What lies did the Nauvoo Expositor print?

[_Kishkumen]

So, anyway, the things that the Nauvoo Expositor claimed to be facts but which were not actually true were....

I guess that the problem is that they are presented with such fire and from an unsympathetic point of view. I can appreciate Nevo's contention that historical context does help one understand that Smith may not have been a simple philanderer (although I have heard that there is some evidence of him sleeping around on Emma as early as the period of the Book of Mormon translation), but I still don't think that this justifies his behavior. Even if we grant that he believed that God wanted him to do this, that does not absolve him of wrongdoing.

I think the bottom line is that Nevo and other thoughtful LDS who believe in Mormonism feel reassured that God told Joseph Smith to do these things, whereas those of us who place less trust in his claims look to the content of the message more than its claimed source. I for one would not trust another person whose claims to divine messages came with demands that I accede to requests that violate my basic sense of right and wrong. Do not commit adultery is one of those ideas I think works well regardless of religion.

[_Fence Sitter]

I think the bottom line is that Nevo and other thoughtful LDS who believe in Mormonism feel reassured that God told Joseph Smith to do these things, whereas those of us who place less trust in his claims look to the content of the message more than its claimed source. I for one would not trust another person whose claims to divine messages came with demands that I accede to requests that violate my basic sense of right and wrong. Do not commit adultery is one of those ideas I think works well regardless of religion.

The unquestioning belief in authority allows for any type of behavior to be justified. If you believed Joseph Smith spoke for God you gladly gave your daughter to him and asked what else you could do. If you believed Jim Jones spoke for God you drank the Koolaid and gave it to your children.

[_why me]

Nothing--nothing good, nothing bad. JSJr has been a complete nonevent to the life of why me.

I wish I could say the same, that I never heard of Mormonism.

Joseph Smith is one of the greatest religious thinkers that america has offered to the world. If he were a conman, he was a genius. And he was a revolutionary. There is much to admire about him and he laid the foundation for a good church...a church that has done much good in people's lives. And a church that continues to offer a different way of life for people to follow.

So, I do admire him and what he achieved before he was murdered at the tender age of 38.

[_why me]

I consider creating a religion that I lived for 40 years something he did to affect me. If Mormonism hasn't affected you, that might explain why you're active in Catholicism.

I tend to see it all with an open mind. The fact is runtu that we will not know much about it all until we die. And when that happens we will all know the truth.

The Mormon church has not been proven false. So, I see no reason to freak out like some on this forum.

[_why me]

That's right. The fact of Joseph Smith's polyamory is irrelevant to whether the Expositor was telling the truth about Joseph Smith engaging in polyamory.

The early saints were not living in a bubble. I am sure that the Warsaw Gazette was printing articles about polygamy and Joseph Smith, and the saints were free to read that paper.

William Law could not control his hate for the leadership of the LDS church and it filled the newspaper. The paper did nothing to quell the hatred that the mobs felt toward the Mormons. In fact, just the opposite. If it were allowed to continue the mobs would have been at the gates burning homes and william law would do nothing about it.

[_Themis]

Joseph Smith is one of the greatest religious thinkers that america has offered to the world.

So another words you think he has influenced you. I think most here think he was one of the great religious thinkers in his day and so do I. No different then say L Ron Hubbard. I guess they both must have been inspired.

If he were a conman, he was a genius.

The good ones usually are. I don't think he was a total conman. I know you can't seem to get out of this black or white thinking, but many religious leaders are pious frauds believing in what they are doing yet willing to make many things up in order to better achieve there aims or what they believe God wants. This is why we look at things Like Joseph Smith behavior and see if it fits with what we see other pious frauds or frauds doing and it fits so well, especially when it comes to his brand of polygamy.

And he was a revolutionary.

Absolutely. I think he loved taking ideas and concepts from his world and putting them together to get something unique. He was one of the great borrowers.

There is much to admire about him and he laid the foundation for a good church...a church that has done much good in people's lives. And a church that continues to offer a different way of life for people to follow.

Sure, Joseph to me was not some great evil guy, and pious frauds can do a lot of good with the bad they do, and fortunately the church with the help of outside society and later leaders after BY were able to rid themselves somewhat of some of the bad Joseph Smith brought forth like polygamy.

So, I do admire him and what he achieved before he was murdered at the tender age of 38.

He achieved great things, many good, some bad, but great things. Did he actually talk to God and translate ancient records? No, it is so unlikely.

[_Themis]

I tend to see it all with an open mind.

Clearly not. All your posts strongly suggest this including the one after this post. You show a real lack of knowledge on the subject and make assumptions you can't back up

The early saints were not living in a bubble. I am sure that the Warsaw Gazette was printing articles about polygamy and Joseph Smith, and the saints were free to read that paper.

William Law could not control his hate for the leadership of the LDS church and it filled the newspaper. The paper did nothing to quell the hatred that the mobs felt toward the Mormons. In fact, just the opposite. If it were allowed to continue the mobs would have been at the gates burning homes and william law would do nothing about it.

CFR What got people upset was the destruction of the printing press.

The Mormon church has not been proven false.

Actually it has long before you and I were born. many of us are just to biased to see it though. Just like young Earthers.

[_harmony]

I tend to see it all with an open mind.

No, you don't.

The fact is runtu that we will not know much about it all until we die. And when that happens we will all know the truth.

You don't know this either. For all you know, when we die 1) it will all be proven false, or 2) nothing will be proven because it all ends when we die.l

The Mormon church has not been proven false. So, I see no reason to freak out like some on this forum.

I'm still waiting for it to live up to its claims. It's founder certainly didn't.

[_Fence Sitter]

The Mormon church has not been proven false. So, I see no reason to freak out like some on this forum.

Please explain how you feel that other religions have been proven false and how those same standards do not apply to Mormonism otherwise your statement of proof is meaningless.

[_Runtu]

I tend to see it all with an open mind. The fact is runtu that we will not know much about it all until we die. And when that happens we will all know the truth.

The Mormon church has not been proven false. So, I see no reason to freak out like some on this forum.

I'm sorry that my mind isn't open enough to accept the testimony of a 7 year old retold 62 years later at face value.

I hope there is something after this life, but I'm not holding my breath. If there is a God, I hope he recognizes that I have done the best I could with the knowledge I have. At least I have tried.