Thirty-Three (1838)“Speaking From the Dust” to the Modern Latter-day Saints
Joseph was never what LDS history presents him as being. Had the people known
the true nature and thoughts of their “prophet, seer, and revelator”—the guile he felt for
those who totally disregarded the gospel of Christ—they would have risen up and killed
him. No man ever knew Joseph’s true history. No one would have accepted that he was the
one who lived as “Mormon” of the Book of Mormon, and that history was repeating itself in
every material way.^74 Even as Mormon watched his own people disintegrate into an unholy
people, so Joseph saw the same with his own. As Mormon watched his people hate and
fight against the Lamanites, he saw the greater sin in his own people. Mormon/Joseph
experienced parallel conditions, knowing what surely must come to pass concerning their
people. Only Mormon/Joseph understood what would become of the religion that he
suffered to bear his name, known today as “the Mormons” and its many offshoots. Like
Mormon, Joseph knew that
there are none that do know the true God save it be the disciples of Jesus,
who did tarry in the land until the wickedness of the people was so great that
the Lord would not suffer them to remain with the people.^75Mormon’s son, Moroni, spoke prophetically about what would happen after
Joseph’s demise in no less the same manner as Mormon’s own peoples’ eventual end. He
“[spoke] unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold Jesus Christ hath
shown you unto me, and I know your doing.”^76 Joseph, as a resurrected being, saw the
church and religion that he had suffered to come forth fall into the hands of Brigham
Young, who, throughout his tenure as the leader of his (Brigham’s) church, initiated and
sustained blood oaths given in the “House of the Lord. ” The oaths were read to the
members receiving their endowments. They covenanted that,
You and each of you do covenant and promise that you will pray, and never
cease to pray, Almighty God to avenge the blood of the prophets upon this
nation, and that you will teach the same to your children and to your
children’s children unto the third and fourth generations.^77Joseph saw the people
walk...in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto
envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of
iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted
because of the pride of your hearts. For behold, ye do love money, and your
substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more
than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.^78Critics might proclaim that Joseph Smith made up the Book of Mormon. The
modern members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints might proclaim that
they are “the holy church of God.”^79 And they are, yet not in how the LDS/Mormons see
themselves, but rather the polluted holy church of God, according to the words of
Moroni given in the Book of Mormon: