Do Believing Mormons accept Joseph Smith's testimony?

[Exmo-Robertson]

Believing Mormons accept Joseph Smith's First Vision testimony. They accept his angel Moroni visitation testimony. But would they accept his other angelic visitor testimony if they knew about it?

"The same God that has thus far dictated me and directed me and strengthened me in this work, gave me this revelation and commandment on celestial and plural marriage, and the same God commanded me to obey it. He said to me that unless I accepted it, and introduced it, and practiced it, I, together with my people would be damned and cut off from this time henceforth. We have got to observe it. It is an eternal principle and was given by way of commandment and not by way of instruction."
- Prophet Joseph Smith, Contributor, Vol. 5, p. 259

"When that principle was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith ... he did not falter, although it was not until an angel of God, with a drawn sword, stood before him; and commanded that he should enter into the practice of that principle, or he should be utterly destroyed, or rejected, that he moved forward to reveal and establish that doctrine."
- Prophet Joseph F. Smith, "Plural Marriage for the Righteous Only-Obedience Imperative-Blessings Resulting", Journal of Discourses, Vol.20, p.28 - p.29

"I know whereon I stand, I know what I believe, I know what I know and I know what I testify to you is the living truth. As I expect to meet it at the bar of the eternal Jehovah, it is true. And when you stand before the bar you will know. He preached polygamy and he not only preached it, but he practiced it. I am a living witness to it. It was given to him before he gave it to the Church. An angel came to him and the last time he came with a drawn sword in his hand and told Joseph if he did not go into that principle, he would slay him."
- Sister Mary Lightner, Address to Brigham Young University, April 14th, 1905, BYU Archives and Manuscripts
See: http://www.ldshistory.net/pc/merlbyu.htm

"His brother, Hyrum, said to me, "Now, Brother Benjamin, you know that Brother Joseph would not sanction this if it was not from the Lord. The Lord revealed this to Brother Joseph long ago, and he put it off until the Angel of the Lord came to him with a drawn sword and told him that he would be slain if he did not go forth and fulfill the law." He told my sister to have no fears, and he there and then sealed my sister, Almira, to the Prophet."

"Soon after this he was at my house again, where he occupied my Sister Almira's room and bed, and also asked me for my youngest sister, Esther M. I told him she was promised in marriage to my wife's brother. He said, "Well, let them marry, for it will all come right.""
- Elder Benjamin F. Johnson, My Life's Review See: http://mormonlore.freeservers.com/johnson1.htm

"He there and then explained to me the doctrine of plurality of wives; he said that the Lord had revealed it unto him, and commanded him to have women sealed to him as wives; that he foresaw the trouble that would follow, and sought to turn away from the commandment; that an angel from heaven then appeared before him with a drawn sword, threatening him with destruction unless he went forward and obey the commandment."

"He further said that my sister, Eliza R. Snow, had been sealed to him as his wife for time and eternity. He told me that the Lord would open the way, and I should have women sealed to me as wives. This conversation was prolonged, I think, one hour or more, in which he told me many important things."

"I solemnly declare before God and holy angels, and as I hope to come forth in the morning of the resurrection, that the above statement is true."
- Prophet Lorenzo R. Snow, sworn affadavidt. See: http://www.mormons.org.uk/celest.htm

"19 year-old Zina remained conflicted until a day in October, apparently, when Joseph sent [her older brother] Dimick to her with a message: an angel with a drawn sword had stood over Smith and told him that if he did not establish polygamy, he would lose "his position and his life." Zina, faced with the responsibility for his position as prophet, and even perhaps his life, finally acquiesced." (In Sacred Loneliness, page 80-81)

"An Angel of God Stood by him (Joseph Smith) with a drawn Sword and told him he should be slain & Cut off from the Earth and the kingdom of God if he did not obey that Law (of polygamy). George Q Cannon was of the same opinion, that a man must have more then one wife at a time in order to obey that Law."
- Prophet Wilford Woodruff, Wilford Woordruff's Journal, Vol. 8, p.235

"A grand and glorious principle had been revealed, and for years had slumbered in the breast of God's Prophet, awaiting the time when, with safety to himself and the Church, it might be confided to the sacred keeping of a chosen few. That time had now come. An angel with a flaming sword descended from the courts of glory and, confronting the Prophet, commanded him in the name of the Lord to establish the principle so long concealed from the knowledge of the Saints and of the world—that of plural marriage."
- Apostle Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball [Salt Lake City: Kimball Family, 1888], 321.

