Transfiguration of Brigham Young

[Kishkumen]

I get the feeling Kish is projecting a bit of his own frustrations onto posters here.

Wrong! I am frustrated with posters here, and the frustration is not misdirected.

I can understand being involved with Mormonism for such a long time that you start to see everything as tribal bickering and stop seeing the discussion.

You seem to be projecting here. I came into the thread with a different historical perspective on the topic, and I get hit with “questions” about “authority.”

For the most part, I see a lot of people here not attacking the church just to attack the church. I see them calling out an institution that promotes ideas that directly conflict with reality, like Hebrews in the Americas. That’s not just a belief, that’s misinformation. That’s indisputably false, and worth criticizing until the people to keep teaching that lie stop.

Keep tilting at those windmills! I am personally eager to see which falsehood pops up next. Like an elite cabal of vampire pedophiles that runs its evil operations out of the non-existent basement of a pizzeria in DC.

I don’t have a problem with Mormons believing in a physical God.

That’s a curious and sharp left turn.

I have a problem with Mormons teaching children that 2 plus 2 equals 5.

And here we thought Hebrews in America was bad. This is unconscionable!

[Kishkumen]

It appears that we have an interesting development in Mormon history, right at our favorite blog comments section! This is exciting stuff:

At the meeting immediately following the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young ascended the makeshift stage and addressed the people and the mantle of the Prophet, Joseph, fell upon him. Pundits like to admonish us that the incident never happened, because it wasn't broadly mentioned until many years later.

I can't help but relate the two events as mentioned above: first, there was an apparent reluctance to share the spiritual event until the "time was right," and second, the people were in the midst of mindset reconciliation. In the case of the pioneers, they were preparing to flee for their very lives and they had more urgent things on their minds than their "nightly journal-entry" right at that moment.

One of my great-great grandfathers casually mentions the incident and describes how he was present as the mantle of Joseph fell upon Brigham. Knowing him to be a just and honorable man, I far better take his word on the unfolding of events than I would the apostates who would negate it because he didn't write it down immediately, but waited until shortly before his death when he compiled a very short autobiography of his life.

Not always are things easily discerned by "timeframe," especially years later when the "time is right" to once again discuss them. This does not make these events any less valid, any less true, nor any less miraculous.

I like to think of these myths as stories that give meaning and a sense of inevitability or design to events that were confusing to people as they transpired. People narrate things in order to make sense out of them. Sitting in the 1870s, when Brigham Young was the theocratic leader of a people that had briefly enjoyed a Kingdom of Deseret, the past would be rewritten to fit present circumstances, not maliciously or with intentional deviousness, but because things *must* have been a certain way in order for them to be as they were when the story was told.

[Nevo]

The are 0 contemporary sources for said transfiguration. It is a bit of Mormon folklore that developed over time, the first story some 13 years after the event, and not a transfiguration, but some transference of the mantle of authority.

That's not quite right. William Hickenlooper mentioned the transfiguration in a family letter in May 1855 (H/T jkwilliams). The letter was published in the Strangite newspaper, Northern Islander, on 16 August 1855.

The first evidence I received that Brigham was the true successor of Joseph, was on the day when Sidney set up his claim for the Presidency. Brigham’s countenance, his voice, jestures and everything truly represented the martyred prophet in such a striking manner I shall never forget.— I was convinced by the spirit of the Lord that the mantle of Joseph had fallen on Brigham.

https://archive.org/details/NorthernIsl ... /mode/1up

[Kishkumen]

That's not quite right. William Hickenlooper mentioned the transfiguration in a family letter in May 1855 (H/T jkwilliams). The letter was published in the Strangite newspaper, Northern Islander, on 16 August 1855.

The first evidence I received that Brigham was the true successor of Joseph, was on the day when Sidney set up his claim for the Presidency. Brigham’s countenance, his voice, jestures and everything truly represented the martyred prophet in such a striking manner I shall never forget.— I was convinced by the spirit of the Lord that the mantle of Joseph had fallen on Brigham.

https://archive.org/details/NorthernIsl ... /mode/1up

Thanks, Nevo! Wow, if I ever knew about this, I certainly forgot it. Thanks!

[Kishkumen]

I also find intriguing the reply to this letter, wherein it is written:

Because Mr. Young had tried to mimic Joseph for several years before his death, and on his return from Boston after his (Joseph’s) martyrdom even went and got a dentist to take out a tooth on the same side that Joseph lost one, to make himself appear as much like him as possible, that even his voice, gestures and likeness would seem like Joseph, and did, at the August Conference, as you related, which was evidence to you that he was the man Joseph appointed, yet it is no evidence without he had come in at the gate, and been ordained, as the Lord had told Joseph before; which was by an angel.

[¥akaSteelhead]

So from 13 years gap to 11? ok.

[BeNotDeceived]

Brigham Young would be one of the last men worthy of being transfigured. Smith & Young are going to have to answer for a LOT on judgment day.

[Kishkumen]

So from 13 years gap to 11? ok.

Have you read Van Wagoner's "Making of a Mormon Myth"? That's a pretty good article on the topic.

[¥akaSteelhead]

I provided a link to it on page 1 kish

[Kishkumen]

I provided a link to it on page 1 kish

LOL! Yeah, but have you READ it?

Just kidding.