Is the portrayal of Joseph Smith fair?

[_Equality]

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

Did oliver catch Joseph Smith and fanny in the barn or was it heresay? Joseph Smith and oliver were having problems, I believe, before his statement. But Oliver did return to the fold and gave a wonderful deathbed testimony of the Book of Mormon. Go figure.

You never let your abject ignorance of Mormon history prevent you from opining on things, do you, why me? Maybe you should take a break from the board for a while and go read some basic books on Mormon history if you want to comment on the subject.

[_Darth J]

Perhaps because Joseph lied about it his whole life. Brigham eventually was truthful about polygamy. I'm really not sure why the double standard.

When Joseph died and the Mormons left nauvoo, polygamy began to be practiced rather openly. There was no more fear of the mobs knocking down doors. Once the LDS were in Utah, the openness with became more pronounced until the federal government was threatening more persecution. When Joseph Smith was alive, any mention of proof of polygamy and the mobs would be rioting in Nauvoo, destroying homes and killing members.

I know you find arguing from ignorance to be impressive, but that doesn't mean anyone else does. You don't know what would or would not have happened if Joseph Smith had not tried to keep his harem secret from not only the public, but his own followers.

Perhaps you would like to share one specific instance of violence against the early Mormons that was motivated purely by substantive religious disagreements, instead of social and political ones. (Note to faithful Mormon lurkers: this is the part where you have kittens because you confuse disputing the motivation behind acts of violence with condoning such acts.)

Also, the LDS Church also continued to practice polygamy in secret for 14 years after the Wilford Woodruff manifesto was announced.

Polygamy was basically practiced by Joseph Smith during a brief two year period in Nauvoo. How does translate into lying about it all his life?

Thus conveniently omitting his extracurricular activities in Kirtland.

[_Maxrep]

the openness with polygamy became more pronounced until the federal government was threatening more persecution.

Why Me, talk about what obeying the law of the land means to you. Also, talk about how enforcement of laws equates to persecution.

[_why me]

You never let your abject ignorance of Mormon history prevent you from opining on things, do you, why me? Maybe you should take a break from the board for a while and go read some basic books on Mormon history if you want to comment on the subject.

Oh I don't know. I do know that Oliver wrote that letter in 1838 after he was excommunicated. He did have a dog in the fight by then. Of course, before that he did make accusations but I see no proof that he caught Joseph in the barn or anywhere else.

And it does seem that fanny and joseph were sealed and fanny's parents were perfectly okay with it.

[_Darth J]

Did oliver catch Joseph Smith and fanny in the barn or was it heresay?

Maybe it was theresay.

Joseph Smith and oliver were having problems, I believe, before his statement.

If only Oliver had consulted his rod of nature so God could have revealed to him that Joseph was still a true prophet.

But Oliver did return to the fold and gave a wonderful deathbed testimony of the Book of Mormon. Go figure.

And he never denied, to his dying day, that Joseph had a dirty, nasty, filthy affair with Fanny Alger. He had unlimited chances to retract his story, but he never did---even in the face of excommunication from the Church.

Oliver was purportedly physically present when the ancient prophet Elijah restored the keys of the sealing power in the Kirtland Temple. Yet Oliver never believed that Joseph Smith was sealed to Fanny Alger.

During the time he was coming back to the Church, when it would have benefited him the most to take back what he said, Oliver never denied that Joseph Smith was committing adultery with Fanny Alger.

What a powerful witness of the truthfulness of Joseph's adultery. Isn't it wonderful? Isn't it marvelous?

[_Drifting]

And it does seem that fanny and joseph were sealed and fanny's parents were perfectly okay with it.

Which makes it hard to explain why Fanny Alger isn't listed on Family Search as a spouse of Joseph Smith...

[_why me]

Why Me, talk about what obeying the law of the land means to you. Also, talk about how enforcement of laws equates to persecution.

http://www.historynet.com/utah-war-us-g ... ttlers.htm

[_Darth J]

And it does seem that fanny and joseph were sealed and fanny's parents were perfectly okay with it.

Which makes it hard to explain why Fanny Alger isn't listed on Family Search as a spouse of Joseph Smith...

You know, we could have had more fun with it if you had phrased that as, "Fanny isn't found on Family Search."

[_Blixa]

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

Did oliver catch Joseph Smith and fanny in the barn or was it heresay? Joseph Smith and oliver were having problems, I believe, before his statement. But Oliver did return to the fold and gave a wonderful deathbed testimony of the Book of Mormon. Go figure.

You know why me, you keep throwing around references to Don Bradley's essay in The Persistence of Polygamy, but clearly you haven't read it or you wouldn't be asking incredibly banal questions like these...

I don't care what you believe, what experiences you had in the 70's in NYC, nor the thread count you prefer in your cotton. But I wish you would be a little bit more honest about things you claim to have read.

[_ludwigm]

I can not understand, why is the polygamy JS' and BY's fault?

According to http://ldsfaq.BYU.edu/viewQuestion.aspx ... 7e72cfb683 (When and why did the Church once practice polygamy?):
"Joseph Smith received the revelation about plural marriage as early as 1831 in answer to his inquiry concerning the appropriateness of revered prophets and patriarchs who had more than one wife. Joseph was reluctant to introduce the practice and did so only after divine warning."
- Would You be reluctant after divine warning?

According to http://ldsfaq.BYU.edu/viewQuestion.aspx ... 88c6428247 (Who was Brigham Young?):
"He was also taught the principle of plural marriage, which he accepted after much reluctance and considerable thought and prayer."
- Would You show reluctance to fly a JumboJet into Burj Khalifa Tower ( برج خليفة‎ ) after considerable thought and prayer?


I always had one question - after reading these LDSFAQs:

How many wives would have had JS and BY without that reluctance?
100? 200?
Or 1000 like Solomon? (You know he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines )