Joe Smith’s Arrogance & Influence
But before I will bear this unhallowed persecution any longer—before I will be dragged away again, among my enemies for trial, I will spill the last drop of blood in my veins, and will see all my enemies IN HELL! To bear it any longer would be a sin, and I will not bear it any longer. Shall we bear it any longer? [One universal “No!” ran through all the vast assembly, like a loud peal of thunder.] I wish the lawyer who says we have no powers in Nauvoo may be choked to death with his own words. Don’t employ lawyers, or pay them money for their knowledge, for I have learnt they don’t know anything. I know more than they all.”
1 Samuel 2:3; “Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.”
Humble Joseph Smith was not. Opinionated and full of himself, he was. Is it true that he knew more than all the attorneys? It’s highly doubtful which makes this a lie. And if this was a man of God then why pray tell is he talking like this?
As a pastor, the leader of the flock, is this what God would want for His children?
When someone has gathered a group of followers who believe what the leader says about God or other people, that congregation will adopt the leader’s ideologies over time. Furthermore, the influence of that leader is greater when the group has ostracized themselves from society.
So if he’s been verbally abusive towards non-Mormons and makes disparaging remarks about them, the likelihood the congregation will resent outsiders intensifies with each sermon. Also keep in mind several sermons would be given by other church leaders throughout the week so Smith’s sermons weren’t the only thing they were listening to.
Remember what the country was going through at the time with the Great Awakening and how people were looking for something other than what their parents and grandparents had told them about with the Church of England and the Congregationalists. Much of Smith’s audience was made up of the grandchildren, if not the people themselves, who fled oppressive religious leaders in Europe.
With Smith’s misguided rebellious nature many people bought into his message coupled with the movement and feelings of what was going on in America at that time. Throwing a few catch phrases from the Bible into his sermons made an easy inroad for him to introduce his teachings of this new god with the same biblical name of the One True God.