EP.24 / Who Killed Joseph Smith?

[@thereluctantwatchman]

Watch Part 1 of Who Killed Joseph Smith: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mInJhapmZtSahs0 And here's the link to Part 2: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWbWdX2ambGioKs

[@thedailydump7407]

Everyone should see this.

[@Pay-It_Forward]

The original jail door was removed in 1866 & put in storage. The LDS church created a replica of the door owned by the reorganized church in 1935. The forensic tests was on the replica, not an original. The Original door was just purchased by the LDS church. Coroner report says Hyrum was against the wall near the window & was killed by a bullet the entered just above the right shoulder & broke his neck. The bullet in the right chest below the shoulder, the one under the chin & out the nose, lower back, were not fatal.

[@rebeccahaleswilliams]

@Pay-It_Forward It's the door to the Liberty Jail that the church just bought. The Carthage jail door is the original.

[@johncato4412]

Thanks for your work. My family were converted to RLDS after the civil war. I joined the LDS church in 1987 after RLDS began dumping restoration doctrine rapidly. Now i have seen so much of the same changes entering the LDS and have found the historical lies of BY and other leaders who betrayed Joseph. I no longer put trust in other men but seek after Christ and his gospel. The Book of Mormon becomes so powerful and relevant like never before if we recognize its true message for “us” and not others who would never read it.

[@thereluctantwatchman]

The Book of Mormon is an amazing work. When you shift your paradigm as to who these prophets are speaking to, and their prophetic words against corrupt religions and the changing of doctrine, it's as if you are reading an entirely different book from what I was conditioned as a youth. I had no idea how many prophecies were often directed toward the LDS church. In fact, I'm working on the video notes right now from an essay I wrote that highlights the doctrinal difference between the Book of Mormon vs. the LDS Church. www.reluctantwatchman.com/the-book-of-mormon-vs-the-lds-church

[@ajboyle]

Hey Doug, I had no idea you had a YT channel. So glad to have found this. I really appreciate what you have added here to the WKJS narrative. For those looking, the puzzle pieces are coming together in surprising, heartbreaking, and beautiful ways. As you said, it's all in the scriptures, visible to those willing to do the work to see it. Loved this episode!

[@thereluctantwatchman]

Hey, glad to hear from you! Yeah, the YT thing is kinda new. I know a lot of people who are able to listen to things (essays) but aren't the reading type. :) Thanks for your efforts as well. Godspeed, brother!

[@SidJane10]

I also believe John Taylor shot Joseph. Let the truth prevail. I took a year after seeing Justin's video to ponder, pray, contemplate and study. I also knew of Joseph's last dreams and Samuel was murdered too.

[@thereluctantwatchman]

Yep, similar journey for me. There was such a massive shift in culture, tradition, and doctrine right after the death of the Smith brothers that "something" felt off. I think the doctrine was one of the biggest ones for me. Nearly every single doctrine and practice changed. When you compare those changes to scripture, particularly the Book of Mormon, I can't help but believe the church fell into apostasy.

[@FleeingBabylon-Now]

Very good. The fullness was rejected in Kirkland. Joseph tried to get the saints ready again in Missouri and then Nauvoo but they already were gone after a golden calf. Moses tried to get the people to partake of the fullness as well, but they would not. The fullness is the Savior himself. Joseph tried to get the name of the church back so they were out of condemnation but they would not follow him. Isaiah saw Joseph's trials in 1 Ne 21, the whole chapter is all about Joseph "Then I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for naught and in vain; surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God." "in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;" Or the Savior in 3rd Ne 21 quoting Isaiah "But behold, the life of my servant shall be in my hand; therefore they shall not hurt him, although he shall be marred because of them. Yet I will heal him, for I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil." Joseph will return as he has the keys and the promises and no one else does. Read his two patriarchal blessings. Thanks for bringing out about the fruit. Fruit of righteousness and fruit of wickedness. Joseph had good fruit and we still have the Book of Mormon and his testimony. The other church produces no fruit as it cannot do it. Where is the sealed part of the Book of Mormon? That tells you a lot. There are two churches only. Not organizations. Joseph and the early saints belonged to one. The devil quickly came in to sow his seed among the good seed. Have you not noticed that the good members who founded the church were removed from the faith by those who came later? So now we must let both seeds grow until the harvest. The abomination of polygamy was not the secret abomination since it was not secret. Thanks for putting your voice out there.

