Joseph Smith Biography

Thirty (1835)

lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries;

and they [have been] taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to

destruction.^38

They have been pacified and lulled away into carnal security and they say:

All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil

cheateth their soul, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.^39

They wear stiff necks and high heads; yea, because of pride, and wickedness,

and abominations, and whoredoms, they have all gone astray save it be a

few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they [the humble

followers of Christ] are led, that in many instances they do err because they

are taught by the precepts of men.^40

LDS Pride and Hardened Hearts

The LDS/Mormon people do not consider that “they wear stiff necks and high
heads” and are full of pride; rather, they believe that they belong to the ONLY true and
living Church of God upon the earth. Their missionaries go throughout the world with the
subtle techniques of trained salesmen to tell the people in a politically correct manner:
“You are wrong. We are right. And unless you join our Church and embrace the gospel of
Jesus Christ as taught by our church, you cannot be saved in the kingdom of God.” They
do not consider it “wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms” that they pursue
college degrees, business success, money, and every other type of “the things of this world
and the honors of men.”^41
They do not suppose that their desire for worldly success and material things
burdens the backs and lives of slaves—indentured and chained to the production of the
goods after which the LDS/Mormons’ hearts desire. They do not believe that they will one
day have to account for the things they have done to the “fullness of the everlasting Gospel
as delivered by the Savior,” changing it into an organized church based on what they desired,
despite the direct counsel given to them from the physical mouth of Christ.
They do not consider that

if our hearts have been hardened, yea, if we have hardened our hearts against

the word, insomuch that it has not been found in us, then will our state be

awful, for then we shall be condemned. For our words will condemn us, yea,

all our works will condemn us; we shall not be found spotless; and our

thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to

look up to our God; and we would fain be glad if we could command the

rocks and the mountains to fall upon us to hide us from his presence.^42

They do not consider that they cannot hide themselves behind their lack of
knowledge of the mysteries of God, or behind their pretended priesthood authority, or the
fact that they followed the leaders whom they thought (their thoughts will also condemn them)
administered God’s will. They do not consider that they