Nope, he smoked too many cigars and was a wine-bibber. Of course in his day, the WoW wasn't given by way of commandment. Oh, wait.. it still says that!
No...his adultery would disqualify him, along with all the illegal/immoral activities he was part of. A recommend interview would have sent him on to a church court of love not the temple. At least that is what would happen to the regular old run of the mill low level member. A high ranking authority may have more leeway.
Cynyhia Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > No...his adultery would disqualify him, along with > all the illegal/immoral activities he was part of. > A recommend interview would have sent him on to a > church court of love not the temple. At least > that is what would happen to the regular old run > of the mill low level member. A high ranking > authority may have more leeway.
Yep, back then section 101 of the D&C said that polygamy was totally against the rules of the Church. Section 132 wasn't accepted by the church until 1852.
Joseph Smith wouldn't pass it's criteria, DnC defines Smith as an adulterer. According to 132 the reason for plyg is procreation--the church suggests he never fathered children from his plyg marriages. 132 says id the plural wives are not virgins, it is adultery. As we know, some of the wives were married to other men. And 132 says the first wife had to approve. Emma most certainly did not.
Futhermore, if we look up Adultery on the Church’s website (http://www.lds.org/study/topics/adultery?lang=eng) it simply refers us to “Chastity.” The Law of Chastity, as taught in the Temple ritual, is having sex with anyone other than he or she to whom one is “legally and lawfully wed.” It should be noted that at no point in church history was polygamy ever practiced legally. All polygamous relationships (including Joseph Smith’s) were with someone to whom the participants were not legally and lawfully wed.
Joseph Smith is, by the LDS church's definitions and standards, an adulterer, and does not qualify for a temple recommend.
IMHO, he would qualify in every aspect, since the TR requires only that you say the right things during the interview. There is absolutely no requirement on the part of the interviewer to actually check up on any of the answers. So when a child molester, wife beater or adulterer goes in for his or her recommends (usually males), all he needs to do is say yes and no to the questions. Especially the one about sustaining the church leaders. That is very important.
Yep. JS denied all the charges in court. He even sent out missionaries to deny the polygamy. Lying for a TR is duck soup for such an outstanding liar as JS. However, I am sure he is paying for his sins even with his own blood atonement of sorts, and communing only with Satan.
"Lying for a TR is duck soup for such an outstanding liar as JS."
This. A million times this.
The cult needs liars. The interview process is to train you to lie. Do you think the bishop really wants to hear about you touching yourself? Hell no. You are supposed to lie. That is why they punish you when you tell the truth. If you admit to someone that you masturbate you deserve what you get. Never give anyone ammunition to use against you.
If he were to walk through the door of a church today, they wouldn't baptize him, let alone give him a recommend.
In fact, the bishop would be obligated to call the police and turn him in for polygamy, child rape, and a slew of other things that are against the law.
He's probably end his interview in handcuffs if the bishop had any brain at all.
Joseph Smith would be giving the interview, not receiving. If someone else were in charge, he would leave and start his own group. That's how he rolled.