Joseph Smith taught that the moon was inhabited by people that live to be 1000 years old?
- Thread starter sirkickyass
- Start date
I'll look at it tonight.
UGLI baby
Well-Known Member
Me too. Maybe I'll be able to see em walkin around up there.
There's a FAIR Mormon article on it, but, to be honest, it doesn't exactly illuminate much of anything. It essentially reads "nothing to see here, move along."
7StraightIsGreat
Well-Known Member
I don't buy the "doctrine" argument. If you click on the link and read the entry in the Young Women's Journal, it states that Smith has expressed his opinion about how the moon is indeed inhabited, and how more and more scientific developments either "directly" or "indirectly" prove Smith as a prophet.
If his off the cuff opinion can lead him to be proven a true prophet, can it not prove the opposite as well?
Hartsock
Banned
I am not LDS anymore because I do not believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet. But I agree, if he says something off the record and it comes true or what not it would be hailed as revelation, if it doesn't its just one mans opinion and men are fallible. I was just saying what I thought the LDS church would say if pressed about the statement. Not everything JS said is doctrine. I'm not sure where the church draws the line on what is and isn't considered gospel. I would guess that they only take what is written in the BOM, Bible, POGP, and D&C as true gospel. Everything else would just be speculative or opinion technically.
larryselbows
Banned
A little known fact about J-Smittay: He was also the first pick in the 1995 NBA Draft.
This is old news. . . . .
If I wanted to prove the Church wrong I'd start collecting all the "progressive" ideals its leaders have taught, and document those leaders attending CFR or local committees of foreign relations, and official church actions like jointing the World Council of Churches. Then I'd be "outing" the closet GLBT supporters/practitioners, and all those authorities in the legal profession. And all the elitists in the ranks. . . .
but my efforts would all be in vain, because the news media would then just start painting the LDS Church as a the paragon of liberal virtues that it is.
selective "reporting" of even facts can prove almost anything.
If I wanted to prove the Church wrong I'd start collecting all the "progressive" ideals its leaders have taught, and document those leaders attending CFR or local committees of foreign relations, and official church actions like jointing the World Council of Churches. Then I'd be "outing" the closet GLBT supporters/practitioners, and all those authorities in the legal profession. And all the elitists in the ranks. . . .
but my efforts would all be in vain, because the news media would then just start painting the LDS Church as a the paragon of liberal virtues that it is.
selective "reporting" of even facts can prove almost anything.
Stifle Tower
Punch Bowl Re-Filler
So whoever this OB Huntington is, he's relating something he believed he heard Joseph Smith say some 54 years previously (Journal is from 1891-92 and he claims Joseph said this in 1837). Now I'm no legal expert like yourself, but I have a hard time believing this PROVES Joseph said those exact words.
Prophets and apostles have expoused many theories. I think they're humans just like the rest of us. Unfortunately, these ponderings are often accepted as doctrine, even if it is not spoken as such. If you do any research, you will find a wide variety of opinions on Evolution/Creationism amongst the apostles and prophets over the last 150+ years. At one time I ABSOLUTELY did not believe in the Theory of Evolution. Now I lean towards the theory that God is omnipotent because of his omniscience - i.e. he has a perfect understanding of the laws of nature and works through them. I have no problem believing in a Higher Power, believing we are indeed spiritual children of that Higher Power, while at the same time believing (whether right or wrong) that God, in organizing our heaven and earth, let evolution develop Man's physical form.
HeavenHarris
Banned
OP are you really a lawyer bro?
My take has been (as an active LDS member) that Prophets are spiritual leaders, but most of what they say and do is not directly driven by God. Mormon culture (not doctrine) has cultivated this idea that anything/everything a prophet says is straight from God. If Prophets are infallible, and they are merely God's mouthpiece, what's the point in that? Why not just run the show yourself?
Have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates? Morons (compared to Kicky).
Beantown
Well-Known Member
Again as previously state here already, this is coming from a second source many many years after the fact. There are many people who say Joseph did or said a lot of things. Look at his own wife Emma, she swore her whole life that Joseph never practiced polygamy
Also look at the time frame. It was the early 1800's and most people were dumber than the modern 1st grader. So when it comes to Joseph and his magic and other weird theories you have to put that into context.
HipHopAnonymous
Active Member
You know if it was discovered that there were men living to a 1000 years old on the moon that Mormons would be quoting this as solid proof he is prophetic. But since it's obviously false it's just something he said that wasn't really a prophecy or from God.
The evidence is more mixed on that subject than you might suspect.
One of my pet theories about religious development is that religions that thrive always have their founder be extremely charismatic but it's the second guy that's the full-blown lunatic and pushes it into a hardcore that can spread and thrive forever. That's true about Paul, Brigham Young, and is the emerging story about David Miscaivage.
I don't think that applies to most religions. It's even a stretch for Jesus/Paul given the uncertainty over their existence, let alone the details of their lives.
Beantown
Well-Known Member
Are you suggesting that Smith didn't practice polygamy?
Also Joseph wasn't this super charismatic guy that just tricked and swooned everyone into believing his stories. You have to realize that the majority of all conversion came from the Book of Mormon. Most people were reading the book and then flocking to Kirkland and Nauvoo. Joseph was dealing with the church on other matters, he rarely was directly involved in converting other or missionary work in general. The Book of Mormon was the key to the church growing and Smith knew that. Its why they risked so much to print so many copies of it.