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"[A]dultery. This spiritual wifeism! Why, a man dares not speak or wink, for fear of being accused of this.
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I never had any fuss with these men until that Female Relief Society brought out the paper against adulterers and adulteresses." JSJr, 5/26/1844

This was, of late, in my signature line quote. It was part of JSJr's oration on the Maid of Iowa on Sunday, May 26, 1844, just a month before he was murdered.

It was this "fuss" that was his downfall. "These men" were the Law and Foster brothers, partners in the Nauvoo Expositor that about 10 days later published its one and only issue. The one that defenders here cannot identify any untruths. What were those truths? this fuss? It was that JSJr was committing adultery that he called 'practicing polygamy'.

The Relief Society put out a position paper against adulterers and adulteresses. Now how, JSJr, did that cause any fuss with regards to "wives"?

When the Laws and Fosters only issue of the Expositor mentioned polygamy by JSJr, at brother Hyrum's urging JSJr ordered the town marshall to destroy the Expositor, to pie its type.

The illegal use of authority led to his arrest, being taken to Carthage Jail, where Hancock County and the State of Illinois failed to protect their prisoner from being murdered by an unruly mob.

What caused this chain of dominoes to fall, at the end of which was JSJr's murder? Well, there was, according to JSJr himself, no fuss from "these men" before the Female Relief Society published that 'paper against adulterers and adulteresses'.

So, it seems that the originating cause of the chain of events that hit their crescendo with JSJr's murder was the Female Relief Society having issued a paper that reiterated a Mormon teaching against adultery.

Maybe Mormon women don't need the priesthood. They have brought down a sinful prophet, yea, even the prophet of the restoration in his sin. Mormon priesthood achievements pale by comparison.

Do you think that perhaps Joseph's successors remembered this, and reacted by taking away what women in the church once had, ie: the authority to give blessings, their independence as an organization, and so forth? Is there any evidence that Brigham Young, for instance, was very unhappy with "that Female Relief Society" due to this role in Joseph's downfall? Or did he just pack the Relief Society leadership with polygamists and drive on?

Sethbag wrote:Do you think that perhaps Joseph's successors remembered this, and reacted by taking away what women in the church once had, ie: the authority to give blessings, their independence as an organization, and so forth? Is there any evidence that Brigham Young, for instance, was very unhappy with "that Female Relief Society" due to this role in Joseph's downfall? Or did he just pack the Relief Society leadership with polygamists and drive on?

BY disbanded the Relief Society until the 1850's If I recall correctly. He then brought it back to do some work with the Native Americans in the area. It grew from there.