How Well Do You Know Mormon Church Leaders of the Past?

Mormon Coffee ^ | April 7, 2011 | Sharon Lindbloom

[Colofornian]

Last month (March 2011) Ensign magazine included a challenge titled “How Well Do You Know Our Church Leaders?” It consisted of 15 details from the lives of the 15 current Prophets, Seers and Revelators of the LDS Church. Readers were invited to match the names with the facts.

The Ensign challenge included things like figuring out which leader once raised rabbits or worked on an oyster boat. The lives of LDS leaders throughout the history of the Mormon Church reflect much more interesting details than those included in the Ensign article. So I here add my own version of “How Well Do You Know Mormon Church Leaders of the Past?” See if you can match the following eight names of early Church leaders with events or other details from their lives. Answers and references follow, but see how well you can do without peeking.

1.Apostle Jedediah Grant

2.Apostle Amasa Lyman

3.Apostle Franklin D. Richards

4.President Sidney Rigdon

5.President Joseph Smith

6.Apostle* David Whitmer

7.President Wilford Woodruff

8.President Brigham Young

A. When returning to Salt Lake City after a mission, this leader and his travelling companions overtook the Willie Handcart Company, stopping for a night to encourage the pioneers. After promising that they would all end their journey in the “Valleys of the Mountains with strong and healthy bodies,” this leader asked Captain Willie for “fresh meat” and took the Company’s fattest calf.

B. This leader was sealed to four hundred unmarried women ancestors in a single day.

C. He accused his wife of attempting to murder him by putting poison in his coffee.

D. This Mormon leader said he received a revelation from God telling him to separate himself from the Latter-day Saints because they had “gone deep into error and blindness.”

E. Speaking of the sinful actions of some Latter-day Saints, this leader publicly called for a place to be designated where the blood of covenant-breakers could be shed.

F. According to the Law of Adoption practiced in the early Mormon Church, this man was sealed to someone who was later convicted of mass murder.

G. In a fiery and memorable sermon, this leader declared a “war of extermination” against non-Mormons.

H. Hosting and participating in séances and automatic writing, this Mormon leader fully embraced the “spiritualist underground” operating all throughout Utah.

* While not usually listed among LDS apostles, D&C 18:9, Brigham Young, and Larry Porter writing for the Ensign, all indicate that David Whitmer was called as an apostle.

ANSWERS:

A. 3, Roberts, Devils Gate: Brigham Young and the Great Mormon Handcart Tragedy, 162-164; B. 7, Van Wagoner & Walker, A Book of Mormons, 399; C. 5, Newell & Avery, Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith, 164; D. 6, Whitmer, An Address To All Believers in Christ, 27; E. 1, Journal of Discourses 4:49-50; F. 8, Van Wagoner & Walker, A Book of Mormons, 156; G. 4, LeSueur, The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri, 50-51; H. 2, Avery, From Mission to Madness, 186-188.

—

Good friend Mike Tea has also compiled a version of the Ensign challenge. Take a look at The Mormon Chapbook

[Colofornian]

From the article: D. This Mormon leader said he received a revelation from God telling him to separate himself from the Latter-day Saints because they had “gone deep into error and blindness.”

So the Lds themselves had apostatized claimed this Mormon leader, eh?

From the article: G. In a fiery and memorable sermon, this leader declared a “war of extermination” against non-Mormons.

Well, what do you know? A Mormon leader who provoked the locals by declaring a "war of extermination" vs. non-Mormons. (Good thing Lds leaders haven't been like Muslims...or so we're reminded over & over again on these threads)

From the article: E. Speaking of the sinful actions of some Latter-day Saints, this leader publicly called for a place to be designated where the blood of covenant-breakers could be shed.

Well, Jimmy Buffett sang about Maragaritaville...and this Mormon leader was tickled red to talk about blood-letting at his designated Blood-Atonementville.

