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- "I come again to lead you forth" The last admonition of Joseph the Prophet to the Nauvoo Legion, before leaving for the Carthage Jail...: "...This I will promise you, that when I come again to lead you forth, for I will go to prepare a place for you, so that where I am you shall be with me."SNIP (D&C Sec. 85, Verse 7) "And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God, will send one mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand, clothed with light for a covering, whose mouth will utter words,...

December 23 is the birthday of the Prophet Joseph Smith, who was born in 1805. In his honor, consider watching the movie Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration, now available for the first time on Hulu... The Joseph Smith movie is the first Church film to penetrate an exclusive, major distribution channel like Hulu, where some 4 million subscribers can watch on-demand streaming video of TV shows, movies, web content, and other new media through media devices (Roku, Apple TV), gaming consoles (Xbox, PlayStation), smartphones and tablets, and other devices that connect to the Internet. SNIP The current version of...

Chronological Historical Recap: What makes 'Smithmas' 'Smithmas'? Every river has its banks. What is the channel forged -- the definition of the river -- that we've come to know as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' "Smithmas"? Every river has its tributaries; and when it comes to "Smithmas" it's the same. As the Mormons annually celebrate Joseph Smith, his birthday, his advent, the Mormon Church adoration and over-attentiveness to Joseph Smith has openly competed with the focus Jesus Christ receives. The result? This continual cresting onto the banks of "Smithmas" has flooded our nation. Its headwaters are multi-faceted:...

SNIP This special season has greater importance for the Latter-day Saints than for others because we not only observe the birthday of the Savior but also the birthday of our Prophet, Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith, the great Prophet chosen by our Heavenly Father to usher in the last dispensation, was born on December 23, 1805, just two days before December 25, which the world observes as the birthday of Jesus Christ. December 23 should be a day of great importance in every Latter-day Saint home, a day of remembering and honoring one of the great prophets of God, a day...

The FIRST DAY of Christmas Past was just too easy! Prophet Joseph Smith, was the ANSWER all did see! SNIP Joseph Smith, Jr. was born on December 23, 1805. His nephew, Joseph F. Smith, said of this fact – “in my judgment the next birthday celebration to that of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ should be that of Joseph Smith.” The following is parts of a talk Joseph F. Smith gave at a Memorial honoring the Prophet Joseph Smith’s Birthday held on December 23, 1894. That year marked the 50 year anniversary of his martyrdom. “I should like to...

Is there anything that goes by the name “Christian” that has not been usurped, abominated, surpassed and eclipsed by that damnable heresy Mormonism! Let us not allow Christmas to draw our attention away from the great event of the ages – the birth of Joseph Smith. Let us not permit the events recounted in the gospels to distract us from the great events of the “Restoration”. God forbid that the annunciation of angels, the trembling wonder of shepherds and the reverence of wise men at the advent of God become flesh should eclipse the news of the “First Vision.” God...

Definition of SmithEmphasisMas? Over-the-top renditions of Christmas themes applied to Joseph Smith! The most obvious example was the BYU Joseph Smith Nativity scene in 2005 Joseph Smith Nativity [A Virtual 'Merry Smithmas' 'Greeting Card' circa 2005] Here are three additional examples of SmithEmphasisMas: DATE 'SMITHEMPHASISMAS' WHO SAID/PUBLISHED IT/LINK 2011 (Dec. 18) (1) Headline by church-owned newspaper mentions "co-celebrants'" December birthdays: Joseph Smith gets same billing as Jesus Christ: Deseret News (owned by the Mormon Church): Two December Births to celebrate: Jesus Christ and Joseph Smith; (2) The article starts off so that you would think the writer is talking about...

It’s three days to Christmas, 2008. And the Mormon Church-owned Deseret News is at it yet once again: ”In 1844, there were approximately 26,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Yet, when W.W. Phelps penned a song of tribute to his beloved, fallen Prophet, he promised that ‘millions shall know Brother Joseph again’” [My note: The ‘song of tribute’ is an actual praise song directed TO Joseph Smith, ‘Praise to the Man’...for more on this, see Mormon Tabernacle Choir conductor: 'Praise to the Man'...hymn praises Joseph Smith [Smithmas vanity]] The DesNews article continues: "...Now known not...

If you were ever to receive a liturgical Order of Smithmas Sacrament Meeting devoted to Joseph Smith, here's what it might look like! Part B of Double Posting: 'Answers' to the 26-Question Quiz from Part A {Note: This is part B of How would YOU score on this 26-question quiz about 'Smithmas?' [Vanity, Part A]} What makes this part B? Well, the "answers" to the 26-question quiz of part A weren't included there. Want to see how you scored in that Part A Quiz? [If you haven't yet taken the Quiz, go HERE before continuing to read this piece...Then come...

