Spring Equinox

I am a 7^th generation member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I have spent the majority of my life as a loyal and faithful member. I have loved the Church and held a deep gratitude to the Lord for my membership in it. Several years ago, as I studied Church History, I found over and over again that Joseph Smith, Jr. denied practicing polygamy and spoke out against it. As I sought to harmonize official LDS Church History regarding the introduction of polygamy by Joseph Smith with Joseph’s consistent denials, I was reminded that I had been taught since my youth that Joseph and other leaders were “lying for the Lord.” For some reason, where I had accepted that explanation before in my life, this time I could not. After deep, ponderous, and lengthy consideration, I decided that Joseph was a fallen prophet. I kept this to myself and shared my thoughts with no one. I stayed active, faithful, and “strong” in the Church.

A few years later, as I sat in a lesson on the First Vision, I felt impressed to bear my testimony on the truthfulness of this event. As I did so, the truth of it pierced my soul and convicted me. Over the next few years, I contemplated how a man who communed with Jehovah and diverse angels could lie about polygamy. Joseph had never lied about anything else. He was never one to shy away from teaching deep, difficult doctrine. Why would he with polygamy? I decided to seriously research Joseph’s “polygamy.” As I did so, I continued to find his consistent denials of any involvement. One day, the thought came to me, “Why don’t you believe Joseph? Why don’t you give him the benefit of believing that he meant what he said?” With this new idea, the evidence and proof that have been used to condemn him opened to a newer understanding. I came to believe that Joseph never practiced polygamy in any form. He never married any woman other than Emma. He was true and faithful to her in every way. Joseph and Emma had a deep, poignant love for each other and were the elect of God.

I wanted to shout my new understanding to the world.  Joseph never taught, preached, nor practiced plurality of wives. He was a man of integrity, moral purity, and chastity. I cannot understand why the LDS Church still holds to the false claims that he was a polygamist. In the LDS Church’s own historical records there is ample proof to at best exonerate him from all such claims and at worst to caste serious doubts upon their current historical narrative.  For instance, on the Joseph Smith Papers website, you can find the digital image of Joseph’s journal entry for 5 October, 1843 (8 ½ months before his murder). There is no way to misunderstand what Joseph believed or how he felt about polygamy. Here is the digital image:

You can see the image on the Joseph Smith Papers Project website here.

The entry states:

Thursday October 5 [1843]

Morning rode out with Esqr Butterfield to farm etc.—P.M. rode on prairie to shew some brethren some land.—eve at home walked up and down st. with scribe.—and gave instruction to try those who were preaching teaching or pprcting the doctrin of plurality of wives. On this Law. Joseph forbids it. And the practice thereof — No man shall have but one wife.

This is just one of many, many times Joseph preached against the practice. Weeks before his death he asked William Marks, Nauvoo Stake President, to help him find and expel all those who were involved in the practice. During his final Conference address, he stated emphatically that he only had one wife and her name was Emma. Throughout her life, Emma consistently defended her husband and stated that he never practiced polygamy. With the plethora of available historical records today, my question is: Why does the LDS Church continue to be among those who speak evil of Joseph, the Lord’s anointed?

Early in 1839, after nearly a half-year of imprisonment, Joseph wrote a letter from Liberty Jail to the saints. The letter included several revelations. One revelation declared these words:

[C]ursed are all those that shall lift up the heal against mine anointed saith the Lord and cry they have sin[n]ed when they have not sined before me saith the Lord but have done that which was meat in mine eyes and which I commanded them but those who cry transgresion do it becaus they are the servants of sin and are the children of disobediance themselvs and those who swear false against my servants that they might bring them unto bondage and death. Wo unto them because they have offended my little ones they shall be severed from the ordinances of mine house their basket shall not be full their houses and their barnes shall famish and they themselvs shall be dispised by those that flattered them they shall not have right to the priesthood nor their posterity after them from generation to generation it had been better for them that a millstone had been hanged about their necks and they having drownd in the depth of the see…” (JSP, Documents Vol. 6, p. 366; all as in original.)

