Posted on 01/10/2012 5:47:28 AM PST by Colofornian
(To see Cal Grondahls cartoon that goes with this post, click here) The LDS Church Library no longer allows access to the Nauvoo City Council and High Council minutes from 1839 to 1845. Thats a shame, but the minutes, when accessible, were recorded. Signature Books, with the assistance of historian John Dinger, has published the minutes, along with notes, and theyre just plain fascinating for enthusiasts of history. Without spin, they lay out the controversy that swirled in Nauvoo prior to Joseph Smiths murder and the LDS exodus west.
The documents lend credence to the belief that the then-secret doctrine of polygamy sparked much of the contention that roiled Nauvoo. Many of those associated with the anti-Smith publication, the Nauvoo Expositor, were accused of using polygamy as an excuse to commit adultery. In the city council meeting of June 8, 1844, Hyrum Smith is cited as claiming that Joseph Smiths revelation on polygamy, read to the Nauvoo High Council on Aug. 12, 1843, was in answer to a question concerning things which transpired in former days & had no reference to the present time. As curiously noted, Hyrum Smith married four plural wives in 1843. Its clear that Hyrum Smith had rationalized that it was OK to mislead. Also, on page 255 of the Nauvoo City Council minutes, the LDS prophet, and Nauvoo mayor, Joseph Smith, supports Hyrums incorrect words, saying that he had not preached the doctrine in public or private.
From reading the various minutes and notes commentary, polygamy was used as a cudgel in a conflict between the Smiths and their enemies, such as William Law, Wilson Law, Robert and Charles Foster, Chauncey and Francis Higbee, Sylvester Emmons, and others. These accusations were often judged in the non-secular, but equally powerful, Nauvoo High Council meetings. On May 24, 1842, Chancy Higbee was excommunicated by the high council after being judged guilty of adultery and for teaching the doctrine that it was right to have free intercourse with women if it was kept secret Higbee, the minutes report, claimed that Joseph Smith autherised (sic) him to practice these things.
Other accusations used to discredit critics included counterfeiting, stinginess, and plots to kill Joseph Smith. The final accusation was probably closest to the truth, as the violence that was commonplace in that era made lynching and murder a real possibility. The City Council minutes note how the Smiths used Nauvoo civil law to construct a habeus corpus statute so far-reaching that it could blunt any attempt to have Smith or others extradited to Missouri or anywhere outside of Nauvoo. In fact, Smith used habeus corpus to initially avoid arrest for trashing the Nauvoo Expositor press.
The city council debate that preceded the Nauvoo polices destruction of the Expositor press as a nuisance is very interesting. Anger from past atrocities against Mormons, notably the Hauns Mill massacre, were used as rationales to destroy the Expositors press. Interestingly, one Nauvoo councilman, Benjamin Warrington, opposed destroying the press. He wanted to give the editors time to stop publishing and assess them a $3,000 fine.
Both Smiths spoke in opposition to Warringtons proposal, Hyrum adding that he doubted the publishers had the money to pay the fine. Those in favor of the press destruction cited Blackwaters Commentaries on the Laws of England, a reference book widely used in that era. Nauvoo city attorney and councilman George P. Stiles used Blackwater as evidence, {saying a} Nuisance is any thing {that} disturbs the peace of {the} community.
The destruction of the Expositor began before the city council meeting authorizing the act had finished. As are most decisions made in haste and with excessive emotion, it backfired, increasing the danger to Joseph Smith and others. An attempt to use Nauvoos liberal habeus corpus law to escape legal heat failed, and to protect Nauvoo from armed mobs, Joseph and Hyrum agreed to be jailed in Carthage, Ill. Assurances of safety from a feckless governor, Thomas Ford, failed, and history records that both Smiths were murdered by a mob.
The Nauvoo City Council minutes after the Smiths murders are interesting. There is little of the anger or bluster that was part of the meeting that sanctioned the press destruction. Its muted, and frankly reflects the shock and despair that must have surrounded Nauvoo and church members at the loss of their prophet. Much of the minutes cover discussion on how much the city must renumerate the Nauvoo Expositor for the destruction of its property. Hiram Kimball was assigned the task of dealing with the renumeration.
Also, its clear that city leaders were concerned that the mobs that had killed the Smiths were still eager to attack Nauvoo. The council endorsed pleas by Governor Ford and others to avoid violent reprisals.
The Nauvoo City and High Council Minutes is a massive, indispensible treasure trove of Mormon history in Illinois. Ill have further blog entries that will concentrate on the minutes of meetings that determined the church successors to the slain Smiths, and another blog will focus on day-to-day matters that fell before the high council. Some were amusing; one recounts a man brought for church discipline because he sold his wife for her weight in catfish!
