CHURCH ESSAY: “Joseph told associates that an angel appeared to him three times between 1834 and 1842 and commanded him to proceed with plural marriage when he hesitated to move forward. During the third and final appearance, the angel came with a drawn sword, threatening Joseph with destruction unless he went forward and obeyed the commandment fully.” -Polygamy in Kirtland and Nauvoo, Gospel Topics, LDS.org. [source]
COMMENTARY: Jesus Christ promised salvation and exaltation came without money and without price. Mormons demand you pay 10% of your income for the rest of your life if you want your family to be together forever. I think if you’re going to con people out of their money, it helps to filter out people who have good critical thinking skills. This makes Joseph Smith the perfect front man for the fraud of the Mormon church. His stories, such as that he found ancient records made of gold—but nobody else could see them, or that a papyrus found with an Egyptian mummy was actually written by Abraham, or that he really didn’t want to but an angel with a drawn sword made him marry all those women and girls, are perfect for making sure that only the truly gullible will join and remain members of the church. His crazy stories aren’t a flaw, but a feature of Mormonism. And it’s been very effective. The Mormon church is now one of the most wealthy churches in the United States, with an estimated $7 to $8 billion in tithing collected every year. But what do I know? I’m just another apostate.