From the article: F. According to the Law of Adoption practiced in the early Mormon Church, this man was sealed to someone who was later convicted of mass murder.

(Ah, nothing like mass murderers in the Mormon eternal family)

From the article: C. He accused his wife of attempting to murder him by putting poison in his coffee.

(Ah, now we know where the real anti-Mormon sentiments against coffee came from!)

From the article: H. Hosting and participating in séances and automatic writing, this Mormon leader fully embraced the “spiritualist underground” operating all throughout Utah.

(And here we keep finding out more occultic stuff about Mormonism & its leaders than ever before...you just keep writin' in those journals, Mormons...that way the 22nd century can likewise see how occultic some of you were)

[allmost]

How well should I know them?

[DariusBane]

One of your LDS leaders massacred a group of pioneers. He said: “The Lord taketh a little”. I am assuming that he said “taketh” because it made him sound cool.

[Elsie]

A wild and crazy bunch!

[allmost]

Wasn't aware I had a "leader".

Was not aware I was Mormon either.

[allmost]

Are you looking for an argument?

[I_Like_Spam]

I don’t under this one:

>>B. This leader was sealed to four hundred unmarried women ancestors in a single day. <<

Identifying 400 women of past centuries who were giving birth out of wedlock is difficult enough, but finding 400 who were actually one’s ancestors too would seem impossible.

[K-Ben-K]

There are ways to state a truth in a way that it becomes a lie.

Since I like stock car racing I will use this story to illustrate.

A Mormon and an Anit-Mormon ran two car, ten lap grudge race.

One headline of the outcome:
Mormon wins by five car lengths.

Another version of the race.
Mormon comes in a very poor next to last, Anti-Mormon finishes a respectable second place.

Ben

[Colofornian]

>>B. This leader was sealed to four hundred unmarried women ancestors in a single day. << Identifying 400 women of past centuries who were giving birth out of wedlock is difficult enough, but finding 400 who were actually one’s ancestors too would seem impossible.

Ah. Mormon genealogy at work...all there so that a Mormon leader could marry 'em all for eternity!

[Colofornian]

Since I like stock car racing I will use this story to illustrate. A Mormon and an Anit-Mormon ran two car, ten lap grudge race.

Let me guess. You're saying a Mormon leader who marries 400 ancestors for eternity, is sealed to a mass murderer, particpates in seances, advocates blood atonement, and the like are all "winners."

Hmmm...Well, thanks for your 2 cents' worth...

[Colofornian]

Ask K-Ben-K. (He’s Mormon)

[K-Ben-K]

“Another version of the race.
Mormon comes in a very poor next to last, Anti-Mormon finishes a respectable second place.”

The reference to coffee should be referenced to show it happened before the Word of Wisdom was reviled. As you posted it it implies he should not have been drinking coffee. And don't say it is not important to the rest of the sentence, the "mormon coffee" people are experts at creating their Anti-Mormon rederick.

[Colofornian]

The reference to coffee should be referenced to show it happened before the Word of Wisdom was reviled.

Do tell us. Exactly how long have Mormons been 'revil'ing the Word of Wisdom? As a young man he was tried in 1826 for imposture after deceiving people that he could find buried treasure on their land by means of a seer stone?

The article gives a link to The Mormon Chapbook...and an excerpt from that article mentions: The Mormon Health law, the Word of Wisdom, was given in 1833 and forbade the drinking of alcohol. Ten years later this man had a bar built in his home and passed a law giving the mayor of Nauvoo authority to “sell or give spirits of any quantity as he in his wisdom shall judge to be for the health and comfort and convenience of [travellers]”

Hmm...wonder just who that Mormon-leader gentleman was...

Reminds me of a Q&A blurb I did one time highlighting what else this gentleman advocated: Q. "Joe, what do you recommend for a bubble-bath and post-bath herb?"