The literal simplest meaning of "Christmas" = Christ as the "Sent One." The Mormon Church stresses Joseph Smith as key "Sent One": 1862 (July 13) [Quote republished by church in 1925] Brigham Young: "I have taught for thirty years, and still teach, that he that believeth in his heart and confesseth with his mouth that Jesus is the Christ and that Joseph Smith is his Prophet to this generation, is of God; and he that confesseth not that Jesus has come in the flesh and SENT Joseph Smith with the fulness of the Gospel to this generation, is not of...

Almost half of the 164-year existence of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has been led by three men who served as director-conductors of the choir for 73 of those years. One of those men, the 3rd-ranked director-conductor (in terms of longevity), was J. Spencer Cornwall -- a veteran of leading the choir for 22 years (1935-1957). [The two who served longer were Evan Stephens, 26 years; and Jerold Don Ottley, 25 years...see List of Mormon Tabernacle Choir music directors). Still in good standing with the church, the Mormon Church even brought Cornwall back for the 1979 tabernacle reunion event. There --...

[URL=http://s208.photobucket.com/user/gahamm_photos/media/mormon/moxmas.jpg.html][IMG]http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb254/gahamm_photos/mormon/moxmas.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Mormon MOxmasDecember 12, 2005 photo of the Joseph Smith nativity scene in the main lobby of the BYU administration building. The caption under Smith's image is enlarged in the upper right hand corner. In the crib is a doll representing baby Joseph Smith.

Who was Joseph Smith? Was he a fraud or a prophet? Was he a charlatan or a chosen seer of God? Was he a conscious imposter or a deranged visionary? The Joseph Smith of history is vastly different from the common Mormon perception and the current LDS Church presentation of him. He has been cleaned up and somewhat sanitized in some present biographies. Some of his false predictions and erratic behavior have been deleted or changed in contemporary histories. Yet, many of the original records in the LDS archives have been copied by their scholars and reproduced for us to...

“For although a man may have many revelations, and have power to do many mighty works, yet if he boasts in his own strength, and sets at naught the counsels of God, and follows after the dictates of his own will and carnal desires, he must fall and incur the vengeance of a just God upon him.”—Doctrine and Covenants 3:4Did Joseph Smith “boast in his own strength”?“I have more to boast of than ever any man had…A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man...

Dear Stacey: You have written demanding an apology for my recent characterization of the Mormon religion as "non-Christian." I am happy to write a public letter of apology to you and to the countless Mormon readers who responded negatively to my characterization. I am sorry that so many of my Mormon readers have brazenly accused me of ignorance of their religion and suggested that I read the Book of Mormon. I am sorry that they were unaware that I read the Book of Mormon back in 2006. I am sorry that the science of genetics has refuted claims made in...

Man becoming godlike: belief or heresy? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), aka Mormon Church, has a concept of boundless elevation and exaltation of Man, through all means including science and technology, until he becomes like God. Conversely, God was once like Man before attaining an exalted status. “[Mormonism] allows for humans to ascend to a higher, more godlike level,” writes Max More in his introduction to The Transhumanist Reader, “rather than sharply dividing God from Man.”

Hundreds of students of all ages — including at least one LDS apostle — gathered at locations in Provo and Salt Lake City Thursday and Friday to listen and take notes as 26 scholars examined the extent to which LDS Church founder Joseph Smith was familiar with ancient writings, scriptural or otherwise. “Approaching Antiquity: Joseph Smith’s Study of the Ancient World,” a two-day BYU Church History Symposium, drew capacity audiences to the BYU campus and the LDS Church Conference Center Little Theater. SNIP Another highly attended session on the first day of the symposium featured Dr. David F. Holland, associate...

In the scramble to make the GOP more diverse, a lot of people are looking at Asian Americans, whom many believe are a natural constituency for the party. I would love it if Asian Americans converted en masse to the Republican Party, but the challenge for Republicans is harder than many appreciate. President Obama did spectacularly well with Asian Americans, garnering nearly three-quarters of their vote. This runs counter to a lot of conventional wisdom on both the left and the right. On average, Asian American family income is higher and poverty is lower than it is for non-Latino whites....

I just realized that Christmas falls on a Tuesday this year, so December 23 is on a Sunday. This of course provides a great opportunity for the LDS church to prove its Christian roots by using that day to talk about Joseph Smith, it is his birthday after all. So, will the average LDS ward celebrate Smithmas or Christmas on December 23 this year? I'm guessing my wife's ward will split the difference and dedicate part to Joseph Smith and part to Jesus. I may even have to show up and pay attention to see what happens, it could be...

I was in a debate with a Mormon the other day, and he made a point about the Mormons being persecuted and Joseph Smith himself being brutally martyred for his faith. He compared it to Jesus Christ. In response, I told him about the background of Smith's murder, which was far less "pure" and far more ugly and embarrassing than he was led to believe. His response was to accuse the Nauvoo Expositor, the dissident newspaper Smith had ordered destroyed that led to his arrest and eventual lynching, of inciting violence against the Mormons, and claimed Smith acted with proper...