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Saundra, the problem is you love your church and Joseph Smith far beyond Jesus.

There's been a tendency to run things a little backward in the LDS church, with LDS prophets Brigham Young and Joseph Fielding Smith saying that celestial-bound folks need the "consent of Joseph Smith" (BY, JoD, 7:289) and that there is "no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith" (DoS, 1:189-190). Even the LDS Melchizedek Priesthood Manual of '84 said: "If we get our salvation, we shall have to pass by him [JS]; if we enter into our glory, it will be through the authority that he has received. We cannot get around him." (p. 133)

Californian obviously has a vast library.

"no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith"

Could you please include the entire paragraph. It is quite short.

He won't even tell us what church he goes to/ belongs to/ was baptized in. Why do you not tell us? Why the deception?

I know at least in the 1990s that if you visited the LDS South Visitor Center there was one picture of Jesus on the main floor with a heading over an LDS Scriptural citation with the heading reading, "Jesus testifies of Joseph Smith."

I was there bot in the 90’s and sense, and I read it as to, not of, but maybe that’s just me.

There's been a tendency to run things a little backward in the LDS church, with LDS prophets Brigham Young and Joseph Fielding Smith saying that celestial-bound folks need the "consent of Joseph Smith" (BY, JoD, 7:289) and that there is "no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith" (DoS, 1:189-190). Even the LDS Melchizedek Priesthood Manual of '84 said: "If we get our salvation, we shall have to pass by him [JS]; if we enter into our glory, it will be through the authority that he has received. We cannot get around him." (p. 133)

Every dispensation has a prophet tat the head, Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Joseph Smith. When Moses was trying to do all the governing himself, it was a mess, then he was counseled by his father to put men into groups and place men over them, Moses prayed about it, and organized the people into groups, thus it has been ever since. The head of this dispensation is Joseph Smith. (according to the LDS church)

Jesus can overrule anything Joseph smith does or says (according to us)

Joseph Smith does not replace Jesus Christ, but testifies of him and serves him.

You seem to have a real problem understanding Mormon authority structure, even when it is explained to you. Can you give us an idea why you cannot see our perspective? (not accept, just see) Maybe that would help us to give you better answers

I've been following this thread with interest, Colorfornian.

Good to see you don't let yourself be baited into giving out personal information that has nothing to do with the facts or logic of your argument -- but has a great deal to do with handing others an excuse to attack your views by attacking you personally.

Shifting the topic of debate from the subject under discussion to personalities is one of the many dishonest tactics employed by those who know they can't win on the basis of factual, reasoned argumentation.

Can you say "ad hominem"?