Posted on 03/13/2010 4:21:42 PM PST by Colofornian
PROVO, Utah -- Those who were responsible for the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum on June 27, 1844, were not who might you think they were, according to one presenter at the BYU Studies 50th Anniversary Symposium.
Debra Marsh, a master's student at the University of Utah, presented evidence Friday that the members of the Illinois mob that sought to put an end to Mormonism at Carthage Jail didn't rot away because of "the Mormon curse," as N.B. Lundwall claimed in his book, "The Fate of the Persecutors of the Prophet Joseph Smith," but went on to live normal lives.
Another characterization from B.H. Roberts found in the introduction to volume 6 of the History of the Church, which called the mob a "criminal element" and "ruffians" isn't correct, either, Marsh said.
Marsh, in her paper "Respectable Assassins: A Collective Biography and Socioeconomic Study of the Carthage Mob," said that contrary to popular belief the mobsters did not suffer for their actions, and actually were respected people who went on to greater accomplishments.
"The Carthage mob members lived normal life spans, through which they prospered financially," Marsh said. "They ran for and won political office, and generally appear to be protected and honored by their fellow citizens for their participation in the murders of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. "
Marsh used a list of 89 men compiled by Sheriff Jacob Backenstos and a variety of other records to paint a picture of who these mobsters were. According to her research, while they came from the same regions of the country as others who lived in the area, mobsters were generally older than the general male population of Hancock County and were mostly learned professionals, businessmen and farmers who had their own property. The mob also had 16 men who held 24 different public offices, including state senator and U.S. senator. A large majority of the mob would have been considered in the upper class.
"This was a group of men that represented the top tier of Hancock county, in regards to power and socioeconomic status."
Marsh then showed what happened to the mob after the martyrdom of the Smith brothers.
"Most of these individuals seem to have lived normal life spans in which they prospered," Marsh said. "Obviously, living a long life doesn't necessarily translate into good fortune. But if financial well-being is an indicator of the quality of one's life, then they lived quite well."
In 1850, the average earnings of the mob were barely more than the U.S. average, with mobsters earning $1,540 compared to $1,050 for the average American. But at the end of the decade, mobsters had increased their earnings by 249 percent, or five times the national average, earning an average of $7,842 compared to $2,140. One member, Mark Aldrich, was extremely successful in the California Gold Rush and later became a merchant in Tucson, Ariz., with his personal estate valued at $50,000. Another, Jacob C. Davis, ended up being a state senator and eventually a U.S. senator for Illinois. Mob members held 24 public offices between 1844 and 1856.
Marsh also referred to various historical accounts in which men list being part of the proceedings at Carthage Jail as one of their life's greatest achievements.
Seeing the killers of Mormonism's founder doesn't take away from Marsh's testimony of the church, and she says it shouldn't bother other Mormons, either.
"Some people are uncomfortable with the idea that the mob members prospered. I know that the notion that an unseen hand dispersing justice to the wicked is very comforting," Marsh said.
"However, it quite simply isn't true. The wicked often prosper in this life. As many of us believe, though, we all will have to account for our actions, if not in this life, in the next. The most important fact remains, regardless of what happened to the Carthage mob: Joseph and Hyrum Smith were martyrs for God, and Joseph did more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world than any other man that lived in it."
***You think killing by a mob is what they deserved, not a trial by jury?***
Maybe the mob only wanted to tar and feather them then ride them around town on a sharp fence rail, till J Smith started popping caps at them!
Sorry, all of those “accomplishments” are based upon one simple fact. An unequivocal ability to overlook the false prophecies, and the obvious lack of virtue, morals and values of JS.
Faith in the truth of mormonism is predicated upon having faith that JS was a prophet of God. One must believe in him whole cloth or the whole house of cards comes down. Everything in mormonism is built around the teachings and writings of JS.
A prophet of God would not have behaved the way JS did.
Fake martyrdom for a fake prophet. The mormons sure enjoy their brainwashing. How embarrassing to praise, in any manner, (let alone follow) a con man sheister like Joe Smith. Tith thee well, all brainwashed minions. You have created a castle of sand.
It goes to show how many will choose ‘feel good religion’ over the truth.
Yep. Too mad mormons aren't Christian, they'd have a good thing goin' on. Must be awfully sad not being able to realize the cult that they're in, or just find it too challenging to escape. Heck, they could at least move to that church that swings snakes in circles over their head. At least those folks are Christian..........and brave!:>
They don’t see it. I didn’t when I was LDS, it wasn’t until I started to see the foundation of sand the LDS is built on that I started to see the brainwashing methods.
I used to joke that “I wasn’t really brainwashed, just brain pre-soaked.”. :)
Hey MORMONs!
Look what the Catholics have got!!
http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_giovanni/vr_tour/index-en.html
Beats the Book of Mormon lands tour. :)
If John Taylor is to be believed. He would have reason to “correct” the story in order to let the prophet ‘save face.’
Not if you are going as "a lamb to a slaughter," as Joseph Smith proclaimed.
Thank Goodness...........thank God that you were sharp enough to see their charade, reaganaut and break free of their cult. Many congratulations and best of all good fortune to you.
Please define “translated.”
‘transmitted’ the Book of Mormon. JS didn’t even look at the characters on the gold page (if there were any) let alone “translate” from one language to another - since he most assuredly did not speak nor read “Reformed Egyptian” (neither did anyone else for that matter).
Joseph Smith placed his face in a hat and told a tall tale - he didn’t even have to write it down, let alone “translate” anything.
Thank God indeed, it was all His doing that I got free.
Right on. Love your tag-line, btw..............lol (so true)
I hear it is unreal. . . .
I hear it is unreal. . . .
- - - - -
Like going to fantasyland...
Someone keeps posting that scene from Star Trek IV and I thought i would make a good tagline. :)
“You are mentally unbalanced.”
You made this comment in retaliation for this same comment which I made to a different poster; I get that. I acknowledge that I should not have done it. I told the poster to whom I made this comment that my comment was incorrect, and I apologized to the poster for making it. Because you were simply defending the other poster, and not initiating this comment on your own, I should not have replied to you with my lame sarcastic comeback about you being “a paragon of mental health,” so I apologize to you for that.
As I was late getting started on the thread, the exchanges went back and forth before I read further and saw, indeed, that apologies had been given.
I'm glad that you noticed I was merely echoing what I had read.
Sometimes I say dumb things (that sounded purty good at the time) and later, when they are pointed out to me, I realize that I had exposed myself as a doofus one more time.
I think we've cooled off now and can continue in a more civil manner.
If I fail; box my ears back! ;^)
Thank you, peace is restored lol.
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