Posted by:
Historischer
(
)
Date: April 23, 2017 08:39PM
It just occurred to me what G. Bitner Hinckley was probably intending to do when he bought the forged historical documents from Mark Hoffman. It's breathtaking in its cynicism, but fully consistent with everything we know about Hinckley.
He undoubtedly didn't care whether the documents were forged. And of course, he didn't have the slightest "discernment" in the matter. He simply wanted the documents to be convincing to experts, which they were. Hoffman, with his freakish talent for forgery, was a godsend to Hinckley.
Hinckley didn't want to protect the Church from new information by keeping it secret. He wanted to fundamentally transform the church, some would say destroy it, by strategically leaking the information to posthumously destroy his rivals, especially Benson and McConkie. He could also discredit any rising stars in the hierarchy, especially Maxwell and Oaks. In the process he would thoroughly demythologize Joseph Smith and possibly decanonize the Book of Mormon. He would make it, once and for all, the Church of the Living Prophet, with himself at the head.
And he got much of it done anyway, even when the documents were invalidated by law enforcement. Look at what an enduring fool he made of Oaks with the Salamander Letter. Look at how the members practically worshipped him at his elaborate birthday parties.
That's why he was so terrified of dying in 2008. Not because he was afraid of meeting God, in whom his belief was murky at best. It was because after all that work, there would be another living prophet to exercise the power and reap the rewards. And ironically Monson, although he loved the rewards, didn't even want the power.
If Hinckley had fully succeeded, in a timeline where Hoffman never had to kill anyone, things would be much different than they are today. Hinckley would have undoubtedly had a revelation to change policy by picking his own successor. He would now be venerated as second only to Jesus Christ. And the church would be somewhat smaller but far more more militant, because absolute obedience to the living prophet would be the only remaining doctrine of the church.