[@icecreamladydriver1606]

Well said.

[@bgcougar13]

Dear Brother Doug...... Isn't is wonderful to have another set of scriptures that verifies all that you have brought forth here? Love you Brother

[@thedailydump7407]

Thanks for this. I’ve looked into this extensively, and seems likely that the 3 Smith brothers were betrayed and killed by their friends. So sad.

[@thereluctantwatchman]

It has been interesting (and quite sad) to see the repeated pattern of lying and deception in the church which continues to this day. There's a reason the first family, the Smiths, did not travel West. I think they had a strong premonition of who killed their sons.

[@randyjordan5521]

Anybody who believes that Joseph and Hyrum Smith were killed by their own followers is either completely ignorant or mentally ill. We've known who the plotters were ever since the event occurred. For anyone who wants to know the truth, go read the article titled "Meet the defendants in the Carthage Conspiracy Trial."

[@randyjordan5521]

@@thereluctantwatchman "There's a reason the first family, the Smiths, did not travel West." You're apparently unaware that Hyrum Smith's widow Mary Fielding and their children went west. She went west because she had accepted plural marriage as taught to her by Joseph and Hyrum. Emma Smith remained in Nauvoo because rejected polygamy and because her financial interests were there and she had several small children.

[@thereluctantwatchman]

@@randyjordan5521 When I say "the first family", I'm talking about Joseph's parents and Emma. That is the first family. Polygamy, as taught by Brigham, is an abomination. It was never sanctioned by the Lord and Joseph never taught it nor practiced it. Hyrum condemned it vehemently. Here are a few thoughts surrounding Mary Fielding: ldsfreedomforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=68795

[@randyjordan5521]

@@thereluctantwatchman "Polygamy, as taught by Brigham, is an abomination. It was never sanctioned by the Lord and Joseph never taught it nor practiced it." That is ridiculously false. Every church member in Nauvoo who heard anything about polygamy said that they learned it from Joseph or Hyrum Smith. That was over 100 people. Every legitimate historian of Mormonism who has ever written on the issue, beginning with Fawn Brodie in 1946, has concurred that Joseph Smith started and practiced polygamy. Joseph Smith's secret polygamy practice, and his denials of it, led directly to his and Hyrum's deaths. As for Mary Fielding Smith, she had been taught and accepted plural marriage by Hyrum. "Hyrum was baptized in 1829, followed a year later by Jerusha. By the end of 1830, he and Jerusha moved their family to Kirtland, Ohio, the church’s new headquarters, and Hyrum became a member of its presidency. In October 1837, Jerusha died of complications from childbirth, leaving Hyrum to care for their five children, including a newborn daughter. Two months later, he was civilly married to Mary Fielding, an English convert and recent arrival to Kirtland. Mary and Hyrum’s marriage became polygamous in August of 1843, when her sister Mercy Rachel Fielding Thompson was sealed to Hyrum for time... "On May 29, 1843, Hyrum was sealed for eternity to Jerusha, with Mary Fielding as proxy. The same day, Hyrum and Mary were sealed for eternity. In addition, Hyrum served as proxy when Mercy was sealed for eternity to her late husband Robert Thompson who had died in 1841 of tuberculosis. Several months later on August 11, Hyrum and Mercy were sealed for time. Later that month, Hyrum was sealed for eternity to his second plural wife, Catherine Phillips." ---U. of Virginia, Mormon Studies If Mary Fielding Smith had not accepted and entered into plural marriage while Hyrum was alive, and had not been taught the principle of sealings for eternity, she certainly would not have agreed to be sealed to Heber C. Kimball, and she would not have gone west with the polygamous Brighamites, and she would not have borne two children by Kimball.

