Alla

If you think that the church is truly open about Joseph Smith's polygamy, then why do we continue to hear over and over and over about how this little nugget of history has become a stumbling block for people's testimonies. If the church was truly open about it, then why does it cause such a shock and why is it such a common refrain among those doubting the church.

I think it is because we don't know everything. I mean we don't have all facts. If there are no facts but lot's of hearsay, then it is better not to talk too much about it. I don't have to know what other people think that truth might be. I want to know the truth(FACTS).

Do we have as many facts as we have hearsay?

But again even if I had facts it would not affect my testimony-things that Lord has revealed to me. I believe that everything what Joseph Smith taught is true. I believe all those principles very deeply. I don't like some things that prophets of OT did. But it is my judgement and it can be wrong. But witness of the Holy Ghost is never wrong. I believe that it was God Who long time ago revealed to me that HE IS. And I believe that it was the same God Who revealed to me that Joseph Smith is His prophet, and that Church of Jesus Christ of LDS is His Church.

Facts are not supposed to be foundation of my faith. Facts are not supposed to destroy may faith. That is what I decided.

THAT is the problematic part in all of this: the secrecy, the lying/coverup and the subsequent obfuscation through denial....

Why is it problematic?

Why did Abraham lied about his wife?

How many testimonies have to be doubted before the church seeks a different tact? And no, testimonies should not rise and fall on this sort of stuff, but the fact is, they do. They shouldn't, but they do, as we have witnessed, and will continue to witness, time and again.

It didn't affect my testimony. It didn't affect many people's testimonies. I was an atheist. But one day God gave me a revelation. I felt Holy Ghost and I became a believer in instance. I actually KNEW at that moment that there was God. That was very powerful witness of the Holy Ghost. No matter what people say about God it will never affect what happened that day when God reveiled something wonderful to me.

The problem that some people never had testimony, they only said that they had. Some people had testimony but they started to have doubts:"what if that was just my imagination, or hallusination?" They become overwhelmed with what people say.

But I do not believe everything what people say. I will accept facts. But I know now that those who say negative things about our prophets actually do not have as many facts as thay claim they do.

Oh, please.

Do you believe that Professor Peterson in a better position to understand and explain the power and purpose of the sealing than President Monson?

It is possible that President Monson understands better than Prof. Peterson. Who knows? But prophet doesn't say antything (I believe for some good reason). So we can do our best to try to understand. And if Prof.Peterson is one of those people who might know better and more than I do, I will hear what he has to say.

The first thing to note is that the Sealing Power of the Priesthood was not well understood in Joseph's day. I'd strongly suggest that it's not well understood in Thomas' day, either.

If the YSAs in Milano can exlain that, then they have a good chance of grasping the nuances of the "marriages" of Joseph to previously married women. They were not "marriages" as we understand the term, but sealings, and those sealings were specifically for the purpose of creating a link through Joseph Smith, to all the rest of God's family.

But they, as the antis you mentioned, and even a large portion (including me) of the Saints, do not comprehend the scope, power, and purpose of sealings. At best, we are cripples, grasping at straws in a dark, windy room, and there is only a handful of straw set loose from the bale we keep tripping over.

Lehi

I read a lot of anti-mormon materials. There are so many things that I don't know. Anti-mormons say that Joseph Smith was pervert. They say many other bad things. I believe that Joseph Smith is true prophet and there is some kind of explanation why he did what he did. But I still would love to read some responces to that.

I don't need responce that would show me that Joseph is good man, I believe that he was good, not perfect, but good man, but I want to understand more what was the purpose of marrying women of other man. Thanks.