All right then look to the bible itself and compare that to the book of Mormon. The problem with Mormonism is that its trying to claim it is Christian when it is not. Christians have the right to disprove this cult.
Ignoring this is giving a pass to a cult.
without slandering
What the heck do you think they do to Jesus and God every day? They claim that God was once man, that Jesus is brothers with Satan, the virgin birth did not take place.....etc. Are we suppose to ignore that and just let them roll over Christianity and take over with their lies?
***Unless you think mobs arent evil, more or less by definition.****
From what I’ve read, many, not all, in that mob were former Mormons who realized what Smith really was, a fake.
Speaking of rancor, how's it going with your two ex-wives?
Have an extremely nice day?
And you know exactly how many armed men there were how?
And you absolutely know that NONE of these armed men were prison guards who knew Smith had been weaponized how?
Not murdered by a mob in cahoots with those who were supposed to be protecting him.
Well, I agree...
#1...the jack Mormon sheriff charged with protecting Smith should have done his duty and not be so easily overrun (without a fight)
#2...Unless, of course, the jack Mormon sheriff already knew that two guns had been smuggled into Smith and didn't want to risk his own harm -- or anyone in his employ -- of trying to confiscate those weapons. And if that was the case, no wonder he let the mob take on an armed prisoner...
I imagine if any of that mob heard about the guns having been smuggled into Smith that they felt justified in storming his room.
Or do you advocate that prisoners with a loaded weapon in any prison today not be confronted with an armed response?
Seems to me you're saying that if a prisoner today knows he is a target of say -- another prisoner -- who has been weaponized...that it's "OK" for that prisoner to likewise become weaponized in self-defense.
Is that what you advocate for our prison system today?
The LDS Church Library no longer allows access to the Nauvoo City Council and High Council minutes from 1839 to 1845.
- - - - -
The big question here is WHY are they no longer allowing it? What are they hiding?
First, we were doing this long before Romney so it isn’t just about him.
Second, Romney is a product of Mormon culture, not contrary to it.
Third, how much do you REALLY know about Mormonism? I used to be Mormon and know a great deal. The LDS church lies to its members, can you name another church that does that?
I have heard that as well. Also, there is some evidence that Smith thought at least part of the mob outside was there to break him out of jail and that he recognized a few of them because he used the Masonic signal of distress before falling out the window.
If Smith really thought that the Governor would protect him, why did he have 2 guns (and some liquor) smuggled in?
Have you EVER in your life contacted the Mormon church with the same request? (No? Why not?)
You do realize, don't you, that the Mormon church routinely -- as in daily -- slanders ALL Christians and all Christian churches?
And their voice and volume is significantly broader and higher than any mere posts on one Web site here.
Voice: The Lds church has 52,000 missionaries out and about. Since the 1950s, one of the top four messages of these missionaries -- since implemented by then "prophet" David McKay -- was to preach about the so-called "universal apostasy" of all Christians and all Christian denominations past and present.
Muslims reference Christians as "infidels"; no different than Mormons slandering Christians as "apostates."
Volume: This message about us as "apostates" goes out online, in their books & mags & curricula, on campus, etc.
These are not simply generic messages; the Lds church specifically references Christian sects in slandering 100% of our creeds as an alleged "abomination." And this isn't just one Mormon leader's opinion uttered somewhere; it's in "stone" as part of Mormon "scripture." (why don't you google Joseph Smith - History - vv. 18-19 in the Pearl of Great Price in order to educate yourself on the daily slander of the Mormon church upon Christian denominations?)
Mormons do this political season out and political season in...and all days in between.
To borrow from your language, there is plenty of opportunity for Mormons to honestly disagree with Christian sects without villainizing us in a scorched earth approach as 100% apostates who are 100% "corrupt" (their word) who is a "church of the devil" (Mormon conclusion about us) who embrace 100% abominable creeds.
But...what? No mention of your contact with the Lds church asking for some "cease fire" of this daily slander? Why not?
Inquiring minds want to know why you come across as a two-faced hypocrite? So prove me wrong here and show me your track record of trying to rein in the Mormon church as some kind of "calming influence" approaching both sides. Because until you do that, your concern about a few online "pea shooters" in comparison to the $billion Lds Inc. rings a wee bit hollow in actualized discernment.
Except that I've reviewed hundreds of Lds-written books re: "history" and hundreds more articles on Mormon history...and NONE of them regard what Smith & the Nauvoo City Council toward the Expositor as "unsavory."
If they don't regard it as "unsavory," then what? We just let them have their monuments and museums presenting revised history as they see fit?
