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If the Prophet Joseph Smith thought/believed that he was living in the latter days and that the return of Christ was imminent, why did he attempt to run for President of the United States?

Your thoughts?

Jersey Girl

Megalomania, I'd say.

He foresaw the Kennedy and Clinton administrations and thought it'd be a nifty way to get chicks.

Jersey Girl wrote:If the Prophet Joseph Smith thought/believed that he was living in the latter days and that the return of Christ was imminent, why did he attempt to run for President of the United States?

Your thoughts?

Jersey Girl

Boredom?

Seriously, I think the Saints were fed up with the political systems they'd encountered in Missouri and it strikes me as a protest. Although he seemed serious about getting his views heard and making his run public I don't think he or those close to him actually expected him to win.

The Nehor wrote:

Jersey Girl wrote:If the Prophet Joseph Smith thought/believed that he was living in the latter days and that the return of Christ was imminent, why did he attempt to run for President of the United States?

Your thoughts?

Jersey Girl

Boredom?

Seriously, I think the Saints were fed up with the political systems they'd encountered in Missouri and it strikes me as a protest. Although he seemed serious about getting his views heard and making his run public I don't think he or those close to him actually expected him to win.

That's not the point she's making, Nehor. If Joseph really thought the return of Christ was imminent, there is no reason for him to get fed up with politics in the US at all. If he really thought that, he'd have not cared about politics at all because he would have known their situation was going to change in a heartbeat as soon as Christ showed up. His run for the presidency, abbreviated though it was, showed he didn't really believe what he was preaching. He knew he'd made it all up and nothing was going to change because unless he got really lucky, Christ wasn't going to return any time soon. No wonder the church has turned its back on that one.

harmony wrote:That's not the point she's making, Nehor. If Joseph really thought the return of Christ was imminent, there is no reason for him to get fed up with politics in the US at all. If he really thought that, he'd have not cared about politics at all because he would have known their situation was going to change in a heartbeat as soon as Christ showed up. His run for the presidency, abbreviated though it was, showed he didn't really believe what he was preaching. He knew he'd made it all up and nothing was going to change because unless he got really lucky, Christ wasn't going to return any time soon. No wonder the church has turned its back on that one.

I don't think he believed it was imminent. Remember that he had a revelation saying that he would see the return of the Savior if he lived to be 85. So, assuming that he actually believed what he said, he figured he had at least 47 years left. Plenty of time to get involved in politics.

As for the actual question, I think his reasons were complex. Partly, he needed to show the saints that he was seeking redress for their sufferings (his stated reason for running), but I think it was also a means of publicizing the church and "growing" it. And, yes, I think his ego was involved.

I too think the reasons were complex, but mostly because they were so contradictory.

harmony nails it: a presidential bid, no matter how purely "symbolic" in intention, is incompatible with a belief that the cessation of human society is imminent. As a component of a PR campaign (runtu's point); it also seems incompatible with spiritual "truths" that need no human advertising to establish their righteous and foretold dominion. And as a means to call political attention to the saint's sufferings and injustices (again runtu's point), it also seems strange---one could not come up with a more vulgar transgression of the separation of church and state, nor one that would seem to more actively court anti-mormon fear.

The over-riding explanation to me, though, has always been vanity.

Blixa wrote:I too think the reasons were complex, but mostly because they were so contradictory.

harmony nails it: a presidential bid, no matter how purely "symbolic" in intention, is incompatible with a belief that the cessation of human society is imminent.

I agree, but then I don't think he believed it was imminent, even if you take his word for it.

As a component of a PR campaign (runtu's point); it also seems incompatible with spiritual "truths" that need no human advertising to establish their righteous and foretold dominion.

I think Joseph believed in his own ability to generate interest and gain followers. The campaign was just another platform. I very much doubt Joseph thought he was dealing in spiritual truths that need no human advertising.

And as a means to call political attention to the saint's sufferings and injustices (again runtu's point), it also seems strange---one could not come up with a more vulgar transgression of the separation of church and state, nor one that would seem to more actively court anti-mormon fear.

I believe it was meant for Mormon consumption, not as a real effort to draw attention to the members' suffering. His campaign didn't say much about Mormon suffering, but members were convinced that he was running to publicize their plight. It's really nice to be able to get people to believe you're looking out for them when you're really looking out for yourself.

The over-riding explanation to me, though, has always been vanity.

Seems pretty obvious to me, too.

I

Jersey Girl wrote:If the Prophet Joseph Smith thought/believed that he was living in the latter days and that the return of Christ was imminent, why did he attempt to run for President of the United States?

Your thoughts?

Jersey Girl

First please demonsrate that he thought the return of Jesus wan imminent. I think you have a flase premise. He may have believed it could have been in his life and perhaps decades down the road. But imminent? I do not think so.

Well, he'd already had himself annointed King of the earth. Only problem is, nobody else in the world would respect and honor his position. What better way to prepare the world for his Kingship than by first assuming some lesser offices, you know, like President of the United States?