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Question: Did Joseph Smith give a false prophecy by claiming that queens would pay respect to the Relief Society within ten years?
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This article is a draft. FairMormon editors are currently editing it. We welcome your suggestions on improving the content.
Criticism
- A record exists of Joseph prophesying that queens would pay their respects to the Relief Society within ten years of its formation. That no queens did so is held up as a sign of false prophecy.
Source(s) of the criticism
- Richard Abanes, One Nation Under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church (New York: Four Walls Eight Windows, 2003), 464, 617 n. 23 ( Index of claims )
- D. Michael Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power (Signature Books, 1994), 634.
Response
The prophecy
Such a record exists, although critics generally do not cite the entire text. Abanes, One Nation, for example, cites only: "I now prophecy that before ten years shall roll around, the queens of the earth shall come and pay their respects to this Society." Abanes then notes, "No queens have ever fulfilled this prophecy.".
Here is the prophecy in context, with several key phrases highlighted:
- Females, if they are pure and innocent can come into the presence of God, for what is more pleasing to God than innocence; you must be innocent or you cannot come up before God. If we would come before God let us be pure ourselves. The devil has great power-- he will so transform things as to make one gape at those who are doing the will of God-- You need not be teasing men for their deeds, but let the weight of innocence be felt which is more mighty than a millstone hung about the neck. Not war, not jangle, not contradiction, but meekness, love purity, these are the things that should magnify us. Action must be brough[t] to light—iniquity must be purged out—then the vail will be rent and the blessings of heaven will flow down-- they will roll down like the Mississippi river. This Society shall have power to command Queens in their midst-- I now deliver it as a prophecy that before ten years shall roll around, the queens of the earth shall come and pay their respects to this Society-- they shall come with their millions and shall contribute of their abundance for the relief of the poor-- If you will be pure, nothing can hinder.
- After this instruction, you will be responsible for your own sins. It is an honor to save yourselves-- all are responsible to save themselves.[1]
According to Joseph's own words, the prophecy is clearly conditional on the continuing righteousness of the Relief Society.
Fulfillment of the prophecy
There are several schools of thought regarding this prophecy: 1) that it has been fulfilled and 2) that fulfillment has been delayed. We do not take a position on this issue, but present the various arguments here.
Was the prophecy fulfilled?
Was the fulfillment of the prophecy delayed?
If the prophecy remained unfilled, then it would be because the conditions set forth were not met. There is some evidence to support this position.
For example, it is known that Joseph received considerable trouble from his wife, Emma, as head of the Relief Society. Emma would not support plural marriage, and used the Relief Society to attempt to thwart Joseph's teaching of the doctrine. Joseph was always trying to draw people up to their own better potential—"how mean, how trifling have been our conversations..."—and encourage people to prepare to behold the face of God. However, in this case, Joseph states, point blank, that "iniquity must be purged out," which implies that it has to be there to begin with. There were certainly apostates among the Relief Society.
Brigham was not pleased about what the Relief Society leadership had done to oppose Joseph and to oppose plural marriage, and the associated difficulties which the Relief Society and their "witch hunts" for impurity caused. (Joseph spoke to them about this; you can read about the difficulties in Newell and Avery, even if their account is somewhat biased against Joseph.)
Following the death of Joseph Smith, the Relief Society as an organization went on "hiatus." This "hiatus" had a lot to do with that, in historical context.
Brigham noted, one year after the martyrdom:
When I want Sisters or the Wives of the members of the church to get up Relief Society I will summon them to my aid, but until that time let them stay at home if you see Females huddling together, veto the concern, and if they say Joseph started it all tell them it is a damned lie for I know he never encouraged it. [2]
Note that Brigham's issue is not with the existence of the Relief Society, but the "huddling together" to seek out iniquity. John Taylor gives us further background on why the organization was suspended,
The "reason why the Relief Society did not continue from the first organization was that Emma Smith the Pres. taught the Sisters that the principle of Celestial Marriage as taught and practiced by Joseph Smith was not of God." [3]
It should be noted that Newell and Avery claim this is not true in the strict reading of the minutes, however, it is well known that Emma did everything she could to discourage people from following Joseph on this point, both in what she said privately and publicly. Newell and Avery provide evidence themselves, but don't draw the obvious conclusion.