"Joseph Smith had inquired of God to know and understand wherein He justified His prophets of old as touching upon the principle and doctrine of their having plural wives and concubines. The principle was then revealed by the Lord to Joseph. He was commanded to obey it. He did not immediately comply. Then, according to Apostle George A. Smith, an angel with a flaming sword appeared to the Prophet Joseph and warned him that unless he obeyed it, he would be destroyed.
- Don Cecil Corbett, Mary Fielding Smith, Daughter of Britain: Portrait of Courage [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1966], 154.

"An angel with a flaming sword descended from the courts of glory and, confronting the Prophet, commanded him in the name of the Lord to establish the principle so long concealed from the knowledge of the Saints and of the world-that of plural marriage.
- Elder H. Dean Garrett, ed., Regional Studies in Latter-day Saint History: Illinois [Provo: Department of Church History and Doctrine, 1995], 135.

Some questions to ponder:

1) Did Smith's free agency matter to God?
2) Why didn't the angels appear to anyone but Smith (ie the women)?
3) Did the women's free agency matter to Smith OR God?
4) Theoretically, wouldn't marrying ONE other woman "establish" the law of plural marriage?
5) If Smith were sent to establish a law, why didn't he do any of it in the light of day? Why didn't he lawfully petition governments, argue before the judiciary, and take care of some of the difficult footwork necessary in order to establish the--let's use the word correctly now--law?
6) How can a father's salvation be assured through a daughter's marriage to Smith, if we also hold the Articles of Faith to be true...?
7) Smith foresaw the trouble polygamy would cause, but the Lord giving the commandment didn't?


You know how some guys will try to trick girls into having sex with them by saying; "If I don't I will die!" Doesn't this sound like a religious version of that trick?
"Emma, I didn't want to have sex with all those other women, but the Lord forced me too!!!"

I can promise you that the Mormons don't talk about this in their Sunday Schools.

Your thoughts?

[dizzle]

I have debated the polygamy issue here before, and without meaning any undue respect to anyone's religious convictions, I see in the actions of Smith an excuse to justify sexual sin.

[kiwimac]

As you know exmo, so do and some don't and of those who do / don't, there are those who accept / reject a mere portion or the whole thing depending on their POV.

Kiwimac

[Alma]

06-29-2003 @ 07:19 AM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=135258#post135258)
Exmo-Robertson:

Believing Mormons accept Joseph Smith's First Vision testimony. They accept his angel Moroni visitation testimony. But would they accept his other angelic visitor testimony if they knew about it?

Some questions to ponder:

1) Did Smith's free agency matter to God?

Clearly it did, just as Moses’ agency mattered to God when Moses hesitated to circumcise his son. (see Exodus 4:23-24)

2) Why didn't the angels appear to anyone but Smith (ie the women)?

And you note that Mormons aren’t aware of Joseph Smith’s other testimony? You should really look a little more closely at the accounts. You quoted from Mary Rollins Lightner and she told of an angel that came to her (or are you just cutting and pasting from somewhere –oblivious of the context?) Vilate Kimball and others left accounts that God explained the matter to them as well.

3) Did the women's free agency matter to Smith OR God?

Clearly it did. Several women declined the invitation such as Rachel Ivins and Nancy Rigdon—or weren’t you aware that they exercises their agency in the matter?

4) Theoretically, wouldn't marrying ONE other woman "establish" the law of plural marriage?

Sure it would theoretically, but it needed to be established in actuality.

5) If Smith were sent to establish a law, why didn't he do any of it in the light of day? Why didn't he lawfully petition governments, argue before the judiciary, and take care of some of the difficult footwork necessary in order to establish the--let's use the word correctly now--law?

Clearly because the government wouldn’t allow it. The State government was complicit in his death—and they killed other LDS leaders as well. Besides, the way you challenge established laws is by violating them to force a constitutional decision. It took nearly 50 years for the Mormons to get one, and that while many of its leaders were in prison.

