Is there a theological trick to ditch Joseph Smith and Brigam Young as failed leaders given a prophetic message ? King David of the Old Testament was a leader but not a Prophet.
I am waiting to see how TSCC is going to eventually justify the vile acts of JS and BY. I imagine it will just be the same thing I've heard before. "They were imperfect men, but chosen to do God's will."
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Romans 16:18
For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naïve
Deuteronomy 18:20-22
But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the Lord has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.
2 Peter 2:3
And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.
I've seen this happen as "official" Christian Science ("The Mother Church") has relaxed its stricter teachings against medical care. First (because of notorious children's deaths in the 1970s & 1980s), they said "This is a parental decision with which we would not interfere." Previously, you heard CS "Practitioners" tell their "patients" that "it's going to be a long, hard, road back to real Christian Science healing if you take your kids to a doctor!"
Later this was expanded to all Christian Scientists. "The use of medicine is an individual decision. Nobody gets shunned or excommunicated for doing what they feel is right." Actually, the Mother Church "Manual" (governing document) states that an applicant for membership must abstain from alcohol & tobacco (sound familiar?) and rely on CS for health needs.
So what has developed is a two-tiered system. First, there are the older group, now dying off, we ex-CS'ists call the "radical reliance" group, who use CS "healing" to the oftentime very bitter end. In LDS, this would be the people who love "Praise To the Man" and eagerly anticipate their exaltation.
Then there are the younger ones, In CS, they like the philosophical mix of Christianity and Eastern concepts but have ibuprophen and authentic medical care. In LDS, these are the people who stay members, don't bother themselves with the contradictions, but appreciate the culture: political/moral conservatism, fellowship, activities, family loyalties, tribal identification, etc.
You older ex-Mo's will have to educate a lot of young'uns who don't really know, understand, or appreciate what the original ingredients are in the theological/cultural LDS goulash (GHOUL-ash?).
The problem is (of course) that JS is the FOUNDER of the CULT and BY is 2nd. Those two carry lots of weight in the CULT doctrine. THey can't just be dumped especially in light of what certain other prophets said about JS words
"The CULT stands on the truth of the BoM and the words of JS. If they are not true, then the entire thing is a big fraud." I paraphrased and I can't remember which profit said it, but one of them did so this is a serious problem for the CULT.
Well, there was a trick to promote the EVIL VILE pathological psychofants as holymen, as previously noted, it was called LYING, and it worked when the lie was told to people who were STUPID enough to believe it, those people were called MORmONS !
Come across all humble and uncertain. God's mysterious ways..who am I to say..there is much that we don't know..in the fullness of time..it is all up to the Lord..faith in the way of the Father..
Be anything but certain and confident about anything in the past, but super confident about what you're saying now.
The Nauvoo expositor described Joseph Smith as a fallen prophet. I think the RLDS did too. So yes, it can be done. It is very difficult for TSCC to do it though, because if they did they would be the same as the RLDS used to be.
Basically nothing can be added or taken from the Bible. Bible can't be changed. But Joseph Smith cancelled some parts from the Bible and moreover added his own rules. bible is a book of God, so JS is going against God's will.
Actual bible:
Nothing May Be Added 18I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; 19and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.
Plus yeah, Christ said everyone who'll come after me, everyone who was before me are liars. Says Bible, the God's book. So JS is a liar according to God, lol
We are talking about theological tricks to beat mormon doctrine. In this case, bible is good example that mormons are not christians. First they find some bible parts "wrong". Well, the bible is a Christ book, mean his words put in a book, so they are saying he was a liar? According to JC, Joseph Smith is a liar. So they can not refer to Christ in their religion at all.
I think that by "failed prophet" the OP means that Joseph Smith and Brigham Young correctly spoke the word of God, but at some point they sinned and lost their prophetic powers. Perhaps the OP could clarify.
As a TBM I heard the "nothing may be added" argument, which happens to be located at the end of Revelations at the very end of the Bible. As it turns out though, that verse only applies to the book of Revelation so it is a weak argument against mormonism.