No opposition opinions or expressions allowed, lest you get a poster named Awgie frowning upon you?
Well, I guess if you don't like it, you can let the spirit of Mormonism carry you to get a mob and go destroy FR -- like the Nauvoo Expositor's critiques of Mormonism were similarly silenced.
I stand by what I said in post #1 -- that Mormons to this day do not frame what happened under Joseph Smith's control as a "negative" criminal act. Therefore they are actually part of the anarchy problem -- rather than just being perceived "victims" of it.
Oh...and btw...I REALLY want you to prove you're NOT hypocritical...or inconsistent...So please tell us how you e-mailed Doug Gibson -- the author of this article -- and provide your same frowning to him.
Since Gibson himself is Mormon, a fact that seemed somehow to have been lost upon you, you can accuse a Mormon of engaging in "unfair demoguery" vs. Mormons...especially since Gibson's latest column criticizes Romney...showing that this columnist, too, ventures back & forth 'tween the political and the religious dimensions.
And I do not like his death being called a MURDER.
Do you think the fact that the Nauvoo Legion had many MORE men than this had ANYthing to do with it?
Yeah! That DOES tend to gall a fellow's crotch!
JESUS: Hey Smith! Remember that boast you made about doing more than even I had done to hold the 'church' together?
JOSEPH SMITH: Where am I?
JESUS: Don't you remember? A few seconds ago you were in that jail.
JOSEPH SMITH: Oh; yeah; but where am I NOW?
JESUS: Don't you remember? Does bang - bang ring a bell?
JOSEPH SMITH: Oh; yeah - that crummy gun I had was about USELESS!
JESUS: I hope you left instructions on how to hold your church together.
JOSEPH SMITH: Dang! I knew there was SOMETHING I was forgetting!
JESUS: Looks like there's a power struggle going on down there.
JOSEPH SMITH: Yeah; there was always SOMEone who wanted the power that I held - especially over the LADIES - wink wink.
JESUS: No need to worry about that now; remember what my friend Matthew wrote down?
JOSEPH SMITH: This? At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven (Matthew 22:30)
JESUS: That's it.
JOSEPH SMITH: I thought that was mistranslated.
JESUS: Nah - it was right.
JOSEPH SMITH: Oh well; it was fun while it lasted. My buds will still get it on with the girls.
JESUS: Uh; I'm sorry; in just a few more years; your followers will cavein to the United States government and abandon the 'Eternal Covenant' that you came up with.
JOSEPH SMITH: ME!? YOU are the one that told me to do that!
JESUS: Sorry; but you must have mistranslated what I told you. What part of Do NOT commit ADULTERY did you not understand?
JOSEPH SMITH: mumble....
JESUS: What did you say?
JOSEPH SMITH: Oh, nothing.
JESUS: Well; it was interesting talking to you; but now I must get back to perparing a place for those who believe in Me.
JOSEPH SMITH: Oh, yeah; the Celestial Kingdom.
JESUS: No...
JOSEPH SMITH: The Telestial one?
JESUS: Nope.
JOSEPH SMITH: SUREly not the TERRESTRIAL one!!
JESUS: Nope. Didn't you read that the mind of man had NOT conceived of it? Paul wrote it down in 1 Corinthians 2:9.
JOSEPH SMITH: I thought that was mistranslated.
JESUS: No; it wasn't.
JOSEPH SMITH: You SURE?
JESUS: Yes. Now I must be going: what did you say your name was again?
JOSEPH SMITH: Joseph Smith.
JESUS: Hmmmm. According to my Heavenly FAITHbook, you didn't sign in as one of my friends - sorry, I never knew you.
JOSEPH SMITH: But....
Glad to know a freeper approves of lynching as a method of justice. A very conservative position.
/s
Would you care to explain where this IL lawyer of the time and area was wrong in his opinion of mobocracy as a huge danger to the Republic?
http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/lyceum.htm
Prisoners generally don't have the jailers provide pistols for them. Dig around some more - Smith was expecting the Nauvoo Legion to come and bust him out and initially thought the mob was the legion come to the rescue.
True but irrelevant. Does not excuse the actions of a murderous mob. Or those of the jailers who conspired in the murder of the men in their charge.
To those who think this was not murder: It was most definitely homicide. So if it wasn’t murder, it should presumably be be considered justifiable under the law.
What justified it? The fact that the mob (and you) hate the guy so much?
The most egregious aspect of this murder was, of course, the violation of faith by those to whom Smith surrendered on promise of safe conduct.
Ironically, 15 years later his followers similarly murdered, at Mountain Meadows, those who had surrendered to them trusting in their good faith. But the Mormons murdered 120 men, women and children.
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