The Happiness Letter Origin

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Kukulkan
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The Happiness Letter Origin

Post by Kukulkan »

I am blow away right now.

I grew up hearing the following quote often mentioned in GC or church. It was a quote I often turned to when in times of need as a member. (more specifically the bolded seciton)

"Happiness is the object and design of our existence, and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God;" -Joseph Smith

It has just been brought to my attention, through a wonderful video by Thinker of Thoughts Jonathan Streeter, that this quote by Joseph Smith has an overwhelmingly sinister origin.

For those were were also unaware, I will offer a short explanation but I implore you to watch the full video by Streeter. It is a on the long side, 2.5 hours, but it will be well worth your time. The Happiness letter was a letter written by Joseph Smith to 19 year old Nancy Rigdon, the daughter of the well-known Sidney Rigdon. The letter was an attempt by Joseph to convince Nancy into entering a plural marriage with Joseph. I highly advise you to read it yourself, but one part stuck out to me. If you had provided this quote to me and pretended it was authored by Warren Jeffs or David Koresh, I would have believed you.

"but we cannot keep ALL the commandments without first knowing them, and we cannot expect to know all, or more than we now know, unless we comply with or keep those we have already received! That which is wrong under one circumstance, may be, and often is, right under another. God said, Thou shalt not kill; at another time he said, Thou shalt utterly destroy. This is the principle on which the government of Heaven is conducted, by revelation adapted to the circumstances in which the children of the kingdom are placed. Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire."

It disgusts me to think that a quote I loved, shared with those who were struggling, and upheld, was sourced from a letter of clear and obvious manipulation and deceit. It also disgusts me that despite having been out of the church for a fair amount of time, I am still learning things that I struggle to comprehend anyone would rationalize God's prophet doing.

I am curious to know what others think about this letter. Was it something you were aware of while as a member? If so, how did you rationalize it at the time.
"I advise all to go on to perfection and search deeper and deeper into the mysteries of Godliness." -Joseph Smith
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Rivendale
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Re: The Happiness Letter Origin

Post by Rivendale »

If happiness is indeed the object and design of our existence it seems to run counter to the epidemic appearance of suffering. Suffering seems to more of the design when you look around the world both past and present. Most Mormon leaders quote this without probably a clue as to its origin and shaky legitimacy.
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Re: The Happiness Letter Origin

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Oh come on...I recall in Deacon's quorum our teacher told us this crap. Joseph said all this nice sounding stuff about being happy to a young girl he hoped to boink. Usually people who don't know these details just didn't pay attention when the quorum advisor was talking. The Church can't be responsible for grown-assed adults not knowing these historic details.

...and all of that.
God said, Thou shalt not kill; at another time he said, Thou shalt utterly destroy.
You have wonder what it'd be like to be a believer in God....knowing God was all about not killing sometimes and utterly destroying at other times...and imagining all spiritual messages you felt were coming to you from outside you....You have to wonder how far some people are gonna take it. I mean that spiritual seeming hope to boink can be very powerful, much like that feeling to preside over people in God's glorious kingdom on earth. Its not as if Joseph wasn't trained to think the biblical stories of God promoting polygamy had their divine purpose. Put a mind like Joseph in the time and place that he was, and there was not stopping it. If God's behind this world, how does he blame anyone? Mormons, particularly in the 19th Century, are simply another chapter in God's tediously long catalogs of mistreating and misusing people. That seems true whether God really inspired Joseph Smith or not.

