Magical Relics of the Patriarchal Order?

[_Fence Sitter]

Very interesting stuff Reverend, thanks for sharing.

I wonder how LDS restorationist can justify the fact that an office established more than a year before the 12 apostles were called, an office that Joseph Smith said would always exist "whenever the Church of Christ is established on the earth", an office BY said was "necessary to keep up a full organization of the Church through all time", an office established in scripture as equal to that of the prophet; no longer exist?

If today's church truly represents the ancient order of things why isn't there a Presiding Patriarch?

[_Maksutov]

This looks like a rich vein of neglected history to mine....Go, Kish!

[_Kishkumen]

I wonder how LDS restorationist can justify the fact that an office established more than a year before the 12 apostles were called, an office that Joseph Smith said would always exist "whenever the Church of Christ is established on the earth", an office BY said was "necessary to keep up a full organization of the Church through all time", an office established in scripture as equal to that of the prophet; no longer exist?

If today's church truly represents the ancient order of things why isn't there a Presiding Patriarch?

Yes, the answer is pretty self-evident, isn't it?

The patriarchy is absolutely crucial to the ancient order as revealed to Joseph Smith, Jr. Really, without the patriarchy, the rest is fairly pointless.

Consider this:

The Gospel that Joseph Smith received was a Josephite Gospel, in many respects. In three different ways, Joseph Smith restored scripture of Joseph:

1) The Book of Mormon, which cites Joseph of Egypt's own record.
2) The Inspired Version of the Bible, which expands the blessing of Joseph.
3) The Book of Abraham, which is most likely an excerpt from the Record of Joseph.

The reason Joseph Smith was revealing these things was in no small part due to the fact that he believed himself to be a descendant of Joseph, restoring a purer, Josephite Gospel.

Part of that restoration was the return of Joseph to his proper place in the Kingdom of Israel. In this, he was repairing the damage that was done when Northern Israel was taken into captivity.

The Josephite Patriarchy is at the heart of that Josephite Restoration. The end of that patriarchy is a hollowing out of the core of the Restoration itself.

Why was Brigham so adamant about maintaining the position of the patriarch?

1) He knew what Joseph Smith, Jr. had said about its importance.
2) He felt concerned about the loss of the fullness of the priesthood, as we have explored in other threads.

The second part is not to be underestimated here. It seems pretty clear to me that Brigham Young felt he was the best person in a position to stand in Joseph's place, or act on Joseph's post-mortal behalf, in ensuring the continuance of the fullness of the priesthood. But all of this had not been clearcut. It was not authorized by revelation. It was the best that could be done in a catastrophic situation. And it was clear to Brigham, even years later, that the Smith family had a special, even indispensable role to play in the Church.

So, what to do? Well, you had better make sure that you keep a Smith as Church Patriarch. Brigham was adamant on this point. The position was crucial to the full organization of the LDS Church, even though he also knew that it was a potential site of conflict, since it represented a superior claim to leadership to his own. Nevertheless, he would not trust anyone who was not fully on board with the fullness of the priesthood, including polygamy.

He might agree that Joseph Smith III had the right to be a leader in the Church. He did not deny the facts of Joseph Smith, Jr.'s revelations and appointments. He took them seriously. But he also knew that the substance of Joseph Smith's fullness of the priesthood would be in peril if someone who did not respect it were to be in a position to compromise it.

If only the Church could have a Smith Patriarch, then at least the right of the Smiths and the Josephite patriarchal chain would be preserved.

But now it is clearly broken. In 2013 it was broken for good. The ancient order is gone.

[_Maksutov]

Young had lost so many of the Smiths that he had to conserve whatever Smith assets he had in some way. The Smith name still held great power with the Saints and represented the greatest threat to his authority. It seems to me that the powergrabs were done first and the theology was rewritten/edited to suit the new reality.

Excellent work and exposition. More, please.

[_I have a question]

I wonder how LDS restorationist can justify the fact that an office established more than a year before the 12 apostles were called, an office that Joseph Smith said would always exist "whenever the Church of Christ is established on the earth", an office BY said was "necessary to keep up a full organization of the Church through all time", an office established in scripture as equal to that of the prophet; no longer exist?

