LDS Mormon Facts 131-140
Useful or not, they're still true.
Useful or not, they're still true.
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Author: Curtis Weller
To quote an Apostle of Jesus Christ (of Latter-day Saints);
'Some things that are true are not very useful.'
(Boyd K. Packer, "The Mantle Is Far, Far Greater than the Intellect," CES Symposium, 1981.)
This section of WhyMormons.net devotes itself to such factoids about the mainstream LDS Church and its history.
Where's the Montrose, Iowa temple? While preaching to a gathering of Saints in Nashvile, Iowa, Joseph Smith announced that a temple would be built in Montrose, Iowa. A Mormon Bishop even redesigned Montrose to align its Main Street with the temple being built in Nauvoo. Today, a park sits on Main Street in Montrose, where the temple was supposed to be built.
Sneaky: When the first LDS apostles began their missions in England they had to obtain a preaching license. As part of the license agreement, the twelve were sworn not to preach 'heretical doctrines' contrary to the Church of England. Had their Mormon doctrines been known to the English officials, they would never have been able to obtain their licenses.
Why Mormons have 'wards': The creation of subdivisions - called 'wards' - originated as a tithing project in Nauvoo. The city was divided into 10 of these 'wards' and each subdivision was expected to donate labor towards building the temple every 10th day. The idea worked so well that the practice of creating 'wards' continues in the LDS church today.
Gotcha, hubby: Joseph Smith kept women from participating in the temple endowment until Emma Smith, his wife, agreed to the principle of 'spiritual wifery' - or plural marriage. Finally, more than a year later, Emma consented and LDS women were allowed to participate in the Mormon temple endowment. Emma later recanted her decision, but by then, the other women were receiving their own endowments.
Mormon Politics: Joseph Smith was a democrat. Joseph told the Mormons in 1843 to vote for then Democratic candidate Joseph Hoge. In fact, he told them that Hyrum had received a revelation from God to vote for the Democratic party.
Today's mainstream Mormonism would look very different if it weren't for her decision: In 1844, Rachel Ivins, confused and distraught over rumors of polygamy in Nauvoo, headed back to her home in New Jersey. She was convinced that Joseph Smith would ask her to be his plural wife. Nine years later she finally joined the Mormons and reluctantly became the 7th wife of a young missionary. She gave birth to only one child; future prophet Heber J. Grant. Heber J. Grant would enforce the 'no polygamy' rule of the 1890 manifesto, and the Word of Wisdom as a worthiness requirement, almost remodeling completely the Brighamite religious model and sparking the 'fundamentalist' movements that exist today.
It was Hyrum Smith, not Joseph, that evoked the most anger of the residents in Carthage for offering 'a reward for the destruction of the...Warsaw Signal,' and because he 'publically threatened the life of...Thos. C. Sharp, the editor of The Signal.'
He was their parental guardian, and their husband; they were the jealousy that ran through Emma's veins: Emma Smith was reportedly the most jealous of Maria and Sarah Lawrence, both sisters and adopted daughters of Joseph Smith, and who would later become plural wives of Joseph Smith. Shortly after Joseph Smith's death, Emma removed Joseph's guardianship of Maria and Sarah.
Hair club for Joseph Smith: It was common in the 19th century to save locks of hair as mementos of deceased loved ones. A letter written by Irene Haskell's mother said she regretted not having sent 'some of Joseph's hair' to her sister: 'All that have any here [have it] in their bosom pins, finger rings, etc.' Just how much hair was cut from Joseph's head? We'll never know.
Joseph's Tomb: Joseph Smith had a tomb prepared for himself near the Nauvoo Temple. In fact, he referenced it many times and many who knew him spoke of it many years after his death. It was Emma, his wife, who refused Brigham Young's request to bury Joseph in his tomb.
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Would you like to submit some facts for this section? Email CurtisWeller@WhyMormons.net with your facts. Please include verifiable source material and the name we should credit for the contribution.
