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− | + | =Did Joseph Smith run for President because he had delusions of grandeur?= | |
+ | ==There is little evidence that Joseph expected to win his political contest== | ||
Critics charge that Joseph Smith's decision to run for President of the United States in 1844 shows him to be either a megalomaniac bent on amassing ever more power, or a fanatic with delusions of grandeur. | Critics charge that Joseph Smith's decision to run for President of the United States in 1844 shows him to be either a megalomaniac bent on amassing ever more power, or a fanatic with delusions of grandeur. | ||
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[[Image:JSCampaignPoster.jpg|left|frame|Cover of "The Prophet," a magazine published by the Church in New York, 1844. This issue advocates the election of Joseph as President of the United States, with Sidney Rigdon as Vice-President. (From ''Ensign'' (September 1973): 21.)]] | [[Image:JSCampaignPoster.jpg|left|frame|Cover of "The Prophet," a magazine published by the Church in New York, 1844. This issue advocates the election of Joseph as President of the United States, with Sidney Rigdon as Vice-President. (From ''Ensign'' (September 1973): 21.)]] | ||
− | + | ==Joseph Smith was clear that he did not put his political beliefs or activities into the prophetic realm== | |
Joseph Smith was clear that he did not put his political beliefs or activities into the prophetic realm. As he said, "The Lord has not given me a revelation concerning politics. I have not asked him for one."<ref>{{HoC1|vol=5|start=526}}</ref> | Joseph Smith was clear that he did not put his political beliefs or activities into the prophetic realm. As he said, "The Lord has not given me a revelation concerning politics. I have not asked him for one."<ref>{{HoC1|vol=5|start=526}}</ref> | ||
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# Joseph advocated a strong central bank; he doubtless had vivid memories of the problems which arose when reliable banking was not available, especially on the frontier, given the problems with the [[Kirtland Safety Society]]. | # Joseph advocated a strong central bank; he doubtless had vivid memories of the problems which arose when reliable banking was not available, especially on the frontier, given the problems with the [[Kirtland Safety Society]]. | ||
− | + | ==There were many other benefits which accrued to the Church== | |
There were many other benefits which accrued to the Church: | There were many other benefits which accrued to the Church: | ||
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* The electioneers were working in their home state, so this gave them the chance to preach to many family members. Some joined the Church, while others merely abandoned the prejudices they had held against their Mormon kin. This is significant, since the Saints were soon to move west, far from these family ties.<ref>See discussion in Robertson, "Electioneers," 154–156.</ref> | * The electioneers were working in their home state, so this gave them the chance to preach to many family members. Some joined the Church, while others merely abandoned the prejudices they had held against their Mormon kin. This is significant, since the Saints were soon to move west, far from these family ties.<ref>See discussion in Robertson, "Electioneers," 154–156.</ref> | ||
− | + | ==The issue of George Miller== | |
Some have pointed to the remarks of George Miller, one of the campaigners, to insist that Joseph really intended his run for the Presidency to permit the establishment of a political Kingdom of God on earth. | Some have pointed to the remarks of George Miller, one of the campaigners, to insist that Joseph really intended his run for the Presidency to permit the establishment of a political Kingdom of God on earth. | ||
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Unfortunately for this theory, it ignores Joseph's contemporaneous remarks about his candidacy, and the behavior and journals of those who were involved as electioneers. | Unfortunately for this theory, it ignores Joseph's contemporaneous remarks about his candidacy, and the behavior and journals of those who were involved as electioneers. | ||
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{{endnotes sources}} | {{endnotes sources}} | ||
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+ | [[Category:Questions]] | ||
[[de:Frage: Bewarb sich Joseph Smith um das Amt des US-Präsidenten wegen Größenwahn?]] | [[de:Frage: Bewarb sich Joseph Smith um das Amt des US-Präsidenten wegen Größenwahn?]] | ||
[[es:Pregunta: ¿José Smith se postuló para presidente porque tenía ilusiones de grandeza?]] | [[es:Pregunta: ¿José Smith se postuló para presidente porque tenía ilusiones de grandeza?]] | ||
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Critics charge that Joseph Smith's decision to run for President of the United States in 1844 shows him to be either a megalomaniac bent on amassing ever more power, or a fanatic with delusions of grandeur.
Joseph Smith was sincere in his political principles, which seem to have been generally well-received and were well thought out. There is little evidence, however, that Joseph expected to win his political contest. Joseph had ample experience with persecution and hatred throughout his prophetic career; it seems unlikely that he would have expected to overcome such animus and successfully be elected president.
However, there were other goals that were also served with his Presidential campaign, and these seem to have loomed even larger in the minds of Joseph and those he sent as campaigners—chief among these was the strength added to the Church through strengthening distant branches, training future leaders, preaching the gospel, and dispelling prejudice.
Joseph Smith was clear that he did not put his political beliefs or activities into the prophetic realm. As he said, "The Lord has not given me a revelation concerning politics. I have not asked him for one."[1]
Joseph's reasons for running for president included the following:[2]:148
There were many other benefits which accrued to the Church:
Some have pointed to the remarks of George Miller, one of the campaigners, to insist that Joseph really intended his run for the Presidency to permit the establishment of a political Kingdom of God on earth.
Miller was later to join Lyman Wight's Texas break-off "empire," and even later he joined the followers of James Jesse Strang—who claimed to have established the political Kingdom of God on earth—in 1850. As one author has noted,
Unfortunately for this theory, it ignores Joseph's contemporaneous remarks about his candidacy, and the behavior and journals of those who were involved as electioneers.
Notes
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