Fresh new lie from LDS.org about Samuel Smith's death

[_why me]

Bushman claims that the fever got him. Most likely this true. If speculation is the key in this post, we can also speculate that the fever did its toll because of all the turmoil the Smith's were in at this time. Hyrum and Joseph in prison, the worry of the relatives and the physical exhaustion involved. Not good for any body system.

And if this be true, then of course Samual Smith would be a martyr. Would he have contacted the fever without the mob justice that was taking place? And if so, would he have survived if there were peaceful circumstances around him?

[_why me]

I found the evidence presented by Quinn that Samaul was poisoned tenuous at best.

Agreed.

Some good points on this thread. Was Samuel Smith poisoned? We don't know. Did he die from "bilious fever" (which could have been the result of poisoning, obviously)? We don't know. Did he die because he leaned against his saddle horn? We don't know---however, this seems even less likely to me that the poisoning theory. I think Nevo is right to point out that William Smith had reason to twist or alter the facts. But, then again, Ballard has reason to twist and alter the facts as well. Bottom line, in my opinion, is that B&L is essentially right: Ballard is whitewashing the truth. The most "correct," most truthful statement would have been something like "We aren't totally sure why S. Smith died. There are a few different theories. We'd like to remember him as a martyr, though." What's problematic, to my mind, w/ Elder Ballard's statement is his apparent insistence on establishing S. Smith as a "martyr."

Exactly right! This is the problem I have with the Mormon stories...they are presented as factual (rather than like you described), then when we learn the different theories, it makes us wonder what else has been inaccurately portrayed!

When it comes to history and circumstance different theories abound. But what to do about it. One can go with one theory and make a touchdown. And if no one can prove that theory wrong, then it is so.

Likewise for the other theories.

[_Boaz & Lidia]

Bushman claims that the fever got him. Most likely this true. If speculation is the key in this post, we can also speculate that the fever did its toll because of all the turmoil the Smith's were in at this time. Hyrum and Joseph in prison, the worry of the relatives and the physical exhaustion involved. Not good for any body system.

And if this be true, then of course Samual Smith would be a martyr. Would he have contacted the fever without the mob justice that was taking place? And if so, would he have survived if there were peaceful circumstances
around him?

Please stop with the martyr BS. If there were any martyrs at Carthage then by the same criteria David Koresh was a martyr.

None of the dead at Carthage gave up their lives willingly. They went done in a gun fight.