[@harryepstein3629]

I'm totally on board with all the ideas you present here, reluctant watchman. In my personal opinion, justin griffin's presentation of who killed joseph smith may or may not get everything 100% right, but right from the very first viewing of his movie, i've felt he absolutely nails the bottom line truth of it, about what really happened, and who did it. Yes, it shocked me too, his conclusions, at first- but backed by all the careful recreation and thought, and forensic analysis, and scientific method he went through, to honestly try to really get to the bottom of the thing, i had the unmistaken feeling that, at last, i was being presented with the real truth of it. Same thing with all of michelle stone's work with polygamy. Watching all her videos, i feel like i'm finally being presented with the real truth of the thing. And how interesting, how michelle's work presents such a strong motive, for wanting to kill the smiths. Two very separately inspired endeavors, unknown to one another, coming together to give you a more complete picture of the whole number! And why does section 132 still exist, if the current official stance of the church is that we no longer believe in polygamy? The only reason for it to still be there is to say we still believe polygamy is of god. the law of the land just forbids us to practice it right now--- probably a good sign that the whole church is still under condemnation, no?

[@holyroller4391]

Umm. It seems to me that you didn't adhere to the God of the Bible. If you claim to do, you should really read it again.

[@icecreamladydriver1606]

@@holyroller4391 What are you talking about? I don't understand.

[@holyroller4391]

@@icecreamladydriver1606 the God of the Bible is a polygamist. It's amazing how you people can twist one word, and completely ignore thousands. But there is a reason for that, and I do feel bad for you

[@holyroller4391]

@Sallygirl111 the curse is real. It's pretty sad.

[@randyjordan5521]

You need to read an article on the internet titled "Meet the defendants in the Carthage conspiracy trial."

[@holyroller4391]

38 For it shall come to pass that the inhabitants of Zion shall judge all things pertaining to Zion. 39 And liars and hypocrites shall be proved by them, and they who are not apostles and prophets shall be known.

[@ClarkAboudaz]

I shared last month that Willard Richards altered the history of the church 8 months before Carthage Jail saying they get the church when Joseph dies and not Rigdon and another change 10 months before Carthage that’s similar and that Joseph didn’t oversee this change as well as letters from Brigham and Parley Pratt that they had plans to come home early in anticipation of Joseph’s death and that they lied about it. The murder has been solved once and for all.

[@thereluctantwatchman]

Thank you for the research that you've done. I appreciated the insights that you presented in your video with Michelle Stone. Here's a link to that video for anyone wanting to check that out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/j17bfqmMjKmLjq8

[@FleeingBabylon-Now]

Loved your interview with Michelle. I would suggest you may want to see what societies the people in question belonged to and why and how they joined the church.

[@randyjordan5521]

Anybody who believes that Joseph and Hyrum Smith were killed by their own followers is either completely ignorant or mentally ill. We've known who the plotters were ever since the event occurred. For anyone who wants to know the truth, go read the article titled "Meet the defendants in the Carthage Conspiracy Trial."

[@randyjordan5521]

@@FleeingBabylon-Now "Loved your interview with Michelle." Of course you did, because you are as loony as they are.

[@randyjordan5521]

" The murder has been solved once and for all." What part did Martians and Bigfoot play in the crime?

[@geraldinesera8915]

Ive just found your posting today. Myself (75, joined lds at 13 yrs) and a daughter have come to see clearly the unrighteousness present among lds leaders and administration of the "corporation". We believe and live the Gospel of Christ, Joseph restored. Thank you for your calm, truth focused, commentary.

[@thereluctantwatchman]

Thanks. May God bless you in your journey!

[@DJ-jf8ts]

People should read the Nauvoo RS minutes. Both Joseph and Emma were trying to uncover and stamp out dark and seedy happenings going on. There is a lot of similarity in Joseph Smith and Joseph of Egypt.

[@DavidN831]

Doug, this is your best video to date, in my opinion.

[@thereluctantwatchman]

Thanks!

[@icecreamladydriver1606]

Justin did a fantastic job on those two docudramas. They have such a sad story of how they were ex-communicated.

[@thereluctantwatchman]

It's sad... but I'm also quite happy for them. As they've said, it lead them to find God in the wilderness. I think they are much more at peace after what they've endured.

[@icecreamladydriver1606]

@@thereluctantwatchman For sure.

[@Kristy_not_Kristine]

Excellenr video! Truth can stand investigation. Denver Snuffer was excommunicated due to Russell Nelson's insistence over the Book he wrote, Passing the Heavenly Gift. Had to release his bishop and ordain a new one because the old bishop refused to be bullied in such a manner. I've not read the book in question, but I've ordered it to read for myself.

