As the Mopologists Turn--A Kerry Shirts episode

[_moksha]

Do you all think that Kerry Shirts would ignore the content of Bushman's Rough Stone Rolling (2005) with regards to polygamy? Do you all think that Kerry Shirts is unable to revise his position?

Once greater light and wisdom has entered the world, it would take a pretty hardcore apologist to deny it. Probably Kerry has changed his position.

[_Obiwan]

Joseph Smith was always honest..... He DID NOT practice "Polygamy".
His wife swore to her dying breath also that he did not do so.

He DID however practice "Plural Marriage Sealings".
What's the difference?

One is a religious sealing/ordinance rite, while the other is "live-in" marriage.

[_Chap]

Joseph Smith was always honest..... He DID NOT practice "Polygamy".
His wife swore to her dying breath also that he did not do so.

He DID however practice "Plural Marriage Sealings".
What's the difference?

One is a religious sealing/ordinance rite, while the other is "live-in" marriage.

Hmm. Is the distinction you make intended to suggest that Joseph Smith's relations with women other than Emma were of a totally spiritual kind?

If I recall rightly, in 1843 Joseph Smith married the Partridge sisters Emily and Eliza, at the time they were actually living in his household as his wards and servants. This was kept secret from his legal wife Emma, to the extent that after she found out that something was going on he had to conduct another sealing ceremony to conceal from her the fact that one had already taken place without her knowledge.

The marriage with Emily appears to have resulted in sexual relations:

Although they did not spend their wedding night together, Emily said she “slept with” Joseph on other occasions. Joseph’s property caretaker in Macedonia, Benjamin Johnson, remembers the couple traveling there, “The prophet...Came and...ocupied the Same Room & Bed with...the Daughter of the Late Bishop Partridge”.

Emma appears to have been as indignant about all this as one might expect a wife to be:

“We remained in the family several months after this...She sent for us one day to come to her room. Joseph was present, looking like a martyr. Emma said some very hard things ...She would rather her blood would run...than be polluted in this manner...Joseph came to us and shook hands with us, and the understanding was that all was ended between us. I for one meant to keep this promise I was forced to make.”

http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/2021- ... tridge.htm

It seems possible that Emma's later denials that Joseph Smith practiced polygamy may have been based on the perhaps over-subtle distinction in your post: That is, if you don't all live together à la Brigham Young, then it isn't really polygamy.

[_jon]

Do you all think that Kerry Shirts would ignore the content of Bushman's Rough Stone Rolling (2005) with regards to polygamy?

More questions:

Has he (or any other excusist...ehm, I mean apologist) changed their position on the Book of Abraham despite the actual content of the papyri?

Do Turkeys acknowledge Thanksgiving?

Don't hold your breath, they will just try even more convoluted explanations to try and justify the unjustifiable...

[_Dr. Shades]

As much as I disagree with Mormonism, I am going to have to say something here. The article quoted in the OP was published in 2003 and is over 8 years old. The website itself is for all intents and purposes, now defunct.

The Bible is far, far older than 8 years old. Has it become irrelevant now, too? Why or why not?

Do you all think that Kerry Shirts would ignore the content of Bushman's Rough Stone Rolling (2005) with regards to polygamy?

Only if it made Joseph Smith look bad.

Do you all think that Kerry Shirts is unable to revise his position?

Do you have any evidence that he ever revised his position?

(The default assumption is that, barring evidence to the contrary, a person hasn't revised his or her position.)