6) How can a father's salvation be assured through a daughter's marriage to Smith, if we also hold the Articles of Faith to be true...?

When that bit of folklore is placed in the LDS canon, perhaps that would be the time to ask about the seeming contradiction.

7) Smith foresaw the trouble polygamy would cause, but the Lord giving the commandment didn't?

What makes you conclude that? Of course God foresaw the trouble; I think he was counting on it.


I can promise you that the Mormons don't talk about this in their Sunday Schools.

That’s one promise that isn’t true. We discussed it last week in our Sunday School.

Alma

[Exmo-Robertson]

Today @ 05:56 AM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=149773#post149773)
Alma:

Clearly it did, just as Moses’ agency mattered to God when Moses hesitated to circumcise his son. (see Exodus 4:23-24)

Clearly it didn't if his choice was do it or die.


Today @ 05:56 AM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=149773#post149773)
Alma:

And you note that Mormons aren’t aware of Joseph Smith’s other testimony? You should really look a little more closely at the accounts. You quoted from Mary Rollins Lightner and she told of an angel that came to her (or are you just cutting and pasting from somewhere –oblivious of the context?) Vilate Kimball and others left accounts that God explained the matter to them as well.

Feel free to tell us what they said.


Today @ 05:56 AM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=149773#post149773)
Alma:

Clearly it did. Several women declined the invitation such as Rachel Ivins and Nancy Rigdon—or weren’t you aware that they exercises their agency in the matter?

Clearly it didn't, when Joseph Smith revealed D&C Sec 132 he has the Lord damning Emma Smith if she didn't except the revelation, she didn't and lived a long life. The people who rejected it were excommunicated, yep that's free agency.

Today @ 05:56 AM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=149773#post149773)
Alma:

Sure it would theoretically, but it needed to be established in actuality.

Well tell us how constitute actuality? Also why would he have to marry women that were already married?

Today @ 05:56 AM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=149773#post149773)
Alma:

Clearly because the government wouldn’t allow it. The State government was complicit in his death—and they killed other LDS leaders as well. Besides, the way you challenge established laws is by violating them to force a constitutional decision. It took nearly 50 years for the Mormons to get one, and that while many of its leaders were in prison.

The state arrested him for breaking up a printing press, a mob killed him. After the constitutional decision came did the Church stop? Nope, it didn't even stop after the church "officialy" stopped it in 1890.

Today @ 05:56 AM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=149773#post149773)
Alma:

When that bit of folklore is placed in the LDS canon, perhaps that would be the time to ask about the seeming contradiction.

Are you not allowed to start until then?


Today @ 05:56 AM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=149773#post149773)
Alma:

What makes you conclude that? Of course God foresaw the trouble; I think he was counting on it.[/qutoe]

Please tell us why.


[QUOTE]Today @ 05:56 AM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=149773#post149773)
Alma:

That’s one promise that isn’t true. We discussed it last week in our Sunday School.

Was it in your manual? Please tell us what it said. Or did it come up in relation to something else.

[Alma]

Today @ 05:28 PM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=150126#post150126)
Exmo-Robertson:
Clearly it didn't if his choice was do it or die.


You seem to be laboring under the misconception that “free agency” means having the ability to make choices without any consequences. Free agency is the ability to choose only your actions, not their consequences. As long as Moses had the choice to circumcise or not, he had his agency. Whether penalties were affixed for disobedience is another matter entirely.

Feel free to tell us what they said.

Why should I do your homework for you? I gave you one source where Elizabeth Rollins Lightner said an angel did come to her. Your question was, “Why didn’t the angels appear to anyone but Smith?” The historical accounts indicate that angels came to many besides Smith - - But that’s what happens when you’re too selective in your sources: you’re surprised to find out that your paradigm is mistaken.

Clearly it didn't, when Joseph Smith revealed D&C Sec 132 he has the Lord damning Emma Smith if she didn't except the revelation, she didn't and lived a long life. The people who rejected it were excommunicated, yep that's free agency.

