The only thing particularly problematic for me were the early years of polygamy. For better or worse, many of the details are no longer verifiable; the evidence certainly points in certain directions, but in many cases it’s hard to say what really happened. I can live with that.

I think it’s a mistake to paint Joseph Smith as someone who could do no wrong. He serves much better as an example of someone who lived his faith boldly, and for that we can all be grateful.

Beware of the following somewhat-rant,

I recently had a long discussion with a brother-in-law on this topic. He is struggling with being Mormon nowadays due to some serious questions about the history of the church that he has never had until he was put into a bishopric and really dug into D&C. D&C 132 especially gets him fired up in its reference to Emma Smith and Polygamy. Of course, that is not the only issue he has, although it is the most glaring doctrinal issue. He grew up in Utah and is now living outside of Utah and he is trying to identify himself in his new surroundings and these Church issues give him a lean away from the church. He attributes his lack of experience and knowledge of the “warts” of the Church “Corporate Kool-aid” on the part of Mormons. His struggles have led him to cry out a resounding “Hell no, none” to the title of this post.

I firmly agree to that sentiment. My B-in-Law wants to have a philosophy of “living my truth”- or living who he really is a feel like being- “Keeping it Real”. He is beginning to expect the same from the church. We had a good conversation and I think he felt better knowing that I felt the same way, but was committed to the Church on a more simple foundation than history. Today I shipped him a copy of RSR so he can take a good whack at the false image of the Mormon Church he was raised with and start being real. That’s the premise for a new MTV show.

This is another case of the “Corporate Kool-aid” of the Church running afoul with what we are more than able to learn for ourselves. And I am in no way pointing a finger at GAs on this one. My B-in-law can count on one hand how many times he’s interacted with a GA. It’s the more daily or weekly interactions that rub us wrong. It’s one person bumping into each of these people on a blog and feeling the “judgment” of “righteous” and “right” members. Not only can we do better in Church to acknowledge the flaws of our leaders and some of the written words, but also and more-qualifyingly-so, the flaws in ourselves and our ideas.

That is the story of the Old Testament and parts of the New. To read of the conflicts between Peter and Paul pretty much catches just about everything.

The things some of us find hard to accept about the details of Joseph’s polygamy may well in fact have been things where Joseph was following the Lord’s commandments exactly. Some things may _not_ have been missteps, though they might appear so to us looking back from this point in time.

Ezra Taft Benson’s more provocative statements may actually have been in line with the Lord’s will, and it could be our false sense of political-correctness or “we’re more modern so we know better” type of hubris which blinds us to whatever truth is contained in those supposedly awkward statements.

Since later prophets have not denied or denounced previous prophets, we should probably be open to the possibility of hearing the Lord say in a future day, “That statement or action was according to what I told them” in regards to things that we might personally think the previous prophets had been mistaken about.

The only mistakes we can legitimately ascribe are the ones the men themselves admitted.

The Lord decrees, and the Lord revokes. Just because things change, doesn’t mean they were “wrong” before. Moses told the Hebrews he was taking them to the promised land, then the Lord revoked, and made them wait in the desert 40 years until all the adults died off. To the adults at the time, it looks like either Moses lied, or broke his promise.

So in those instances where the prophets and apostles said/did things that make us go “tut-tut”, but were not admitted to be or later declared to be mistakes, we should be open to the very likely possibility that the Lord intended it to be that way.

I’ve enjoyed this post a lot. A couple of weeks ago in Priesthood we discussed one of Josephs failings as a man and a prophet. I think this account of the circumstances is incredibly revelaing – not the fact that he made a real blunder; but his genuine anguish at having done so, and his consternation that he had lost his calling altogether. The sincerity this scene evokes is striking:

“On June 14, 1828, Martin Harris left Harmony, Pennsylvania, taking the first 116 manuscript pages translated from the gold plates to show to some of his family members in Palmyra, New York. The very next day, Joseph and Emma’s first child was born, a son they named Alvin. The baby died that same day, and Emma’s health declined until she was near death herself. The Prophet’s mother later wrote: “For some time, [Emma] seemed to tremble upon the verge of the silent home of her infant. So uncertain seemed her fate for a season that in the space of two weeks her husband never slept one hour in undisturbed quiet. At the end of this time, his anxiety became so great about the manuscript that he determined, as his wife was now some better, that as soon as she had gained a little more strength he would make a trip to New York and see after the same.”

In July, at Emma’s suggestion, the Prophet left Emma in her mother’s care and traveled by stagecoach to his parents’ home in Manchester Township, New York. The Prophet’s trip covered about 125 miles and took two or three days to complete. Distraught about the loss of his firstborn son, worried about his wife, and gravely concerned about the manuscript, Joseph neither ate nor slept during the entire trip. A fellow traveler, the only other passenger on the stagecoach, observed the Prophet’s weakened state and insisted on accompanying him for the 20-mile walk from the stagecoach station to the Smith home. For the last four miles of the walk, recalled the Prophet’s mother, “the stranger was under the necessity of leading Joseph by his arm, for nature was too much exhausted to support him any longer and he would fall asleep as he stood upon his feet.” Immediately upon reaching his parents’ home, the Prophet sent for Martin Harris.