The angel Nephi, who visited a young Joseph in September of 1823 prophesied that his name would be had for good and evil among all people. It saddens and discourages me that the largest Church to come out of Joseph’s Restoration joins with those who speak evil of Joseph.  I made the effort to research and write a book laying out the proof of Joseph’s innocence. The current LDS History, claiming that Joseph was a polygamist, a polyandrist, and, in some eyes, a pedophile, makes all the vile rumors of Joseph’s enemies’ truth. The LDS history makes a mockery of the Lord’s anointed. Their history makes the Church despised by seekers of truth who would otherwise embrace the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Their stance on Joseph’s involvement in polygamy not only drives good people away from the Church, but often away from a relationship with God.

Unless the LDS Church will be honest with the world and with its members and reveal the evidence and the truth about Joseph’s innocence in regard to polygamy, including the truth behind the origins of the practice, I can no longer remain a member. I cannot continue to associate with an organization that continues to besmirch and disparage the name of Joseph Smith.  This is not something I take lightly. I have reached out to Elder Curtis, the LDS Church Historian, and asked for a meeting to discuss these issues before I take such a step. I was contacted by a female employee who informed me that Elder Curtis’ schedule is booked for the unforeseeable future. She has offered to meet with me in his stead. We made the appointment, but with the new societal restrictions in consideration of the COVID-19 virus pandemic, our meeting has been postponed. My questions for her are simple, is there any chance that the LDS Historians' office will exonerate Joseph from the abominable practice of plurality of wives? The LDS Church has a history of admitting that many things done and taught by Brigham Young were done in the absence of revelation. The LDS Church today denounces Brigham Young’s blood atonement, Adam-God Doctrine, and his racism toward people of African heritage. Will the LDS Church also free their people of all remnants of the false, and abominable, doctrine of polygamy? Will the LDS Church exonerate Joseph Smith of the lies of his enemies? Will the LDS Church stop speaking evil and disparaging the name of the Lord’s anointed? 

Today is the spring equinox when light and darkness are in perfect balance. Joseph brought light back to a darkened world, beginning 200 years ago in the spring of 1820 when the heavens opened and God revealed himself to a young boy.

Joseph Smith Revealed

I have recently published a book in an attempt to exonerate Joseph Smith from any connection with polygamy. It is titled Joseph Smith Revealed, A Faithful Telling: Exploring an Alternate Polygamy Narrative. Joseph Smith was one of the purest men to have ever walked this earth. I believe that because he was of such pure heart he was naive to the evil that exists in men's hearts. I do believe that Joseph was sealing women to himself, but I do not believe that it had anything to do with sexual promiscuity or polygamy. Rather, I believe that it had everything to do with linking together the family of God on this earth. The women sealed to Joseph were not his wives in any sense of the word. They were a necessary link to their fathers, husbands, and brothers so that Joseph could seal together a numerous extended posterity. This book lays out the truth behind the LDS Church's false history and explains who was truly responsible for introducing the practice of polygamy to the Church: Brigham Young and other apostles. This book also explains what it was the Joseph was really doing and why it is important, even vital, for us to understand the truths he was revealing for the salvation of all mankind.

You can find the book on either kindle, or paperback here

It is far past time for the LDS Church to admit the truth about polygamy and to end the practice of it once and for all.  The women of the Church have wept long enough.

Joseph Smith

I am saddened that the churches which claim Joseph Smith as their founder, namely the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, continues to besmirch and disparage his character by claiming that he was a polygamist when he was not. He was a true and faithful husband to his wife, Emma. He loved her and she loved him. He had no other wives and "knew" no other women. These churches also disrespect and discard his teachings, namely his ascent theology. 