If today's church truly represents the ancient order of things why isn't there a Presiding Patriarch?

Yes, the answer is pretty self-evident, isn't it?

The patriarchy is absolutely crucial to the ancient order as revealed to Joseph Smith, Jr. Really, without the patriarchy, the rest is fairly pointless.

It's an incestuous oligarchy cloaked in a religions front.
Whatever Joseph set up can be discounted as "further light and knowledge" as and when the dollars deem it necessary.

[_Maksutov]

It's an incestuous oligarchy cloaked in a religions front.

I love this description. And now I'm seeing it...and in so many places...

Mormonism is an enterprise dominated by a few somewhat ruthless families. Hmm...

[_Fence Sitter]

The Gospel that Joseph Smith received was a Josephite Gospel, in many respects. In three different ways, Joseph Smith restored scripture of Joseph:

1) The Book of Mormon, which cites Joseph of Egypt's own record.
2) The Inspired Version of the Bible, which expands the blessing of Joseph.
3) The Book of Abraham, which is most likely an excerpt from the Record of Joseph.

The reason Joseph Smith was revealing these things was in no small part due to the fact that he believed himself to be a descendant of Joseph, restoring a purer, Josephite Gospel.

Part of that restoration was the return of Joseph to his proper place in the Kingdom of Israel. In this, he was repairing the damage that was done when Northern Israel was taken into captivity.

The Josephite Patriarchy is at the heart of that Josephite Restoration. The end of that patriarchy is a hollowing out of the core of the Restoration itself.

Don't forget the other scroll from the Egyptian artifacts, The Papyrus of Tshemmin, which Joseph Smith identified as the Book of Joseph. We can only imagine what Joseph Smith might have created in such a book had he lived longer. He might have very well definitively defined the place of the Smith family as divinely ordained heirs in perpetuity over God's one true church, his descendants to lead as prophets and Hyram's in a parallel role as Presiding Patriarchs.

[_Kishkumen]

Don't forget the other scroll from the Egyptian artifacts, The Papyrus of Tshemmin, which Joseph Smith identified as the Book of Joseph. We can only imagine what Joseph Smith might have created in such a book had he lived longer. He might have very well definitively defined the place of the Smith family as divinely ordained heirs in perpetuity over God's one true church, his descendants to lead as prophets and Hyram's in a parallel role as Presiding Patriarchs.

Sounds like a likely scenario to me!

[_sock puppet]

Don't forget the other scroll from the Egyptian artifacts, The Papyrus of Tshemmin, which Joseph Smith identified as the Book of Joseph. We can only imagine what Joseph Smith might have created in such a book had he lived longer. He might have very well definitively defined the place of the Smith family as divinely ordained heirs in perpetuity over God's one true church, his descendants to lead as prophets and Hyram's in a parallel role as Presiding Patriarchs.

Linguistically, what does the Papyrus of Tshemmin translate to be?

[_Fence Sitter]

Linguistically, what does the Papyrus of Tshemmin translate to be?

It is another Book of the Dead, similar to the Hor scroll, a funerary document for the lady Ta-sherit-Min which dates to the second half of the Ptolemaic Period (Ca. 100 BC). Here are some quotes from Ritner's excellent treatise on the subject.

"O you who introduce excellent ba-spirits in the house of Osiris, may you introduce the ba-spirit of the Osiris Ta-sherit-Min born of Nes-Khonsu, the justified, together with you into the house of Osiris."

or

"Give your command to the crew of Re in the evening so that Osiris might live after death like Re, every day."


or

"May you be assigned at any time to act there, whether to cultivate fields or to convey sand from the west to the east. Behold: here I am, so you will say."

or a partial translation of the portions that Joseph Smith labeled "Valuable Discovery"

"May I go forth in justification against my enemies...As I have opened the earth, so I have traveled at his steps...May I eat with my mouth while I defecate with my hindquarters, because I am a god, [lord of the underworld...]"

Definitely the shtick of Joseph.