Joseph Smith, what did he do?

[_Ray A]

Nehor wrote this in the Celestial Forum:

Our praise of Joseph Smith is the praise of gratitude for what he'd done (which is a lot). I can think of only a few historical figures who have done as much in their life.

I read and reread and really wondered what precisely did Joseph Smith do?

He was the conduit for the restoration of the living gospel of Jesus Christ and the re-establishment of His only true church complete with all the ordinances necessary for salvation and exaltation including polygamy.
Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon which is a record of God's interactions with the ancient inhabitants of the American continent and which contains the words of many prophets. A man may get closer to God by obeying the precepts contained in that book than by any other book.
He also translated a sacred Egyptian papyri which has become known as the Book of Abraham. He also explained the meaning and identity of the symbols and figures in the accompanying facsimiles.

Joseph Smith saw God the father and his son Jesus Christ in the flesh and thereby revealed that they have bodies like ours only perfect and glorified.

He also discovered the remains of Zelph the great white Lamanite prophet.

In case you didn't get this, Barrel, this is called a parody.

[_Ray A]

That may be true, but that isn't the question.

And I explained where she could find the answers to her question.

The question is what did Joseph Smith do? Obviously he was beloved by his followers, and I happen to think he is one of the most interesting characters in American history. But the original question was in response to LDS who are grateful for everything he did, and would stack him up against any historical figure. My argument is although he may have been a great person, his influence was small.

My argument is that Josiah Quincy was right:

It is by no means improbable that some future textbook, for the use of generations yet unborn, will contain a question something like this: What historical American of the nineteenth century has exerted the most powerful influence upon the destinies of his countrymen? And it is by no means impossible that the answer to that interrogatory may be thus written: Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet. And the reply, absurd as it doubtless seems to most men now living, may be an obvious commonplace to their descendants. History deals in surprises and paradoxes quite as startling as this.

[_beastie]

Here's more context for Coe's remarks:

Well, in fact I'm a totally irreligious person, even though I was born and raised a perfectly good Episcopalian Christian. Yet figures like Joseph Smith fascinate me as an anthropologist, and I suppose as an American, too. When I read Fawn Brodie's wonderful book, No Man Knows My History, I couldn't put it down. I mean, it's the most exciting biography I've ever read.

When I did read it for the first time, I realized what kind of a person this Joseph Smith was. In my opinion, he was not just a great religious leader; he was a really great American, and I think he was one of the greatest people who ever lived. This extraordinary man, who put together a religion -- probably with many falsities in it, falsehoods, so forth, to begin with -- eventually came to believe in it so much that he really bought his own story and made it believable to other people. In this respect, he's a lot like a shaman in anthropology: these extraordinary religious practitioners in places like Siberia, North America among the Eskimo, the Inuit, who start out probably in their profession as almost like magicians doing magic. ...

I really think that Joseph Smith, like shamans everywhere, started out faking it. I have to believe this -- that he didn't believe this at all, that he was out to impress, but he got caught up in the mythology that he created. This is what happens to shamans: They begin to believe they can do these things. It becomes a revelation: They're speaking to God. And I don't think they start out that way; I really do not. ...

It's as though P.T. Barnum had started to believe his own fakeries. In many respects he was a great man, [and] he could have done something of the same thing, but he didn't. He didn't have this kind of inner spirit and this sense of destiny that Joseph Smith had. Joseph Smith had a sense of destiny -- and most fakers don't have this -- and this is how he transformed something that, I think, was clearly made up into something that was absolutely convincing, convincing to him and to a lot of people, and he never could have convinced a lot of people if he hadn't been convinced himself.

http://www.pbs.org/Mormons/interviews/coe.html

Now I'm not sure how Coe goes to "one of the greatest people who ever lived", but Joseph Smith was definitely a religious genius, and the religion he created has had an impact on the history of the US at the very least. If the LDS church continues to grow and continue to amass great wealth, and exercise its influence in the political arena of not just the US but other countries, it could conceivably even extend its influence.

Normally when believers refer to the great things Joseph Smith has done, they are talking in terms of religious claims - the restoration of the only true priesthood authority of JC to perform saving ordinances.

[_SatanWasSetUp]

My argument is that Josiah Quincy was right:

It is by no means improbable that some future textbook, for the use of generations yet unborn, will contain a question something like this: What historical American of the nineteenth century has exerted the most powerful influence upon the destinies of his countrymen? And it is by no means impossible that the answer to that interrogatory may be thus written: Joseph Smith, the Mormon prophet. And the reply, absurd as it doubtless seems to most men now living, may be an obvious commonplace to their descendants. History deals in surprises and paradoxes quite as startling as this.

Any predictions when this "some future textbook" will come to pass?

[_Blixa]

It is a good question. I agree with SWSU that Joseph Smith's accomplishments were limited to building his church. I have to give BY credit for a legacy that extends beyond that.

I guess a valid question would be (or perhaps it's not very valid):

Would Brigham Young's legacy (and the settling of the West, etc.) have been brought to fruition without Joseph Smith?

Well, of course BY wouldn't have ended up out West if he'd never met Joseph Smith, but I wonder if this isn't really a kind of fruitless (not the same as invald?) direction of questioning: just because someone is one of the factors responsible for setting some historical event(s) in motion, doesn't mean they should be credited with them, does it?

The West would have been settled in some fashion; the "restoration of the gospel" was not a necessary part of it.

That might not make sense. Its very hot today. Even in my air conditioned "study." I'm quite wilted.

[Guest]

Okay short list:

1. Testified of the nature of God through First Vision
2. Restored Priesthood
3. Translated Book of Mormon
4. Received over 100 revelations in D&C and Pearl of Great Price
5. Oversaw multiple migrations
6. Founded Nauvoo and was a mayor
7. Built and was Lieutenant general of the second-largest military force in the Americas at the time
8. Oversaw the building of 2 Temples
9. Wrote some poems I enjoy
10. Restored work for the dead
11. Ran for Presidency of the United States
12. Served several Missions
13. Refined Church Organization
14. Revealed the Temple Ordinances
15. Formed and the taught the School of the Prophets whose lessons are still read by many Saints
16. Forgave betrayal by many of his closest friends that ended up putting him in prison.
17. Inspiration to send the Missionaries abroad and convert more people than they ever thought possible.
18. Died a martyr.
19. Studied multiple languages (particularly Hebrew)
20. Is still loved as a hero by the LDS people.

All of this while dealing with intense personal persecution.

[_Ray A]

Any predictions when this "some future textbook" will come to pass?

It already has. He is already listed among the most influential figures in American history (the same list which has Washington and the Wright Brothers). And remember, Christianity has an 1,800 year headstart.

[_Doctor Steuss]

It is a good question. I agree with SWSU that Joseph Smith's accomplishments were limited to building his church. I have to give BY credit for a legacy that extends beyond that.

I guess a valid question would be (or perhaps it's not very valid):

Would Brigham Young's legacy (and the settling of the West, etc.) have been brought to fruition without Joseph Smith?

Well, of course BY wouldn't have ended up out West if he'd never met Joseph Smith, but I wonder if this isn't really a kind of fruitless (not the same as invald?) direction of questioning: just because someone is one of the factors responsible for setting some historical event(s) in motion, doesn't mean they should be credited with them, does it?

The West would have been settled in some fashion; the "restoration of the gospel" was not a necessary part of it.

That might not make sense. Its very hot today. Even in my air conditioned "study." I'm quite wilted.

No it makes perfect sense, and I’m sure you’re right that it is basically a fruitless line of questioning/though. I'm sure the West would have been settled in some fashion without the many Mormon settlements, forts, etc. Chances are the Mexican/American war would have had the same outcome without the Mormon battalion as well. I guess without the aid of a Delorian and a flux capacitor, we shall never know how US history would have been different without Mormonism and its founder.

[_Tarski]

Okay short list:

1. Testified of the nature of God through First Vision
2. Restored Priesthood
3. Translated Book of Mormon
4. Received over 100 revelations in D&C and Pearl of Great Price
5. Oversaw multiple migrations
6. Founded Nauvoo and was a mayor
7. Built and was Lieutenant general of the second-largest military force in the Americas at the time
8. Oversaw the building of 2 Temples
9. Wrote some poems I enjoy
10. Restored work for the dead
11. Ran for Presidency of the United States
12. Served several Missions
13. Refined Church Organization
14. Revealed the Temple Ordinances
15. Formed and the taught the School of the Prophets whose lessons are still read by many Saints
16. Forgave betrayal by many of his closest friends that ended up putting him in prison.
17. Inspiration to send the Missionaries abroad and convert more people than they ever thought possible.
18. Died a martyr.
19. Studied multiple languages (particularly Hebrew)
20. Is still loved as a hero by the LDS people.

All of this while dealing with intense personal persecution.

My list already hit some of this. Yet Ray doesn't like it.

[_The Nehor]

My list already hit some of this. Yet Ray doesn't like it.

I think it was the obscurity of your list. I don't consider finding Zelph and explaining facsimilies to be some of his greatest accomplishments, it's more of the kind of thing he worked out on a lazy afternoon. But to each their own I guess.