Is the portrayal of Joseph Smith fair?

[_Nightlion]

Can anyone point me to the best arguments/evidence that suggest that Joseph Smith never committed adultery and never had sexual relationships with any of his plural or polyandrous wives.

Thanks.

The greatest reassurance of Joseph being a righteous man is his own words as he faced certain death. A lot of hay has been made of late by the subliminal comparison between Joseph Smith and the child abusing Warren Jeffs. Anyone who say the cowardice of Jeffs in his afflictions and his denial even of his prophet status and his wicked oppression of his own people punishing them for his afflictions might take pause to compare such with what Joseph is oft quoted as having said:

“I am going like a lamb to the slaughter, but I am calm as a Summer’s morning. I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all men. I shall die innocent, and it shall yet be said of me, ‘He was murdered in cold blood.’”

He could have saved his own skin if he had denied all. You have to wonder then about his integrity and honor and what that says against the railing accusations that are certainly malicious and sought out from every corner to piece together a counter myth motivated by the passions of hate and envy.

Any who read Joseph's own words through the years with love for him in their hearts sense that he was exactly as he openly gave himself out to be. His fierce love for people knew no bounds. When the power to seal dynastic families was finally utilized he was led by that great love to seal unto himself an extended family of those dear to him as friends.

Emma was involved in the promotion of the extended family as witnessed by a black women who served in the Mansion House who said that Emma invited her to be sealed to Joseph. We do not get the impression that the sealing was intended to be that of a wife. (Brigham forbid)


Jane Elizabeth Manning James, Early Member of the Church, 1813–1908

Jane James, a young black woman who had been employed at the Smith home, described that day this way: "I [knew] the Prophet Joseph. That lovely hand! He used to put it out to me. Never passed me without shaking hands with me wherever he was. Oh, he was the finest man I ever saw on earth. . . . When he was killed . . . I could have died, just laid down and died."
In Heidi S. Swinton, American Prophet: The Story of Joseph Smith (1999), 14.

[Guest]

Can anyone point me to the best arguments/evidence that suggest that Joseph Smith never committed adultery and never had sexual relationships with any of his plural or polyandrous wives.

Thanks.

To believe that Joseph Smith married thirty something women in two years to have sex with them is a stretch to be sure. And to think that he had an active sex life for two years with over thirty something women is also a stretch.

What drove Joseph Smith to be sealed to so many women within a two year period after a long lapse with Fanny? My take on it is perhaps just what Joseph Smith claimed: he was feeling pressured to do so by a supernatural force, an angel.

Also, Joseph Smith was very much into kinship and ties. His biggest disappointments were when his friends abandoned him and became his enemies. He wanted the people he liked to be linked with him in the eternities. But sex was certainly not the issue. He could have gotten some action two counties away or when he was away in NY or somewhere else.

[_Nightlion]

why me obviously has me on ignore

[_Drifting]

What drove Joseph Smith to be sealed to so many women within a two year period after a long lapse with Fanny?

Joseph wasn't sealed to Fanny - That 'relationship' happened before Elisha had restored the sealing keys.

[_why me]

why me obviously has me on ignore

I didn't read that far into the thread.

[_why me]

Joseph wasn't sealed to Fanny - That 'relationship' happened before Elisha had restored the sealing keys.

I am not sure about this but I think that Don Bradley would disagree with you.

[_Drifting]

Joseph wasn't sealed to Fanny - That 'relationship' happened before Elisha had restored the sealing keys.

I am not sure about this but I think that Don Bradley would disagree with you.

I'm happy to stand corrected if shown otherwise.

Although Oliver Cowdrey didn't seem to think Joseph's motives with Fanny were Cekestial in nature...

[_Themis]

I'm well aware of the 'horny old Joe' argument and the evidence for it. What's the evidence against it.

Perhaps I didn't frame my question well enough.

Apologies.

Other then no confirmed children, there is no argument. You need to remember that most apologists accept that he did have sex with many of them. It's just a few members who want to protect their puritan image of Joseph who didn't want to do polygamy, and just married them without having sex.

[_Themis]

To believe that Joseph Smith married thirty something women in two years to have sex with them is a stretch to be sure. And to think that he had an active sex life for two years with over thirty something women is also a stretch.

What drove Joseph Smith to be sealed to so many women within a two year period after a long lapse with Fanny? My take on it is perhaps just what Joseph Smith claimed: he was feeling pressured to do so by a supernatural force, an angel.

Also, Joseph Smith was very much into kinship and ties. His biggest disappointments were when his friends abandoned him and became his enemies. He wanted the people he liked to be linked with him in the eternities. But sex was certainly not the issue. He could have gotten some action two counties away or when he was away in NY or somewhere else.

Joseph married at least one women during that lapse. I think fanny was a mistake, and he had not really intended to start polygamy until later. In order to get fanny in bed using religion in this situation would help a lot, and Joseph was most likely already knowledgeable about polygamy in the Bible.

[_Maxrep]

Its also important to note that the project of testing for Joseph's offspring seems to have been prematurely halted. Results for only some of his possible children have been shared.

It is also my understanding that those who have allowe for dna samples have the sole discretion of choosing whether or not to make the results of these paternity tests public. I believe too, the organization performing the test is either owned by the church, or is acting under its direction. Any clarification on this?