Posted by:
mateo
(
)
Date: December 11, 2010 05:23PM
Today I found the following in Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (pp. 314-315 in my 1976 edition):
"It has gone abroad that I proclaimed myself no longer a prophet. I said it last Sabbath ironically: I supposed you would all understand."
You get that, guys? He only renounced his prophetic mantle IRONICALLY. Afterwards he got one of those mustache finger tattoos and put on his aviators.
It seems that, at some point around July 23rd 1843, JS said that he was no longer a prophet and that Hyrum would take over as head of the church (p. 318). Unfortunately I couldn't find the original sermon referred to in the above quote. TBMs often like to say that JS would have given up at some point if he were a false prophet, that his tenacity is evidence of his divine calling. But here's an example of him doing just that, even if only for a moment.
Does anybody know more about this incident? Around this time JS would have been in the thick of pretty intense opposition (John C. Bennett, William Law, Emma), and it makes sense that he would have been tempted to pack it in altogether. But I've never heard anything about it outside of this TPJS reference.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/12/2010 12:42AM by mateo.