But-But- God MADE Me do It!

[stromboli]

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/11/11/363324816/mormon-church-admits-founder-joseph-smith-had-up-to-40-wives

In an essay posted without fanfare to its website in late October, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said for the first time that Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon church, had as many as 40 wives. Some of those women were also married to friends of his. And one was only 14 when she became Smith's wife.

The essay is the latest in a series of expert texts that have been posted on the Latter-day Saints' website, touching on issues from the church's ban on black people in the priesthood to historical questions about the Book of Mormon. The essay attracting the most media attention this week is one of several on the issue of polygamy appearing in a section of the LDS website called "Gospel Topics." The essay acknowledges that polygamy has long been an issue that few in the church have felt comfortable speaking about:

"Plural marriage was introduced among the early Saints incrementally, and participants were asked to keep their actions confidential. They did not discuss their experiences publicly or in writing until after the Latter-day Saints had moved to Utah and Church leaders had publicly acknowledged the practice. The historical record of early plural marriage is therefore thin: few records of the time provide details, and later reminiscences are not always reliable. Some ambiguity will always accompany our knowledge about this issue."

The essay points out several details about Smith's marriages. It says that an angel appeared to Smith "three times between 1834 and 1842 and commanded him to proceed with plural marriage." The third time that angel appeared, the essay says, it threatened to destroy Joseph unless he obeyed. Smith's wives were believed to be between the ages of 20 and 40 at the time they were "sealed" or married to him. But the youngest wife sealed to Smith was only 14 years old when she married him. This young bride was also the daughter of two of Smith's close friends.

His youngest bride said later that she was only bonded to Smith for eternity and the essay suggests "that the relationship did not involve sexual relations." The practice of "eternal marriage" was predicated on the idea that a marriage could last beyond death. But if a marriage had an "eternity-only sealing," sexual relations between husband and wife were only permitted in the "next life."

The essay's conclusion clearly states that LDS members "no longer practice plural marriage," but another essay on the topic said the practice had benefits for the church:

"For many who practiced it, plural marriage was a significant sacrifice. Despite the hardships some experienced, the faithfulness of those who practiced plural marriage continues to benefit the Church in innumerable ways. Through the lineage of these 19th-century Saints have come many Latter-day Saints who have been faithful to their gospel covenants as righteous mothers and fathers, loyal disciples of Jesus Christ, and devoted Church members, leaders, and missionaries. ... Modern Latter-day Saints honor and respect these pioneers who gave so much for their faith, families, and community."
Jana Reiss, who blogs for Religious News Service and co-authored the book Mormonism for Dummies, told NPR that the church's new statements on polygamy took up to two years to complete and are the "culmination of a very long bureaucratic process to get this researched, written and approved."

Reiss says Mormon reactions to the new texts have run the gamut. Many members already know about the church's history with polygamy, but Reiss says some details in the essay might be new, and discomforting.

Reiss says she does not think the church has ever lied about the practice of polygamy in its ranks but has downplayed it for years. "I think it was just perpetually changing the subject," said Reiss. "No church leader has ever to my knowledge said that Joseph Smith didn't practice polygamy or that this didn't happen. Rather, it's always been, 'We don't practice polygamy anymore; let's talk about something else.' "

Reiss says that approach can be harmful to some Mormons. "If you don't find out about those controversial things at church ... instead you find out about it in a late-night Google search when you're at home alone, scratching your head, thinking why in the world did no one ever tell me this, then everything else is called into question as well."

Mormon church historian Elder Steven E. Snow agrees with that idea. He told the New York Times:

" 'There is so much out there on the Internet that we felt we owed our members a safe place where they could go to get reliable, faith-promoting information that was true about some of these more difficult aspects of our history.
" 'We need to be truthful, and we need to understand our history,' Elder Snow said. 'I believe our history is full of stories of faith and devotion and sacrifice, but these people weren't perfect.' "

Oh, where to begin. I've known about this for more than 20 years, and have told it to members who flatly denied it. Helen Mar Kimball, in a statement about 1880, after moving to Utah and remarrying said flat out she had both sex and children by Joseph Smith. His first pursuit was a 16 year old girl named Fanny Alger whom his wife caught with him in the barn doing the nasty. she was Emma Smith's housemaid.