Martin arrived at the Smith home in the early afternoon, downcast and forlorn. He did not have the manuscript, he said, and did not know where it was. Hearing this, Joseph exclaimed, “Oh! My God, my God. … All is lost, is lost. What shall I do? I have sinned. It is I that tempted the wrath of God by asking him for that which I had no right to ask. … How shall I appear before the Lord? Of what rebuke am I not worthy from the angel of the Most High?”

As the day wore on, the Prophet paced back and forth in his parents’ home in great distress, “weeping and grieving.” The next day he left to return to Harmony, where, he said, “I commenced humbling myself in mighty prayer before the Lord … that if possible I might obtain mercy at his hands and be forgiven of all that I had done which was contrary to his will.”

The Lord severely chastised the Prophet for fearing man more than God, but assured him he could be forgiven. “Thou art Joseph,” the Lord said, “and thou wast chosen to do the work of the Lord, but because of transgression, if thou art not aware thou wilt fall. But remember, God is merciful; therefore, repent of that which thou hast done which is contrary to the commandment which I gave you, and thou art still chosen, and art again called to the work” (D&C 3:9–10).

For a time, the Lord took the Urim and Thummim and the plates from Joseph. But these things were soon restored to him. “The angel was rejoiced when he gave me back the Urim and Thummim,” the Prophet recalled, “and said that God was pleased with my faithfulness and humility, and loved me for my penitence and diligence in prayer, in the which I had performed my duty so well as to … be able to enter upon the work of translation again.” As Joseph moved forward in the great work before him, he was now fortified by the sweet feelings of receiving the Lord’s forgiveness and a renewed determination to do His will.”

In my mind, seeing the details of Joseph’s failings are even greater evidence of his divine calling. A charlatan would never discuss or publish such things, nor act with such visceral anguish as we see here. Notice that Joseph did not berate Martin (as most of us probably would), but assumed all the blame and responsibility himself. Can you imagine what it would mean to be given such a task as was laid on his back, and that as a child, having never sought for it in the first place? Most of us would crumble, I believe.

I find it easier to believe in a flawed human being who has been given a seemingly impossible divine task (and who blunders a bit as I surely would) than a super-heroesque portrayal of prophetic perfection. The latter belongs in comic books.

Regards,

Neal

In my mind, seeing the details of Joseph’s failings are even greater evidence of his divine calling. A charlatan would never discuss or publish such things, nor act with such visceral anguish as we see here. Notice that Joseph did not berate Martin (as most of us probably would), but assumed all the blame and responsibility himself. Can you imagine what it would mean to be given such a task as was laid on his back, and that as a child, having never sought for it in the first place? Most of us would crumble, I believe.

I find it easier to believe in a flawed human being who has been given a seemingly impossible divine task (and who blunders a bit as I surely would) than a super-heroesque portrayal of prophetic perfection. The latter belongs in comic books.

Regards,

Neal

Shortly after joining in 1983 I was given a novel about Emma Smith by some friends in the Church. In it was the issue of Joseph Smith’s polygamy among some of the other “warts” associated with him and I was troubled muchly by it. I was wondering how someone like that could do the work he did and have it be true.

I struggled with it for a long time because a brother told me that if I couldn’t accept Joseph in all his glory then I couldn’t accept the Book of Mormon either and if that were the case, what was I doing here. So it became an issue.

Then I realized that Joseph had failings, the Book of Mormon wasn’t one of them, the organization of the church wasn’t one of them. I believe in the church and the Book of Mormon and know Joseph was a prophet. A human one. One that had that calling for a relatively short period of time.

I could get caught up in the “he set the rules but broke the rules” issue. I choose not to think about them all that much. Reading the book would be okay for me to do, because it would still fall into the same category of not letting it change my mind to leave the church, but to let me learn more of the early history of the church.

Great post, thanks for all the great comments.

Correction: 2 Nephi 31:17-21 and the link to Elder Bednar’s talk is

http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-690-8,00.html

In my case, all these kinds of issues have been answered, they have no more hold on me at all. I’ve turned my attention to seeking after the sorts of things Elder Bednar has been talking about <a href=”Title“>here since his call as an Apostle.

I love Nephi’s invitation to follow Christ (1 Nephi 31:17-21)and can testify by experience that this is the way to proceed. Graduate quickly from whatever troubles you and embrace the words of Nephi and embrace your Gift of the Holy Ghost and learn to wrestle with the Lord in mighty prayer for whatever blessings you stand in need of.

Note: I hope the link I entered to one of Elder Bednar’s talks works out.