God said to Joseph, “The ends of the earth shall inquire after your name, and fools shall have you in derision, and Hell shall rage against you, while the pure in heart, and the wise, and the noble, and the virtuous shall seek counsel, and authority, and blessings constantly from under your hand. And your people shall never be turned against you by the testimony of traitors, and although their influence shall cast you into trouble, and into bars and walls, you shall be had in honor.” (D & C 122:1-4)

All who have spoken derisively of Joseph have done so foolishly. We must repent of our foolishness. We need to end the derision of Joseph. Let us become the pure in heart, the wise, the noble, and the virtuous who seek counsel, authority, and blessings constantly from under his hand.

My Father Died

I was born to goodly parents who taught me to love the Lord. From my youth I was taught to have faith in, pray to, and worship Jesus Christ. I was taught about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. Our family held early morning scripture study, weekly Family Home Evening and nightly family prayer. My father, Mike, was a man of honor and integrity and was faithful to my mother, to the LDS Church, and was faithful to God.  Dad was a man without guile who had a solid belief in the Savior and served his fellow man all his days. Dad was loyal to the LDS Church and strove to help build up what he believed was the kingdom of God on the earth.  Even as “early on-set Parkinson’s” ravaged his body for over 25 years he faithfully attended church each week and studied the scriptures each day until he slipped into a coma just before his death.

My mom, Trudy, first noticed my dad in ninth grade LDS seminary when my dad bore his testimony of the Savior.  Mom was smitten and their love story began at that moment and lasted for over 56 years on this earth and is now continuing in heaven. Mom sacrificed her mental, emotional and physical health to bring eight children into this world. She struggled with fears, anxieties, and physical ailments that plagued her and were difficult for her to overcome. Through it all she never lost her devotion to the religious heritage her parents instilled within her. She remained loyal to the Mormon Church and to Dad. For some reason her faith and belief in Jesus Christ was not something she openly shared or talked about with me. My parents passed away within one year of each other, my mom on February 17, 2017 and my dad on February 22, 2018. I love and miss them.

My father was my hero. As a little girl I would wait at the bus stop every night, anticipating his return from a long day of work. I had a desire for him to be proud of me. I wanted to marry a man just like him. Since my mom’s passing last year, I have been taking care of my dad as much as possible. He lived at home until a bad fall last July and a subsequent hospital stay of several weeks. We then moved him into an assisted living center in order to have people who could be there to cook and clean for him and to help him when he fell. He sustained more injuries, as he fell several times each day.  I was feeling a great burden on my shoulders, taking care of dad’s house, his finances and his health. Last August, moving him into an assisted living center made my siblings and myself more aware of dad’s decline in health. My siblings were a great blessing to me and my father as they helped where ever and in what manner they could in his care.

On February 15 my dad was taken to a higher level care facility because he was having a severe Parkinson’s episode which mimicked seizures. Within 3 days he had slipped into a comma and never came out of it. He had a huge lump on his left temple with bruising down to his collar bone.  We believe he suffered a "bleeder" on the brain. I was by his side as much as possible that final week. Hours before his death I shared some private, final words with him. I worry that my parents felt like they had failed me because of the journey I have been on to find Christ. This journey has put me at odds with the LDS Church. In my parents’ minds, if I am not active LDS then I am not following Christ. I asked my dad to trust me, that I know what I am doing, that I know he doesn’t understand, but that I am seeking Jesus Christ. I encouraged him to find mom and together to seek Jesus Christ, to not allow the traditions of men to cause them to stop searching. I then read to him Ether 12:41, “And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen.”

My dad passed away 30 years to the day of the death of his own father and one week and one year after the love of his life, my mom. He was surrounded by almost all of his children, his daughter-in-laws and son-in-law, grandchildren and lots of love.

Know the Lord

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

Faith is hardly found on the earth. The hearts of men and women wax cold, angry, bitter, jealous and untrusting. We blame God for everything wrong in our lives and fail to recognize or thank Him for the good, beautiful and wonderful. Is it any wonder that His spirit withdraws? As a parent do you want to continually bless an ungrateful child? Yet, God does, He is always there, waiting for His children to recognize His hand in all things in their lives, the good and the bad. We are here to learn to choose between good and evil, to learn discernment, to grow in love and charity and to return to His presence.

