DonBradley wrote:Personally, I find it disturbing that someone would have other men's wives sealed to him, even without sexuality.
That there were problems with how Joseph Smith practiced polygamy should be as clear to modern readers as it was to Joseph himself, and to God as quoted in his revelations.
His revelation on polygamy refers to his "sins" and "transgressions" and to his "trespasses against" Emma (D&C 132:50,56,60). Why should Latter-day Saints feel any more compelled to defend every bit of Joseph's behavior with respect to polygamy any more than the revelation supporting it does??
Don
Since Joseph Smith was clearly making up these "revelations" to suit his needs at the moment as he went along, why would anybody feel obliged to support him at all?
On another thread, there are some comments on D&C 124 wherein Joseph Smith, speaking as the Lord, instructs others as to the financing of Nauvoo House.
http://mormondiscussions.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=29712In the light of what we know now about Joseph Smith, these passages are hilarious. Here is a short sample:
Joseph Smith speaking as the Lord in D&C 124 wrote: 56 And now I say unto you, as pertaining to my boarding house which I have commanded you to build for the boarding of strangers, let it be built unto my name, and let my name be named upon it, and let my servant Joseph and his house have place therein, from generation to generation.
57 For this anointing have I put upon his head, that his blessing shall also be put upon the head of his posterity after him.
58 And as I said unto Abraham concerning the kindreds of the earth, even so I say unto my servant Joseph: In thee and in thy seed shall the kindred of the earth be blessed.
59 Therefore, let my servant Joseph and his seed after him have place in that house, from generation to generation, forever and ever, saith the Lord.
Joseph Smith obviously wanted to close the stock deal for the Nauvoo House, because his celestial sales pitch runs for more than 50 verses and contains excruciating detail from the Lord (in verses 64-68 as noted by Dr. Shades) as to exactly how the financing of Nauvoo house was to be done.
As to the prophetic accuracy of Joseph Smith, his seed did not "have place in that house from generation to generation, forever and ever", did it?
In fact, Foster and Law ended up precipitating events that lead directly to Smith's death in a sordid jailhouse shoot out.
Joseph Smith speaking as the Lord in D&C 124 wrote:115 And again, verily I say unto you, if my servant Robert D. Foster will obey my voice, let him build a house for my servant Joseph, according to the contract which he has made with him, as the door shall be open to him from time to time.
116 And let him repent of all his folly, and clothe himself with charity; and cease to do evil, and lay aside all his hard speeches;
117 And pay stock also into the hands of the quorum of the Nauvoo House, for himself and for his generation after him, from generation to generation;
118 And hearken unto the counsel of my servants Joseph, and Hyrum, and William Law, and unto the authorities which I have called to lay the foundation of Zion; and it shall be well with him forever and ever. Even so. Amen.
Given that William Law and Foster both left the Church and that Foster eventually became the publisher of the
Nauvoo Expositor, this "revelation" doesn't say much for Joseph Smith's prophetic powers.
In fact, as was observed by Wayfarer on the other thread, Section 124 is a fascinating look into an early Ponzi scheme concocted by Joseph Smith.
