JOSEPH SMITH’S CHARACTER AS A “PROPHET”
1. On February 8, 1843, Joseph Smith, Jr. said:
“This morning, I read German, and visited with a brother and sister from Michigan, who thought that ‘a prophet is always a prophet;’ but I told them that a prophet was a prophet only when he was acting as such.” (History of the Church, V:265, emp. jrp).
2. Let us test this teaching of Joseph Smith on when a prophet is really
a prophet, by using what he taught and practiced throughout his life on the subject of
polygamy. If he was a true prophet of God, we should be able to determine when he was
really God’s prophet.
3. Please read: Matthew 7:15-20; 1 John 4:1.
DATE |
TEACHING AND/OR PRACTICE |
February 9, 1831 |
“Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy
heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else.” (Doctrine & Covenants, 42:22)
|
1835 |
“Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband, except in case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again.” (1835 edition of the Doctrine & Covenants, Sec. 101) |
April 5, 1841 |
Louise Beaman, plural wife of Joseph Smith,
Jr. |
October 27, 1841 |
Zina Huntington Jacobs (wife of Henry B.
Jacobs), plural wife of Joseph Smith, Jr. |
December 11, 1841 |
Precindia L. Huntington, plural wife of
Joseph Smith, Jr. |
February, 1842 |
Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner (wife of Adam
Lightner), plural wife of Joseph Smith, Jr. |
March 9, 1842 |
Patty Bartlett Sessions (wife of David
Sessions), plural wife of Joseph Smith, Jr. |
June 29, 1842 |
Eliza Roxey Snow, Eliza Roxey Snow, plural
wife of Joseph Smith, Jr. |
July 27, 1842 |
Sarah Ann Whitney, plural wife of Joseph
Smith, Jr. |
May 1, 1843 |
Lucy Walker, plural wife of Joseph Smith,
Jr. |
May 11, 1843 |
Eliza M. Partridge, plural wife of Joseph
Smith, Jr. |
May 11, 1843 |
Emily D. Partridge, plural wife of Joseph
Smith, Jr. -(Taken from the LDS Historical Record, Volume 5, 1886) |
* July 12, 1843 |
Revelation received
& recorded on plurality of wives (Doctrine & Covenants 132; see especially
verses 61-62). |
HOWEVER:
October 5, 1843 |
Joseph Smith implied that monogamy was still the only marriage arrangement sanctioned by God:“...and I have constantly said no man shall have but one wife at a time, unless the Lord directs otherwise.” (History of the Church, VI:46) |
February 1, 1844 |
Hiram Brown was “cut off from the church” for preaching “polygamy and other false and corrupt doctrines.”“As we have lately been credibly informed, that an Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter-day Saints, by the name of Hiram Brown, has been preaching Polygamy, and other false and corrupt doctrines, in the county of Lapeer, state of Michigan. “This is to notify him and the Church in general, that he has been cut off from the church, for his iniquity: and he is further notified to appear at the Special Conference, on the 6th of April next, to answer to these charges. JOSEPH SMITH, |
April 13, 1844 |
“A charge was preferred against Harrison Sagers for teaching spiritual wife doctrine and neglecting his family, which was handed over to the High Council to act upon.” -(History of the Church, VI:333, emp. jrp) |
May 26, 1844 |
In a public address, Joseph
Smith had this to say: “What a thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only find one. “I am the same man, and as innocent as I was fourteen years ago, and I can prove them all perjurers.” -(History of the Church, VI:411, emp. jrp) |
* NOW THEN, WHEN WAS JOSEPH SMITH, JR. REALLY ACTING AS A
PROPHET?!
1. Was he acting as God’s prophet when he gave the February 9,
1831 revelation which said a man should cleave to his wife (singular) and none else?
-If so, he consistently violated his own revelation with at least 10 wives (actually, many more) besides Emma until 1843!
2. Was he acting as God’s prophet in 1843, when he received the
plural wife revelation (D & C 132)?
-If so, he was repeatedly a public liar and hypocrite (until his
death), while privately he was “obeying” the “revelation!”
3. In either case, he was a deliberate fraud, deceiver and hypocrite!
4. Joseph Smith, Jr. was (and still is) a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” whose character and “fruit production” reveals him to be a false prophet! (Matthew 7:15-20)
[MORMONISM: THE WORD & WISDOM OF MAN, Part 2]