012 12:36AM by steve benson.

steve benson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> http://exmormon.org/d6/drupal/Unholy-Cow,-and-How!
> --How-the-Mormonm-Cult-Created-the-Cowdery-Myth-.-
> .-.


Hey steve-

I think that is a bad link....:(

Go to:

http://archives.exmormon.org/taxonomy/term/37

Then scroll down to and click on "Unholy Cow, and How!--How the Mormon Church Created the Cowdery Myth"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2012 12:36AM by steve benson.

I always laugh at how mormons say "none of the witnesses denied seeing the plates" as if that is a big argument for supporting the church. Those same witnesses left the church. In many ways the story of the different witnesses are a knock on the church and the first prophet.

And don't forget that after Joseph's death, Emma didn't want to have anything to do with Brigham Young.

Yeah it is pretty funny how Emma Smith is treated like this big hero of the church. She left the church when her husband died. Not really a big endorsement. Amazing how the church exploits her and makes faith promoting movies about her when she didn't belong.

Piggy Briggy would have added her to his collection in a heartbeat.

I wouldn't have gone along with that sorry bunch either.

steve benson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "Unholy Cow, and How!--How the Mormon Church
> Created the Cowdery Myth"

Some observations:

1. It is an over-simplification to say that Oliver was
"excommunicated." He never appeared for his Church Court
Trial, and instead offered his resignation -- which,
when it was accepted, formally servered him and his
family from the Church.

The guiding force in Oliver's removal was definitely
Joseph Smith (though Rigdon may have added to the pressure)
and the special High Council which worked to dissolve the
standing High Council in Zion, was certainly Smith's idea.

However, I am not so sure that Smith really wanted to
oust Oliver from the membership. Some sort of negotiations
between Cowdery and Smith were carried on in the G.W. Harris
residence at Far West. Had Oliver totally capitulated to
all of Smith's desires, he could have probably stayed on.

Oliver (and his brother Warren) appear to have been upset
over the notion that the Laws of the Church, embodied in the
1835 D&C did not apply to Smith. I think that problem was a
larger factor in the schism than was adultery/bigamy -- tho
it was all one big ball of wax by the time Oliver went out.

2. The counterfeiting charges may have been true -- and not
just the manufacture of bogus coins in Ohio, but also Oliver's
issuing valueless money out of the Bank of Monroe in Michigan.

3. Oliver's relationship with Judge Lang is perhaps too murky
to allow us to rely upon Lang's words (and purported words)
as a basis for factual reporting. Oliver at Tiffin reportedly
was in constant fear for his life. He may have lied to his law
partner, if lies helped preserve his safety.

4. Oliver as a Methodist -- One can join most Methodist groups
upon giving a Christian confession and referencing baptism in
the past. For this reason, Oliver did not have to be baptized
a Methodist, in order to be considered part of the congregation
at Tiffin. His adopted daughter was evidently a full member,
but Oliver's affiliation there remains hazy.

5. Oliver's disbelief in Mormonism -- I supposed that he at
least retained the belief that it could work for him and
the Whitmers -- regardless of how little he believed its
so-called "facts."

UD

Oliver was most likely a formal member of the Methodist Church (if he wasn't, it would be far from likely that it would have allowed him to be their official secretary of the minutes, plus he sought membership in its ranks). Cowdery not only became a Methodist, he apparently became a good and dedicated one. A long-time acquaintance of Cowdery, Judge W. H. Gibson, described Cowdery as “an able lawyer, a fine orator, a ready debater and led a blameless life, while residing in this city. He united with the Methodist Protestant Church, and was a consistent, active member. “

Joseph, on the other hand, was never a member of the Methodist Church since the local Methodist board of review there in frontier upstate New York refused to allow him to attend its Sunday School on account of his folk-magic treasure hunting (despite Smith's desire to do so).

Still, Ollie and Joe were true brothers in the Methodist gospel--a sure sign of the Restored Mormon Church of God. :)



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2012 02:18AM by steve benson.

steve benson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Oliver was most likely a formal member of the
> Methodist Church (if he wasn't, it would be far
> from likely that it would have allowed him to be
> their official secretary of the minutes, plus he
> sought membetship in its ranks).

Then again, I performed quasi-ministerial duties with
a Methodist congregation, while retaining my Latter Day
Saint identity. In fact, there was no much else that I
might have done, short of srrking a Methodist re-baptism
and possibly an ordination.

If Oliver was in a like situation, he might have enagaged
in all sorts of church activities -- without the regional
Bishop acknowledging him as a full-fledged member. No
matter his official status, Oliver was merely one of the
congregation in such a setting. He could no longer put on
the entitled act that Erza Booth witnessed. He was nothing
special -- and perhaps Oliver was ready for that sort of
identity for a while. I'm not certain that he was a Freemason
at Tiffin (also Jacksonianism and Masonry went hand in hand).
I suppose that the sort of social acceptance and position in
a "tribe" that he later experienced in Walworth were lacking
while he was still at Tiffin -- and Smith was still alive.


