HYMN: “Oh, how lovely was the morning! Radiant beamed the sun above. Bees were humming, sweet birds singing, Music ringing thru the grove, When within the shady woodland Joseph sought the God of love. Humbly kneeling, sweet appealing—’Twas the boy’s first uttered prayer—When the pow’rs of sin assailing Filled his soul with deep despair; But undaunted, still he trusted In his Heav’nly Father’s care.” –Joseph Smith’s First Prayer, LDS Hymns, hymn 26, verses 1-2. [source]
COMMENTARY: Have you ever noticed that when the church speaks about Joseph Smith at the age of 14 they use images and language showing how young, innocent, and pure he was, and how majestic such spiritual experiences must have been for him? Yet when they finally admitted that he married Helen Mar Kimball when he was 37 and she was 14, they simply dismiss it as being “legal in that era?” Where are songs lauding her purity and innocence? Where is her praise for following the will of God in doing something difficult and praiseworthy? Where are images of a young Helen standing next to a middle-aged Joseph making promises for eternity? Seems to me the church has a double standard. But what do I know? I’m just another apostate.
