naïve TBMs have never heard of the Fanny Alger affair

[Guest]

According to the apologists, every TBM should know about the issues in church history because the church talks about them all the time. So why are so many TBMs completely in the dark about Joseph Smith's relationship with his "maid" Fanny Alger. Look at the TBM comments on the O'Donnell MSNBC clip on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_5hww4HNDQ&lc

This is the clip where O'donnell said Joseph Smith started Mormonism to cover up a sexual affair with his maid. Obviously that's crass and inaccurate, as the relationship with Fanny Alger started a few years after the church was formed. But the TBM responses suggest that they know nothing about Fanny Alger. Below are some samples. I can't blame these TBMs, I was the same way about 10 years ago. They are in for a shock when they do discover how close to the truth O'Donnell was. When romney gets the nomination, and the Obama political machine kicks into high gear, the apologists will be working overtime.

It would be nice if there was one fact ever stated on MSNBC. If anyone believes one word from this man I feel sorry for you. Joseph Smith only ever had one wife!!! The plural marriage didn't happen until after he was murdered, and was started because so many men died crossing the plains and the women needed homes to live in and an unmarried man and woman could not live together so the men took the widows into their homes to take care of them and their families.

Joseph did have multiple wives, as did others in the early days of the LDS church, but the rest of what he said is a bald faced lie, e.g., about him being caught with the maid. *rolls eyes* O'Donnell is a religious bigot. He's been spewing this kind of nonsense about Mormons for a long time.

hahahahaha so funny what kinds of things are said about Mormons... Its like the willie wonka candy commercials, what will they come up with next? Get facts before making comments.

Completely false accusations. He should be fired for telling such lies.

I am LDS and that whole "maid" story.... completely untrue. I have never heard of someone even thinking that was true! Hahaha He obviously needs to check his facts.

What a lying sack of crap. You would think if you were going to attack a person's religion, you would at least have a clue as to the truth of what you were talking about, and not use hearsay and make up whatever you want in order to discredit that person and their religion.

Wow... caught having sex with the maid, so he decided to invent Mormonism? Sorry, but that's an even more outlandish story than Golden Plates.

Interesting. I've lived in Utah pretty much my whole life (not Mormon) and have never heard of the having sex with the maid part. It figures.

What an idiot. Joseph smith was only 14, and not only did he not have a maid, but of course had no wife for many years. He should be fired, mainly because he completely made up everything he said. i can't believe they didn't actually check him for facts before letting him spill that BS.

[_Fence Sitter]

You know it would be amusing to print up bumper stickers to leave laying around in the foyer of chapels that say:

"What would Fanny Algers do?"

[_Buffalo]

When these people find out that the first polygamous relationship in LDS history was between Joseph Smith and a 16 year old girl, not a case of pioneers "caring" for widows, they're in for some shock and disappointment. The church's policy of lying about hard issues creates more apostates than any other factor.

[_Equality]

Did anyone in the comments correct the naïve Mormons and give them references? Did DCP chime in to chide his fellow Mormons for not doing their homework and knowing all the facts and easily dismissing them?

[_just me]

I had never heard of Fanny Alger before the last few years. I doubt anyone related to me has ever heard of it.

Those comments are LOL worthy.

[_SteelHead]

Well in studying the wives of Joseph Smith last night I learned that he was sealed to one (I forget which but could find it) who hadn't even been baptized at the time of the sealing.

House of order my @ss.

[_Tobin]

You are doing it wrong. The best way to wake up a Mormon about this issue is ask them, "Why was Oliver Cowdery excommunicated?" Then have them go figure it out. I almost feel bad about it sometimes (almost). But they really should know more about the history of the Church.

[_krose]

Par for the course.

Remember some of the comments on the PBS site after their Mormonism special brought up the head in the hat -- things like "who is this Islamic Studies professor, and what does he know about how the Book of Mormon was translated"?

[_Drifting]

A Search on LDS.org for "Fanny Alger" results in the following response...

There was an error performing your search.

[_Everybody Wang Chung]

A Search on LDS.org for "Fanny Alger" results in the following response...

There was an error performing your search.

Don't worry about it. Marlin K. Jenson is all over this problem right now.