Mormon Dilemma 977 Joseph Smith’s Temper Tantrums

Benjamin F. Johnson, letter to Elder George S. Gibbs, 1903, as printed in The “Testimony of Joseph Smith’s Best Friend,” pp. 4-5; “And yet, although so social and even convivial at times, he would allow no arrogance or undue liberties. Criticisms, even by his associates, were rarely acceptable. Contradictions would arouse in him the lion at once. By no one of his fellows would he be superseded…. one or another of his associates were more than once, for their impudence, helped from the congregation by his foot. . . . He soundly thrashed his brother William . . . While with him in such fraternal, social and sometimes convivial moods, we could not then so fully realize the greatness and majesty of his calling.”

Isaiah 53:7; “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”

Smith’s temperament got him into a fair amount of trouble wherever he went and for whatever reasons people never called him on it. Apparently he had to prove he was smarter and stronger than everyone else in the world and if you disagreed with him you’d be picking yourself up off the floor.  I can see how this could happen with young men who’ve not been counseled by a wise father to cool his jets, but this obviously never happened with ol’ Joe.    

Furthermore, Joe didn’t have any set rules of who not to beat up. From the town tax collector (HC 5:316) to pastors (Conflict in Kirtland, p 268, Journal of Discourses 3:66-67) and even his own brother (HC 2:334-335); none were shown mercy.  If you crossed his imaginary line you better be prepared. 

In light of that, we ask: would God condone such behavior? If we’re to be Christ-like what happened with Joseph?