How can we pierce the veil if we fail to see Him all around us, in all and through all things? Christ stands at the door, our door, and knocks; will we open it unto Him? Will we bid Him enter? Will we sup with Him? How do we open the door? That is the age old question with which even Father Adam and Mother Eve grappled. How do we increase our faith until it is even as the Brother of Jared? Hear His voice, follow Him, obey Him, give heed to His messengers, true messengers, sent from His presence to teach us. Accept their teachings, giving thanks for them, and then obey His word with exactness, honoring Him and giving all honor and glory to Him. Take no thought for ourselves but for others. Be believing.  Seek Him and His kingdom and His glory will shine on us and come to rest upon us. Repent of all our wicked ways.  Prepare the way of the Lord.  Enter into His rest and help and encourage others to do so.

Christ loves His children and will work with them, dunging, pruning, planting until they are fully ripened. Those who choose to ripen in iniquity will be burned. Those who choose to ripen in truth and love, having faith in Christ, looking forward to the day of their salvation, will be spared, they will find their abode with Him in the Kingdom of His Father. Become wheat.  Ripen in faith, hope and charity. Stand firm and unshakeable in truth, knowledge and wisdom.

Allow God to write His law on our inward parts and to write it on our hearts. Know the Lord. He will forgive our iniquity and will remember our sin no more.

Be ye therefore Wise as Serpents, and Harmless as Doves

On March 19, 2017 it was announced that there was a scripture project underway that would restore to us a set of scriptures which would involve attempting to correct as many errors as possible in the texts of the Bible, Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants/Pearl of Great Price.  This project was going to undertake printing for the first time in history the full Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. As I was sitting in a conference in St. George, Utah hearing about this project I opened up the group’s website on my phone and scrolled through their first edition which had already been printed and was online.  I was a bit shocked to find that the group had inserted documents written by members of their committee.  The head of the committee had just announced that they were going back to the most extant sources for the writings of Joseph and Hyrum Smith and that anything not written by them was being given serious consideration to remove from the scriptures.  This meant removing things written by Oliver Cowdery and Sydney Rigdon, two men who were pivotal figures in early Mormondom, two men who had seen Christ and angels. These men’s’ writings were being replaced by writings from this scripture committee by men whom I had never heard of before.  In the following days I investigated whether or not these men had seen Christ or angels.  To me it would be audacious to remove the writings of men who had only to replace them by men who had not.

One of the documents which had already been inserted and printed by the committee was a Governing Principles which contained those things which we, as fellowships, were following as principles for our day. When I read the Governing Principles I was shocked.  Shocked at the assertion in the document that it had been “revealed” through “angles” yet contained elements that were found nowhere in scriptures or teachings of Denver.   I become further concerned when I found out that this was an overstatement of how the document came about; the author had never seen Christ or angels but rather took Denver’s teachings and other scriptures and rewrote them in his own words, adding his own flair and interpretations.  This concerned me because words matter.  Words matter a great deal.

In the Garden of Eden God commanded Adam not to eat of the fruit of the tree.  When Adam gives the commandment to Eve he adds that Eve cannot even touch the fruit or she will die.  This seemingly inane addition by Adam might just be the reason that Eve fell.  When Lucifer approaches Eve bearing the fruit in his hand Eve realizes that he is still alive even though he is touching the fruit.  Therefore, when Lucifer tells Eve that she will not die if she partakes (eats) of the fruit she believes him.  Thus, it is that if Adam had been exact in repeating the commandments of the Lord we may have a very different story of our founding grandparents.

Since March 19 I have been trying to persuade people that the words in the Governing Principles document matter.  They matter a great deal.  It has been said that if there are errors in the document that Christ will correct the errors in Zion. By the time he does those errors will have become ingrained false traditions which will be much harder to overcome.  We should desire to give the Lord as faithful and error free document as possible.  In the Answer to Covenant the Lord stated, “I command you to be wise in word and kind in deed as you write what I require of you.”  It is easier to stay right when you start right.

