CWK #43: Celebrate Smithmas!

[Kishkumen]

An absolutely irrefutable post, Dr. Robbers. Truly, the Spirit of Christmas is flowing through you this holiday season.

You must mean: The Spirit of Smithmas.

[Tom]

There is no way you can be Mormon and believe that Smith's birthday two days away from Christ's is an accident, and no Mormon does believe such a thing, unless they are an Internet Mormon. And even then, they don't really believe it's a coincidence.

I can prove the apologists celebrate Smithmas:

There is no reason whatsoever to celebrate any birthday as a Mormon except Jesus's. It's not a sacrilege to celebrate birthdays, it's not something reserved only for the Lord, it's just otherwise a totally secular thing. Nobody knows what Brigham Young's birthday is, nobody knows what Moses's birthday is, or Paul's, or any deceased modern day prophet's. Hinckley used to make a huge deal out of his birthday when he was alive, but after he died, nobody has ever paused to recall, "it's President Hinckley's birthday today." But celebrating the birthdays of leaders even when they are alive isn't a tradition, it's just a thing that some leaders introduce occasionally as optional merriment, presumably to make themselves appear down-to-earth to their flock. There is no significance.

Likewise, people don't celebrate the birthdays of deceased family members, or if that happens, it's pretty unusual. There is no secular tradition to celebrate birthdays of people who have passed on, and there is no religious motive to celebrate any birthday other than Christ's, at least for Mormons. A better way to put that is there is no religious reason to celebrate birthdays period -- there is nothing sacred about birthdays because there is no religious significance to them, for Mormons. As the Rev mentioned, "Pioneer Day" is an example of a Mormon holiday, as the significance is something in history that happened on that day. Some Mormons remember dates such as when the Aaronic Priesthood was restored.

There is no religious significance to the birth of Joseph Smith. There is significance to other dates involving him, of course. So why would I say that Mormons, including apologists, celebrate Smithmas, if I'm also saying there is no religious significance to Smith's birthday?

Because Mormons do celebrate Joseph Smith's birthday, including Dan Peterson! While they don't celebrate the birthday of any other deceased person, religious or otherwise. The reason they celebrate his birthday is because it falls so close to Christmas. If Joseph Smith had been born in the middle of August, nobody would give his birthday a second thought. Because it falls so close to Christmas, as the founder, it must be significant. The Lord wouldn't have had him born then if he didn't want people to make the association. It's called bias, sure; in science, we're biased, but we try not to be; in religion, bias is a feature. We revel in connections. And so during Smithmas time, Mormons relate Smith to Jesus, because their births are so close in proximity, and from there, they think about all the other ways that they are alike in personal attributes and in mission.

Because Smith's birthday is first, you could say like John the Baptist, he prepares the way for Jesus and is less than Jesus, but some may see Smith as slightly more important, and who is to say that they are wrong? Sic et Non seems to focus quite a lot on Joseph Smith, while much of the material about Christ seems to be for performance, to challenge the notion that Mormons worship Joseph Smith. Since Joseph has received his exaltation, he's now a God, and that technically puts him higher up the ladder than Jesus was during his mortal ministry and even thereafter. Anyway, because Joseph is a distinguishing feature for Mormonism, it isn't surprising he gets more press than Jesus. Either way, they are close enough, their missions are intertwined, and if you've ever celebrated Joseph Smith's birthday, you've celebrated Smithmas.

Several apostles have suggested it’s not a coincidence. From a Deserted News article published exactly 16 years ago today:

[President Monson] … noted that he's always appreciated the fact that Joseph Smith was born in the season in which we celebrate the birth of Christ. "I think very little happens by coincidence," he said. And at this season, he's happy that our thoughts can be drawn to Joseph Smith. "He gave us everything.”

Joseph Smith “gave us everything.” Indeed.

Plus, Elder Gong was born on December 23. That’s not a coincidence.

[Philo Sofee]

WOW! "He gave us everything." Just WOW! Smithmas is every bit as important as Christmas is and we be celebratin it tomorrow night!!!!!! Kish and I are hosting it for the first time on his channel. I am honored he asked me to co-host this magnificent celebration.

[Dr Exiled]

Must see TV!!! Merry Smithmas to one and all!!!

[Moksha]

WOW! "He gave us everything." Just WOW! Smithmas is every bit as important as Christmas is and we be celebratin it tomorrow night!!!!!! Kish and I are hosting it for the first time on his channel. I am honored he asked me to co-host this magnificent celebration.

Will the two of you be dressed as Elves on the Shelf? Did you let the Mormon D&D board know? It would be neat if Calm, Nehor, and Tacenda could bake some Gingerbread cookies or at least bring some Oreos.

[Tom]

On this Smithmas Eve, I feel inspired to respond to some common criticisms of Smithmas by certain critics who seem compelled to devote part of the holiday to attacking its celebrants.

Anti-Smithmas critic: “Perhaps, had he not been born so close to the superholiday of Christmas, Joseph Smith’s birthday would have been widely commemorated among contemporary Latter-day Saints, more or less in the manner of, say, Pioneer Day. Perhaps. As it is, like a celestial object that’s positioned adjacent to the sun in the daytime sky, any thoughts of Joseph’s birth that might arise among members of the Restored Church are overwhelmed by the festival of Christ’s birth and the celebrations (and, let’s face it, by the frenzy of commercialism) that precede and accompany it.”

It’s possible that Latter-day Saints would celebrate Joseph Smith’s birthday with more enthusiasm if it fell in, say, June or July. I would point out, though, that several modern apostles have suggested that Joseph’s birth in December was no accident and may have been foreordained. From an article published in the Deseret News in December 2008:

[President Monson] ... noted that he's always appreciated the fact that Joseph Smith was born in the season in which we celebrate the birth of Christ. "I think very little happens by coincidence," he said. And at this season, he's happy that our thoughts can be drawn to Joseph Smith. "He gave us everything.”

