Smithmas Revealed

[Kishkumen]

Smithmas is an absolutely brilliant idea. The Restoration has been sadly sparse in its yearly commemorations. The fact that Pioneer Day is essentially a celebration born in the aftermath of the Restoration after the mobs of Illinois murdered the two prophets, Joseph and Hyrum, in Brigham Young's church of the apostolic coup, as Radio Free Mormon has revealed, leaves Restoration practitioners with precious little to commemorate that Restoration with. We should celebrate Plates Day on the autumnal equinox. A friend of mine calls it Moroni Nox, although I would prefer to call it the Final Annunciation of Gabriel. Smithmas would be a wonderful addition. Or we might call it the Final Incarnation of Raphael, since this was Joseph Smith's likely angelic identity. As Michael was Adam, and Gabriel was Noah, Elias, John the Baptist, and Moroni, Raphael was probably Enoch, the Jaredite Gazelem, Joseph, Nephi, and Joseph Smith. Could be. I know this sounds way out there, but perhaps you can forgive me for being "out there" when the topic is Smithmas.

Honestly, I don't know what the problem is, why Dr. Peterson would feel the need to be so careful and "apologetic" about a worthy holiday and remembrance. It must be the shackles of mainstream LDSism weighing down on the membership. So much of what made Mormonism interesting has been leeched out of the LDS Church by bureaucrats, lawyers, pencil-pushers, and salespeople. The Final Incarnation of Raphael as Joseph Smith was a monumental event, in that one of the gods came down in human form and brought his priesthood to restore what had been lost so many generations. There were only bishops for nearly two millennia because there were no longer priests to be found. No real priests and no temples. Raphael brought this back with the help of his peers Michael and Gabriel (the archangelic First Presidency), being the great healing messenger-deity that he was and is. This is something magnificent to celebrate, but we hear instead about Joseph being the moon or some such. Not the moon, dear Dr. Gabriel watches over the sphere of the moon. Raphael watches over the sphere of Mercury, a planet fitting of his fleet mind, piercings of the veils, and closeness to the Sun/Son.

This is some wild stuff, Ramus! I don’t think I have seen you put things together quite like this before. I second DocCam in the hope that you will continue to favor us with your highly imaginative take on Mormonism.