Tag: Prophet

  • National Equalization

    National Equalization

    Image: Joseph Smith Jr. – Mormon Prophet

    Views of Joseph Smith Jr. regarding race, from The History of the Church:[footnote]History of the Church, Volume 5, pages 218-219 [/footnote]

    The Prophet’s View of the Negro Race.

    At five went to Mr. Sollars’ with Elders Hyde and Richards. Elder Hyde inquired the situation of the negro. I replied, they came into the world slaves mentally and physically. Change their situation with the whites, and they would be like them. They have souls, and are subjects of salvation. Go into Cincinnati or any city, and find an educated negro, who rides in his carriage, and you will see a man who has risen by the powers of his own mind to his exalted state of respectability. The slaves in Washington are more refined than many in high places, and the black boys will take the shine of many of those they brush and wait on.

    Elder Hyde remarked, “Put them on the level, and they will rise above me.” I replied, if I raised you to be my equal, and then attempted to oppress you, would you not be indignant and try to rise above me, as did Oliver Cowdery, Peter Whitmer, and many others, who said I was a fallen Prophet, and they were capable of leading the people, although I never attempted to oppress them, but had always been lifting them up? Had I anything to do with the negro, I would confine them by strict law to their own species, and put them on a national equalization.


    Crash Course:

  • Utah Segregation

    Utah Segregation

    Excerpt from Historian D. Michael Quinn’s article on ‘Utah Mormon discrimination against the Blacks’:[footnote]Prelude to the National “Defense of Marriage” Campaign: Civil Discrimination Against Feared or Despised Minorities – D. Michael Quinn [/footnote]

    “Even after federal emancipation of America’s slaves in the 1860s, LDS church president Brigham Young referred to African-American slavery as a religious necessity. Earlier, as both church president and governor, he had instructed the Utah legislature in 1852 to legalize the slavery of African-Americans. This directly contradicted Joseph Smith’s proposal in 1844 “to abolish slavery by the year 1850″ by financially compensating Southern slave-owners through the sale of federal lands in the West.90 Utah Mormonism’s reversal of Joseph Smith’s social policy toward Negroes was mirrored by the refusal of LDS presidents after 1844 to follow the founding prophet’s example of giving the priesthood to blacks who were not slaves.

    For more than a century, Utah restricted African-Americans from patronizing white restaurants and hotels, prohibited them from public swimming pools, and required them to sit in the balconies of theaters During World War II, African-Americans wearing their nation’s uniform had to sit in the balcony of Utah theaters, while German prisoners-of war sat on the main floor with white servicemen and civilians. Utah law also prohibited marriage between a white person and a black (including persons only one-eighth Negro).”

     


    Crash Course:

  • Civil Rights

    Civil Rights

    Image: Martin Luther King Jr., Civil Rights Activist

    From an address by Ezra Taft Benson in the April 1965 General Conference:[footnote]Not commanded in all things – Ezra Taft Benson, April 1965 [/footnote]

    What are we doing to fight it? Before I left for Europe I warned how the communists were using the civil rights movement to promote revolution and eventual takeover of this country. When are we going to wake up? What do you know about the dangerous civil rights agitation in Mississippi! do you fear the destruction of all vestiges of state government?

    Now brethren, the Lord never promised there would not be traitors in the Church. We have the ignorant, the sleepy and the deceived who provide temptations and avenues of apostasy for the unwary and the unfaithful, but we have a prophet at our head and he has spoken. Now what are we going to do about it?

    Do Homework

    Brethren, if we had done our homework and were faithful we could step forward at this time and help save this country.

     


    Crash Course:

    Not commanded in all things – Ezra Taft Benson, April 1965
    Blacks and the Priesthood – Mormon Think
    Mormon racism in perspective – Elder Mark E. Peterson
  • Homosexual Addiction

    Homosexual Addiction

    In 1981 Elder Hartman Rector, Jr. Of the First Quorum of the Seventy gave an address titled ‘Turning the Hearts'[footnote] Turning the Hearts, Elder Hartman Rector, Jr. – LDS.org [/footnote].