Anti-Smithmas critic: “To continue my astronomical metaphor, if Jesus is the sun, Joseph Smith is a moon. What do I mean by that? I mean to suggest that Joseph’s is a reflected light. He is not luminescent in and of himself, innately. Thanks to the sun, our planet teems with life on land, in the soil, in the air, and in the waters. The pale light of our moon cannot sustain life on its own. Earth would be sterile if lunar light were all we had. But, absent the sun, the moon itself would also be lost in utter darkness.”

I’m not sure that I agree. Elder John Taylor of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who was with Joseph Smith in his final moments and was intimately familiar with the Prophet, penned a hymn, titled “The Seer,” that suggested that Joseph was luminescent in and of himself. From the first part of the second verse:

Of noble seed, of heavenly birth,
He came to bless the sons of earth, to bless the sons of earth;
With keys by the Almighty given,
He opened the full rich stores of heaven;
O’er the world that was wrapped in sable night,
Like the sun he spread his golden light,
Like the sun he spread his golden light.

Anti-Smithmas critic: “For many, I think it’s just a rather bitter and not particularly funny joke. Some, though, seem to take the claim seriously — or, at least, to want others to take it seriously.”

I don’t find Smithmas to be a bitter or not particularly funny joke.

Anti-Smithmas critic: “The truth, of course, is that most Latter-day Saints don’t even know that 23 December is the Prophet’s birthday, let alone celebrate it.”

Actually, the real truth is that no one knows how many or what percentage of Latter-day Saints know that 23 December is Joseph’s birthday. I am reasonably confident that none of Smithmas’ critics have conducted a survey to support their claim. (As an aside, I would note that one of my most influential teachers detested use of “of course.” She would strike it out with a heavy red pen and urge her students to make an actual argument rather than try to paper over an unsupported claim by using “of course.”)

In December 1997, President Gordon B. Hinckley said of Joseph: “His birthday will grow in recognition and in importance as the years pass and the Church continues to grow.” Note President Hinckley’s use of the word will. I suspect that he used that word intentionally. He could have said that he hoped that Joseph’s birthday would grow in recognition and in importance. He could have invited Latter-day Saints to celebrate Joseph’s birthday more widely and more often. But he didn’t. He said Joseph’s birthday “will grow in recognition and in importance as the years pass and the Church continues to grow.”

Merry Smithmas!

[drumdude]

Back in the day when my wife and I used to host a little “birthday party” for Joseph Smith on 23 December, we would maybe tell a story or two about the Prophet — or invite somebody else to do so. (The late and much lamented historian Scott Faulring came one year, for example.) Maybe we would express some appreciation for him. Then we would enjoy potluck refreshments and sing Christmas carols. Note: Not “Smithmas carols.” Christmas carols. It was an excuse to get together with some highly musical friends and sing.

I hope our favorite critic of Smithmas will continue to celebrate Smithmas! I would be saddened to hear that our merriment would be cause for him to abandon the festivities.

[Everybody Wang Chung]

"We don't worship Joseph Smith at all. It might look like we do because of all the statues we’ve built in his honor, the films, the books, the celebrations and the songs of praise to him. But, we totally don't." — Anti-Smithmas critic

[Tom]

Yes, having a birthday party and even a cake are wonderful ways to celebrate. I am reminded of a Church News article a few years back about a family who celebrated Joseph’s birthday every year for more than four decades:

Inspired by an article on the Prophet Joseph Smith she read in a 1960 edition of the Church News, Norma Moyes began a wintertime family tradition that has endured 46 years.

"I was so anxious to learn more about the Prophet, that I decided to have a family birthday party in honor of and to further the study of the Prophet," said Sister Moyes, now a member of the Holladay 25th Ward, Salt Lake Holladay South Stake.

Since the anniversary of Joseph's birth on Dec. 23, 1805, falls so close to Christmas, she decided to combine the celebration with an observance of the Savior's birth.

So we had a small, 18-inch, white cake with a tiny manger scene on top and 'Happy birthday to Jesus and Joseph,"' she said.

"On the 21st of December, I wrote a small invitation to each member of my family, inviting them to a special birthday party. I told them someone would pick them up and to be ready at 7 p.m." …

This year's party is the last Sister Moyes intends to host. She will leave it to posterity to carry on the tradition, confident that they will do so, as will members of her ward who, hearing about the yearly gatherings, have expressed interest in planning Joseph Smith birthday parties of their own.

"To me, these parties have meant so much," she said. "I love the Prophet Joseph with all my heart. He has been and always will be a tremendous factor in my beliefs and in my testimony. He truly has influenced my life for good. Hopefully, he will have blessed the lives of all my children and all my grandchildren."

Celebrating Smithmas and Christmas with a joint cake for Joseph and Jesus is a wonderful tradition.

[Everybody Wang Chung]

We are going to have a small Smithmas gathering tomorrow evening. We’ll sing a couple of songs, drink hot Wassail and play my favorite LDS trivia game, Celestial Pursuit.

I’ll probably close our little celebration tomorrow by reminding everyone just what a tremendously difficult challenge it was for Joseph to keep all his wives on constant rotation and still manage to keep everything secret from Emma.

On top of that, I’ll remind everyone just how mentally and physically taxing it must have been for Joseph to single handedly bring down the Kirkland Safety Society bank.

I'm glad brother Joseph can finally rest now from his earthly labors. Rest well sweet prince. Rest well.

Merry Smithmas!