Perfect Doctrine given to imperfect people

1835 D&C 101: https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/.../doctrine-and.../259

"Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband, except in case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again."

Brigham Young removed it from Utah LDS group D&C in 1875

“I commenced revising the history of Joseph Smith at Brother Richard’s office: Elder Heber C. Kimball and George A. Smith were with me.” Brigham Young -History of the Church 7:389

Have you seen examples of the corrupted Utah LDS church under polygamist Brigham Young trying to change the church history? It is literally right there for all to clearly see. Here is a quick example of Oct 5, 1843 where they changed what Joseph said entirely!:

Joseph Smith's journal entry - Noting that Joseph forbids the practice of plural marriage (handwriting – Williard Richards) https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/.../journal.../123

Joseph Fielding Smith's draft of church history (several years after Joseph Smith was killed) - striking through text of Joseph Smith forbidding polygamy, adding a bunch of text (note other handwriting – of Thomas Bullock) https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/.../history-draft-1.../143

Final of church history includes the additional language which includes "for according to the law I hold the keys of this power in the last days, for there is never but one on Earth at a time on whom the power and its keys are conferred— and I have constantly said" and "at a time, unless the Lord directs otherwise." (handwriting – Robert L. Campbell) https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/.../history-1838.../118

Complete fraud!

More here: First LDS Polygamist: Joseph or Brigham? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5heXE5xS5w

Still More here: https://hemlockknots.com/changing-lds-church-history-1/ 

Thanks to critics of the Church's insistence in probing Brigham’s racist past, I’ve become relatively knowledgeable about the 1840-1890 events that led to the Civil War of the United States. Bare in mind that like many converts at the time, Brigham too grew up with racism, had slaves, and was fully aware of the teachings at the time from Evangelical pastors who circulated the Slave Bible (Original 1790 copy is in the Washington DC Bible Museum). The evangelical teaching in the Bible Belt included the curse of Ham and the Verses regarding slave obedience to masters. If you haven’t gone to the Bible Museum in DC, I highly recommend this exhibit. In fact, I’ll come and say hello when you’re there.

Get your tickets here: https://www.museumofthebible.org/exhibits/slave-bible

 

Let’s fast forward from 1790 to 1832.

 

In D&C 87, Joseph prophesied On December 25, 1832, that a war between the northern and southern U.S. states would begin in South Carolina. At the time the revelation was received, South Carolina and the federal government of the United States were involved in a Slavery dispute, but it was peacefully resolved the next March. Years later, Joseph reiterated his prophecy that war would break out in South Carolina over slavery debates, as it did nearly 20 years after Joseph Smith’s death.

 

In the days prior to his death, Joseph’s campaign platform was summarized in a pamphlet titled General Smith’s Views on the Power and Policy of Government. “Empowering the federal government to protect the rights of religious minorities was at the heart of his campaign, but he took public positions on a host of controversial issues. His platform included a call for the closure of the country’s growing prison system, decreasing the size of the House of Representatives, chartering a new national bank, and promoting national expansion conditioned upon receiving the consent of American Indians. Joseph also called for the abolition of slavery in the United States by the government using revenues generated from the sale of federal lands in the western United States to purchase the freedom of enslaved men and women.”

 

Source: https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/NCMP1820-1846/id/2836

 

Note that up to this point, the Church took an anti-Slavery stance. Then we go to the Church under the Brigham Era. The Saints take their slaves with them to the west. Then Utah had to choose if they would support the Union or the confederacy during the civil war. At this point, there was a shift in Brigham’s political stance where he not only opposes the Federal government, he makes a political blunder by sympathizing with the confederacy by upholding slavery. And, to be perfectly frank, there have been times when members or leaders in the Church have simply made mistakes. There may have been things said or done that were not in harmony with our values, principles, or doctrine.

I suppose the Church would be perfect only if it were run by perfect beings. God is perfect, and His doctrine is pure. But He works through us—His imperfect children—and imperfect people make mistakes. Brigham Young needed to be corrected on many occasions not just on his political and philosophical views but also in Doctrine, no different from the times Paul had to correct Peter. In Galatians 2:11-14 The Contemporary English Version: Paul Corrects Peter at Antioch 11 When Peter came to Antioch, I told him face to face that he was wrong. 12 He used to eat with Gentile followers of the Lord, until James sent some Jewish followers. Peter was afraid of the Jews and soon stopped eating with Gentiles. 13 He and the other Jews hid their true feelings so well that even Barnabas was fooled. 14 But when I saw that they were not really obeying the truth that is in the good news, I corrected Peter in front of everyone and said: Peter, you are a Jew, but you live like a Gentile. So how can you force Gentiles to live like Jews? There’s no doctrine as such that a Prophet or apostle is infallible. 

 

I do not doubt that The Lord preserved his doctrine through the political turmoil of Slavery and the Civil war of America. That same restoration continues today as he renews his covenants with his imperfect children and revealing his will in the latter days.

 

I will leave you to ponder on this quote from Henry J. Eyring, President Eyring’s father, where he said that “There are all kinds of contradictions that I don’t understand, but I find the same contradictions in science, and I haven’t decided to apostatize from science” In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.