CWK: Are Donald Trump and Joseph Smith Similar?

[huckelberry]

I have seen several you tube presentations with Mr Trump discussing Norman v Peale. I think the power of positive thinking explains a good deal of Trump's strategic decisions. If you do not get enough votes fall back on positive thinking to make things right.

[Moksha]

Kish, this was an excellent episode.

[Kishkumen]

Kish, this was an excellent episode.

Thank you, Moksha! I am very encouraged by your judgment!

[Kishkumen]

I have seen several you tube presentations with Mr Trump discussing Norman v Peale. I think the power of positive thinking explains a good deal of Trump's strategic decisions. If you do not get enough votes fall back on positive thinking to make things right.

I agree, huckelberry. The Trump/Peale connection is very helpful to understand.

[Kishkumen]

I found some details in the book Solemn Covenant Book by B. Carmon Hardy especially a diary entry by William Clayton. Clayton reported that his wife objected to his decision to take another wife. Smith's response according to Clayton was "You have the right to all you can get" Smith's father had an alcohol problem which must have affected the family. I think Bushman said Smith made his father the first patriarch perhaps out of shame . Trump according to Mary Trump had a real dysfunctional family influenced by cruelty of her grandfather Fred. There are currently a number of advertisements from women who claim Trump assaulted them. Are they ALL lying? Watch how he laughs and gestures scenes where Trump is chatting with Epstein. (I assume they were not talking about the weather) . Smith was sealed to teenage brides. Trump thought it was his right to enter the room where teenage contestants were changing. How did Smith react to those who rejected his advances? Smith claimed to Zina Huntington that an angel threatened to slay him with a flaming sword if he did not introduce polygamy. Smith had a wife Emma to deal with the problem while Trump has Melania If you are interested in Trump family dynamics watch Mary Trump's interviews regarding her new book.

Thanks for those bits and observations, Noel. I should read Mary's book.

[Analytics]

What originally got me thinking about this is coming across Joseph Smith’s claim that his name would be held in either good or evil by everybody. I thought, “boy, that sounds a lot like Donald Trump.”

What then came to mind is how both of them have so many bitter enemies who used to be strong supporters, e.g., Chris Christie, Mike Pence, Michael Cohen, William Law, Austin Cowles, John C. Bennett, etc. And I thought about all of their respective bankruptcies and how they were both continuing to fail, but seemed to always somehow fail up. While they both continually generate new enemies, they both somehow get new people to gleefully sign up to be part of the fight.

The most insightful thing about Kish’s comments was the Norman Vincent Peale angle. It never occurred to me that as Trump lies about how wonderful he is, all the time, in every way, he might just be showing his devotion to the power of positive thinking.

Thanks for the insights, Kish!

[Kishkumen]

What originally got me thinking about this is coming across Joseph Smith’s claim that his name would be held in either good or evil by everybody. I thought, “boy, that sounds a lot like Donald Trump.”

What then came to mind is how both of them have so many bitter enemies who used to be strong supporters, e.g., Chris Christie, Mike Pence, Michael Cohen, William Law, Austin Cowles, John C. Bennett, etc. And I thought about all of their respective bankruptcies and how they were both continuing to fail, but seemed to always somehow fail up. While they both continually generate new enemies, they both somehow get new people to gleefully sign up to be part of the fight.

The most insightful thing about Kish’s comments was the Norman Vincent Peale angle. It never occurred to me that as Trump lies about how wonderful he is, all the time, in every way, he might just be showing his devotion to the power of positive thinking.

Thanks for the insights, Kish!

Thank you, Analytics! I really enjoyed doing it, even though I entered into it with some trepidation. I am sorry I did not get into your actual question, but I will say something fairly obvious now: scale matters. When someone is able to operate at a certain scale, someone else will always find that to be a commodity in itself to capture and exploit. It is really hard to be in a position where someone will lend you many millions of dollars. Those who crack that ceiling can become useful to anyone who is able to harness that person's borrowing power. It is hard to build a legion of fanatical followers. Anyone who has managed that will be deemed useful by others who seek to exploit them for their own purposes.

[hauslern]

And Utah will stay red. Are taxes more important than a Presidential candidates behavior?

[Moksha]

And Utah will stay red. Are taxes more important than a Presidential candidates behavior?

Utah hates taxes and believes Trump's behavior makes him the "One Mighty and Strong". He has already eclipsed Ammon Bundy in the eyes of True Blue Mormons (even though Trump has not openly been declared a High Priest). After Trump formally abandons the Constitution, Utah will declare that its prophecy has been fulfilled.

[hauslern]

Would Mormon priesthood holders have difficulty voting for a woman? I see Jeff Flake former LDS senator is supporting Harris. Will Romney do the same?