How important should the Joseph Smith papyri be?

[_Uncle Ed]

...

Do you think Joseph restored priesthood authority that only the LDS church today can use to save people in the celestial kingdom?

No. But I think that Joseph Smith believed that he did....

[_ZelphtheGreat]

Considering Joseph Smith said the papyrus had the actual writing of Abraham - which makes them the oldest biblical writings in the world, pretty damn important.

Scholars and researchers, both Biblical and otherwise would love to get their hands on these original writings of Abraham. Priceless historical documents.

[_Themis]

...

Do you think Joseph restored priesthood authority that only the LDS church today can use to save people in the celestial kingdom?

No. But I think that Joseph Smith believed that he did....

Do you think Lehi was a real person who with his family migrated to the Americas around 600 BC?

[_Morley]

How about Jesus overturning the money changers' boxes and casting out all those that sold inside the temple precincts? How about Peter cursing Ananias and Sapphira? Did Joseph Smith ever curse anyone resulting in their deaths? He had a weakness with his temper, but so do a lot of us. As far as I can tell from all of the evidence I have read, which is considerably more than your ignorant assertion to be no more depthful than "Sunday school pseudo history" (I have read virtually all of the extant words penned and dictated by Joseph Smith, prior to the JSP publications), Joseph Smith held no resentment for very long and was always ready to forgive. You hold him to a higher standard than you require for anyone else....

Emphasis mine.


"Depthful"-- my new favorite word.


I think that our grammatical proclivities reveal more about us than we'd like.

[_Maksutov]

How about Jesus overturning the money changers' boxes and casting out all those that sold inside the temple precincts? How about Peter cursing Ananias and Sapphira? Did Joseph Smith ever curse anyone resulting in their deaths? He had a weakness with his temper, but so do a lot of us. As far as I can tell from all of the evidence I have read, which is considerably more than your ignorant assertion to be no more depthful than "Sunday school pseudo history" (I have read virtually all of the extant words penned and dictated by Joseph Smith, prior to the JSP publications), Joseph Smith held no resentment for very long and was always ready to forgive. You hold him to a higher standard than you require for anyone else....

Emphasis mine.


"Depthful"-- my new favorite word.


I think that our grammatical proclivities reveal more about us than we'd like.

Do you think it qualifies as a "deepity"?

[_Fence Sitter]

When is the last time anyone stood up at Church and criticized members for holding Joseph Smith to a higher standard?

[_Bazooka]

...

Do you think Joseph restored priesthood authority that only the LDS church today can use to save people in the celestial kingdom?

No.

I guess that means you don't carry a valid temple recommend.
(Do you have a testimony of the restoration of the gospel in these the latter days?)

[_Themis]

...

Do you think Joseph restored priesthood authority that only the LDS church today can use to save people in the celestial kingdom?

No. But I think that Joseph Smith believed that he did....

If that is the case doesn't that mean Joseph and Oliver lied about having John the baptist give them the Aaronic priesthood and Peter, James and John give them the Melchizedek priesthood?

[_Bazooka]

If that is the case doesn't that mean Joseph and Oliver lied about having John the baptist give them the Aaronic priesthood and Peter, James and John give them the Melchizedek priesthood?

[channeling Uncle Ed] No, it means Joseph and Oliver believed John the Baptist gave them the Aaronic priesthood and they also believed that Peter, James and John gave them the Melchizedek Priesthood.[/channeling Uncle Ed]

[_Themis]

If that is the case doesn't that mean Joseph and Oliver lied about having John the baptist give them the Aaronic priesthood and Peter, James and John give them the Melchizedek priesthood?

[channeling Uncle Ed] No, it means Joseph and Oliver believed John the Baptist gave them the Aaronic priesthood and they also believed that Peter, James and John gave them the Melchizedek Priesthood.[/channeling Uncle Ed]

I think religion was important to Joseph, and I think he may have believed what he was doing was inspired of God. I also think he was more then willing to lie to accomplish his plans and self interest. I cannot see any way Ed can not agree he lied about the priesthood events and still think he didn't really restore priesthood authority. I remember on my mission talking about how being a religious leader has many perks of money, fame, adoration, and sex. Funny I had no idea that Joseph was going after all of these, and was successful like so many of the others I saw as frauds.