- Eliza R. Snow felt it necessary to correct the impression that the Relief Society in Nauvoo had done "more harm than good," emphasizing that it "saved many lives." But, there mere fact that she needed to correct this impression should tell us something about how the RS under Emma's tenure was seen--there were lives saved, but there was also a somewhat darker side that kept Brigham from reforming them for 10 years, and made Eliza need to emphasize that it had been worth it, on balance, even with the problems. (Newell and Avery try to spin this in a different way, but if you aren't looking to exonerate Emma, I think the conclusion pretty inescapable.) [Eliza R Snow, "A Book of Records Containing the Minutes of the Organization and Proceedings of the Female Relief Society of West Jordan Ward," 12 April 1868, LDS Archives]
"We intend to look into the morals of each other, and watch over each other…All proceedings that regard difficulties should be kept among the members [of the RS]… None can object to telling the good but withhold the evil." Given human nature, Emma was demanding an impossible commitment from her members…Joseph also commented on the women's zeal to "purge out iniquity," but added that "sometimes [your] zeal is not according to knowledge." [Mormon Enigma, 2nd ed., 109; citing RS Minutes, 18th meeting, 28 September 1842.]
(Note Joseph's line to the sisters: "You need not be teasing men for their deeds, but let the weight of innocence be felt which is more mighty than a millstone hung about the neck."--i.e., quit acting as the witch-hunt committee. He spoke on this more than once; it was an on-going problem, and much of it was driven by Emma.
Joseph said that there were problems that had to be improved. There's pretty good evidence that in Emma's case, that problem wasn't solved. Joseph repeatedly talked to them about judging the actions of others, minding their own business, etc. We may not like to hear it, but some of the early RS actions read a lot like a bunch of moral busibodies, ferreting out iniquity, trying people for spreading gossip (what better to provoke more gossip?), like a type of moral watchsquad. Its not the sort of thing you hear about at the annual RS party and dinner, but it was there. It has nothing to do with labeling women as "skanks," but with women--like all of us--needing purification and spiritual rehabilitation. [It is significant, I think, that the RS didn't turn into the type of moral busybodies that so many women's groups in the 19th century did--there's a great deal written about how women expanded their role into such areas because traditional areas and power-broker roles were forbidden to them by Victorian roles. Happily, the RS escaped that for the most part, but I think Emma was trying hard to steer it that way, in large measure because she hated plural marriage--she was also privately actively trying to spread discord with women like Vilate Kimball, and George A Smith's wife.]
Conclusion
It is telling that critics omit the qualifier as they try to discredit Joseph.
Endnotes
- [note] Joseph Smith, "Observations Respecting the Priesthood," A Sermon Delivered on 28 April 1842, from the Minutes of the Nauvoo [Illinois] Relief Society, original in LDS Church Archives; reproduced in The Essential Joseph Smith (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1995), 162-163. Compare with edited versions of these remarks in Joseph Smith, Jr., Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, selected by Joseph Fielding Smith, (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1976), 227. off-site and History of the Church, 4:605–606. Volume 4 link
- [note] Newell and Avery, p. 174; Brigham Young statement, 9 March 1845, Seventies Record, LDS Archives
- [note] Newell and Avery, p. 174; John Taylor, 29 June 1881, LDS Archives
Further reading
FAIR wiki articles
FAIR web site
- Gilbert W. Scharffs, The Truth about ‘The God Makers’ (Salt Lake City, Utah: Publishers Press, 1989; republished by Bookcraft, 1994), chapter 15. Full text FAIR link ISBN 088494963X. off-site