Ping
But isn't that what Smith said did happen for most of Church history until he received his revelation?
If his revelation is the truth, why'd it take so long for God to correct it?
“Mormonism in England and Mormonism in Utah are two very different systems. In England all its objectionable principles were not only ignored, but denied. Its Apostles and Elders not only uttered negative but also positive falsehoods, in order to induce belief. They not only denied many things that were true, but stated many things that were utterly false. As a sample of their falsehoods,
I will instance polygamy. This was practiced by Smith in 1838, and the Mormon Apostles KNEW IT. Yet, when the Church was charged with its adoption, Parley P. Pratt, in Manbchester, England, before the general conference of the European churches, and in the Millennial Star of 1846, thus publicly denounced it: “Such a doctrine is not held, known, or practiced as a principle of the Latter-day Saints. It is but another name for whoredom; and is as foreign friom the real principles of the Church, as the devil is from God; or as sectarianism is from Christianity” (Millennial Star, vol. vi., p. 22).
And yet this man knew that Smith and others had children living WHO WERE THE OFFSPRING OF THIS VERY PRACTICE!
John Taylor, another Mormon Apostle, in a discussion held at Boulogne, France, in July 1850, was charged with the belief of this doctrine, to which accusation he thus replied: “ We are accused here of polygamy and actions the most indelicate, obscene and disgusting, such as none but a corrupt heart could have conceived. These things are too outrageous to be believed; therefore I shall content myself with reading our views of chastity and marriage, from a work published by us, containing some of the articles of our faith.”
He read in the Book of Smith’s Revelations, p. 330, the marriage covenant: “You both mutually agree to be each other’s companion, husband and wife; observing all the legal rights belonging to this condition; that is, keeping yourselves wholly for each other, and from all others during your lives!”
And on p.331: “Inasmuch as this Church of Jesus Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication and polygamy, we declare that we believe that one man should have one wfe, and one woman but one husband, except in case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again!”
And again, on p. 124: “Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shall cleave unto her, and none else; and he that looketh on a woman to lust after her, shall deny the faith, and not have the spirit, and be cast out.” “There,” exclaimed Elder Taylor, triumphantly, “that is our doctrine on this subject” (Taylor’s Discussion at Boulogne, p. 8).
And this man had four wives wrangling and quarreling at Utah, and was paying attentions to a girl at Jersey, Channel Islands, at the very moment he uttered these willful, intentional falsehoods!
The illustrious examples of such pseudo-inspired Apostles were industriously imitated by similarly inspired Elders. Where the former were content with mere affirmation or denial, the latter blasphemously called on God to attest their veracity; and challenged the Almighty to disprove their statements. Some of them denounced their accusers with bitter curses, and threatened them with all kinds of spiritual horrors.
From the lips of such men, and others who had been deceived by such men, did my father and myself first hear of Mormonism” John Hyde, 1857
Beware the Bitter Fruits of Apostasy
LOL...been there, done that, came out the other side in a much better place - saved by the Grace of God!