For several years, I debated Mormon history issues with various TBMs on the alt.religion.mormon newsgroup. Eric K. archived some of my old posts on the "short topics" section of this website. Here's one of my earliest posts:

http://www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon026.htm

This is a conversation about polygamy with a TBM named Guy Briggs about 12 years ago, wherein he brought up the "angel with the flaming sword" business. With all the recent talk of that subject, I'm repeating my remarks about it:

Guy wrote:

Prophet or no, it seems obvious that Smith believed the
Lord had commanded plural marriage, but it took a lot of pushing (once
by an angel with a flaming sword, if the Lightner woman is to be
believed) to get Smith to do it.

I responded:

Lightner, and Almera Johnson, and others.
Look--the "angel with the flaming sword" commanding someone to have sex with
other women is possibly the most transparent, silly, pick-up line ever
invented. It's amazing that JS got a few of his groupies to believe it, and
that Mormons like yourself still believe it to this day.

If an "angel" had commanded JS to sacrifice his firstborn, or to climb the
highest mountain, or swim Lake Erie, as a "show of faith," one could give JS a
shred of a benefit of the doubt. But an "angel" threatening to kill "the
Lord's prophet" if he didn't become a bigamist? Come on, Guy. That doesn't
pass the giggle test.

That "angel" story reminds of a guy here a couple of years ago--- a hillbilly
with two teenage stepdaughters. He told the girls that he had a terrible
disease that could only be cured by having sex with a virgin. He fooled them
for a few joyrides until they told a friend, and it led to his arrest. I view
JS' "angel with the flaming sword" concoction with the same disgust.

Guy:

Even after he started it, it was only a half-hearted attempt.

Randy :

33 plural wives in ten years was "half-hearted?"

Good thing he wasn't fool-hearted.

I still can't believe that I bought that as a TBM. I was like "damn, poor JS, loved his wife so much that he was willing to defy god himself in order to stay faithful. But in the end, god won and forced him into having sex with all those women."

It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard but I totally bought it.

If JS was here he'd be laughing like crazy about the whole thing.

One can argue the reason God killed or allowed his chosen profit to be killed in a gun battle is because Joe didn't follow instructions about new wives' virginity and first wife's consent, or maybe in this one area he just thought details didn't matter.

Reminds me of a line from a favorite movie, 'Army of Darkness': 'Did you say the words exactly?' 'Yeah, I said the words...basically' (klaatu veratum nictus...wait...um)

JS Jr to God: 'Yeah, they were virgins...basically, maybe in spirit if not in fact.'