> Cowdery not only became a Methodist, he apparently
> became a good and dedicated one.

If so, then he broke every Methodist standard, by later
trying to conspire with David Whitmer, in order to seek
some special leadership status within Mormonism. I'd guess
that he retained some ties with the Methodists for his
famly's sake -- but that he never internally complied
with Wesleyan spirituality or theology -- certainly not
with Methodist piety and honesty.


> A long-time acquaintance of
> Cowdery, Judge W. H. Gibson, described Cowdery as
> “an able lawyer, a fine orator, a ready debater
> and led a blameless life, while residing in this
> city. He united with the Methodist Protestant
> Church, and was a consistent, active member. “
>

Like I said -- I could have been considered an active
member of the local United Methodist congregation -- that
is, until asked to recite the Apostles Creed with personal
conviction. I doubt that we are fully fathoming Oliver's
motivations during that period of his life.


> Joseph, on the other hand, was never a member of
> the Methodist Church since the local Methodist
> board or review there in frontier upstate New York
> refused to allow him to attend its Sunday School
> on account of his folk magic treasure hunting
> (despite Smith's desire to do so).

He attended class meetings for a while -- perhaps until
the shock of having his infant son die in front of him
wore off -- and until Emma was safe from death herself.
And -- I think that Joseph originally thought of church
polity in something like Methodist terms. He probably
had to evolve out of his early mentality, in order to
envision something like "Mount Zion" being the great
city of refuge, unto which scattered Israel had to gather,
under his leadership. A transition between 1828 and 1831.


>
> Still, Ollie and Joe were true brothers in the
> Methodist gospel--a sure sign of the Restored
> Mormon Church of God. :)

I wonder just how Oliver would have defined "gospel?"

I can sort of guess at Smith's motivations, and imagine
his development. Likewise for the Whitmers, Rigdon, Phelps,
etc. But Oliver remains opaque to my observation. Remove
the "myth" facade, and I'm not quite sure what remains to
be seen, behind that Mormon mask.

At some point, he must have felt that things were going
terribly wrong -- and that he was no longer "second elder"
of anything. Governor Harding recalled a visit to the Smith
cabin in Manchester, when Oliver was practically one of the
family. As that early intimacy faded, I wonder what was
left for Oliver? Why go on promoting Mormon lies, testifying
to spectacular supernatural encounters -- when Smith was all
the while pulling the ecclesiastical rug out from under him?

I have the suspicion that Oliver truly believed that he was
special -- a latter day Israelite, inheriting blessings that
the unrepentant Jews and unknowing Indians were rejecting.
But -- beyond that sense of wonder and exhileration, I do
not comprehend what Oliver derived from Mormonism -- and
especially so after, say, 1834-35.

So -- remove the "Cowdery myth" and what is left? A con-man
who went to his death-bed, knowing that he had fooled his
own family and Whitmer in-laws? A strange notion....

UD

What he did later appears to have been an attempt to reintegrate himself into the good graces of the Mormon religion.

He faith-hopped for his own purposes. Once a Mormon, once a Methodist, once in, once out, going along to get ahead, jumping off when his devious designs didn't look like they would pan out.

The final verdict: A consummate con man who joined what he had to and professed what he needed to in order to advance his personal agenda.



Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2012 05:43AM by steve benson.

steve benson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
...
> The final verdict: A consummate con man who
> joined what he had to and professed what he
> needed to in order to advance his personal agenda.
...

And yet -- a con-man who seems to have been unable to
advance his own status and power, without being tied
closely to the acceptance and leadership of Joe Smith.

An odd sort of con-man, that.

In his initial presentation, at Mormonleaks.com, Craig
Criddle has clearly illustrated Cowdery's ever-growing
list of purported Divine encounters -- and, I think,
shown that Oliver was either the most stupid dupe of all
time, or that he was a cunning co-conspirator, in on the
secrets of the Gold Bible project, from the very beginning.

How a non-Mormon can view Cowdery as an innocent, deluded
follower of Smith, who actually thought he experienced such
tremendous supernatural visions, is beyond my comprehension.

Criddle is looking for a cartoonist, to create an integrated
hard-copy book, for his full 8-segment web presentation.
Maybe producing something along the lines (graphically) of
the "Chemistry" cartoon book he worked up with Larry Gonick.

So, if you know any creative cartoonist, with a grasp of
LDS history and an interest in taking Cowdery down a few
notches in the Deseret Delusions, just let Craig know...

UD