Porter Rockwell: heroic saint or destroying angel?

[_Dr. Shades]

Blixa, is there any way we could persuade you to return to your previous series of avatars? With all due respect, they were far superior to the ones you're using now.

[_Doctor Steuss]

Well, I stand corrected. Wonder why that didn't come up when I looked there?

Anyway, since you showed me yours, here's mine. I actually hope I don't look too manly:

<snipped the pic like a Mohel>

I’ll show you mine if you’ll show me yours… (Brilliant!)

You have cured me of my man-crush-itis. I now have a Blixa-crush-itis (don’t tell Terryl… he can get so overly jealous sometimes).

I'm still confused though (and will need to break out my copy of the book). The cover on the site (and others I've checked) only has billing for Harold.

Livingstone22,
Sorry for derailing your thread.

[_Blixa]

Blixa, is there any way we could persuade you to return to your previous series of avatars? With all due respect, they were far superior to the ones you're using now.

You mean my Second Life avatars? Urgh. I prefer the work of Julian Opie myself. I can switch to another series though...

Ok, you get another YBA as a placeholder 'til I decide. Here's Damien Hirst and "For the Love of God."

[_moksha]

Amazon and Alibris list only one author for Orrin Porter Rockwell: Man of God, Son of Thunder. Unfortunately I don't have a copy (looks like its out of print? damn!). It's been over 30 years since I last read it and spoke to Hal about it, but I don't remember a Benita (is that his wife's name?) involved.

I wish Hal were still alive, too. I recently started working on a small Utah history research project that I'm spinning my wheels on. The only person who seems to have ever written anything on it, and it was just a tiny newspaper article he did years ago for a Tribune Utah history series, was Hal. I suspect he could have answered my questions or pointed out where to look next for information. If I had only thought to work on this while he was alive!

Since Will Bagley and Hal Schindler worked together for a long time churning out history stories for the Tribune and undoubtedly they shared stories, I wonder if Mr. Bagley might be able to help.

Those songs were are a great piece of Americana. Thanks for sharing them.


----
Was Orin a good guy or a bad guy? While it is indeed possible for serial murderers to have their winsome moments and even be devout, I would say they are bad guys. Being one of the Church's assassins does not imbue him with any holiness.

[_moksha]

Well, I stand corrected. Wonder why that didn't come up when I looked there?

Anyway, since you showed me yours, here's mine. I actually hope I don't look too manly:

Blixa, do you have a photo of yourself dressed as a Lagoon Pioneer Village saloon girl? That would be fun to post if you did.

[_Blixa]

I probably will, Moksha. I haven't mentioned it yet because we've been talking about other things, but I'm sure it will come up eventually.

Moksha:

Those songs were are a great piece of Americana. Thanks for sharing them.

You're welcome. I'll give you a copy of my book when its done.

Moksha:

Blixa, do you have a photo of yourself dressed as a Lagoon Pioneer Village saloon girl? That would be fun to post if you did.

Oh I SO wish I did. The photo I posted was taken in Salt Lake, though, that's as close as I can come. I had a great cowgirl outfit when I was a kid, too bad all the photos of me wearing it are in SLC, too.

[_Mr. Coffee]

Anyway, since you showed me yours, here's mine. I actually hope I don't look too manly:

[img]snip(Seriously,%20people...%20%20No%20need%20to%20qoute%20inlined%20images.%20%20It's%20a%20waste%20of%20bandwidth...)[/img]

Not mannish at all, Blixa. Rather striking, actualy.

And just so people can put a face to the name...



Me and "Linda".

[_Livingstone22]

Here is my problem with Rockewell and the Danites:

I believe that he was the one that shot Governor Boggs because William Law said that Joseph Smith told him "I sent Rockwell to kill Boggs, but he missed him, it was a failure; he wounded him instead of sending him to Hell" (William Law, statement of July, 31, 1887, in Lyndon W. Cook, ed., William Law: Biographical Essay, Nauvoo Diary, Correspondence, Interview, 116-117).

Also, Rockwell did say that "I shot through the window and thought I had killed him, but I had only wounded him I was damned sorry that I had not killed the son of a bitch!" (Schindler, Orrin Porter Rockwell, Man of God Son of Thunder, 80).

So I am inclined to believing that Rockwell was the one who made the attempt on Boggs' life, but is this a character-damning incident? I guess that it compares to Nephi killing Laban to get the brass plates or Ron Lafferty killing his sister-in-law and niece because "God said so." The problem of divine command ethics when it comes to murder is: how can anyone (especially the law) make sure that God did in fact permit murder...or, for that matter, that God even exists. I personal belief is that God wouldn't ever tell anyone to kill another.

[_Blixa]

Livingstone: I don't have a problem saying that Rockwell was a bad man.

Mr. Coffee: Unlike Steuss, this is exactly what I expected. Which I hope you take as a compliment!

[_Mr. Coffee]

Mr. Coffee: Unlike Steuss, this is exactly what I expected. Which I hope you take as a compliment!

That depends, Blixa. What was it that you expected?