I have also heard it said that this document doesn’t matter because we don’t have to live by it, it is not commandment which we will be required to follow. However, in the Answer to Covenant the Lord stated, “I require a statement of principles to be adopted by the mutual agreement of my people, … I require it to also be added as a guide and standard for my people to follow.”

On March 20, 2017 I was awoken in the early morning hours and asked to write my own version of a Governing Principles document.  You can read it here. I have since come to understand, through the Prayer for Covenant and Answer and Covenant that the document is required by the Lord to be written by a group of people and not an individual, therefore, my document does not fit the qualifications of the Lord.

In the ensuing months the original Governing Principles has undergone editing, voting, name changes (it is now titled the Guide and Standard), and endless debates.  I attended a June 10, July 2 and Aug 5 attempt at having a group of people edit the original Governing Principles document led by the author/scripture committee member.  It has been an ugly process wrought with contention, manipulation, calculation and basic Gentileness.  The Aug 5 meeting became particularly ugly with those who felt the original document was revelation straight from God literally yelling at those in the room who did not.  In order to have peace many of those against the document accepted it. The Aug 5 document was presented to the general body and voted on and received about 91% acceptance from those who voted.  However, there were some in the movement who had concerns enough that they refused to accept the document.

The scripture committee decided to leave the document out of the new scriptures until the body of believers could agree to or write an agreeable document. In October an effort was brought before the people to use a system of lots to organize a committee to write a new document.  The process was a far reaching and amazing one with almost 200 names submitted to choose from.  7 people’s names were chosen: 6 men and 1 woman.  This committee agreed to use only the words of the Lord in scripture as well as teachings of Joseph Smith and Denver Snuffer.  It took them 3 days and 3 nights to complete their document.  They pulled from dozens of documents which had been compiled by believers like me who had written our own and submitted them for the group to consider.  It is a document which contains only words from true messengers and does not include the philosophies of men mingled with scripture.

The 7 who wrote it took it to the Lord and asked if he accepted it.  He did. They then put it to a vote for the people to choose whether or not they would accept it as their Guide and Standard.  It received a 93% acceptance rate.

We, as a people, breathed a collective sigh of relief.  The task the Lord had given us was complete. Two days later the scripture committee decided that it would only be fair to give the people a choice between the Original, the Aug 5 and the new document by 7.  This stirred up the people again.  We were finally working together peacefully for the most part and this new move by the scripture committee stirred up controversy, mainly because they took it upon themselves to decide which documents qualified.   Two days later the scripture committee decided to table the vote and to table the efforts until the people can learn to get along, even though the scripture committee admits that it is a very small group of dissenters.

As I have contemplated these events I have considered the reasons behind people’s choices of documents.  For some they are waiting on the Lord, they have asked but have yet to receive an answer.  I can respect that. For some they are concerned that if the original or Aug 5 is not chosen then we will be rejecting the revelations that the author received. Even though I believe that they are being misled I can respect their desire. For some it is about whose assignment it was to begin with and that we must respect the efforts of that person.  Even though I believe that it was always in the Lord’s heart for this assignment to be given to the entire body, I can respect these people’s stance. For some it is about choosing to hear the words of the Lord as revealed through his authorized servants and not adding to or taking away from those words, faithfully capturing the teachings given to us today. I respect this and agree with it.

If we are ever allowed by the scripture committee to choose between documents, let us be wise in the choosing; focusing on content rather than process or assignment.  In the end it is the content that matters, after all.

Jesus Christ stated, “…It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4 KJV)

As we study the documents up for voting, we should keep this perspective in mind, “is there anything in these documents which could lead to false traditions or practices?”  Most of us have come from an LDS background and know how easily false traditions creep in.  We followed “faithfully” a Word of Wisdom. In order to have a temple recommend we had to “obey the Word of Wisdom”, however, what we were required to obey was not even in the actual document, it was man’s interpretations of the Word of Wisdom. We would be foolish to think that we will not do the same thing with this Guide and Standard.  It is human nature, after all, and we have not yet conquered the natural man.