    The more controversial elements such as birth control and homosexuality were later censored from the textual version of the address on LDS.org, though the audio version remains complete. Some of the discrepancies include:

    “I consider it a great honor and a privilege to greet you this afternoon *in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.*” The *part* was edited out.

    At 1:21 (after the words “very serious attack today all over the world”), he talks about birth control and the destruction of families. About 53 seconds of the talk was cut out of the text.

    At 2:24 (after the words “the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee”), another 24 seconds is missing from the text. He remarks on the destruction of families by “those who represent the so-called ‘alternate lifestyle’” and decries vasectomies.

    At 4:58 (after the words “keep it from being ‘wasted’ when the Lord comes”), 28 seconds was edited out of the text. He said: ‘I have often wondered how or why the earth would be wasted if children’s hearts are not turned to their fathers. Today, it’s very clear for all to see. When the Lord comes, if He finds nothing but birth control, abortions, sterilizations, and homosexuals, the Earth is wasted.’

    At 6:46 (after the words “when they see what a great blessing they were to you,” which are different in the text for some reason), another 28 seconds was edited out of the text. He said: ‘If children have a happy family experience, they will not want to be homosexuals, which I am sure is an acquired addiction, just as drugs, alcohol, and pornography are. The promoters of homosexuality say they were born that way, but I do not believe this is true. There are no female spirits trapped in male bodies and vice versa. He who made them made them male and female. Every form of homosexuality is sin, said the living prophet Spencer W. Kimball.’

    Crash Course:

    Turning the Hearts, Elder Hartman Rector, Jr. – LDS.org

    Mormon and Gay – Official LDS Website

    MamaDragons – We are a supportive group of mothers. We are shelter for their children. We are champions of faith, family, and LGBTQIA communities.

    Homosexuality and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – Wikipedia

  • Choose the Rights

    Choose the Rights

    Excerpt from the 2013 BYU devotional, by Elaine S. Dalton – General President of the Young Women’s organization[footnote] “Prophetic Priorities and Dedicated Disciples” BYU Devotional – Elaine S. Dalton, January 15, 2013 [/footnote]

    “Young women, you will be the ones who will provide the example of virtuous womanhood and motherhood. You will continue to be virtuous, lovely, praiseworthy and of good report. You will also be the ones to provide an example of family life in a time when families are under attack, being redefined and disintegrating. You will understand your roles and your responsibilities and thus will see no need to lobby for rights.”


    Crash Course:

    “Prophetic Priorities and Dedicated Disciples” BYU Devotional – Elaine S. Dalton

    Joseph Smith’s Teachings about Priesthood, Temple, and Women  – LDS Gospel Topic Essay

    How the temple is sexist (and the church is, too) – Young Mormon Feminist

    The Church and the Proposed Equal Rights Amendment: A Moral Issue – LDS.org

  • Jeffs and Joseph

    Jeffs and Joseph

    Image: Polygamist FLDS Prophet Warren Jeffs.

    From the LDS church’s Gospel Topic Essay ‘Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo’ [footnote]Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo – LDS.org [/footnote]

    ‘Careful estimates put the number {of wives} between 30 and 40.’

    ‘The youngest was Helen Mar Kimball, daughter of Joseph’s close friends Heber C. and Vilate Murray Kimball, who was sealed to Joseph several months before her 15th birthday.’

    ‘Joseph Smith was sealed to a number of women who were already married.’

    ‘Several Latter-day Saints who had lived in Kirtland reported decades later that Joseph Smith had married Alger, who lived and worked in the Smith household…’ (Fanny Alger was ~16 at the time)

    Joseph Smith’s plural marriages:

