Thoughts at Nauvoo: There is a play that the senior missionaries put on named “Rendevouz.” In that play, there is a song named, “Willingly, because we hafta,” in which the men hold prop rifles and sing about how they won’t fight, but they’ll pack up and go to the Rocky Mountains “willingly, because we hafta.”
The thought struck me that this is a great description of just about anything in the church. Will you serve in the Nursery? Yes, willingly, because I hafta, or else I wouldn’t be faithful. Will you pay your tithing? Willingly, because I hafta, or I can’t see my kid get married in the temple. Will you remain chaste? Willingly, because I hafta, or else I’ll be one of the vilest of sinners.
I think it would look good on a T-shirt. Of course, the song shifts at the end to “Willingly, because we want to,” the ideal change for mormons where they don’t just do it out of duty, but out of love and a desire to align their wills to God’s.
Brigham: Another thing I noticed was that Brigham was mentioned everywhere. He was mentioned as knowing what to do, as being a confident leader, and being the Prophet’s truest friend. Sidney was only mentioned in connection to stirring up mobs that would kill them, and John C. Bennett, the man the Prophet referred to as his closest friend, was not mentioned.
Emma: Everywhere they had the opportunity, “Emma and Joseph” were mentioned together, basically ignoring and whitewashing polygamy. The Re-org church denied polygamy until they were forced to accept it and reduced Joseph to “a man with a spiritual experience.” Is mainstream mormonism on the same path?
Forced Testimonies: At each of the historical cites, they gave some cool information as to what it was like to be a candle maker or a wheelwright in that day and age. However, along with the historical information, it was clear that the card had a “work your testimony in here” line, as each person would try to force a line about how candle making or adding spokes to a wheel related to the gospel. Correlation at its worst.
Tattletales: At the Liberty Jail in Missouri, one of my children asked the guide why Joseph was put in prison. The guide replied “Tattletales.” On my way out my wide-eyed daughters were aghast that tattletales could cause that. I explained that there were two men who signed a document stating that the church had burned down a store, driven people from their homes, and taken the people’s stuff.
The two men were apostles. They were concerned that people were getting out of control. They were more than “tattletales,” they were concerned citizens.
Anyway, those are some of my initial thoughts.
All the church historical sites do the “forced testimony” thing. Some of the guides clearly spend a lot of time trying to find a clever thing to say, only to have it fall flat when they say it.
No doubt we’re just too wicked to understand it.
I just returned from visiting those sites. Those missionaries bore their testimonies with every word they spoke. I asked some of them “How you doing?” Some confessed they were tired. Those winter months in Nauvoo with nobody showing up must be hard. They spoke of the sacrifices of the pioneers and all I could think of was their living sacrifice right before my eyes.
The men sang a goofy song in their evening show. My wife wept through it all. Here were doctors, lawyers, successful men willing to look a little foolish for Christ.
You mean “look a little foolish to twist history for a corporation that was taking their twilight years and turning them into sales agents”.
Because Christ doesn’t need to lie. The bible is quite clear that “the prophet who teacheth lies is the tail”. God calls lying prophets “Asses”.
These men are asses, because they lie for the organization pretending it has anything divine about it. It doesn’t.
God doesn’t need to lie.
So Mithryn, you are an expert on Mormon History, Wow! I would love to sit at your feet and learn from your vast knowledge…Have you ever read the Book of Mormon or actually tried to learn about the Mormon Church?
I was a member for 33+ years; I resolved concerns about anti-mormon literature on my mission. I was trying to join FAIRMormon or The Maxwell Institute. I knew Hugh Nibley and Edgeley. I’ve walked and talked with experts in the historical field as a believer.
I read the Book of Mormon well over a dozen times and still read it quite a bit.
So yes, I know a lot about the religion. I’ve also done a lot with the Community of Christ, the TempleLot. My mother was proposed to by a polygamist within the church. So beyond just the basic “LDS” discussions you’re talking about, I’ve put a lot of hours into really understanding it.
How about you.