So, you’re back to thinking that agency means freedom from consequences rather than freedom to choose. Yes, Emma was threatened with damnation if she didn’t accept the revelation, but that doesn’t mean immediate, physical death, it means spiritual destruction. Could you demonstrate one individual who was excommunicated for rejecting Joseph Smith’s revelation on plural marriage? I don’t think you can. William Law, the Higbees, William Marks and many others rejected the revelation, but their unbelief wasn’t the reason for their excommunication. That’s because in the LDS faith, you can believe what you want. Excommunication is the result of actions rather than beliefs. But – and this is the important part - - free agency doesn’t mean freedom from consequences.

Well tell us how constitute actuality? Also why would he have to marry women that were already married?

a. It had to be established as a practice in the church, not just an aberration of the president of the Church.

b. He didn’t “have to” marry women that were already married - - and there’s no evidence that he did marry them. There is plenty of evidence that he was sealed to them, but sealing didn’t necessarily constitute earthly marriage. Note that both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were sealed to Elizabeth Rollins Lightner, Smith for eternity and Young for time, but neither of them cohabited with her. I’ll bet you hadn’t considered the ramifications of that one had you?

The state arrested him for breaking up a printing press, a mob killed him. After the constitutional decision came did the Church stop? Nope, it didn't even stop after the church "officialy" stopped it in 1890.

Actually, he had already been bailed out for the printing press charge and re-arrested for treason. They were still complicit in his murder because the governor had given his personal guarantee of protection.

The constitutional decision upholding the validity of the Edmunds Tucker act came in 1889. In 1890, the LDS president indicated that for two years he had refused to authorize plural marriages in the territory and from that time on, the Church didn’t authorize plural marriages. Some individuals continued to promote them, but the Church president didn’t authorize any after 1890. Neither, Woodruff, Snow, Smith or any other successors authorized a plural marriage after the manifesto of 1890.

Are you not allowed to start until then?

There’s no reason to pit folklore against established doctrine. No matter what someone claims to recall, recollection always is trumped by scripture. It isn’t a question of my being allowed to question something, you established a false dichotomy by asking, “if we also hold the Articles of Faith to be true...?” That little word “also” suggests that the recollection that Joseph Smith promised exaltation to someone is on par with scripture. It isn’t.

Was it in your manual? Please tell us what it said. Or did it come up in relation to something else.

That is beside the point. You “promised” that “Mormons don't talk about this in their Sunday Schools.” That is false, plain and simple because I’m a Mormon and I talk about it whenever it comes up in Sunday School and any other time. You say it doesn’t happen and I say it does. When was the last time you were in an LDS Sunday School? I’ll bet I’m there a lot more often than you are.

Alma

[Exmo-Robertson]

You've made some claims, several of which I will address, but space limitations may force me to wait on some. The first one I want to address

Today @ 12:11 AM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=150473#post150473)
Alma:

You seem to be laboring under the misconception that “free agency” means having the ability to make choices without any consequences. Free agency is the ability to choose only your actions, not their consequences. As long as Moses had the choice to circumcise or not, he had his agency. Whether penalties were affixed for disobedience is another matter entirely.

Then you don't understand what the word "free" means. The dictionary us among other things that free means "having liberty, made or done voluntarily, given without charge. You definition could be compared to me holding a gun to your head and saying: "Give me your money or I'll shoot." Could I then go to court and use the defense: "Well he didn't have to pay, he had his free agency? Free which is a root of freedom implys that a person does have a real choice without penalty.

Today @ 12:11 AM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=150473#post150473)
Alma:

Why should I do your homework for you? I gave you one source where Elizabeth Rollins Lightner said an angel did come to her. Your question was, “Why didn’t the angels appear to anyone but Smith?” The historical accounts indicate that angels came to many besides Smith - - But that’s what happens when you’re too selective in your sources: you’re surprised to find out that your paradigm is mistaken.

I'm not asking you to do my homework, it is reasonable to ask a person who has made a claim to back it up.

Today @ 12:11 AM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=150473#post150473)
Alma:

a. It had to be established as a practice in the church, not just an aberration of the president of the Church.

Here's a question I think a lot here would liked answered. Why? Why did it have to be established? Why was polygamy required for salvation or why was polygamy tied to one's salvation? And if it had to be established and required for salvation, why isn't it still required for salvation?