[@thereluctantwatchman]

I've known about Denver for many years. Of the few things I've read from him, he has some good things to say. And.... a few things we don't see eye-to-eye on, but I'm glad he's doing what he feels led to do. I had no idea that his bishop was also released at the time. The church notes in several places that all disciplinary actions stay at the local level... which is obviously false from many accounts that I've heard of.

[@icecreamladydriver1606]

We are taught to doubt our doubts but the scriptures tell us to take it to the Lord. Hmmmm.

[@icecreamladydriver1606]

When the doctor was trying to find the ball in Taylors hand he had to probe to find it. You wouldn't need to probe for a musket ball but you may have to probe for a hand gun. Joseph and Taylor as well as Hyrum each had a hand gun.

[@thereluctantwatchman]

There would have been little hand left for a musket. As noted in the video, I believe JTs hand is significant. John was looking at the person who was pointing the gun at him and he put his hand up in defense. If I was a betting man, I'd bet it was Joseph's pistol pointed right at John's head.

[@icecreamladydriver1606]

@@thereluctantwatchman Agreed.

[@jaromywilkins6246]

Know them by their fruits is highly difficult in this day and age do you know the fruits of current leadership 70's and up I sure don't it's not transparent enough

[@thereluctantwatchman]

For me, the fruits are manifest in changing nearly every doctrine after the death of Joseph. That was enough for me to know something wasn't right. I'm doing a video series coming up on how the LDS church also doesn't heed many of the doctrines and commandments in the BoM. That too is a pretty clear sign that the fruits are souring. The lack of transparency is a symptom of a far greater systemic problem.

[@johnsimmons4351]

I believe the Book of Mormon is a stepping stone to revile all the records of the lost sheep throughout out the world. For all things shall be revealed.

[@carolyearsley]

Williard Richards, in his diary, says in one sentence that it was Brigham and others who murdered them at Carthage.

[@thereluctantwatchman]

Do you have a source or any references for that?

[@icecreamladydriver1606]

Hi Carol. I would sure love to look that one up. Can you give me a source. Thanks.

[@carolyearsley]

@@icecreamladydriver1606 I read that somewhere in my searching around. Should have made a notation of it The diary, which covers many years, and is very lengthly, is on the Net. But from information that is currently being uncovered, it is highly likely that Williard and John Taylor were the ones who killed him, under orders from Brigham Young. Williard appears to be telling a half truth to cover his guilt. I found a compelling video on the subject, which I will leave in a second post below. We'll see if YT keeps sit up.

[@icecreamladydriver1606]

@@carolyearsley I watched who killed joseph smith a little over a year ago and since then the flood gates are opening with more and more references to that question. Just as the scriptures have promised us the truths that have been hidden darkness will be brought to light. That is happening now with all kinds of truth coming into light. God be with you.

[@icecreamladydriver1606]

Just found your channel and subscribed.

[@thereluctantwatchman]

Thanks!

[@icecreamladydriver1606]

@@thereluctantwatchman Yep. Slow getting back to you because youtube did not notify me that you had left a comment. Now I am going through all your videos trying to find the one where you left the comment about Richard Savory. That is how I found your comment to me.

[@edwarddiviney5226]

The plain meanings of multiple scriptures starting in the early infancy of the LDS church prove the church is still under condemnation. Christ's name was removed from the church prior to the Kirtland Temple dedication. They were given a final chance to prove their obedience, see D&C 124, they were to build two, 2, buildings at Nauvoo, the Temple, and the Nauvoo house, in an alloted time, or the church would be rejected along with their baptisms for their dead!

[@bernardmailu5185]

"..this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and..." D&C 1:30.Revelation given by Jesus christ to joseph smith the prophet in ohio on 1st September 1831.

[@thereluctantwatchman]

Yes, the Lord could have been pleased with them at that time, but this did not absolve them from future pride and sin. In D&C 84 the Lord condemns the very same church for not following the commandments and doctrine outlined in the Book of Mormon, to which I heartily agree with: www.reluctantwatchman.com/the-book-of-mormon-vs-the-lds-church

[@bernardmailu5185]

@@thereluctantwatchman but let gree that the lord promised that the key and autherity will never be lost again

[@thereluctantwatchman]

@@bernardmailu5185 Not lost, just given to the true House of Israel. In LDS canon it also states that keys and authority are lost through wickedness. It would be beyond prideful for the LDS church to think they could never apostatize. The Lord can give his keys and authority to all He wishes to do so.

