No Man Knows My History
The Book No Man Knows My History by Brodie was a cynical history of the Mormon Prophet's life. It detailed all the trials and tribulations which were required for him to create a church of his own. The most relevant parts of the story to his individualism, and the effects of the American System thereof were his legal encounters. He was arrested around forty times, sent to jail half a dozen, and went on trial about thirty. His crimes ranged all the way from the expected legal equivalents of being branded a heretic all the way down to being accused of the murder of a man, because he prophesied that the man would die. He lived a hard life, where his supporters were few and far between.
Joe Smith's legal battle's, and particularly the sheer number of newspaper clippings which have been found, purporting him to be everything from a lustful polygamist with an unknowable number of secret wives, which was likely true, and claims of his secret police force which killed enemies of the Mormon religion, like untrue. He was bombarded by controversy at every turn, all because he questioned the established religion. His believers and some of those who disbelieve him alike call him the American Prophet, and that he was. Whether one takes his words concerning God as folly, and self-centered, or as the true third testament of the Lord, it must be accepted by all that he was American. He was born and he died in the New World. He was the man of prophesy who the Americans could properly claim as their own. But, they did not embrace him, they cast him out, forced him all the way to the desolate lands of Utah, where his spiritual descendants are often made fun of, called polygamist, and repeatedly the butt of jokes.
While we claim to be the New World, the place of starting fresh, free from the ties of the Old World and its dusty old churches, we hardly seem to actually accept the only All-American sect ever. When one says that Jesus Christ came to the New World, they are ridiculed. The ultimate attempt at driving away the old and bringing about the new, letting change come into the world, was immediately sent off, to some of the worst areas of the West. It certainly seems that American society, historically, does everything within its power to marginalize and drive out religious individualism.
But, it was the defining features of Joe Smith that made him great. Whether it was truly the voice of an angel or whether it was a clever lie or whether it was some kind of schizophrenia, Joseph Smith had something special that distinguished him from the rest of society, that made him outstanding and influential, and society wanted him to stop using what made him special; to repent and renounce his new religion. But it is not only religion that America tries to convince people to suppress.
Joe Smith's legal battle's, and particularly the sheer number of newspaper clippings which have been found, purporting him to be everything from a lustful polygamist with an unknowable number of secret wives, which was likely true, and claims of his secret police force which killed enemies of the Mormon religion, like untrue. He was bombarded by controversy at every turn, all because he questioned the established religion. His believers and some of those who disbelieve him alike call him the American Prophet, and that he was. Whether one takes his words concerning God as folly, and self-centered, or as the true third testament of the Lord, it must be accepted by all that he was American. He was born and he died in the New World. He was the man of prophesy who the Americans could properly claim as their own. But, they did not embrace him, they cast him out, forced him all the way to the desolate lands of Utah, where his spiritual descendants are often made fun of, called polygamist, and repeatedly the butt of jokes.
While we claim to be the New World, the place of starting fresh, free from the ties of the Old World and its dusty old churches, we hardly seem to actually accept the only All-American sect ever. When one says that Jesus Christ came to the New World, they are ridiculed. The ultimate attempt at driving away the old and bringing about the new, letting change come into the world, was immediately sent off, to some of the worst areas of the West. It certainly seems that American society, historically, does everything within its power to marginalize and drive out religious individualism.
But, it was the defining features of Joe Smith that made him great. Whether it was truly the voice of an angel or whether it was a clever lie or whether it was some kind of schizophrenia, Joseph Smith had something special that distinguished him from the rest of society, that made him outstanding and influential, and society wanted him to stop using what made him special; to repent and renounce his new religion. But it is not only religion that America tries to convince people to suppress.