Today @ 12:11 AM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=150473#post150473)
Alma:

b. He didn’t “have to” marry women that were already married - - and there’s no evidence that he did marry them. There is plenty of evidence that he was sealed to them, but sealing didn’t necessarily constitute earthly marriage. Note that both Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were sealed to Elizabeth Rollins Lightner, Smith for eternity and Young for time, but neither of them cohabited with her. I’ll bet you hadn’t considered the ramifications of that one had you?

You only mentioned one wife. At: http://www.utlm.org/newsletters/no97.htm#Joseph%20Smith%20and%20Polygamy I found this small report concerning this. It is only the short version of the whole story.

The Tanners wrote:


Number of Wives

In 1887, LDS Assistant Church Historian Andrew Jenson made a list of 27 women who were sealed to Joseph Smith before his death. (Historical Record, Vol. 6, 1887, p. 233-4) More recent research, however, has led to a longer list. Todd Compton stated:

I have identified thirty-three well-documented wives of Joseph Smith, which some may regard as an overly conservative numbering... Historians Fawn Brodie, D. Michael Quinn, and George D. Smith list forty-eight, forty-six, and forty-three, respectfully. Yet in problematic areas it may be advisable to err on the side of caution. (In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith, p.1)

Compton also noted that Joseph Smith wanted to marry even more women. He noted that Joseph Smith "proposed to at least five more women who turned him down." On the dust jacket of his book, we read:

Mormons today have little idea about their founder's family life.… Fewer know of his contempt for traditional marriage and Victorian morality.
To understand these issues, Todd Compton has painstakingly researched and recovered the life stories of the women aged fourteen to fifty-four —whom the prophet loved and married and whose salvation he guaranteed. In their own accounts, the wives tell how difficult it was to accept this secret—shared marriage—and to forfeit their dreams of meeting and falling in love with a man of their choice. What they received were tainted reputations among the uninitiated and, ultimately, their husband's violent death.
These were colorful, tragic figures. After the martyrdom, one of the widows became a nun; another joined the prophet's first wife in the Midwestern anti-polygamy reorganization; and some abandoned Utah for California. Most were claimed by the twelve apostles, who fathered their children but proved unreliable as husbands, resulting in more than one divorce.
The widows experienced sadness as they contemplated what they had become. One reticently revealed on her deathbed that her child, Josephine, was the prophet's daughter—a whispered confidentiality that only underscored the secrecy that still surrounds these women's identities a half-century later.
Thirty-three extraordinary lives began with promise and devotion and ended almost uniformly in loneliness. The great consolation these women held was that their sacrifices had been for God. Whatever reward they received, it was not of this world.



Teen Brides and Married Women

Joseph Smith's wives ranged in age from fourteen to fifty-six. Todd Compton recounts: "Having married Joseph Smith at the age of fourteen, Helen Mar [Kimball] is the youngest of Smith's known wives." (In Sacred Loneliness, p.487)

Helen had not been Smith's first pick from the Kimball family. He had earlier asked Apostle Heber C. Kimball for his wife, Vilate. When Heber was unwilling to give up his wife, Joseph turned to his daughter, Helen.

The fact that Joseph Smith asked for other men's wives was acknowledged in a sermon in 1854 by Jedediah M. Grant, second counselor to Brigham Young. In this sermon he stated:

When the family organization was revealed from heaven-the patriarchal order of God, and Joseph began, on the right and on the left, to add to his family, what a quaking there was in Israel. Says one brother to another, "Joseph says all covenants are done away, and none are binding but the new covenants; now suppose Joseph should come and say he wanted your wife, what would you say to that?" "I would tell him to go to hell." This was the spirit of many in the early days of this Church....
What would a man of God say, who felt aright, when Joseph asked him for his money? He would say, "Yes, and I wish I had more to help to build up the kingdom of God." Or if he came and said, "I want your wife?" "O Yes," he would say, "here she is, there are plenty more."… Did the Prophet Joseph want every man's wife he asked for? He did not… If such a man of God should come to me and say, "I want your gold and silver, or your wives," I should say, "Here they are, I wish I had more to give you, take all I have got." (Journal of Discourses, vol. 2, Feb. 19, 1854, pp.13-14)

Todd Compton frankly discussed the issue of Joseph Smith's practice of polyandry, marrying women who already had husbands:

