Criticism of Mormonism/Books/One Nation Under Gods/Chapter 9


Claims made in "Chapter 8: Big Trouble In Little Missouri"
A FAIR Analysis of:
Criticism of Mormonism/Books
A work by author: Richard Abanes
 Claims made in "Chapter 10: A New Beginning"

Claims made in "Chapter 9: March to Martyrdom"

[I]ntellectual reasoning and logical thought never had played more than a minor role in their belief system.
—One Nation Under Gods, p. 172

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Page Claim Response Author's sources

171 epigraph, 542n1 (HB) 540n1 (PB)
  • Hardback edition:

"I combat the errors of the ages;...I solve mathematical problems of universities, with truth—diamond truth; and God is my 'right hand man.'...[God] will make me be God to you in his stead,...and if you don't like it, you must lump it....I have more to boast of than ever any man had....I boast that no man ever did such a work as I."
Joseph Smith
History of the Church, 1844

  • Paperback edition:

"I combat the errors of the ages;...I solve mathematical problems of universities, with truth—diamond truth; and God is my "right hand man" [1843]. God made Aaron to be the mouth piece for the children of Israel, and He will make me be god to you in His stead [1844]. I have more to boast of than ever any man had....I boast that no man ever did such a work as I [1844]."
Joseph Smith
History of the Church

  • Joseph Smith, HC (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1976/1980) vol. 6, 78, 319-320, 408-409.

172

 "...for Joseph, his followers were more than willing to accept any excuse he might give them...intellectual reasoning and logical thought never had played more than a minor role in their belief system."
  • N/A

173

 "[I]n lieu of Jesus Christ, who would reign supreme at his second coming, Smith installed himself as Zion's dictator."
  • N/A

174

 "[Joseph] had wealth, power, admiration, and authority."
  • N/A

174, n17

 Brigham Young said that Joseph Smith's character "was easily on par with Jesus Christ's."
  •  The author's claim is false Brigham did not say Joseph's character was "easily on par with Jesus Christ's"...he said that Joseph's character "stands as fair as that of any man's mentioned in the Bible." Brigham was comparing Joseph Smith with other prophets. (see below):

"Well, now, examine the character of the Savior, and examine the characters of those who have written the Old and New Testaments; and then compare them with the character of Joseph Smith, the founder of this work—the man whom God called and to whom he gave the keys of Priesthood, and through whom he has established his Church and kingdom for the last time, and you will find that his character stands as fair as that of any man's mentioned in the Bible. We can find no person who presents a better character to the world when the facts are known than Joseph Smith, jun., the prophet, and his brother, Hyrum Smith, who was murdered with him." (emphasis added)

175, 543n21 (HB)

 Joseph Smith is considered "as important to their spirituality as Jesus Christ." "...the 'grandeur of Joseph Smith's life' was noted as the all-important truth that the world needed to hear. Levi's prayer was that thousands would turn not to God, but to Joseph.'"
  • 21. Levi Edgar Young, letter dated April 14, 1961. Quoted in Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Mormonism—Shadow or Reality?, 5th edition, (Salt Lake City: Utah Lighthouse Ministry, 1987), 252.

175, 541n23

 Brigham Young "twisted" John 4:3 in order to apply it to Joseph.

175, 542n24

 Joseph "undoubtedly suffered from the mental pathology associated with narcissism."
  • Robert D. Anderson, Inside the Mind of Joseph Smith: Psychobiography and the Book of Mormon, xxxix, 222-242.

177, 544n29 (HB)

 Joseph Smith declared: "I am the only man that has been able to keep the whole church together....Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it."
  • History of the Church, vol. 408-409.

178, 544n34 (HB)

 Joseph claimed: "I wrestled with William Wall, the most expert wrestler in Ramus, and threw him."
  • History of the Church, vol. 5, 302.

179, 544n36 (HB)

 "Smith fought and boasted again of his strength, saying: 'I feel as strong as a giant....I pulled up with one hand the strongest man that could be found. Then two men tried, but they could not pull me up.'"
  • History of the Church, vol. 5, 466.

Further reading

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{{To learn more box:responses to: 8: The Mormon Proposition}} To learn more box:responses to: 8: The Mormon Proposition edit
{{To learn more box:''Under the Banner of Heaven''}} To learn more about responses to: Under the Banner of Heaven edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Robert Price}} To learn more about responses to: Robert Price edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Ankerberg and Weldon}} To learn more about responses to: Ankerberg and Weldon edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Ashamed of Joseph}} To learn more about responses to: Ashamed of Joseph edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Beckwith and Moser}} To learn more about responses to: Beckwith and Moser edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Beckwith and Parrish}} To learn more about responses to: Beckwith and Parrish edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Benjamin Park}} To learn more about responses to: Benjamin Park edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Bible versus Joseph Smith}} To learn more about responses to: Bible versus Joseph Smith edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Bible versus Book of Mormon}} To learn more about responses to: Bible versus Book of Mormon edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: ''Big Love''}} To learn more about responses to: Big Love edit
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{{To learn more box:responses to: Charles Larson}} To learn more about responses to: Charles Larson edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Christopher Nemelka}} To learn more about responses to: Christopher Nemelka edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Colby Townshed}} To learn more about responses to: Colby Townshed edit
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{{To learn more box:responses to: Crane and Crane}} To learn more about responses to: Crane and Crane edit
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{{To learn more box:responses to: Dick Bauer}} To learn more about responses to: Dick Bauer edit
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{{To learn more box:responses to: Ed Decker}} To learn more about responses to: Ed Decker edit
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{{To learn more box:responses to: George D Smith}} To learn more about responses to: George D Smith edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Grant Palmer}} To learn more about responses to: Grant Palmer edit
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{{To learn more box:responses to: James Brooke}} To learn more about responses to: James Brooke edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: James Spencer}} To learn more about responses to: James Spencer edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: James White}} To learn more about responses to: James White edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Jerald and Sandra Tanner}} To learn more about responses to: Jerald and Sandra Tanner edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Jesus Christ-Joseph Smith or Search for the Truth DVD}} To learn more about responses to: Jesus Christ-Joseph Smith or Search for the Truth DVD edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: John Dehlin}} To learn more about responses to: John Dehlin edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Jonathan Neville}} To learn more about responses to: Jonathan Neville edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Kurt Van Gorden}} To learn more about responses to: Kurt Van Gorden edit
{{To learn more box:responses to: Laura King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery}} To learn more about responses to: Laura King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery edit
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