I suppose I feel less pitchforks and knives towards religious folk these days, particularly those from the past. If there's a God they're all simply being used for evil reasons. If there is not God, they're all being tricked by sloppy human reasoning.
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Rivendale
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Re: The Happiness Letter Origin

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dastardly stem wrote:
Mon Jun 27, 2022 8:20 pm

God said, Thou shalt not kill; at another time he said, Thou shalt utterly destroy.
You have wonder what it'd be like to be a believer in God....knowing God was all about not killing sometimes and utterly destroying at other times...and imagining all spiritual messages you felt were coming to you from outside you....
Christianity is a mercenary religion. And Christian god is aware of it. Although he likes the drama of building up suspense. Something like the John Williams masterpiece regarding the Jaws movie sequence. All of that fear and anxiety that is built up as the Jaws theme plays is prevalent throughout scriptures. The warnings and terror are advertised like Christmas decorations in December. We can't have instant death in the quiet darkness of the night. No, there has to be beheadings, infant's heads on rocks, disembowelments, crucifixions, blood from pores, drownings, multitudes of disembodied arms, and don't forget foreskins......bundles of them. But happiness is the reason we are here.
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Kukulkan
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Re: The Happiness Letter Origin

Post by Kukulkan »

dastardly stem wrote:
Mon Jun 27, 2022 8:20 pm
Oh come on...I recall in Deacon's quorum our teacher told us this crap. Joseph said all this nice sounding stuff about being happy to a young girl he hoped to boink. Usually people who don't know these details just didn't pay attention when the quorum advisor was talking. The Church can't be responsible for grown-assed adults not knowing these historic details.

...and all of that.
The same exact answer I get when I have spoken to family members and friends in the past about disturbing facts about church history and theology. :lol: Like damn, I know I zoned out at church a lot but I feel like my ears would have perked up when things like this were mentioned!
dastardly stem wrote:
Mon Jun 27, 2022 8:20 pm
God said, Thou shalt not kill; at another time he said, Thou shalt utterly destroy.
You have wonder what it'd be like to be a believer in God....knowing God was all about not killing sometimes and utterly destroying at other times...and imagining all spiritual messages you felt were coming to you from outside you....You have to wonder how far some people are gonna take it. I mean that spiritual seeming hope to boink can be very powerful, much like that feeling to preside over people in God's glorious kingdom on earth. Its not as if Joseph wasn't trained to think the biblical stories of God promoting polygamy had their divine purpose. Put a mind like Joseph in the time and place that he was, and there was not stopping it. If God's behind this world, how does he blame anyone? Mormons, particularly in the 19th Century, are simply another chapter in God's tediously long catalogs of mistreating and misusing people. That seems true whether God really inspired Joseph Smith or not.

I suppose I feel less pitchforks and knives towards religious folk these days, particularly those from the past. If there's a God they're all simply being used for evil reasons. If there is not God, they're all being tricked by sloppy human reasoning.
I feel similarly in the sense my sentiments towards religious people have softened. This quote and letter, which seemed to escape my study, ignited in my a feeling akin to the first time learning of Joseph's polygamy, Book of Abraham issues, Book of Mormon issues, etc. I don't know how I missed it.
"I advise all to go on to perfection and search deeper and deeper into the mysteries of Godliness." -Joseph Smith
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Kukulkan
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Re: The Happiness Letter Origin

Post by Kukulkan »

Rivendale wrote:
Mon Jun 27, 2022 7:59 pm
If happiness is indeed the object and design of our existence it seems to run counter to the epidemic appearance of suffering. Suffering seems to more of the design when you look around the world both past and present. Most Mormon leaders quote this without probably a clue as to its origin and shaky legitimacy.
I would be interested to know who first originally used this quote and absolutely DID understand the context of it and its origin. That had to be a huge "WTF" moment.
"I advise all to go on to perfection and search deeper and deeper into the mysteries of Godliness." -Joseph Smith
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Rivendale
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Re: The Happiness Letter Origin

Post by Rivendale »