Polyandry is one of the major problems found in Smith's polygamy and many questions surround it. Why did he at first primarily prefer polyandrous marriages? In the past, polyandry has often been ignored or glossed over, but if these women merit serious attention, the topic cannot be overlooked… A common misconception concerning Joseph Smith's polyandry is that he participated in only one or two such unusual unions. In fact, fully one-third of his plural wives, eleven of them were married civilly to other men when he married them. If one superimposes a chronological perspective, one sees that of Smith's first twelve wives, nine were polyandrous. So in this early period polyandry was the norm, not the anomaly… Polyandry might be easier to understand if one viewed these marriages to Smith as a sort of de facto divorce with the first husband. However, none of these women divorced their 'first husbands' while Smith was alive and all of them continued to live with their civil spouses while married to Smith… In the eleven certain polyandrous marriages, only three of the husbands were non-Mormon (Lightner, Sayers, and Cleveland) and only one was disaffected (Buell). All other husbands were in good standing in the church at the time Joseph married their wives. Many were prominent church leaders and close friends of Smith.…
These data suggested that Joseph may have married these women, often, not because they were married to non-members but because they were married to faithful Latter-day Saints who were his devoted friends. This again suggests that the men knew about the marriages and permitted them." (In Sacred Loneliness, pp.15-16)

One of Smith's polyandrous marriages was to Zina Diantha Huntington Jacobs. Smith had taught eighteen-year-old Zina about plural marriage and proposed to her but she put him off. She was being courted by a "handsome, eligible twenty-three-year-old" named Henry Jacobs. "On 7 March 1841, twenty-year-old Zina married Henry Jacobs." Smith would not attend their marriage. He next approached Zina's brother, Dimick, to talk to her about becoming his plural wife. "In October 1841, Smith sent him [her brother Dimick] with an unwelcome message to force Zina to a decision. 'Joseph said, Tell Zina I have put it off and put it off until an angel with a drawn sword has stood before me and told me if I did not establish that principle [plurality of wives] and live it, I would lose my position and my life and the Church could progress no further.' " (Four Zinas: A Story of Mothers and Daughters on the Mormon Frontier, by Martha Bradley & Mary Woodward, pp.107-115) Under such religious pressure, Zina submitted to become Smith's secret plural wife. She also continued in her marriage to Henry, a devout Mormon. "Zina does not record if she and Joseph consummated their union, although Zina later signed an affidavit that she was Smith's wife in 'very deed.' " (Four Zinas, p. 115) Joseph Smith's death did not end Zina's struggles with polygamy and polyandry, "on 2 February 1846, Henry Jacobs witnessed the sealing of his twenty-five-year-old wife, Zina, for time to Brigham Young, who was twenty years her senior." (Four Zinas, p. 132)

According to Illinois law, not only would Joseph Smith have been guilty of bigamy but so would his various wives who were already married.



Marriages Consummated

Many members of the Mormon Church find it difficult to believe that Joseph Smith had multiple wives and even harder to believe that he had sex with anyone other than Emma. The evidence, however, is clear. Todd Compton wrote:

Emily Partridge Young said she "roomed" with Joseph the night following her marriage to him, and said that she had "carnal intercourse" with him. (In Sacred Loneliness, p. 12)

Other early witnesses also affirmed this. Benjamin Johnson wrote:

On the 15th of May…the Prophet again came and at my hosue [house] ocupied [sic] the Same Room & Bed with my sister that the month previous he had ocupied with the Daughter of the Later [late?] Bishop Partridge as his wife." According to Joseph Bates Noble, Smith told him he had spent a night with Louisa Beaman... Many of Joseph's wives affirmed that they were married to him for eternity and time, with sexuality included. (In Sacred Loneliness, pp.13-14)

Today @ 12:11 AM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=150473#post150473)
Alma:

Actually, he had already been bailed out for the printing press charge and re-arrested for treason. They were still complicit in his murder because the governor had given his personal guarantee of protection.

