If Joseph Smith were alive today would he be...?

[adamhovey1988]

LDS, FLDS, Community of Christ, Bickteronite, Apostolic United Brethren, Fettingite, Church of Christ (Temple Lot), Strangite, Cutlerite, etc?

 

[Hatikvah]

I say mainstream LDS. It was his Church and he founded it originally. Remember, they followed Joseph Smith’s successor, Brigham Young, and went to Deseret-Utah.

I’m not a Mormon historian, but the LDS considers itself the Mormon Church, not just another sect like many of the others consider themselves. Brigham Young, I think, was his handpicked successor.

 

[RebeccaJ]

LDS, FLDS, Community of Christ, Bickteronite, Apostolic United Brethren, Fettingite, Church of Christ (Temple Lot), Strangite, Cutlerite, etc?

Atheist.

 

[RebeccaJ]

I say mainstream LDS. It was his Church and he founded it originally. Remember, they followed Joseph Smith’s successor, Brigham Young, and went to Deseret-Utah.

I’m not a Mormon historian, but the LDS considers itself the Mormon Church, not just another sect like many of the others consider themselves. Brigham Young, I think, was his handpicked successor.

Young handpicked himself.

 

[adamhovey1988]

Atheist.

That’s funny, but could you explain?

 

[RebeccaJ]

That’s funny, but could you explain?

He had strong atheistic tendencies in the 19th century. I think he saw religion as a farce.

 

[adamhovey1988]

He had strong atheistic tendencies in the 19th century. I think he saw religion as a farce.

I think you may be right. From my reading of Smith’s life, he seemed like a bit of a conman.

 

[Padres1969]

None of the above. He’d find some new plates that further expounded on Mormonism so that the LDS church was not telling the whole story and he’d subsequently found another new church as a restoration of the “true church”.

 

[thephilosopher6]

Probably none of the above. Due to the overwhelming amount of evidence that destroys Mormonism, he’d just have to stand up and admit he made it all up. Either that, or maybe he’d just make a Mormon cult and shelter from the world. To be honest… probably the latter…

 

[adamhovey1988]

Probably none of the above. Due to the overwhelming amount of evidence that destroys Mormonism, he’d just have to stand up and admit he made it all up. Either that, or maybe he’d just make a Mormon cult and shelter from the world. To be honest… probably the latter…

So would you say that the FLDS would probably be closest to his ideology? That is the way I am leaning.

 

[Horton]

He had strong atheistic tendencies in the 19th century. I think he saw religion as a farce.

I’ve always thought Smith didn’t necessarily intend to start a “church”, he just thought it was a good con at the time. Obviously things didn’t turn out the way he planned. I feel if JS would have lived, the LDS would look a very different than it does today.

 

[Horton]

I say mainstream LDS. It was his Church and he founded it originally. Remember, they followed Joseph Smith’s successor, Brigham Young, and went to Deseret-Utah.

I’m not a Mormon historian, but the LDS considers itself the Mormon Church, not just another sect like many of the others consider themselves. Brigham Young, I think, was his handpicked successor.

This was actually the first split of the LDS. There was more than one claim to the throne so to speak. Young was able to convince a majority he was the successor and they went with him. Others went other claimants.

 

[adamhovey1988]

I’ve always thought Smith didn’t necessarily intend to start a “church”, he just thought it was a good con at the time. Obviously things didn’t turn out the way he planned. I feel if JS would have lived, the LDS would look a very different than it does today.

Interesting perspective. What do you think would be different?

 

[phil_at_dayboro]

Sounds rather intricate

 

[thephilosopher6]

So would you say that the FLDS would probably be closest to his ideology? That is the way I am leaning.

Yes, actually. They even still practice polygamy.

 

[adamhovey1988]

Yes, actually. They even still practice polygamy.

Indeed they do. They’ve actually had quite a bit in the way of legal entanglements, especially involving underage marriages.

 

[thephilosopher6]

I’ve always thought Smith didn’t necessarily intend to start a “church”, he just thought it was a good con at the time. Obviously things didn’t turn out the way he planned. I feel if JS would have lived, the LDS would look a very different than it does today.

I seriously don’t know how Mormons deal with the embarrassment that they call a prophet. Joseph Smith was an actual con man! He was arrested over 40 times throughout his life! Mormons try to portray his arrest in the light of “persecution” even though this is very far from the truth.

 

[adamhovey1988]

I seriously don’t know how Mormons deal with the embarrassment that they call a prophet. Joseph Smith was an actual con man! He was arrested over 40 times throughout his life! Mormons try to portray his arrest in the light of “persecution” even though this is very far from the truth.

As I like to point out in apologetical discourse, Smith’s claims, to have restored the true church, were quite common in his day. Why is he correct but no one else is?

 

[Tarquin]

I half agree with Padres1969, and half with others. I believe his personality would lead him either to “restore the Restoration” by setting up a new church with even stranger doctrines, even further from traditional Christianity, than were held by Mormons by the time of his death in 1844. Or to join the FLDS. The latter would be attractive for a couple of reasons. I personally myself, meaning no disrespect to current Mormons, believe that Joseph Smith Jr. in the 1830s and 1840s behaved as a womanizer would, and was possessed by an obvious controlling personality. So, he might have seen his opportunities in the FLDS as more promising than were he to set up a new rival religion.

There is a third possibility. As he learned more about the secret behavior of the Founder of the Unification Church and the Founder’s family and inner circle, he might have opted for that religion. If he could advance quickly enough, far enough, he would be sitting pretty, loved and served by others, his every word, even the occasional theological blunder taken as the word of God. Plus he would have his hands on significant amounts of money.

 

[adamhovey1988]

I half agree with Padres1969, and half with others. I believe his personality would lead him either to “restore the Restoration” by setting up a new church with even stranger doctrines, even further from traditional Christianity, than were held by Mormons by the time of his death in 1844. Or to join the FLDS. The latter would be attractive for a couple of reasons. I personally myself, meaning no disrespect to current Mormons, believe that Joseph Smith Jr. in the 1830s and 1840s behaved as a womanizer would, and was possessed by an obvious controlling personality. So, he might have seen his opportunities in the FLDS as more promising than were he to set up a new rival religion.

There is a third possibility. As he learned more about the secret behavior of the Founder of the Unification Church and the Founder’s family and inner circle, he might have opted for that religion. If he could advance quickly enough, far enough, he would be sitting pretty, loved and served by others, his every word, even the occasional theological blunder taken as the word of God. Plus he would have his hands on significant amounts of money.

I could honestly see Joe Smith as a moonie.