Comments on: John C. Bennett and D&C 124:16–17

By: The Saint Joseph Mo DJ

The Saint Joseph Mo DJ — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 05:58:33 +0000

Well, the last time I tried to post a note, I screwed up twice and gave up. So, here goes again, Nice Site. I wish you would do mine!

By: Shelly

Shelly — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:47:08 +0000

Mike thank you for this post, it was very helpful. may I add: “The Journal of Joseph” A Personal Diary of a Modern Prophet, Brother Joseph referes to Bennett 5 times that I found, April 6 Bennett & other dignitaries in attendance at Temple 1st cornerstone placement, May 7 1842 something about the “Sham Battle”…, May 17th Bennett resigned as mayor, May 19 city counsil acceptes Bennett’s resignation… May 25 Bennett was disfellowshipped…May 26 Bennett acknowledged licentious conduct begges again for forgivness…May 28 High Council investigating men influenced by Bennett (possibly Bennett himself)several “cut-off” some forgiven on confession… Jan.18 1843 Bennett’s letter to Merrs obtained by Mr.Pratt, April 17 Elder Webb writes from Kalamazoo county and finds Bennett lecturing, in fear claims “he is one on one of Joe Smith’s destorying angels come to kill me;”…Nov. 25 High Council Meeting, Sagers is compared to Bennett…Also in the Encyclopedia of Latter-Day Saint History by: Garr,Cannon, Cowan there is 1 1/2 pgs on Bennett that is very helpful. Also Orson Scott Card in 1978-1980 in his 2nd volume dramatizations of Church history gives several accounts of Bennett his actions, his declarations of innocence, and finally his (groveling for understanding).
I also want to THANK THOSE who have commented thus far in this forum.

By: Mike Parker

Mike Parker — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:28:04 +0000

Thomas, I largely wrote this from memory. You can read up on Bennett in Rough Stone Rolling. There's a Wikipedia article on Bennett that's sadly under-documented. I was surprised to find that there's no entry for him in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism. There are also draft chapters of Greg Smith's forthcoming book on polygamy hosted on the FAIR web site. And the University of Illinois published a biography of Bennett back in 1997. (I haven't read either of these last two.) Oddly enough, a Google search for "John C Bennett" lists this very blog post third in rank, behind Wikipedia and a summary of the UofI bio.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:15:05 +0000

Can you give your sources for the behaviors of Mr. Bennett?

By: Cameron

Cameron — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 21:33:36 +0000

Reminds me of what the Lord told Joseph inthe 1820′s in Doctrine and Covenants Section 10:37 about the loss of the 116 pages,

But as you cannot always judge the righteous, or as you cannot always tell the wicked from the righteous, therefore I say unto you, hold your peace until I shall see fit to make all things known unto the world concerning the matter.

Its an interesting principle.

By: Michaela Stephens

Michaela Stephens — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:28:14 +0000

It is really no surprise that Joseph Smith would be slow to believe negative reports about John C Bennett (or anyone for that matter) considering that the Joseph Smith manual in the chapter on Forgiveness notes that he made a covenant that he would not believe any negative reports or gossip about any of his associates without talking to them about it first. (Remember, he had a very difficult life of suffering from others’ gossip about him that he was determined not to subject anyone else to that same pain.)

By: Brian Duffin

Brian Duffin — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:52:29 +0000

Mike,

I really enjoyed reading your post. Thank you for your scholarly works!! I’m going back and re-reading Rough Rolling Stone on this very subject.

By: Greg Smith

Greg Smith — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:47:33 +0000

Pres. Boyd K. Packer sees it similarly:

…even with the best of intentions, [Church government and leadership] does not always work the way it should. Human nature may express itself on occasion, but not to the permanent injury of the work. – Boyd K. Packer, “‘I Say unto You, Be One,’” in BYU Devotional and Fireside Speeches, 1990-1991 (Provo, Utah: University Publications, 1991), 84; italics added.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:30:08 +0000

The guarantee is only that the Lord will never let the prophet lead the Church “astray,” which I understand to mean “into complete apostasy.” That backstop is set a long way back from the plate. There’s plenty of room to get the everyday details wrong.

Interestingly, this is similar to the Catholic doctrine of “sensus fidei,” whereby the Church and/or Pope is supernaturally prevented from mucking things up too much. The odd inquisition, Galileo affair, etc., is excused as peripheral to the Church’s core mission; what matters — the central Christian truths, and the Church’s authority — remain intact.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:19:40 +0000

Very interesting piece. Truly, the Lord’s ways are not our ways, because foolish and short-sighted men will take the facts presented here at face value and draw hasty and incorrect conclusions.

I often find myself addressing the matter of prophetic fallibility to critics. In their eyes, a prophet must be more akin to a psychic or a mind-reader. Any bit of information that slips by under his nose, or mistake that he makes is considered a condemning act, when all scriptural evidence of the true nature of prophets tells otherwise.