Here's what the Governor wrote concerning that day (I think you will find it interesting):


I make it fit in the space allowed, I will have to do some heavy editing. You can find it uncut at: http://antimormon.8m.com/fordindex.html
From "The History of Illinois" Chp 10 by Gov. Thomas Ford:

...On the 23d or 24th day of June Joe Smith, the mayor of Nauvoo, together with his brother Hyrum and all the members of the council and all others demanded, came into Carthage and surrendered themselves prisoners to the constable, on the charge of riot. They all voluntarily entered into a recognizance before ... And all of them were discharged from custody except Joe and Hyrum Smith, against whom the magistrate had issued a new writ on a complaint of treason. They were immediately arrested by the constable on this charge and retained in his custody to answer it.

...The overt act of treason charged against them consisted in the alleged levying of war against the State by declaring martial law in Nauvoo, and in ordering out the legion to resist the posse comitatus. ...But if those opponents merely intended to use the process of the law, the militia of the State, and the posse comitatus as cats-paws to compass the possession of their persons for the purpose of murdering them afterwards, as the sequel demonstrated the fact to be, it might well be doubted whether they were guilty of treason.

... After the Smiths had been arrested on the new charge of treason the justice of the peace postponed the examination because neither of the parties was prepared with his witnesses for trial. In the meantime he committed them to the jail of the county for greater security.... The prisoners were not in military custody, or prisoners of war; and I could no more legally control these officers than I could the superior courts of justice.

Some persons have supposed that I ought to have had them sent to some distant and friendly part of the State for confinement and trial; and that I ought to have searched them for concealed arms; but these surmises and suppositions are readily disposed of by the fact that they were not my prisoners; but were the prisoners of the constable and jailer, under the direction of the justice of the peace. And also by the fact that by law they could be tried in no other county than Hancock.

...Neither they nor I seriously apprehended an attack on the jail through the guard stationed to protect it. Nor did I apprehend the least danger on their part of an attempt to escape. For I was very sure that any such an attempt would have been the signal of their immediate death. Indeed, if they had escaped it would have been fortunate for the purposes of those who were anxious for the expulsion of the Mormon population. For the great body of that people would most assuredly have followed their prophet and principal leaders, as they did in their flight from Missouri

The officers insisted much in council upon the necessity of marching to that place ...I proposed to them that I would myself proceed to the city, accompanied by a small force, make the proposed search and deliver an address to the Mormons, and tell them plainly what degree of excitement and hatred prevailed against them in the minds of the whole people...

... I ordered two companies under the command of Capt. R. F. Smith of the Carthage Grays to guard the jail. In selecting these companies and particularly the company of the Carthage Grays for this service I have been subjected to some censure. It has been said that this company had already been guilty of mutiny and had been ordered to be arrested whilst in the encampment at Carthage; and that they and their officers were the deadly enemies of the prisoners. Indeed, it would have been difficult to find friends of the prisoners under my command unless I had called in the Mormons as a guard; and this I was satisfied would have led to the immediate war, and the sure death of the prisoners.

... Although I knew that this company were the enemies of the Smiths, yet I had confidence in their loyalty and integrity; because their captain was universally spoken of as a most respectable citizen and honorable man.... I also had their word and honor, officers and men, to do their duty according to law. Besides all this the officers and most of the men resided in Carthage; in the near vicinity of Nauvoo; and, as I thought, must know that they would make themselves and their property convenient and conspicuous marks of Mormon vengeance in case they were guilty of treachery.

... It is true also that at this time I had not believed or suspected that any attack was to be made upon the prisoners in jail. It is true that I was aware that a great deal of hatred existed against them, and that there were those who would do them an injury if they could. I had heard of some threats being made, but none of an attack upon the prisoners whilst in jail. These threats seemed to be made by individuals not acting in concert. They were no more than the bluster which might have been expected, and furnished no indication of numbers combining for this or any other purpose.

This was a circumstance well calculated to conceal from me the secret machinations on foot. I had constantly contended against violent measures and so had the brigadier-general in command; and I am convinced that unusual pains were taken to conceal from both of us the secret measures resolved upon. It has been said, however, that some person named Williams in a public speech at Carthage called for volunteers to murder the Smiths; and that I ought to have had him arrested. Whether such a speech was really made or not is yet unknown to me.