    Wife Date Age Husband
    Emma Hale Jan 1827 22 –
    Fanny Alger 1833 16 –
    Lucinda Morgan Harris 1838 37 George W. Harris
    Louisa Beaman Apr 1841 26 –
    Zina Huntington Jacobs Oct 1841 20 Henry Jacobs
    Presendia Huntington Buell Dec 1841 31 Norman Buell
    Agnes Coolbrith Jan 1842 33 –
    Sylvia Sessions Lyon Feb 1842 23 Windsor Lyon
    Mary Rollins Lightner Feb 1842 23 Adam Lightner
    Patty Bartlett Sessions Mar 1842 47 David Sessions
    Marinda Johnson Hyde Apr 1842 27 Orson Hyde
    Elizabeth Davis Durfee Jun 1842 50 Jabez Durfee
    Sarah Kingsley Cleveland Jun 1842 53 John Cleveland
    Delcena Johnson Jul 1842 37 –
    Eliza R. Snow Jun 1842 38 –
    Sarah Ann Whitney Jul 1842 17 –
    Martha McBride Knight Aug 1842 37 –
    Ruth Vose Sayers Feb 1843 33 Edward Sayers
    Flora Ann Woodworth Spring 1843 16 –
    Emily Dow Partridge Mar 1843 19 –
    Eliza Maria Partridge Mar 1843 22 –
    Almera Johnson Apr 1843 30 –
    Lucy Walker May 1843 17 –
    Sarah Lawrence May 1843 17 –
    Maria Lawrence May 1843 19 –
    Helen Mar Kimball May 1843 14 –
    Hanna Ells Mid 1843 29 –
    Elvira Cowles Holmes Jun 1843 29 Jonathan Holmes
    Rhoda Richards Jun 1843 58 –
    Desdemona Fullmer Jul 1843 32 –
    Olive Frost Mid 1843 27 –
    Melissa Lott Sep 1843 19 –
    Nancy Winchester 1843 14 –
    Fanny Young Nov 1843 56 –

    Crash Course:

    Year of Polygamy Podcast – The series follows the Mormon faith through the lens of “The Principle of Plural Marriage”.

    Joseph Smith’s Polygamy – Discusses Joseph Smith’s introduction of polygamy into early Mormon Church.

    Plural Marriage and Mormon Fundamentalism – D. Michael Quinn

    The Wives of Joseph Smith

  • Filthy Affair

    Filthy Affair

    Frances Ward (“Fanny”) Alger Custer (September 30, 1816 – November 29, 1889) is generally considered as Joseph Smiths first plural wife. Although undocumented, the marriage of Fanny and Joseph most likely took place in Kirtland, Ohio sometime in 1833 (before sealing authority had been restored). She would have been sixteen years old at the time.

    Joseph kept his marriage to Fanny out of the view of the public, and his wife Emma. Chauncey Webb recounted Emma’s later discovery of the relationship: “Emma was furious, and drove the girl, who was unable to conceal the consequences of her celestial relation with the prophet, out of her house”. Ann Eliza again recalled: “…it was felt that [Emma] certainly must have had some very good reason for her action. By degrees it became whispered about that Joseph’s love for his adopted daughter was by no means a paternal affection, and his wife, discovering the fact, at once took measures to place the girl beyond his reach…Since Emma refused decidedly to allow her to remain in her house…my mother offered to take her until she could be sent to her relatives…” [footnote] Fanny Alger – Wives of Joseph Smith  [/footnote]

    In January 1838, some months after the Algers had left Kirtland, Oliver Cowdery wrote his brother concerning his indignation at Smith’s relationship with Alger. Cowdery said he had discussed with Smith the “dirty, nasty, filthy affair of his and Fanny Alger’s … in which I strictly declared that I had never deserted from the truth in the matter, and as I supposed was admitted by himself.” [footnote] Oliver Cowdery, Letter to Warren A. Cowdery (Oliver’s brother), January 21, 1838  [/footnote]

     

    Crash Course:

    Year of Polygamy Podcast – The series follows the Mormon faith through the lens of “The Principle of Plural Marriage”.

    Joseph Smith’s Polygamy – Discusses Joseph Smith’s introduction of polygamy into early Mormon Church.