Kukulkan wrote:
Mon Jun 27, 2022 9:10 pm
Rivendale wrote:
Mon Jun 27, 2022 7:59 pm
If happiness is indeed the object and design of our existence it seems to run counter to the epidemic appearance of suffering. Suffering seems to more of the design when you look around the world both past and present. Most Mormon leaders quote this without probably a clue as to its origin and shaky legitimacy.
I would be interested to know who first originally used this quote and absolutely DID understand the context of it and its origin. That had to be a huge "WTF" moment.
You mean like this?
At this point Joseph Smith could now conduct meetings and polygamous proposals in secret, away from his legal wife Emma. Just a few months later, Joseph Smith instructs Nancy Hyde to request that Nancy Rigdon stops by the printing office to speak to Joseph Smith following a funeral that her father, Sidney Rigdon, was speaking at. We know this detail is accurate both from sources in Nancy Rigdon's family, but we can also see that this part is true from Orson Hyde's comments in 1845 as he sought to keep the church out of Sidney Rigdon's hands following Joseph's death:

"During my absence to Palestine, the conduct of his daughter, Nancy, became so notorious in this city, according to common rumor, she was regarded generally, little if any better than a public prostitute. Joseph Smith knowing the conduct she was guilty of, felt anxious to reprove and reclaim her if possible. He, accordingly, requested my wife to invite her down to her house. He wished to speak with her and show her the impropriety of being gallented shoot by so many different men, many of whom were comparatively strangets to her... Nancy, I presume, considered her dignity highly insulted at the plain and sharp reproofs she received front this servant of God. She ran home and told her father that Mr. Smith wanted her for a spiritual wife, and that he employed my wife to assist him in obtaining her." (Orson Hyde to Nauvoo High Priests Quurom, April 1845)
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Re: The Happiness Letter Origin

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Rivendale wrote:
Mon Jun 27, 2022 9:28 pm
You mean like this?
At this point Joseph Smith could now conduct meetings and polygamous proposals in secret, away from his legal wife Emma. Just a few months later, Joseph Smith instructs Nancy Hyde to request that Nancy Rigdon stops by the printing office to speak to Joseph Smith following a funeral that her father, Sidney Rigdon, was speaking at. We know this detail is accurate both from sources in Nancy Rigdon's family, but we can also see that this part is true from Orson Hyde's comments in 1845 as he sought to keep the church out of Sidney Rigdon's hands following Joseph's death:

"During my absence to Palestine, the conduct of his daughter, Nancy, became so notorious in this city, according to common rumor, she was regarded generally, little if any better than a public prostitute. Joseph Smith knowing the conduct she was guilty of, felt anxious to reprove and reclaim her if possible. He, accordingly, requested my wife to invite her down to her house. He wished to speak with her and show her the impropriety of being gallented shoot by so many different men, many of whom were comparatively strangets to her... Nancy, I presume, considered her dignity highly insulted at the plain and sharp reproofs she received front this servant of God. She ran home and told her father that Mr. Smith wanted her for a spiritual wife, and that he employed my wife to assist him in obtaining her." (Orson Hyde to Nauvoo High Priests Quurom, April 1845)
Interesting. Has the Happiness letter quote always been in circulation in the church, or did it fall into obscurity and then make its way back to the forefront in some GC talk?
"I advise all to go on to perfection and search deeper and deeper into the mysteries of Godliness." -Joseph Smith
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Re: The Happiness Letter Origin

Post by Rivendale »

Kukulkan wrote:
Mon Jun 27, 2022 9:34 pm
Rivendale wrote:
Mon Jun 27, 2022 9:28 pm
You mean like this?

Interesting. Has the Happiness letter quote always been in circulation in the church, or did it fall into obscurity and then make its way back to the forefront in some GC talk?
I don't think it was used much in the 19th century. The modern leaders use it all the time. On further research,J Golden Kimball referenced it.
Last edited by Rivendale on Mon Jun 27, 2022 11:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Happiness Letter Origin

Post by huckelberry »

I feel reasonably sure that I learned of the happiness letter and its connection to polygamy back in seminary. I thought every Mormon understood the importance of polygamy.

I am also pretty sure I was unaware of the extent of use of scurrilous accusations and character assassination to protect the deception about polygamy in Nauvoo

I am sorry to hear that some folks here find happiness not to be an important part of life. Paint it black I guess.
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