[@bernardmailu5185]

@@thereluctantwatchman the lord is lord of order. He has stated clearly in this dispensation there will be no great apostasy untill the saviour shall come for the keys in adam ondi arman. Some members or group of members may apostatise but 15 apostle majority cant. The church is family of joseph and they have their keys through joseph smith. Jewish will have their prophet with keys as well as the lost tribe of Israeli . From my own opinion we have some members who are faithful only that mortal are not perfect.

[@thereluctantwatchman]

@@bernardmailu5185 I believe the Lord prophesied that the Gentile LDS church had the potential to apostatize, but that didn't mean the Lord would remove His authority, simply give it to another. 3 Nephi 16:10-11. What a prideful church it is to think they can cruise into the millennium.

[@confusedwhynot]

In my opinion there are so many who choose to cast doubt because of something they heard or read. The truth is many have done a lot of research into this matter. Honestly we will never have the truth. Our responsibility is to be a disciple of Christ. We can either sit around and tear the church apart in our own minds and cherry picking what we believe. We all make choices and often times this road leads us to our own apostasy. We are so quick to judge without the facts. The truth is it doesn't matter how much you research you will never know the truth because you can't. You can continue down this rabbit hole or you can do good by trying to be like Christ. I refuse to judge the past based on what you believe to be true.

[@thereluctantwatchman]

Did you watch the documentaries? It's not about casting doubt, it's about finding out what is right and what is wrong. It's about either aligning ourselves to the gospel of Christ or exposing those who choose to corrupt it. While the typical member would see this as you do (tearing "the church apart"), the church leaders have A LOT of explaining to do. Nearly every doctrine, practice, or gospel principle was changed after the Smith brothers were murdered. Christ stated in 3 Nephi that He only recognizes His church when it is based upon His doctrine. The murder of these men, while awful, is just the tip of the iceberg.

[@icecreamladydriver1606]

@@thereluctantwatchman So true.

[@KB-nv4bl]

Way too many ads. Just ridiculous.

[@thereluctantwatchman]

That's not me, that's KZbin. I don't have any ads on my videos. From YT: "Ads may appear on your uploaded videos even if you haven’t monetized the videos yourself."

[@joshuaconnelly2415]

The vehement denial of something can actually indicate its covert adherence. Example: Islam teaches that Jesus is not the Son of God. In the seventeenth century a Muslim author anonymously penned a gospel and later claimed it was THE original and source Gospel of all, the Gospel of Barnabas. In the GoB Jesus keeps encountering people who call Him the Son of God. Jesus vociferously refutes them, but the public willingness to call Him the Son of God only grows. Finally Jesus basically says He gives up, that another prophet will come (Mohammad), and he’ll set the record straight. What the GoB’s writer failed to grasp was that by having Jesus constantly denying being the Son of God, the GoB’s writer inadvertently admitted that the application of that title to Jesus was ancient and contemporary to Jesus. The writer of the GoB did not explain why people would even say that of Jesus. By analogy: JS constantly denouncing polygamy is HIGHLY SUSPECT. How did polygamy even become a phenomenon? America was wildly Christian and Bible-believing, yet nobody was talking about polygamy until JS gets going. JS’s denunciations of polygamy are therefore to be seen more as smoke-screening of his involvement than as someone sincerely speaking out against something. JS was a perverted, horn-dog of a man, but he did being forth the BoM, and that is monumental.

[@thereluctantwatchman]

LOL... whatever floats your boat, Josh. If we followed your line of reasoning, we could condemn every single prophet since the beginning of time. Up would be down and down would be up. Maybe, just maybe, Joseph was correct and he wasn't a liar.

[@joshuaconnelly2415]

@thereluctantwatchman , you're the one floating boats. You never considered why the issue of polygamy suddenly popped up around JS. And why was JS having to denounce it so often? Honestly, BY doctored and fabricated so much evidence that it may be impossible to know the truth. I find JS himself to be unreliable. He blatantly lied in JS History, so his denials of sexual transgressions is unconvincing. JS brought forth the BoM, and that was it. All else was his own thing.

