The Character Question

Does Character Matter?

Scripture teaches that prophets should be evaluated by their fruits: "You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?" (Matthew 7:16). This principle invites examination of a prophet's character, not merely their claims. If Joseph Smith was called by God to restore true Christianity, his life should reflect that calling.

This is sensitive territory. Examining someone's character can easily slide into character assassination—and critics of Mormonism have sometimes been guilty of exactly that. At the same time, genuine character issues, if documented, are relevant to evaluating prophetic claims. Our goal is honest examination, not malicious attack.

Questions of Truthfulness

The 1826 Trial

As discussed in our previous lesson, Joseph Smith was brought before a court in 1826 on charges related to his treasure-seeking activities. The charge of being a "disorderly person" and "impostor" implied that Smith was deceiving people through pretended supernatural abilities. Whether he was convicted, acquitted, or had the charges dismissed is debated among historians, but the fact of the trial is established.

More troubling is the pattern the trial represents. Smith worked as a paid seer, using a stone to locate buried treasure. The treasure was never found— it always slipped away or sank deeper at the crucial moment. The spirits guarding it were always too powerful, or the conditions weren't quite right. This pattern of promising results that never quite materialized raises questions about Smith's relationship with truth.

Denials of Polygamy

A more serious concern involves Joseph Smith's repeated public denials of practicing polygamy while secretly taking multiple wives. The historical record is now clear: Smith practiced plural marriage from at least the mid-1830s, eventually marrying somewhere between 30 and 40 women, some already married to other men, some as young as fourteen.

Yet throughout this period, Smith publicly denied the practice. In 1838, the official church publication stated: "We are charged with advocating a plurality of wives... Now this is as false as the many other ridiculous charges which are brought against us. No sect have a greater reverence for the laws of matrimony, or the rights of private property."

In 1844, just months before his death, Smith declared in a public sermon: "What a thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only find one." This was a flat denial of what was actually true. By this time, Smith had been sealed to dozens of women.

The Practice of Polygamy

The Scope of the Practice

The LDS church now acknowledges that Joseph Smith practiced plural marriage extensively. According to the church's own Gospel Topics Essays, Smith was sealed to "between 30 and 40 women" during his lifetime. These included:

Already-married women. At least twelve of Smith's plural wives were already married to other men at the time of their sealing to Smith. This practice, sometimes called polyandry, meant that these women had two husbands simultaneously. In some cases, the first husband was aware and approved; in others, he was not.

Very young women. Several of Smith's wives were teenagers. The youngest documented wife, Helen Mar Kimball, was fourteen years old when sealed to the 38-year-old Smith. Her father, Heber C. Kimball, was promised that the sealing would ensure the salvation of his entire family. Helen later wrote that she had "no thought of ever becoming his wife" and that the proposal "crushed all my youthful hopes and expectations."

Foster daughters and household members. Some of Smith's wives were young women who had lived in his household, creating potential power imbalances. The Partridge sisters (Emily and Eliza) and the Lawrence sisters (Maria and Sarah) were orphans who had been taken into the Smith home before becoming plural wives.

Methods of Introduction

The means by which Smith introduced plural marriage to potential wives raise additional concerns. Common patterns included:

Angelic threats. Smith told some women that an angel with a drawn sword had commanded him to practice plural marriage, threatening to destroy him if he did not obey. This narrative appears in multiple independent accounts. Whether the angel was real or invented, using such a story to pressure women into marriage is troubling.

Promises of exaltation. Smith promised several women that marriage to him would guarantee their salvation and that of their families. Helen Mar Kimball's sealing was explicitly framed in these terms. Using spiritual promises to induce marriage raises serious ethical questions.

Secrecy from Emma. Many of Smith's marriages occurred without the knowledge or consent of his legal wife, Emma. When Emma discovered some of these relationships and objected, Smith received a revelation (D&C 132) commanding her to accept the practice or be "destroyed." Emma's anguish over polygamy is well documented.

Power and Authority

Consolidation of Power

By the Nauvoo period (1839-1844), Joseph Smith had accumulated extraordinary power. He served simultaneously as president of the church (spiritual authority), mayor of Nauvoo (civil authority), commander of the Nauvoo Legion (military authority—one of the largest armed forces in the nation at that time), and chief justice of the municipal court. He was also running for President of the United States.

This concentration of power raised concerns even among his followers. Some who had been close associates became alarmed at what they saw as Smith's growing authoritarianism. The Nauvoo Expositor, published by former members, explicitly criticized "the concentration of power in the hands of one man."

The Destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor

The Nauvoo Expositor published only one issue (June 7, 1844) before Joseph Smith, acting as mayor, declared it a public nuisance and ordered the city marshal to destroy the press. The newspaper had exposed the secret practice of polygamy and criticized Smith's political ambitions and authoritarian tendencies.

The destruction of a printing press was a serious matter—a violation of freedom of the press that shocked many contemporaries. It directly led to the charges against Smith that resulted in his incarceration at Carthage Jail and eventual death. Whatever one thinks of his overall character, this action demonstrated a willingness to use civil power to suppress criticism.

The Council of Fifty

In March 1844, Smith organized the Council of Fifty— a secret governing body that anointed him "Prophet, Priest, and King" and planned for a future theocratic government. The council discussed establishing a kingdom of God that would eventually rule the earth, with Smith at its head.

This theocratic ambition went far beyond religious leadership. Smith was planning not just a church but a government—a kingdom that would transcend and ultimately supersede earthly nations. While such plans were never realized, they reveal the scope of Smith's self-understanding and ambition.

Keeping Perspective

What the Evidence Shows

The evidence, much of it now acknowledged by the LDS church itself, presents a concerning pattern: public denials of practices that were actually occurring, the use of spiritual pressure to induce women into secret marriages, concentration of extraordinary power in one person, and suppression of criticism through civil authority.

This pattern is not consistent with typical biblical prophets. Moses did not lie to Israel. Isaiah did not suppress critics. Jesus—though he had all authority in heaven and earth—came not to be served but to serve. The model of prophetic leadership we see in Scripture does not match the pattern we observe in Joseph Smith's Nauvoo years.

The LDS Response

Faithful Latter-day Saints offer several responses to these concerns:

Persecution context. Smith faced genuine hostility—he was tarred and feathered, imprisoned, and eventually murdered. Some of his actions may be understood as defensive measures in a hostile environment.

Progressive revelation. God reveals truth according to what his people are ready to receive. The secrecy around polygamy may have been divinely mandated until the church was strong enough to practice it openly.

Human weakness. Even prophets are imperfect. Smith's flaws do not negate his prophetic calling any more than David's sins negated his kingship.

These responses deserve consideration. The question is whether they adequately account for the evidence or whether they are special pleading—the kind of excuses we would reject if offered for any other religious leader.

Implications for Gospel Witness

Using This Information Carefully

Character issues can be powerful in conversations with Latter-day Saints, but they must be handled with care. Many Mormons have never heard the details of Smith's polygamy or learned about his public denials. This information can be genuinely disturbing—and we must be prepared to offer pastoral care, not just historical ammunition.

Dumping troubling information on someone without relationship or follow-up is cruel. Better to raise questions gradually within a context of genuine friendship, to offer sources they can verify for themselves, and to be present for the difficult emotional journey that may follow.

The Character of Christ

Ultimately, the contrast that matters is not between Joseph Smith and other flawed human leaders but between Joseph Smith and Jesus Christ. Whatever questions surround Smith's character, there are no such questions about Jesus.

Jesus' enemies could find no fault in him. They had to manufacture false charges. His character was marked by humility, service, compassion, and truth-telling—even when truth was costly. He had all power but used it to serve. He had every right to condemn but chose to forgive. He is the standard by which all other leaders must be measured.

An Invitation

Our invitation to Mormon friends is not simply to reject Joseph Smith but to consider Jesus Christ. Smith asked people to trust his private visions and prophetic authority. Jesus asks us to examine his public life, death, and resurrection. Smith's character raises troubling questions. Jesus' character has withstood two thousand years of scrutiny.

We offer not a counsel of despair—"Your prophet was flawed"—but a gospel of hope: there is a Savior whose character is beyond question, whose love is unfailing, whose promises are certain. In him, we find not another human leader who disappoints but the Son of God who saves.

Fruits and Foundations

"By their fruits you will know them." Joseph Smith's life shows a pattern of deception regarding polygamy, the use of spiritual pressure to induce marriages, concentration of power, and suppression of criticism. These fruits raise serious questions about his prophetic claims.

This does not mean every Mormon is deceived or that Latter-day Saints cannot know genuine spiritual experiences. God can work through even flawed systems and imperfect people. But it does mean that the foundation of Mormonism—the prophetic authority of Joseph Smith—is shakier than the official narrative suggests.

We point, finally, not to Smith's failures but to Christ's sufficiency. Here is a Savior who needs no defense, whose character withstands every examination, whose love never manipulates, whose truth never deceives. He is the rock on which we build—and he invites all who are weary of uncertain foundations to find rest in him.