"smithmas": A Perennial Anti-Mormon Lie

[Buzzard]

Who give a hoot what the Anti's think. Happy 208th birthday to the Prophet of the Restoration. 

[Scott Lloyd]

Who give a hoot what the Anti's think. Happy 208th birthday to the Prophet of the Restoration. 

For what it's worth, Daniel Peterson is observing the Prophet's birthday today by posting links on his blog to his past columns about Joseph Smith.

 

Though it might make the critics and antagonists apoplectic, I say, "Bravo, Dan."

Edited December 23, 2013 by Scott Lloyd

[rockpond]

For what its worth, Daniel Peterson is observing the Prophet's birthday today by posting links on his blog to his past columns about Joseph Smith.

 

Though it might make the critics and antagonists apoplectic, I say, "Bravo, Dan."

 

I really enjoyed his article from last week on the prophet... a great summary on Joseph's family and their support of him.

 

Merry Smithmas to all!

[escott3564]

Scott, I, for one, am glad that you brought up this topic.  I had never even heard the word, "Smithmas", until after all of the hoopla surrounding the celebration of Joseph Smith's 200th birthday in 2005.  That is the ONLY year I ever remember a big deal being made about Joseph Smith's birthday around the Christmas season.

 

Case in point---

 

Last night, our Stake had a beautiful Christmas concert dedicated to the birth of our Savior.  The performances were incredible.  We had singers, instrumentalists (flute, french horn, guitar).  It was truly a remarkable and uplifting evening.

 

Our Ward Sacrament Meeting program was an original Christmas cantata written by our choir director.  The readings and musical numbers were performed by members of the choir, ending with some final words by the bishop.  The cantata was completely focused on the nativity. 

 

As much as I hear critics belly-aching about "Smithmas", I would actually like to hear of a real-live incident OTHER THAN something that might have happened in the year 2005, where an LDS Ward actually truly focused more on Joseph Smith than Jesus Christ on the Sunday surrounding Christmas.

[Scott Lloyd]

FYI,

 

Somebody over on the Mormon Defamation forum (that some call the Trailer Park) just started a "Merry Smithmas" thread.

 

I know, Palerider and Mark Beesley, it's all my fault, and I should just shut up about it and wait for the anti-Mormons and apostates to decide on their own, out of their deep-seated sense of decency and integrity, to stop the lies and slander.

[Teancum]

I'm going to start rather early this year to head off the perennial anti-Mormon lie that Latter-day Saint observance of the birthday of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Dec. 23, overshadows the observance of the birth of Christ.

 

In support of my point, I present this link to a blog written a year ago by Daniel Peterson.

 

Dan makes the obvious point that among the Latter-day Saints, there is scarcely ever a mention of the birth of Joseph Smith at this time of year, let alone an observance of it that overshadows Christmas. Moreover, I believe that in almost every instance, the purveyors of this nonsense know better and hence are deliberately and purposefully endeavoring to mislead the public.

 

But, hey, when did such people ever let the truth get in the way of a good slander? Or fail to subscribe to the notion  that one way to get people to believe falsehood is to repeat it incessantly?

Here is something we agree on. I have never understood this criticism nor witnessed anything like it. Perhaps it comes from 2005 which was the 200th anniversary of JSs birth when the entire year had some emphasis on him. Other that I don't see it.

[cinepro]

The irony in all this is that to the degree that anti-mormons perpetuate (and amplify) the "Smithmas" meme, they only bring notoriety, remembrance, and perhaps even some degree of honor to Joseph Smith by raising awareness of his birthday. 

 

As has been fairly well established, other than 2005 the Church really hasn't done much to memorialize the 23rd as a special day, so the anti-mormons would be doing what the Church isn't willing to do (or interested in doing) itself.

[Scott Lloyd]

Funny thing: I did a Google search on "Smithmas" a couple of days ago. The regular cast of characters at Free Republic were going on and on as they do every year. One of the regulars had even included this thread in a list of links, apparently not grasping the fact that in starting the thread, I was twitting that person and others like him/her for manufacturing and perpetuating a false and dishonest stereotype.

Edited December 28, 2013 by Scott Lloyd

[Sevenbak]

They've now moved past SMITHMAS on FR.  Now there's about 10 threads on the second coming of Joseph Smith.  

 

It's all one and the same message.

 

 

The owner of Free Republic is also a pretty vocal anti Mormon, so I think he let's the usual group have free reign of the religions forum over there.  I was banned a few years ago for defending.  Mostly it goes on pretty much unchallenged, though there are a few who do what they can, but the sheer volume can be overwhelming.  

 

I believe the their goal is to rank high in the search engines with their efforts.  It's apparently working.

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

It is indeed a favorite anti-Mormon lie, just to see it still on line this Christmas...took a look over at the "board not to be mentioned"; there it was!

[Scott Lloyd]

They've now moved past SMITHMAS on FR.  Now there's about 10 threads on the second coming of Joseph Smith.  

 

It's all one and the same message.

 

 

The owner of Free Republic is also a pretty vocal anti Mormon, so I think he let's the usual group have free reign of the religions forum over there.  I was banned a few years ago for defending.  Mostly it goes on pretty much unchallenged, though there are a few who do what they can, but the sheer volume can be overwhelming.  

 

I believe the their goal is to rank high in the search engines with their efforts.  It's apparently working.

Hence, my starting this thread to identify it as a false and dishonest stereotype. Hopefully, my thread will show up somewhere in the search engines.

 

And this brings me back to a sentence I wrote in my opening post:

 

But, hey, when did such people ever let the truth get in the way of a good slander ... or fail to subscribe to the notion  that one way to get people to believe falsehood is to repeat it incessantly?

 

 

Of course, one school of thought that has been expressed here is that by even mentioning it, I only make things worse, that I should just shut up about it and wait for it to die out on its own.

 

Well, it has now been eight years since the (in the view of some) infamous observance of the bicentennial of Joseph's birth, and so far, the Smithmas meme shows no sign of dying out on its own.

Edited December 28, 2013 by Scott Lloyd

[escott3564]

It is indeed a favorite anti-Mormon lie, just to see it still on line this Christmas...took a look over at the "board not to be mentioned"; there it was!

If MDB is "the board not to be mentioned", who is Voldemordt? Scratch or EWC?

. LOL!!!