[@drgolfjim]

Just as a side note, there are such things as modern day miracles. I have witnessed a few myself. John Taylor was a righteous man. I choose to believe and have faith that the bullet which struck John Taylor's watch was slowed (or whatever) to save his precious life. And, yes, I also believe the Lord meant for Joseph and his beloved brother to be martyred that day. Was Joseph perfect? No. Of course not. But I believe polygamy was necessary at that point in the saint's history to accelerate the growth of the church and inhibit the workings of evil against the church at the time. Was there righteous polygamy in the Bible? Yes. Was there unrighteous polygamy in the Bible? Yes. Has God endorsed polygamy? Of course. Has he endorsed the other way, ie. multiple men with one wife? No. Can you nit pick your way to remove a mountain? I suppose. But the mountain remains.

[@jennyforyourthoughts]

Could you give examples of “righteous polygamy” please?

[@thereluctantwatchman]

Yes, there are miracles that happen amongst all those who are pure in heart. Do I believe JTs story? No, not at all. If you watched my video series on polygamy, there's a mountain of evidence that Joseph was ever commanded to live polygamy. In fact, I believe it is proven beyond a doubt that he and Hyrum (and Emma) condemned it at every opportunity. (FYI, Brigham did live polyandry - multiple men, one wife)

[@icecreamladydriver1606]

As pertaining to the watch even the church now admits that it could not have been hit by a musket ball. There wouldn't be much of the watch left. Have you ever taken the time to thoughtfully and prayerfully study Jacob2. It is also backed up in Jacob 1 and 3. Polygamy is an abomination to God. He even mentions David and Solomon by name and how disappointed He was with them, then says not to do what those of old did which would be including the others. God has never commanded anyone to do polygamy and if there was ever a time you would need to accelerate growth it would have been in the beginning when there would have been Adam and Eve, Jane, Sarah, Linda and you name it. How about with Noah and his sons who each had one wife. Or maybe Lehi and his group. Now if you want to see God's hand let's look and that group. All together it worked out perfectly that there was one woman for each man. I used to defend polygamy and was in ignorance of the polygamy in the Bible just as you are. Then I started studying the scriptures with real intent and have now found that God never did command anyone to do it. Sarah commanded Abraham and look at what a mess that has caused even to this day. Jacob was tricked into it by his rotten father in law then his wives wanted more sons so they could be in favor so they commanded Jacob to take concubines. When it comes to Brigham and his cronies, well they were driven by hormones and greed. You may want to get to know who Brigham really was. It will curl your toenails. God be with you. It is painful to learn the truth but stay close to God and His holy scriptures and you will get through it.

[@randyjordan5521]

"I also believe the Lord meant for Joseph and his beloved brother to be martyred that day." Joseph Smith was not a martyr. Martyrs choose death rather than relinquish their principles. Joseph Smith did not do that. He had no intention of dying that day. He smuggled an order out of the jail to Nauvoo Legion commander Jonathan Dunham to assemble the troops and break them out of the jail. Joseph Smith died because he had ordered the destruction of the printing press of a newspaper which had exposed his secret, illegal polygamy practice. Local non-Mormon civic leaders were outraged at Smith's violation of the freedom of the press, and they formed a vigilante mob and stormed the jail and killed the Smiths. "Was Joseph perfect? No. Of course not. But I believe polygamy was necessary at that point in the saint's history to accelerate the growth of the church and inhibit the workings of evil against the church at the time." Practicing polygamy does not serve to increase population. A woman can only become pregnant by one man at a time. So marriages of one man and one woman would have produced as many children as polygamous marriages did. Furthermore, Mormon polygamy was socially harmful in that high-ranking older men plural married 20, 30, or more than 50 women, leaving a shortage of marriage-aged young women for young men to marry. Also, since polygamy was the prime cause of Joseph and Hyrum Smith's deaths, and polygamy continues to stigmatize Mormonism to this day, everything about polygamy was negative.

[@crisantocabrerajr.8540]

Evil people killed him. But no unhallowed hand can stop the work of God from progressing including you.

[@sisknothinbutruth2684]

I feel a great amount of sympathy for you. It's hard to hear that people in positions of leadership failed those they were supposed to serve. Fortunately for us, we know God wins in the end. ❤

[@thereluctantwatchman]

I believe evil men did kill the Smith brothers. And I also agree that no unhallowed hand can stop the work. The question we should be asking though is what is that work? What is the gospel of Christ? Is Christ's doctrine correctly taught in the church today? All things to ponder upon.

