Apologetic Argument: Joseph Smith's Man Love

[_Buffalo]

Genesis 9:13

I set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between Me and the earth.

[_Morley]

"I feel like shouting Hallelujah, all the time, when I think that I ever knew Joseph Smith." (Discourses of Brigham Young [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1954], p. 458.)

[_Darth J]

"I feel like shouting Hallelujah, all the time, when I think that I ever knew Joseph Smith." (Discourses of Brigham Young [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1954], p. 458.)

Exactly. And that quote can also be found on the Church's website. http://LDS.org/churchhistory/presidents ... pic=quotes

As the second prophet of the Restoration, Brigham Young of course would have been familiar with the Book of Moses. After all, even though he never explicitly said anything about it, it just stands to reason that he must have known about the First Vision simply by osmosis, if nothing else.

On August 13, 1857, Brigham Young and several other church leaders placed a copy of The Pearl of Great Price in the southeast cornerstone of the Salt Lake Temple. Therefore, we can assume that Brigham Young knew what was is in The Pearl of Great Price.

Being a revelation to Joseph Smith of ancient prophetic writings that were lost, the Pearl of Great Price follows the Hebrew idiom that "to know" someone means to have sexual intercourse. For example,

Moses 5:2

And Adam knew his wife, and she bare unto him sons and daughters, and they began to multiply and to replenish the earth.

Moses 6:2

And Adam knew his wife again, and she bare a son, and he called his name Seth. And Adam glorified the name of God; for he said: God hath appointed me another seed, instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

It cannot be denied that Brigham Young was aware of the the Book of Moses as revealed to Joseph Smith. And it is almost beyond comprehension to believe that President Young was not aware that the idiom "to know" means "to have sex with." Thus, Brigham Young explicitly acknowledged that he had sex with Joseph Smith.

Proponents of the Church will have to go far to explain this one.

[_Darth J]

While proponents of the Church are quick to dismiss the idea that Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were lovers, those who seriously consider the evidence will find an interesting parallel between the affection that Brigham had for Joseph and ancient Greek military customs.

Speaking of his life partner, Brigham Young said this:

“I honor and revere the name of Joseph Smith. I delight to hear it; I love it. I love his doctrine. I feel like shouting Hallelujah, all the time, when I think that I ever knew Joseph Smith, the Prophet whom the Lord raised up. I am bold to say that, Jesus Christ excepted, no better man ever lived or does live upon this earth. I am his witness."

How did Brigham come to be so devoted to Joseph?

One thing we know is that in Nauvoo, Joseph Smith promoted himself to the highest military rank in the United States at that time: lieutenant general. Surely he would not have done so unless he was well-qualified. In addition, Joseph had his military experience leading Zion's Camp.

Further, the Lord had told Joseph Smith, "seek ye out of the best dbooks words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith." D&C 88:118

And we know that Joseph Smith had a Greek lexicon that he studied at some point, which conclusively proves that the Greek psalter thing is made up.

Being interested in military matters, studying from the best books, and Greek, one can safely assume that Joseph Smith became aware that in ancient Greece, homosexual relationships were sometimes encouraged between soldiers to bond them more closely. This is a very detailed subject, but a brief summary can be found at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexual ... ent_Greece

We also know that Joseph Smith was not opposed to borrowing ideas from others to teach correct principles, as with Masonry and the temple endowment. Therefore, it is no stretch at all to imagine Joseph adopting this practice to strengthen his relationship with his successor. It would certainly explain their strong bond and mutual affection.

Proponents of the Church may resort to their usual hand-waving to further their agenda, but it is not so easy to explain away this intriguing parallel between 19th-century Nauvoo and ancient Greece.