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To anyone’s knowledge here has there ever been a moderately nuanced talk on Joseph Smith in GC or an Ensign article that can be used to assist in a talk. I’m aware of Elder Nelson’s July 1993 Ensign article regarding a more accurate view on how JS translated BofM. However, beyond that is there any that present a more tuthful/ complexed narritve on the man himself beyond the narrow ones we are almost always given? Thank you very much in advance for any suggestions.
I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer, but I doubt you’ll find much. I am interested to see of someone else does know of something, though. I think the party line is just too entrenched. Yes, to a degree. I think it was Pres. Uchtdorf who mentioned recently that Jospeh made mistakes and even sinned, but I will have to see if I can find it – and I might be thinking it was him just because he would say it. It was Elder Robbins in October – the Saturday morning session. He used the example of the lost 116 pages and quoted D&C 3:6-7, which says, in part:
Quote:“How oft have you transgressed . . . and gone on in the persuasions of men.”
Elder Robbins said Joseph never again forgot which way to face, which is debatable, but that is an excellent passage to use to make the point that all of us sin and come short of the glory of God, even Joseph.
Pres. Uchtdorf did say in a talk that God must be frustrated at times that we are all he has to do his work, and the context made it clear that he was including church leaders. It was the same talk where he said that past and present leaders have made mistakes, but I can’t remember if he used specific examples or mentioned Joseph. The principle is applicable, though, whether or not he mentioned anyone by name.
No, but here’s a link to an essay by teryl givens. It is too academic for Sunday school, but has some really great quotes from Joseph regarding his calling and the restoration: http://terrylgivens.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Old_Thing.pdf I’ll try and see if I can come up with anything else.
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Thank you much for current suggestions.. I have settled to use portions of several of them along with a BYU talk by Leonard Arrington titled “The Looseness of Zion: Joseph Smith and the Lighter View” (1974). It is absolutely exactly what I was looking for and highly recommend it to members of this forum. It’s shocking how little we really get to know of the environment surrounding JS (and who he really was) from the pulpit in recent decades, this talk is the exception. Again highly recommended non-corrilated talk can be found here https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/arrington-leonard-j_looseness-zion-joseph-smith-lighter-view/ Hope others enjoy, let me know- thanks SOG
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