Wine and dine 'em...or promise them eternal life...first

[_sock puppet]

The classic cad that has sex with women other than his wife begins by wining and dining the other woman in the restaurant of a hotel, telling her that she's so hot and that he's got to have her. Then they'd go up to a room.

JSJr, in order to have sex with women other than his wife, Emma, would promise the other woman that she (and possibly her family) would have eternal, exalted life if she would become his "spiritual wife". JSJr would have one of his compatriots perform a wedding like ceremony, in secret of course, in an upstairs room at the store in Nauvoo.

After they were finished, the cad goes home to his wife. His commitment with the other woman over, at least until she might next be willing for another rendezvous.

JSJr, too, would soon depart the upper floor room at the Nauvoo Store, and return to home to Emma and the boys. His commitment to his 'spiritual wife' at an end too, for all practical purposes, usually on to the next conquest (or next "wife") after his batteries were recharged.

When exposed and challenged, the cad denies the whole affair, leaving the other woman hanging in the wind, to fend for herself with a now soiled reputation.

When exposed and challenged, on May 26, 1844 JSJr said as part of his Sunday preaching aboard the Maid of Iowa, "What a thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only find one." Having, like the cad, denied that the women other than Emma were 'wives', then what were they? How did they different from the cad's conquests?

Shakespeare wrote "That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet." Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2). By that same token, 'that which we call adultery, by any other name betrays your wife'.

JSJr's conduct with these women other than Emma resembles much more closely the situation of the adulterous cad, not the true bigamist that maintains separate homes for each spouse. To say that JSJr was anything short of an adulterer is to deny the realities of the situation.

[_Some Schmo]

Yeah, it's pretty clear Joe was a piece of crap. His death was too quick and forgiving.

[_just me]

They were concubines. I would say that many of them were also victims.

[_quark]

Those women, including Joseph's wife are now powerful gods. It is hell for Joseph.

[_Cardinal Biggles]

Joseph Smith was a liar, an adulterer, and a womanizer. That said, I don't think he deserved to die for any of those sins.

[_sock puppet]

They were concubines. I would say that many of them were also victims.

Good point. JSJr was, to use imagery that DCP and Wheat can appreciate, a loaded assault rifle at their heads to coerce them, what with that stuff about the ladies and their families getting eternal life is the ladies would submit. Truly, some of them were victims.

[_sock puppet]

Joseph Smith was a liar, an adulterer, and a womanizer. That said, I don't think he deserved to die for any of those sins.

Yes, I think for these particular things, castration and tarring and feathering (1840s after all) would have been appropo. No, it was his treason that probably justified death, but he should have been given a trial first. Damn that mob. Could you imagine the transcript of a trial like that. We could quote mine the s*** out of something like that.

[_just me]

Could you imagine the transcript of a trial like that. We could quote mine the s*** out of something like that.

Word!