Nine (1814)
would be completed properly, in spite of the mortals they were working through. They
knew what the Bible said and they intended to fulfill its prophecies in those things that
supported their work in order to sustain the witness (though perverse) in Christ that Bible-
believers possessed:
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of
God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not
many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are
called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound
the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound
the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things
which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to
bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his
presence.^32One has to wonder how the “mighty” and “noble” who lead the modern religions of
the world justify not being among the “weak...and base things of the world”? The
properties and tithes alone that these organizations own and occupy, which they continue to
acquire, are worth billions of dollars. The once struggling religion founded by Joseph is now
one of the richest and most powerful churches in the world—if not the richest per capita.
In 1814, during Joseph’s ninth year, his family continued to suffer deprivations as
Joseph Sr. tried his hand at whatever he could in order to feed his family. Joseph Jr. was still
recuperating from his operation when the family decided to move from Lebanon, New
Hampshire to Norwich, Vermont. They rented some farmland and spent all spring
preparing the land and planting crops in great hopes of a bounteous “blessing from God.”
Nevertheless, the only thing they got from the true God (i.e., the advanced beings overseeing
Joseph’s development) was one crop failure after another.
Many LDS/Mormons deify Joseph and at the same time erroneously believe that
God blesses and is aware of those whom he loves. They insist that those who keep His
commandments will prosper in the land by the hand of God.^33 To the chagrin of these, it
must be asked, “Then why didn’t God help His chosen messenger?” Well, he did—by
helping him become one of the weak, base, and most despised true messengers the world
has ever known.
NOTES
(^1) “Treaty of Ghent,” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, 4 Jan. 2012, Wikimedia Foundation,
Inc., 8 Jan. 2012 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Ghent.
(^2) 666 America, 114–15, 136.
(^3) 666 America, 246–7.
(^4) 666 America, 114–15, 121–2.
(^5) BOM, 1 Nephi 14:24–8; Ether 4:7, 14–17.