    Plural Marriage and Mormon Fundamentalism – D. Michael Quinn

    Fanny Alger – The Wives of Joseph Smith

  • Fair Shake

    Fair Shake

    Image: Image of Polygamist FLDS Prophet Warren Jeffs and his wives [footnote] Warren Jeffs – Wikipedia   [/footnote]

    From an April 17, 1860 New York Times article, ‘Polygamy and its Fruits'[footnote] The New York Times, April 17, 1860   [/footnote]and later published in Stanley P. Hirshson’s, The Lion of the Lord[footnote] The Lion of the Lord: A Biography of Brigham Young – Amazon   [/footnote]:

    ‘Some time ago HEBER KIMBALL was lecturing some missionaries who were preparing to start out on foreign missions, in the Tabernacle, and said to them: “Brethren, I want you to understand that it is not to be as it has been heretofore. The brother Missionaries have been in the habit of picking out the prettiest women for themselves before they get here, and bringing on the ugly ones for us; hereafter you have to bring them all here before taking any of them, and let us all have a fair shake.” The old reprobate then had at least a score of women whom he called wives.’

    Additional quotes by Heber C. Kimball regarding polygamy:

    “Here we are brother Joseph; we are here ourselves are we not, with none of the property we possessed in our probationary state…He will say to us, “Come along, my boys, we will give you a good suit of clothes. Where are your wives?” “They are back yonder; they would not follow us.” “Never mind,” says Joseph, “here are thousands, have all you want.” [footnote] Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses 4:209   [/footnote]

    “It is believed in the world that our females are all common women. Well, in one sense, they are common- that is, they are like all other women, I suppose; but they are not unclean, for we wipe all the unclean ones from our midst: we do not only wipe them from our streets, but we wipe them out of existence.” [footnote] Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses vol 7 talk on sanctification.   [/footnote]

    “It is the duty of a woman to be obedient to her husband, and unless she is, I would not give a damn for all her queenly right and authority” [footnote] Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses 4:8   [/footnote]

    “Plurality of wives is a law established by God forever. It would be easier for the United States to build a tower to remove the sun as to remove polygamy.” [footnote] Heber C. Kimball, Millennial Star, vol. 28, p. 190   [/footnote]

    Crash Course:

    Year of Polygamy Podcast – The series follows the Mormon faith through the lens of “The Principle of Plural Marriage”.
    Joseph Smith’s Polygamy – Discusses Joseph Smith’s introduction of polygamy into early Mormon Church.
    Plural Marriage and Mormon Fundamentalism – D. Michael Quinn

  • The Book of Abraham

    The Book of Abraham

    Image: Museum Walls Proclaim Fraud of Mormon Prophet, New York Times, December 29, 1912 [footnote] New York Times Article – Link [/footnote]

    From the introduction to the Book of Abraham as published in the Pearl of Great Price:  [footnote] The Book of Abraham – LDS.org  [/footnote]

    “A Translation of some ancient Records that have fallen into our hands from the catacombs of Egypt. The writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt, called the Book of Abraham, written by his own hand, upon papyrus.”

    From the 2014 Gospel Topic essay published on LDS.org: [footnote] Translation and the Historicity of the Book of Abraham – LDS.org  [/footnote]

    “None of the characters on the papyrus fragments mentioned Abraham’s name or any of the events recorded in the book of Abraham. Mormon and non-Mormon Egyptologists agree that the characters on the fragments do not match the translation given in the book of Abraham.”

    Crash Course:

    Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham – LDS Gospel Topic Essay

    Response to the Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham  – Robert K. Ritner

    The Joseph Smith Papyri (Video) – An explanation and overview of the Joseph Smith Papyri and their connection with Mormon scripture.

     

  • Closed Books

    Closed Books

    When asked about the Church’s lack of financial reporting by a reporter in 2002, then LDS Prophet, Gordon Hinkley responded as follows:

    REPORTER: In my country the…we say the people’s churches, the Protestants, the Catholics, they publish all their budgets, to all the public.
    HINCKLEY: Yeah. Yeah.
    REPORTER: Why is it impossible for your church?
    HINCKLEY: Well, we simply think that the…that information belongs to those who made the contribution, and not to the world. That’s the only thing. Yes.

    The LDS Church has not publicly disclosed its financial statements in the United States since 1959… even to its tithe payers.

    [footnote] Finances of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – Wikipedia [/footnote]

    Audio of the interview:

    Crash Course: