Posted by:
gilgamesh
(
)
Date: June 13, 2011 04:17PM
You may remember my long winded post on the Danites. Here is another long winded post about Joseph Smith and his thirst for power and control.
Comments welcome.
>>
"If you had the Prophet Joseph to deal with, you would think that I am quite mild... He would not bear the usage I have borne, and would appear as though he would tear down all the houses in the city, and tear up trees by the roots, if men conducted to him in the way they have to me." (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 8, pp. 317-318)
Joseph Smith is often portrayed as a mild mannered farm boy who face opposition and persecution at every turn. This doesn't seem to be an accurate portrayal. Joseph had a fiery temper, a massive ego and an unquenchable thirst for power. His private life was very different from the one he portrayed in public. It seems that he almost had a split personality.
He truly believed he was the best at anything he did.
"I combat the errors of the ages;...I solve mathematical problems of universities, with truth--diamond truth; and God is my right hand man." (Joseph Smith, 1843, History of the Church, Vol. 6)
Armed with this personality and god as his assistant, Joseph set out to dominate the world. He was the law and he was above the law. Through revelation he set up an illegal bank, which subsequently failed. He was the general of two armies, Zion's camp (illegal) and the Nauvoo legion.
Smith eventually became the mayor of Nauvoo. As mayor, he authorized himself to sell liquor from his home.
Ordinance on the Personal Sale of Liquors. Section 1.
Be it ordained by the City Council of Nauvoo, that the Mayor of the city be and is hereby authorized to sell or give spirits of any quantity as he in his wisdom shall judge to be for the health and comfort, or convenience of such travelers or other persons as shall visit his house from time to time.
Passed December 12, 1843.
JOSEPH SMITH, Mayor.
WILLARD RICHARDS, Recorder. (History of the Church, Volume 6, page 111)
Drinking alcohol and selling it from your home seems quite contrary to the 1833 revelation on the word of wisdom. His personal journals document that he had no intention of giving up alcohol.
May 3, 1843 - 'drank a glass of wine with Sister Janetta Richards, made by her mother in England.' ('History of the Church,' vol. 5, pg. 380).
June 1, 1844 - 'Drank a glass of beer at Mooessers' ('The Diaries and Journals of Joseph Smith,' edited by Scott H. Faulring, Utah, 1989, pg. 486).
Joseph was above the rules but expected his followers to obey.
"Joseph Smith tried the faith of the Saints many times by his peculiarities. At one time, he had preached a powerful sermon on the Word of Wisdom, and immediately thereafter, he rode through the streets of Nauvoo smoking a cigar. Some of the brethren were tried as was Abraham of old." (Amasa Lyman, First Presidency)
The prophet ruled with an iron fist. Literally. If someone insulted him he would beat the hell out of the person.
"I am not so much a 'Christian' as many suppose I am. When a man undertakes to ride me for a horse, I feel disposed to kick up and throw him off, and ride him." (History of the Church, vol. 5, p. 335)
When he got into an argument with his brother-in-law he nearly beat him to death. This incident was reported in a news paper citing the court case brought against Joseph.
"Smith then came up and knocked [Calvin Stoddard] in the forehead with his flat hand -- the blow knocked him down, when Smith repeated the blow four or five times, very hard -- made him blind -- that Smith afterwards came to him and asked his forgiveness . . ." (Court Case, Painesville Telegraph, June 26, 1835)
This was not an isolated experience. Luke S. Johnson tells of the time Joseph got into an argument with a minister. Apparently he had a strong opinion about religion.
"[Joseph] boxed his ears with both hands, and turning his face towards the door, kicked him into the street,' for the man's lack of charity." (Conflict at Kirtland, pp. 268)
Joseph wrote about several of these altercations himself. When he says he "kicked him out", I think he means that he actually kicked him. Many times.
"Josiah Butterfield came to my house and insulted me so outrageously that I kicked him out of the house, across the yard, and into the street." (History of the Church, vol. 5, p. 316)
Rule of thumb: never call Joseph Smith a liar.
"Bagby called me a liar, and picked up a stone to throw at me, which so enraged me that I followed him a few steps, and struck him two or three times. Esquire Daniel H. Wells stepped between us and succeeded in separating us. . . . I rode down to Alderman Whitney . . . [H]e imposed a fine which I paid, and then returned to the political meeting." (History of the Church, vol. 5, p. 524)
Later, Joseph admitted he was trying to choke Bagby.
"I met him, and he gave me some abusive language, taking up a stone to throw at me: I seized him by the throat to choke him off." (History of the Church, vol. 5, p. 531, August 13, 1843)
Joseph authorized and performed illegal marriages (polyandrously) and exerted his dominance over his friends by claiming their wives and daughters. While secretly practicing polygamy, Joseph publicly preached against it.
"I had not been married scarcely five minutes, and made one proclamation of the Gospel, before it was reported that I had seven wives. I mean to live and proclaim the truth as long as I can...
I am innocent of all these charges, and you can bear witness of my innocence, for you know me yourselves...
What a thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only find one." (Joseph Smith, Public Sermon, May 26, 1844)
At the time of this speech he was married to at least 30 women.
So if you're a ruler of a town, militia and religion, where do you go from there? By running for president of the United States of America! Joseph chose Sidney Rigdon as his running mate. He sent the quorum of the twelve and hundreds of others out on special political missions. He organized a special "Council of the Fifty" which was a secret political organization. Part of the role of the Council of the Fifty was to help with his campaign for presidency.
Why stop at president though? The prophet had himself ordained as King. Joseph's ultimate goal was to establish a theocracy. Jesus would eventually be the King, but until the millennium, that would be Joseph's role.
"I was also witness of the introduction (secretly) of a kingly form of government, in which Joseph suffered himself to be ordained a king, to reign over the house of Israel forever; which I could not conceive to be in accordance with the laws of the church, but I did not oppose this move, thinking it none of my business" (William Marks, Council of Fifty, 1853)
Joseph had complete power and control over every physical, financial, emotional and spiritual aspect of his people's lives. Because of this control, the people were not able to recognize the lies, fraud, and abuse of power. What they saw instead was perfection.
Smith was "[Smith was] perhaps the most Christ-like man to live upon the earth since Jesus himself" (John J. Stewart)
Would the most Christ-like man since Jesus choke someone or box their ears? Would a Christ-like man have any desire to get involved with finances or politics?
In this theocracy, Smith was not only going to be king, he was going to play the role of god until Jesus returned take over.
"God made Aaron to be the mouth piece for the children of Israel, and He will make me be a god to you in His stead." (Joseph Smith, 1844, History of the Church, Vol. 6)
Joseph had control over every aspect of his followers' lives but his power even extends beyond the grave. Nobody is able to enter the Celestial Kingdom without Joseph Smith's consent. This is not some fringe doctrine taught 150 years ago. This is accepted doctrine.
"If we get our salvation, we shall have to pass by Joseph Smith; if we enter our glory, it will be through the authority he has received. We cannot get around him." (1988 Melchizedek Priesthood Study Guide, p. 142, quoting Apostle George Q. Cannon)
Does this mean Joseph has the power to save?
[There is] "no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith. If Joseph Smith was verily a prophet, and if he told the truth...no man can reject that testimony without incurring the most dreadful consequences, for he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, p.190)
Maybe Jesus has the power to save, but Joseph has the power to exult.
"No man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith...every man and woman must have the certificate of Joseph Smith, junior, as a passport to their entrance into the mansion where God and Christ are... [Joseph Smith] reigns there as supreme a being in his sphere, capacity, and calling, as God does in heaven. Many will exclaim—'Oh, that is very disagreeable! It is preposterous! We cannot bear the thought!' But it is true." (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, p.289-91)
Is Jesus even necessary? Smith seemed pretty confident that he was doing a good job. Maybe even the best job.
"I have more to boast about than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet." (Joseph Smith, 1844, History of the Church, vol. 6, p. 408-409)