I made deseretnews!

Now, this is pretty insane. I’m mentioned in a deseretnews article and I only had one article on Mormonism. Sheesh, I guess I’m going to have to get busy writing.

Was Joseph Smith a Martyr?

I was poking around on the two big Mormon apologist sites (Fair and Farms) and they both have articles on Joseph’s martyrdom.

Christian apologists usually make the argument that Joseph wasn’t a martyr because he went out with guns blazing. You can read about his death in the “Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints” volume 2 by BH Roberts.

The usual story you will hear is that Joseph went to Carthage, was held there and then the mob came up and killed him.

Last year we took a tour of the jail and it was very interesting but our tour guide said nothing about the pistol that Joseph Smith used to fire three shots at the mob.

Then instantly rising to his feet he drew the pistol Cyrus Wheelock had left him, and with a quick, firm step, and a determined expression in his face he advanced to the door and snapped the pistol six successive times; only three of the loads, however, were discharged. (B. H. Roberts, A Comprehensive History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6 vols. [Salt Lake City: Deseret News Press, 1930], 2: 284 – 285.)

Now, there’s the argument by the Mormon apologists: the word “martyr” merely means witness, Joseph Smith was a witness even to the end.

Why Mormon Prophets?

I got to meet with a couple of very nice Mormon missionaries the other night and they kept bringing up how they have a living prophet today.

So I asked a very logical question: Has Gordon Hinckley given any prophecies that I need to hear about? (Hinckley is their current prophet – their prophets are voted in)

They responded "Oh, yes!" and gave me a pamphlet on how important marriage is written by Hinckley. That's not really a prophecy, that's just good common sense.

What else you got? "Well, Hinckley prophesied that the Nauvoo Temple would be rebuilt and it was!" Okay, but city planners make this sort of prophecy all the time – they've got the money, they've got the men, they've got the equipment, they've got plans and schedules, where's the prophecy in that?