Aaron Johnson
June 22, 1806 – May 10, 1877
“A person who is fundamentally honest doesn’t need a code of ethics. The Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount are all the ethical code anybody needs.” — Harry S. Truman
Sometimes truth is a hard commodity to come by. For Aaron Johnson’s clan it was always in short demand as they plowed through life rationalizing their shoddy behavior. While we aren’t privy to their personal conversations, evidence remains showing a Mack truck could be driven through their trough of manipulating lies.
As stated later in this report, our look at Aaron Johnson’s life marks the thirty-third family we’ve researched in our series, Polygamy & Mormon Church Leaders. To date, if this isn’t the worst case of pedophile behavior and incest I’ve seen thus far, it’s right near the top. His predatory behavior rivaled even that of his beloved prophet, Joseph Smith.
Equally alarming was the wholesale endorsement of this guy by no less than David O. McKay, 9th prophet of the Church. His glowing recollections of ‘bishop and grandfather Aaron Johnson’ is very telling, even by today’s standards. Glaringly absent in McKay’s remarks were facts. His grandfather was a 45 year old man when he married a 16 year old girl and her 17 year old sister. (McKay’s grandmother was the younger of the two and they were wives #5 and #8 respectively.) We must ask; would he allow one of his own daughters to marry such a character?
Nevertheless, by the time he married the Ford sisters Johnson’s bad behavior was well underway, and as you’ll see, he had a penchant for marrying his brothers’ daughters. Almost half of Aaron’s twelve wives were his young nieces (14-17 yrs of age). Everyone in the family has some level of culpability in this scenario by allowing him to marry the little girls born into their families.
Another sad highlight in all this is what wasn’t found in their histories. Finding any personal info on the talents or interests of the wives was as difficult to mine out than the truth they denied. Not surprisingly you can find book after book written about his stalwart bravery in being the founder of Springville, UT, being one of the first bishops in the area, the first postmaster, an elected mayor, a UT County judge, and the list goes on…ad nauseam…
You can read our short bio on Johnson and his 12 wives here.
1Tim 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, 1Tim 1:2 To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 1Tim 1:3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 1Tim 1:4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. 1Tim 1:5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 1Tim 1:6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, 1Tim 1:7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions. 1Tim 1:8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 1Tim 1:9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 1Tim 1:10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, 1Tim 1:11 in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. 1Tim 1:12 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 1Tim 1:13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 1Tim 1:14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 1Tim 1:15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 1Tim 1:16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 1Tim 1:17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. 1Tim 1:18 This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 1Tim 1:19 holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, 1Tim 1:20 among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
Marco –
You keep posting the same thing repeatedly, so I’m wondering if there’s anything you’d like to say other than copying and pasting large amounts of info?
God bless my friend!
Michelle