A. "Strong drinks are not for the belly, but for the washing of your bodies. And again, tobacco is not for the body, neither for the belly, and is not good for man but is an herb for bruises and all sick cattle..." (Feb. 27, 1833 D&C 89:7-8)

So, tell us, K-Ben-K...is D&C 89:7-8 part of your "Word of Wisdom?"

[roylene]

There is no way to state the truth where it becomes a lie.

There is however a way to tell lies over and over that some believe them

IE Joseph Smith's restoration of the Word of God

[Colofornian]

rederick.

Are you purposely tryin' to sound like a 12 yo?

Are you goin' that far to cover up your normal prose?

[For the rest of ya "rederick" = rhetoric]

[Zakeet]

4.President Sidney Rigdon - G. In a fiery and memorable sermon, this leader declared a “war of extermination” against non-Mormons.

Trick Question

The person who developed the quiz was referring to Rigdon's famous July 4, 1838 sermon where he said:

Preaching about Gentiles: "Our cheeks have been given to the smiters, and our heads to those who have plucked off the hair. We have not only, when smitten on one cheek turned the other, but we have done it again, and again, and again, until we are wearied of being smitten, and tired of being trampled upon … But from this day and hour, we will suffer it no more … and that mob that comes in us to disturb us, it shall be between us and them a war of extermination; for we will follow them til the last drop of their blood is spilled, or else they will have to exterminate us; for we will carry the seat of war to their own houses and their own families, and one party or the other shall be utterly destroyed ... We this day then proclaim ourselves free, with a purpose and a determination that never can be broken – No never! No never!! No never!!!"

However, on October 14, 1838, Joseph Smith preached:

"If the people [of Missouri] come on us to molest us, we will establish our religion by the sword. We will trample down our enemies and make it one gore of blood from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean. I will be to this generation a second Mohammed, whose motto in treating for peace was ‘the Quran or the Sword.’ So shall it eventually be with us – Joseph Smith or the Sword" –History of the Church, Vol. 3, p. 167.

Further, on September 15, 1857, Brigham Young issued his proclamation wherein Utah was essentially declared independent from the United States, and was placed by Young under his martial law.

Thus Answer G applies to Men 4, 5 and 8.

If you consider the impact of their statements, Smith's sermon led to the Missouri Mormon War and the deaths of roughly two dozen individuals. Young's proclamation triggered the Utah Mormon War and the deaths of about 150 (or about 270 if you include the innocent people who perished the Mountain Meadows Massacre four days before the announcement). Rigdon's sermon, while technically in the middle of the Second Mormon Civil War with the Danites raging against both the gentiles and their fellow Mormons, did not directly lead to any known casualties. Thus it can be argued that Answer G most correctly applies to Man #8.

[roylene]

Are you aware that Mormons drank coffee until the 20s or 30s, when they wanted to be distinguished from Christians who were tea/coffee drinkers rather than alcohol. There was no vision to stop drinking coffee, they stopped because they didn't want people to think they were Christians.

[Colofornian]

The reference to coffee should be referenced to show it happened before the Word of Wisdom was reviled

Well, that's basically what I said. Joe Smith was drinkin' coffee. He thought Emma was tryin' to poison' him. And the way to get Emma to stop makin' miserable coffee was to make the rest of Mormons miserable in the mornin, too...and just outlaw it for everyone.

What I don't understand is that if Joe kept a good reason to have hard liquor on hand (for bathing)...
...and a good reason to keep tobacca on hand (for bruises & sick cattle)...
...why didn't he come up with a reason to keep coffee around?

BTW, do you take hard-liquor baths like a good D&C89:7-8 Word of Wisdom morning. Or are you a cafeteria Mormon when it comes to the Word of Wisdom?

Do you use tobacco for bruises? Or are you a cafeteria Mormon when it comes to the Word of Wisdom?

[DariusBane]

hmm,

I was posting in the spirit of your article. Was that wrong?

[Colofornian]

Good homework for a history lesson!