Is there any real difference between Donald Trump and Joseph Smith?

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Moksha
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Re: Is there any real difference between Donald Trump and Joseph Smith?

Post by Moksha »

Physics Guy wrote:
Mon Jan 24, 2022 9:24 am
People professing puritanical morals can readily excuse what a leader does, if the leader says what they want to hear.
Look how Evangelical leaders have proclaimed the divine nature of Trump. What they really mean is that putting Trump on a pedestal will assist them in fleecing their flock.
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Re: Is there any real difference between Donald Trump and Joseph Smith?

Post by Atlanticmike »

Dr. Shades wrote:
Mon Jan 24, 2022 12:15 am
Atlanticmike wrote:
Sun Jan 23, 2022 8:11 pm
This has to be the dumbest thread in the terrestrial forum and it amazes me so many exmormons actually think there's similarities between Joseph Smith and Donald Trump. For Christ sake!! Get a life!
Rather than opine about the thread, contribute to the thread. What do you believe are the differences between the two, and why?
A better comparison would've been between Joseph Smith and Al Gore. Both men started a cult! Joseph was the prophet of Mormonism and Al is the prophet of global warming.
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Re: Is there any real difference between Donald Trump and Joseph Smith?

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Physics Guy wrote:
Mon Jan 24, 2022 9:24 am
How far is it true of Smith, though, that he identified a constituency of people who badly wanted to hear something, and told them what they wanted to hear? I never really thought of Smith’s prophethood as that kind of pandering. Was it?
There was the moundbuilder myth, on which the Book of Mormon is heavily based, but that was such a widespread assumption in American society at the time that it didn't need Smith to endorse it.
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Re: Is there any real difference between Donald Trump and Joseph Smith?

Post by Atlanticmike »

Dr. Shades wrote:
Wed Jan 19, 2022 4:27 am
As I ponder this, I'm not seeing any real difference in the personalities, values, standards, loyalty to the truth, marital fidelity, etc. between Joseph Smith and Donald Trump. Sure, they lived during different times and built different things (buildings vs. religion) during their lifetimes, but everything else seems to be practically the same--they both even ran for President for self-aggrandizement purposes.

I think, for all practical purposes, that Joseph Smith and Donald Trump are essentially the same person inside two different bodies. Am I right or wrong?
Is there really any difference between Joseph Smith and Radio Free Mormon? Both ask for my money!!🤣😂 Both have trouble with women. Both can't stop talking about Mormonism. Both have a cult following.
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Re: Is there any real difference between Donald Trump and Joseph Smith?

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How far is it true of Smith, though, that he identified a constituency of people who badly wanted to hear something, and told them what they wanted to hear? I never really thought of Smith’s prophethood as that kind of pandering. Was it?
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You are correct that a significant difference between the two is that Trump is not an idea man at all. He's also not really partisan. He could have ran as either a democrat or a republican, it was just a matter of opportunity. He looks for opportunities to go viral and it just so happen he found his calling with aging white white people who have had their greatest ideological breakthroughs in recent years provided by young perverts posting on 4chan.

Joseph Smith on the other hand was the idea man, the only man allowed to come up with an idea about anything, and he had no problem cutting off any sapling not growing in the direction he prescribed.

How they took power is strikingly different. However, once in power, ultimately there is convergence, as Trump's treatment of Pence and Barr and others is the same way you'd expect Joseph Smith to treat Cowdry and his gang.

I think it's also important to consider how the two exist in the worlds of faithful believers. Very strong Trump supporters are likely to be very strong Joseph Smith supporters, particularly those who put Joseph Smith above subsequent prophets and modern prophets. I think this goes in both directions. Very strong right-wing relatives of mine increasingly embrace a church centered on Joseph Smith, and not the modern prophet. On the other hand, some extended relatives who got caught up in Denver Snuffer for doctrinal reasons found their way to Trump.
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Re: Is there any real difference between Donald Trump and Joseph Smith?

Post by Atlanticmike »

Dr. Shades wrote:
Wed Jan 19, 2022 4:27 am
As I ponder this, I'm not seeing any real difference in the personalities, values, standards, loyalty to the truth, marital fidelity, etc. between Joseph Smith and Donald Trump. Sure, they lived during different times and built different things (buildings vs. religion) during their lifetimes, but everything else seems to be practically the same--they both even ran for President for self-aggrandizement purposes.

I think, for all practical purposes, that Joseph Smith and Donald Trump are essentially the same person inside two different bodies. Am I right or wrong?
Lots of differences between Joseph Smith and Donald Trump. But what about Joseph Smith and Radio Free Mormon? The similarities are abundant. I just listened to a few minutes of one his talks given in front of a live audience and I had to stop listening because it reminded me of being in church. Everytime he said a joke, the audience gave that nervous Mormon laugh, the same laugh every single time!! It was like listening to a worship fest!! Also, I heard he's trying to be a full time podcaster and he's relying on donations to make that possible!!!! Let me say that again! He's relying on donations so he can quit his law practice and become a full time religion basher! Does that sound like Joseph Smith? YES! Does Donald Trump rely on donations to bash religions full time? NO!
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Re: Is there any real difference between Donald Trump and Joseph Smith?

Post by doubtingthomas »

Atlanticmike wrote:
Mon Jan 24, 2022 12:04 pm

A better comparison would've been between Joseph Smith and Al Gore. Both men started a cult! Joseph was the prophet of Mormonism and Al is the prophet of global warming.
:lol: No one takes you seriously.
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Re: Is there any real difference between Donald Trump and Joseph Smith?

Post by doubtingthomas »

SaturdaysVoyeur wrote:
Sun Jan 23, 2022 12:03 am
And this is why I think the Joseph-Helen relationship was sexual.
In the 19th century, "the average age of the onset of puberty in girls was 16.6 years".
https://www.theguardian.com/society/201 ... hood-onset

So I don't think it was, unless Smith had abnormalities in the temporal and frontal regions of his brain. Research has shown that pedos tend to be shorter and less intelligent than the average person. Smith was a little over six feet tall and he was very intelligent.

And there is no evidence, I think Smith was waiting for her to get older.
"I have the type of (REAL) job where I can choose how to spend my time," says Marcus. :roll:
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Re: Is there any real difference between Donald Trump and Joseph Smith?

Post by cinepro »

SaturdaysVoyeur wrote:
Sun Jan 23, 2022 12:03 am
And this is why I think the Joseph-Helen relationship was sexual. Helen herself documented that Joseph offered her father a higher position in the church and promised the whole family guaranteed salvation---if he could marry Helen.

That just doesn't sound like a chaste arrangement. It sounds like child sex trafficking. Her father basically sold her for an apostleship and a seat in the First Presidency.
Source? Kimball was made an apostle in 1835. The Helen Kimball sealing was in 1843. Kimball was never in Joseph Smith's FP; he wasn't called until BY organized a FP in 1847. So I'm not sure your theory fits the actual timeline.
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Re: Is there any real difference between Donald Trump and Joseph Smith?

Post by Atlanticmike »

doubtingthomas wrote:
Tue Jan 25, 2022 7:14 pm
Atlanticmike wrote:
Mon Jan 24, 2022 12:04 pm

A better comparison would've been between Joseph Smith and Al Gore. Both men started a cult! Joseph was the prophet of Mormonism and Al is the prophet of global warming.
:lol: No one takes you seriously.
Great!! What would scare me more than anything is agreeing with the majority of members on this board. That life isn't worth living!
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