Smithsonian tweaks show after Mormon complaints

Globe and Mail ^ | July 25, 2006 | Associated Press

[Stone Mountain]

Smithsonian tweaks show after Mormon complaints

Associated Press

Salt Lake City, Utah — Smithsonian Museum curators changed a new Washington exhibit after two Utah congressmen and others complained that it portrayed Mormon church founders in a negative light.

The National Portrait Gallery's American Origins display pays tribute to influential Americans from 1600 to 1900, including Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Brigham Young, the second leader of the faith.

The text accompanying portraits of Smith and Young offended at least two Washington-area church members who got a sneak preview of the display. The text reportedly said Smith was "lynched" and Young was a "tyrant."

They notified two Republicans, Senator Bob Bennett and Congressman Rob Bishop, whose offices contacted the museum.

Bethany Bentley, spokeswoman for the National Portrait Gallery, confirmed that changes were made based on the complaints. "It's very common [to make changes] and it happens with many of our labels," she said.

[Max in Utah]

"And if you don't change that right now, we'll go back and get Orrin Hatch!"

[rawcatslyentist]

Better not let em watch South Park!!!

[mak5]

Seems pretty accurate to me. Young took over after Smith was killed by a mob of about 200 attacked the jail in which he was held. He had previously been run out of Ohio by another mob after the Mormon run bank in Kirtland went under. One could accurately call that a lynching.

Young was by all accounts a "strong" leader, who has been implicated in the Mountain Meadows massacre of a wagon train of settlers heading west.

[patriot_wes]

"The text accompanying portraits of Smith and Young offended at least two Washington-area church members who got a sneak preview of the display. The text reportedly said Smith was "lynched" and Young was a "tyrant."

Them is fightin words in Utah!

Remember the "church" teaches no one gets into heaven without the personal approval of the child molester Joseph Smith. And Brigham Young taught that Jesus' blood isn't good enough for some - their own blood must be shed. eeeeck!

[Dixie Yooper]

"The text reportedly said Smith was "lynched" and Young was a "tyrant." "

From pbs.org (so it must be the truth)
"Joseph was persecuted much of his adult life and was killed along with his brother Hyrum by a mob in Carthage, Illinois, on June 27, 1844."

I guess the Church of Later Day Saints and Now a Day Sinners looks at this incident as an unfortunate event, not a lynching.

[PzLdr]

At least they spared old Brigham any linkage with the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

[HHFi]

I suggest it be replaced with Mark Twain's chapters on Brigham Young and Mormonism from "Roughing It." Since he was actually in Utah around that time, I'm sure he painted a much more accurate picture than the modern church leaders do. Far funnier, too.

[Diamond]

Smithsonian Museum curators changed a new Washington exhibit after two Utah congressmen and others complained that it portrayed Mormon church founders in a negative light.

Where's the problem?

Cordially,

[SZonian]

Remember the "church" teaches no one gets into heaven without the personal approval of the child molester Joseph Smith.

Aaaahhh, another anti-mormon rears its ugly and vile head from the depths of religious bigotry. Yours must be the only "true" religion around so any other must be a cult.

Save me, save me. So many here on FR who know the truth. /sarcasm

[Reaganesque]

Why lookee here! Anuther chaynst tuh makes fun uv dem Mormuns!!

[ikka]

Dum dum dum dum dum!

[Artemis Webb]

Well as you know the Mormons teach against drug abuse. They are taught to love their country. They are, by and large, a deeply patriotic and wholesome people (before someone jumps on that statement you better remember that all faiths have deviates. Or should we ask Jimmy "let me watch you masturbate little lady" Swaggart for confirmation?).

Lord Save Us from the Mormons wicked wicked ways!

[since 1854]

Didn't BY write that Joseph Smith would be the one to decide whether people got to heaven or not after they died?

[horse_doc]

They should have made the text in Reformed Egyptian.

That way, everyone can translate it any way that they like.

[Rio]

Thanks for introducing me to Twain's "Roughing It."

Here is the citation of which you speak (write? type?)

http://www.mtwain.com/Roughing_It/81.html

[SZonian]

Don't know, don't care. I just get tired of simple little minds coming out against folks who believe certain things that others don't. The core beliefs are there, just differences on how they are applied. In my experience, Mormons, by and large are very good people.

The foundation of their religion is questionable, but they as a group, are folks I would rather be around than others who profess to be "Christian".

Just to be clear and truthful, I am not one but married to one, hence my denunciation of anyone who comes out and makes vile, bigoted and hateful comments like the poster I responded to.

SZ

[SZonian]

See my post #17.

SZ

[JAKraig]

"The text reportedly said Smith was "lynched" and Young was a "tyrant." "

lynch (l¹nch) tr.v. lynched, lynch·ing, lynch·es. To execute without due process of law, especially to hang, as by a mob. [Short for lynch law.] --lynch“er n. --lynch“ing n.

I always thought of lynching as hanging. I guess I was wrong. Anyway, Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith were both murdered in cold blood as they were in a jail cell. The mob was the remnant of a disbanded militia that wore indian war paint, black face and costumes to hide who they were.

The pair surrendered without force and were promised protection by the state.

Brigham Young, the "Tyrant" led a mass exodus of over 20000 people away from some of the richest farm land into a desert that was inhabited by none. It was not a pleasant place. The people that followed did so because they wanted to. The descendants of those followers now revere the name of Brigham Young as a miracle worker and him and his predecessor Joseph Smith as prophets. I can understand why they wouldn't want their names trashed.

If people are killed because of a cartoon of Mohammed I think a little call for fairness by the Mormons about their martyrs is understandable.

[patriot_wes]

Sorry SZ - you lose again. This is from church teachings...

On October 9, 1859, Brigham Young said, "From the day that the Priesthood was taken from the earth to the winding-up scene of all things, every man and woman must have the certificate of Joseph Smith, junior, as a passport to their entrance into the mansion where God and Christ are -- I with you and you with me. I cannot go there without his consent"

(Brigham Young - Journal of Discourses 7:289).