And to make sure Adam and Eve were kicked out from Eden.
Except that swords didn't exist until the latter bronze age.
Don't worry too much about Angels with swords. If I told you to have sex with me, or an angel with a sword would kill me, you would call me a creep and say "good riddance then."
Before god sent the angel with a sword, god sent me, The Invisible Green Potato, to threaten Joseph. Despite my fearsome but invisible appearance, Joseph refused.
Whilst Joseph didn't fear toxic vegetables, he did have a phobia of of battle reenactments. The angel with a sword threatened to take Joseph to the annual battle of Cumorah day. Joseph still refused to practice polygamy, until the angel with a sword showed Joseph the loin skirt that he would have to wear. Joseph left the loin skirt out when re-telling the story.
"Why would an angel use a weapon to hurt someone?" - because he is an evil angel. When are people going to believe me that EVERYTHING in the CULT is EVIL, EVERYTHING!
Gosh darn, when are you going to get it through that head of yours that it is not allowed to question Joey's story. He was an amazing story-teller as testified by his mother, many other family members and his right-hand men.
Plus, I know it is one point I can agree with and you should be able to, too - that ole Joe could spin a good yarn! Bless his heart.
Maybe the day he said a sweet angel drew a sword in his face, he was having a really, really bad day, you know with, not only his intended next young beautiful teen wifey, but also Emma, members not giving up enough of their property to him, Sydney Rigdon wanting his rightful share of everything, those gentiles persecuting them right and left, etc etc.
Just so many things a prophet could get tied in a knot over, and who are we to say that spinning a rather outlandish yarn was not what he needed to relieve his tension and lift his spirits?
The OldTestament is loaded with Angels who are sent to do God's bidding including angels with flaming swords in the Garden of Eden.
The only angel mentioned by name in the history books of the Old Testament is the Angel of Death. This angel was an agent of destruction, presumably acting under direct orders from God. At the time of David, the Angel of Death destroyed 90,000 people and on another occasion, in the Assyrian army camp, it killed 185,000 soldiers.
The Angel at Jericho also weilded a sword and assured Joshua that he (the Angel) was on the Lord's side. Angels were also responsible for the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Given that the angel with a flaming sword told Joseph Smith to create an illegal marriage system which is still spreading harm to this day, we must assume that it was either a demon or it was the fraudulent claims of a lustful man.