We need to make an educated, even a wise, choice.  As we choose we need to keep in mind that what we choose we are required to follow, we have been commanded to be wise in word and kind in deed to ourselves and to others. Let us educate ourselves and choose the document with the least amount of errors in the content.  Words matter after all.

If we ever get to vote, hopefully for one last time, on the statement of principles which we will adopt as our Guide and Standard, let us be wise as serpents as we study the content of each document, and harmless as doves as we interact with one another. 

Historical Events

This past several months has been quite the Spiritual ride.  So much has gone on that I just haven't been able to take a moment to breathe nor to find words to succinctly put it down.  Very historic events have taken place which I have been somehow allowed to be part of. Perhaps one of these days I'll be able to find the words to write posts about each event, but until then I'll put in the links:

March 18-19, 2017: Doctrine of Christ Conference in St. George, Utah; new scripture project announced; opportunity to be offered a covenant in September. link  and here and here

March 20, 2017: wrote my own Guiding Principles which you can read here

April 21, 2017: submitted my Guiding Principles to scripture committee

May, 2017: began our own scripture project with several friends; was told it would be a mistake and could delay the Covenant so we shut it down on May 28, 2017

June 10, 2017: first “Governing Principles” meeting

July 2, 2017: second “Governing Principles” meeting

July 23, 2017: A Prayer for Covenant; you can read it here

July 29, 2017: An Answer and Covenant was announced; you can read it here

August 5, 2017: third “Governing Principles” meeting

September 2, 2017: new set of scriptures was canonized (we were unable to be there for this historic event due to family conflicts); you can read about it here

September 3, 2017: the Lord once again extended a Covenant as in times of old to a repentant group of people; some were gathered in person at the venue in Boise, Idaho; others watched remotely from a live stream via computer/internet.  Those who wished to enter into the covenant simply stood, after the Answer and Covenant were read, and said “yes”. Those who did not want to enter the Covenant remained seated. We were able to be in attendance and we entered into the covenant.

September 21, 2017: Denver C. Snuffer began a lecture series aimed at the Christians. First lecture of three was in Cerritos, California. You can watch it or read it here  These lecture are live streamed via internet for those who cannot be in attendance in person.  My husband and I watched this lecture at home.

October 19, 2017: Denver C. Snuffer gave his second lecture in Dallas, Texas. You can watch it or read it here  My husband and I were able to attend this lecture in person.

Nov, 2017: The People are still working on trying to compile a set of Governing Principles, now being called the Guide and Standard or Statement of Principles to be added to the scriptures.  The first three attempts were considered failures (June 10,  July 2, Aug 5) and none of them were taken to the Lord for His approval.  The body of believers has fractured and confusion reigns over this tiny issue. A group of individuals, seeking peace have worked on a compromise between the “warring” factions: those who want the “original document”, those who want the “Aug 5 document” those who want only those people who have been “called by God” to write a document, etc.  The compromise can be read here

A vote was taken for this proposal with about 477 voting in total and about 86% agreeing to the drawing of lots to form a committee to write the document.  Those who are chosen agree to use only the words of the Lord as revealed in scripture and through the His servant Denver C Snuffer.

Nov. 12, 2017: the drawing of lots was held via live stream internet meeting.  As I watched I had a feeling come over me that what was going on was an historic event.  The numbers were posted here  Both my husband and I were relieved that our numbers were not drawn.  We will spend the week in prayer for those who have been now asked to accomplish this task.  The group of 7 have one week to comprise the Statement of Principles, the body of believers will then have a few days to review it and then it will be given to Denver C Snuffer to take to the Lord for approval. We are hoping that it will be accepted by Him.  I believe that if the body of believers cannot accomplish this task before the new scriptures are set to be printed in December that the Lord will put us under condemnation as sometimes the only way to get a people to repent is through discipline.  Hopefully, I will be able to update this blog in the next few weeks with good news: that we have finally accomplished this light task that Lord has given us.

Nov. 16, 2017: final talk of the lecture series will be held in Atlanta, Georgia; we will be there. You can watch it live here