Here is a list of underage girls he was sealed to:

Fanny Alger, 16
Sarah Ann Whitney, 17
Lucy Walker 17
Flora Ann Woodworth 16
Emily Dow Partridge 19
Sarah Lawrence 17
Maria Lawrence (sister) 19
Helen Mar Kimball 14
Melissa Lot 19
Nancy M. Winchester 14

THE LEGAL MARRYING AGE OF THE DAY WAS 18 IN NAUVOO. Yes, he was having illicit sex with teenage girls.

This from a 40 year old man with a wife and children. forced by an angel with a flaming sword. Right.

Smith also sent other men whose wives he coveted on missions ans then demanded that the wives be his "celestial brides" while the husband was far afield.

The pattern of this type of behavior from men like Smith, L. Ron Hubbard, Jim Jones, David Koresh and others is very similar. Charismatic individuals who convince others of their divine leadership and then coercing followers to do everything from sex to murder. They are all cut from the same cloth with the same lust for power and control.

Smith had a band of bodyguards who were sworn to protect him and do his bidding called the Danites. Orrin Porter Rockwell was a devoted follower and hit man for both Smith and Brigham Young. Rockwell killed an unknown number of people serving as bodyguard and later as marshal in the Utah territories.

Now you can see why the church is staffed with lawyers and PR people.

[Desdinova]

Let's see.  Middle aged dude, 40 wives, 10 underage.  Because:

          A.  God, through an angel, commanded him to do so.
         
             OR

         B.  Dude wanted all the pussy he could get!

I think I'll go with B.

[stromboli]

Let's see.  Middle aged dude, 40 wives, 10 underage.  Because:

          A.  God, through an angel, commanded him to do so.
         
             OR

         B.  Dude wanted all the pussy he could get!

I think I'll go with B.

And you would B right. 

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Just think.. If Mitt Romney ever became president we could have our first 12 year old first lady..

[Solitary]

 

[Solitary]

And yet Christians say they are being persecuted. Maybe they should be prosecuted?

Early last year, on The Good Wife, Julianna Margulies‘ character Alicia Florrick outed herself as an atheist.

That’s coming back to bite her in the ass now that she’s running for State’s Attorney. On last night’s episode, her campaign manager, who knows how much atheism is a political liability, urged her to walk it back… it led to some all-too-real conversations about the difficulties of being openly non-theistic while running for public office.

Two scenes in particular stood out: One, when Florrick was trying to prepare for an interview with a popular pastor and asked her (religious) daughter Grace for advice on what to do:

    Grace: Are you gonna say that you believe in God?

    Alicia: No.

    Grace: Are you gonna say that you’re an atheist?

    Alicia: No…

    Grace: What are you gonna say?

[stromboli]

Quote from the article:

"For many who practiced it, plural marriage was a significant sacrifice. Despite the hardships some experienced, the faithfulness of those who practiced plural marriage continues to benefit the Church in innumerable ways.

What is not mentioned is that the Saints in Missouri, who were harassed and driven out and many killed, were secretly involved in polygamy prior to the move to Illinois. The fact that Mormons were actively proselyting in families and pushing themselves on the Missourians is left out of the history of persecution. And it wasn't a few that undertook polygamy. Polygamy ended up being one of the main causes of schism in the church. Brigham Young, a polygamist, became the leader because the majority agreed with him. The non-Polygamists split off and formed their own churches. It was the polygamists with Brigham Young that went west to the Utah territories.

The "sacred ground" of Mormonism is in Missouri, on what is known as the Temple Lot. This was where JS was to build the Millennial temple. The group that owns it is a separatist group of non-polygamists who have vowed never to sell the land to the LDS church in Salt Lake. The RLDS faith is also not polygamous, to be distinguished from the FLDS polygamists of today.

Utah was initially called the State of Deseret; the state flag's honey bee emblem comes from that. All the shit you don't know, because the LDS PR department works to either hide or modify their really egregious history.

[Hakurei Reimu]

Anyone who hasn't figured out Joseph Smith was a con artist is...

...DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB DUMB~~!

[Berati]

I saw "Book of Mormon" this past Sunday night. It's hilarious while making a point...people will believe anything.

[ThatOneGuy]

[dtq123]

Can I has Harem?

[the_antithesis]

One of those girls was named Fanny. That's just asking for it.

[Mr.Obvious]

I wonder how many times in the past a christian faith has inspired one woman to have a harem of men and be okay with it.