Kings, Messiahs, and Sex

[Apologeticsislying]

In researching for my book review of Charles Harrell "This is My Doctrine" I came across a rather fascinating little ditty I thought I'd share.

In light of the recent wave of interest historically in the Nancy Rigdon/Joseph Smith Affair and the Letter of Happiness wherein Joseph Smith seduced or attempted to seduce Nancy, she was a "badass" however and told Smith more or less where to go and stood up to his predator behavior, I found an account of a certain Jan Bockelson and his early modern Communist Theocracy he set up.

The MAIN thing was his Vision was to have a "United Order" wherein all things were to be held in common, "after a period of heavily policed puritanism, a radical form of polygamy was enforced. All women over a certain age were compelled to marry." Those who wouldn't were severely punished or executed. Women were considered to be "the sexual property of everyone else." And interestingly, Bockelson then proceeded to become King, of course, based on the ancient biblical precedents which gave him his authority, as did his revelations. The old ways were to be replaced by a new dispensation. He went so far as to then, because of his success and power, proclaim himself to be the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament, and he was to rebuild the New Jerusalem which was to be ruled by a true priesthood and messiah, which was to become the beginning of a new world. (As I found it in John Gray, "Seven Types of Atheism," Farrar, Strous, and Giroux, 2018: 76-77)

Interesting that in all the crazed sex cults and religious cults which want to make a better world there is always a man who has visions, uses the Bible as the basis of authority, along with God's visions given to the individual, takes over women in polygamy, and then declare themselves king, and if allowed to live long enough, even graduate to Messiah. It is only the last step that Joseph Smith missed, because probably he was murdered too early for it to occur. All the other steps were the same, more or less.

[FiveFingerMnemonic]

Good find! We also get a bunch of parallels of the united order in the Owenites that operated secular communal living experiments in the Kirtland area at the time of the early church. In fact the Isaac Morley "family" was a religious manifestation of that communal experiment based on Sidney Rigdon's ideas which caused him to split with Campbell. The Owenite preacher Samuel Underhill preached a health code in Kirtland area equivalent and pre-dating our word of wisdom by a few years and their symbol was the skep beehive which is the same as on the Utah state flag and the temple doorknobs. This research came out of cultural anthropologist Mark Staker's "Hearken O ye People" about Kirtland.

Another millenial prophet/polygamy group predating mormonism was the Anabaptist group of the Munster rebellion which is featured in the excellent "Hardcore history" podcast episode 48 called "Prophets of doom" by historian Dan Carlin. Pretty repetitious pattern of religious behavior in the worlds history.

[Hagoth]

Hmmm, there seems to be a pattern.

Dan Carlin did an excellent Hardcore History series about the Munster Rebellion:

https://www.dancarlin.com/product/hardc ... s-of-doom/

ETA: Oops, parallel postings!

[Apologeticsislying]

Good find! We also get a bunch of parallels of the united order in the Owenites that operated secular communal living experiments in the Kirtland area at the time of the early church. In fact the Isaac Morley "family" was a religious manifestation of that communal experiment based on Sidney Rigdon's ideas which caused him to split with Campbell. The Owenite preacher Samuel Underhill preached a health code in Kirtland area equivalent and pre-dating our word of wisdom by a few years and their symbol was the skep beehive which is the same as on the Utah state flag and the temple doorknobs. This research came out of cultural anthropologist Mark Staker's "Hearken O ye People" about Kirtland.

Another millenial prophet/polygamy group predating mormonism was the Anabaptist group which is featured in the excellent "Hardcore history" podcast episode 47 called "Prophets of doom" by historian Dan Carlin. Pretty repetitious pattern of religious behavior in the worlds history.

Yes, I forgot to put the date, this was in the 1530's, and Gray noted that after Brockelson's death radical Anabaptists went into decline. It is the Anabaptists that Brockelson was involved. Your information is quite interesting as well, thank you so much for sharing. Sooooooo much to learn, so little time!

[Palerider]

.....and if allowed to live long enough, even graduate to Messiah. It is only the last step that Joseph Smith missed, because probably he was murdered too early for it to occur. All the other steps were the same, more or less.

Wasn't it one of those Skousen boys that had the "Messiah Ben Judah and Messiah Ben Joseph" thing going for awhile? Claiming that the Jews were anticipating two different messiahs and that therefore Joseph Smith must have been the other one?

But Skousen, like the Jews, was too obtuse to realize that the Old Testament wasn't talking about two different Messiahs.....it was really prophecying the same Messiah coming twice with different missions!

I doubt it would have taken much encouragement for Joe junior to accept the mantle of his own messiahship.

https://bycommonconsent.com/2008/08/30/ ... tradition/

[Apologeticsislying]

Oooooooo, not only the Skousens but the McConkies as well. Joseph Fielding McConkie, Bruce's son wrote an entire book on it, which I still have. I remember being over the top elated for weeks after reading it and re-reading it, and walking around in a daze in the streets saying over and over and over again "It's true.....by God it's really true!" I went into stores and directly told people Joseph Smith was a true prophet and messiah, and I actually sold several dozens copies of that stupid book for Deseret Book ya know. Gadzooks, the zeal of youth! I mean I talked to everyone, Mormon or stranger, and told them about it.

Now? I read it and am utterly astonished at how silly the assumptions are, and weak the research. And this was a BYU professor mind you, at the time I thought could do no wrong, a SON of a living Apostle and proving Joseph Smith was prophesied about and all of it came true!!!!!!!

Heady days those were......

[Emower]

.....and if allowed to live long enough, even graduate to Messiah. It is only the last step that Joseph Smith missed, because probably he was murdered too early for it to occur. All the other steps were the same, more or less.

Wasn't it one of those Skousen boys that had the "Messiah Ben Judah and Messiah Ben Joseph" thing going for awhile? Claiming that the Jews were anticipating two different messiahs and that therefore Joseph Smith must have been the other one?

But Skousen, like the Jews, was too obtuse to realize that the Old Testament wasn't talking about two different Messiahs.....it was really prophecying the same Messiah coming twice with different missions!

I doubt it would have taken much encouragement for Joe junior to accept the mantle of his own messiahship.

https://bycommonconsent.com/2008/08/30/ ... tradition/

Wow, I didn't know anything about this.

I was also going to comment that judging from Smith's behaviour, and comments about Jesus and the comparisons he made between himself and Christ, I don't think he was far away from going down the Messiah road. I mean, he had proclaimed himself king of the whole earth, where is someone supposed to go from there?

[Apologeticsislying]

Exactly emower. I think it was only because he was killed as early as he was that he didn't make it to Messiah status. He and Brigham and John Taylor and many others had already crowned themselves as Kings, one and all before the Saints ever went to Utah. That is in the Joseph Smith papers. And of course, it was entirely legitimate hence they did so behind closed doors in secrecy - er sacredness, yeah, that's the ticket.