Having ordered the guard and left General Deming in command in Carthage and discharged the residue of the militia, I immediately departed for Nauvoo, eighteen miles distant, accompanied by Col. Buckmaster, Quartermaster-General, and Capt. Dunn's company of dragoons.

After we had proceeded four miles Colonel Buckmaster intimated to me a suspicion that an attack would be made upon the jail. He stated the matter as a mere suspicion, arising from having seen two persons converse together at Carthage with some air of mystery. I myself entertained no suspicion of such an attack; at any rate, none before the next day in the afternoon; because it was notorious that we had departed from Carthage with the declared intention of being absent at least two days. I could not believe that any person would attack the jail whilst we were in Nauvoo and thereby expose my life and the lives of my companions to the sudden vengeance of the Mormons upon hearing of the death of their leaders....

...Having made these arrangements we proceeded on our march and arrived at Nauvoo about four o'clock of the afternoon of the 27th day of June. As soon as notice could be given a crowd of the citizens assembled to hear an address which I proposed to deliver to them. The number present has been variously estimated from one to five thousand.

In this address I stated to them how, and in what, their functionaries had violated the laws. Also, the many scandalous reports in circulation against them, and that these reports, whether true or false, were generally believed by the people. I distinctly stated to them the amount of hatred and prejudice which prevailed everywhere against them, and the causes of it, at length.

I also told them plainly and emphatically that if any vengeance should be attempted openly or secretly against the persons or property of the citizens who had taken part against their leaders that the public hatred and excitement was such that thousands would assemble for the total destruction of their city and the extermination of their people; and that no power in the State would be able to prevent it. During this address some impatience and resentment were manifested by the Mormons at the recital of the various reports enumerated concerning them; which they strenuously and indignantly denied to be true. They claimed to be a law-abiding people and insisted that as they looked to the law alone for their protection, so were they careful themselves to observe its provisions. Upon the conclusion of this address I proposed to take a vote on the question whether they would strictly observe the laws, even in opposition to their prophet and leaders. The vote was unanimous in favor of this proposition.

.... A short time before sundown we departed on our return to Carthage. When we had proceeded two miles we met two individuals, one of them a Mormon, who informed us that the Smiths had been assassinated in jail, about five or six o'clock of that day. The intelligence seemed to strike every one with a kind of dumbness. As to myself, it was perfectly astounding; and I anticipated the very worst consequences from it. The Mormons had been represented to me as a lawless, infatuated, and fanatical people, not governed by the ordinary motives which influence the rest of mankind. If so, most likely an exterminating war would ensue and the whole land would be covered with desolation.

Acting upon this supposition, it was my duty to provide as well as I could for the event. I therefore ordered the two messengers into custody and to be returned with us to Carthage. This was done to get time to make such arrangements as could be made, and to prevent any sudden explosion of Mormon excitement before they could be written to by their friends at Carthage. I also despatched messengers to Warsaw to advise the citizens of the event. But the people there knew all about the matter before my messengers arrived. They, like myself, anticipated a general attack all over the country. The women and children were removed across the river; and a committee was despatched that night to Quincy for assistance. The next morning by daylight the ringing of the bells in the city of Quincy announced a public meeting. The people assembled in great numbers at an early hour. The Warsaw committee stated to the meeting that a party of Mormons had attempted to rescue the Smiths out of jail; that a party of Missourians and others had killed the prisoners to prevent their escape; that the governor and his party were at Nauvoo at the time when intelligence of the fact was brought there; that they had been attacked by the Nauvoo legion and had retreated to a house, where they were then closely besieged. That the governor had sent out word that he could maintain his position for two days, and would be certain to be massacred if assistance did not arrive by the end of that time. It is unnecessary to say that this entire story was a fabrication. It was of a piece with the other reports put into circulation by the anti-Mormon party to influence the public mind and call the people to their assistance. The effect of it, however, was that by ten o'clock on the 28th of June between two and three hundred men from Quincy under the command of Major Flood embarked on board a steamboat for Nauvoo to assist in raising the siege, as they honestly believed.

As for myself, I was well convinced that those, whoever they were, who assassinated the Smiths, meditated in turn my assassination by the Mormons.

Like I said a lot is to be said by him and I highly recommend youy go to the site to read the uncut version. The back to back posting rule forces me to stop here.
Dana