RFM joins the fabulous Jonathan Streeter (and Yugio!) to investigate the best documented plural marriage of Joseph Smith. In the process, they manage to pick apart the most common defenses for Joseph’s polygamy put forward by Mormon apologists!
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I suppose when you have a God complex then everything you do is authorized and approved by God.
What is the consensus of everyone who has seriously studied out the mind of Joseph Smith?
It seems unreasonable for anyone in the right mind to have so many mistresses or worse yet “wives” for that matter.
I think Joseph Smith did convince himself that the feelings of physical attraction must have meant that God was directing him to take on an additional wife… why else would God put those feelings there? Least we have the need of plucking our eyes out to remain blameless before God. These are extremely unhealthy sexual perspectives that need to be done away with.
I expect many things were at play but perhaps primary among them was simply power.
What was it Lord Acton said?
Something about power corrupting and absolute power corrupting absolutely.
Joseph Smith had absolute power over his faithful.
Was Lord Acton right?
Some basic Lord Actin quotes:
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
“Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end.”
“The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. Every class is unfit to govern.”
IOW, religions and govts corrupt, no exceptions, no free-passes. Do not blindly obey either, neither can save ewe, ever. The safest Institutions which are “most impervious to corruption” fall to corruption fastest. Those claiming impeccability and highest ethics are already the most corrupt…
I also like this quote by John Stuart Mill, who said in 1867: “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.”
Great quotes, Tom!
Thanks for sharing them!
RFM
You closing song – Elvis – laughing my can off
Thank you – thank you
Wait till you hear the Elvis song at the end of Part 2 that just went up!