[@williamkinikini]

😂😂😂

[@thereluctantwatchman]

I'm going to assume those are tears of sadness for the egregious events that took place at Carthage.

[@matthewsherwood4881]

@@thereluctantwatchman Not really... there's clearly a different emoticon for that. Those were laughing tears. At how ridiculous this sounds and feels. I feel like you just take what's thrown your way and twist it so it fits your own narrative. Did you ever think that maybe this is your own cognitive dissonance showing?

[@thereluctantwatchman]

@@matthewsherwood4881 Oh, I'm sure there's some cognitive dissonance going on. "😂😂😂"

[@loudogg73]

i feel dumber for having watched 🤣

[@thereluctantwatchman]

Well... to each his own... I guess. May God bless you in your endeavors.

[@icecreamladydriver1606]

Then go and watch the docudramas done by Justin Griffin.

[@TheOGProtestantMormon]

I’m sure you did that all on your own

[@kathymunsee6468]

I'm not scratching my head! He became a 33rd degree Mason in a very short time! There are SECRET oathes to take to become a Mason

[@thereluctantwatchman]

Joseph's involvement in Masonry is a huge gray area IMO.

[@randyjordan5521]

@@thereluctantwatchman It isn't, if you have some gray matter inside your skull. I suggest you read Dr. Reed Durham's speech titled "Is There No Hope For The Widow's Son?" Also, this is from former "Times & Seasons" editor Ebenezer Robinson, who later joined up with Sidney Rigdon's church and later the RLDS church: "This year, 1840, may be considered an eventful year to the church, as during the summer, Dr. John C. Bennett, a man of considerable note, being at the time Quarter Master General of the state of Illinois, came to Nauvoo, and joined the church. "He was a man of rather pleasing address, calculated to make a favorable impression upon the minds of most people. He soon gained the confidence of President Joseph Smith, but time developed the unpleasant truth that instead of his being a spiritually minded man, he was clearly a man of the world in more than one particular... "Heretofore the church had strenuously opposed secret societies, such as Free-Masons, Knights of Pithias, and all that class of secret societies, not considering the "Order of Enoch" or "Danites" of that class; but after Dr. Bennett came into the church a great change of sentiment seemed to take place, and application was made to the Grand Lodge of Free Masons of the state of Illinois for a charter for a Lodge to be organized at Nauvoo, under dispensation, which was granted, and a Masonic Lodge was organized with Hyrum Smith, one of the First Presidents of the church as master. Large numbers of the brethren united with it, including Joseph Smith, Don Carlos Smith, and other prominent members of the church. After the Lodge had been in operation some months, the writer united with it. It increased in numbers until, in 1843, they built a large brick Masonic Hall, the lower story of which was fitted up for a theatre."

[@carolyearsley]

@@thereluctantwatchman Smith's father Joseph Smith Sr. was a high degree Mason.

[@thereluctantwatchman]

@@carolyearsley Masonry was part of the culture back then. IMO it was like joining a social or business club.

[@carolyearsley]

@@thereluctantwatchman Masonry is two tiered. Up to the 32nd degree is for the rank and file, who see it as such. 33 degree and up is for the elite inner circle, who are into black magic. Smith's entire family was taught the craft by Lumen Walters from England. They were totally immersed into it. Lucy even gave readings for friends and locals to earn extra money. Mormonism is set up in the same way, with the lower tier of the rank and file members, and the upper tier of elite leadership. The upper tier has a special secret ceremony called the "Second Anointing", for the leaders and their wives, where they are told that their calling and election is made sure, and that no matter how much they sin they will make it to the highest heaven. They also don Lucifer's white aprons, instead of the green, like the lower tier members do.

[@holyroller4391]

You were doing a good job until you brought up polygamy. You should go back a little more in history than 1842.

[@thereluctantwatchman]

I have. If you want to know my thoughts on polygamy, check out the four-part series that I did. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGO9aYl7pZysnqc&ab_channel=TheReluctantWatchman

[@icecreamladydriver1606]

How far back? Because Jacob2 completely blows biblical polygamy out of the water.

[@holyroller4391]

@@icecreamladydriver1606 do you know what cognitive dissonance is? You really should get some help.

[@thereluctantwatchman]

@@holyroller4391 Funny you mention cognitive dissonance........ :)

[@holyroller4391]

@@thereluctantwatchman I pay attention sometimes