John C Bennett - Assistant to the Prophet Joseph Smith - Scheme to Murder?

[MDalby]

I have been doing a little reading up John C Bennett and it was an interesting situation.  It looks like the prophet received promptings that something wasn't right with Bennett...

• Nauvoo Mayor, Major-General of the Nauvoo Legion: February 1841
• Bennett was Assistant to Joseph Smith: April 8, 1841 – May 11, 1842
• Excommunicated from the Church for adultery: May 11, 1842

On May 6, 1842, five days before Bennett was excommunicated, the Nauvoo Legion was going through some battle exercises and the Prophet Joseph Smith recorded the following:

Quote

But one thing I will notice: I was solicited by General Bennett to take command of the first cohort during the sham battle ; this I declined. General Bennett next requested me to take my station in the rear of the cavalry, without my staff, during the engagement; but this was counteracted by Captain A. P. Rockwood, commander of my life guards, who kept close to my side, and I chose my own position. And if General Bennett's true feelings toward me are not made manifest to the world in a very short time, then it may be possible that the gentle breathings of that Spirit, which whispered me on parade, that there was mischief concealed in that sham battle, were false; a short time will determine the point. Let John C. Bennett answer at the day of judgment, "Why did you request me to command one of the cohorts, and also to take my position without my staff, during the sham battle, on the 7th of May, 1842, where my life might have been the forfeit, and no man have known who did the deed?
(Joseph Smith, HC 5:3)

Bennett ended up being a fraudulent conman and deceitful.  But John Taylor said that Bennett, "at one time he was a good man" and Joseph Smith said comparing Bennett with the Apostle Paul said, ["[Paul] was a good orator, but Doctor Bennett is a superior orator, and like Paul is active and deligent, always employing himself in doing good to his fellow men." 

Quote

Eight days after the incident Joseph initiated Church court proceedings to investigate John's behavior. The investigation uncovered his unscrupulous medical practices, including his taking advantage of his close contacts with female patients and his possible performing of abortions. On 17 May 1842, after his illicit relationships had become public, John resigned as mayor. He later pleaded with Church leaders for forgiveness, "cried like a child, and begged that he might be spared" punishment. He told William Law "that if he were exposed it would break his mother's heart-that she was old, and if such things reached her ears it would bring her down with sorrow to the grave." Church leaders were unconvinced.
(Susan Easton Black, Who's Who in the Doctrine and Covenants)

I wonder if Bennett for one period of time really was a good man or if his intentions were always fraudulent and the Saints were just took in by his personality.  I think Church leaders make mistakes just as  in the case with local saints.

I remember when I lived in Colorado we had an opportunity where a local member had collected art including Rembrandt prints etc concerning the Savior and there was an art exhibit that we attended.  Shawn Merriman was a bishop there and he got up and introduced the exhibit.  I remember thinking how hollow his comments in the introduction were.  I was expecting something more...  We of course now know that he was a conman and had a ponzi scheme going.  

I am not sure what I am trying to say in this post but I thought it was interesting to see the Spirit give the prophet promptings regarding Bennett.

[CA Steve]

J.C. Bennett was a very interesting guy who perhaps gets more blame than he deserves while simultaneously claiming credit for much more than he did. 

 

I think the Andrew Smith put it well in his biography of Bennett when he described 

Quote

Bennett as one of the nineteenth century's most enterprising and entertaining humbugs, truly a man who excelled at promoting beliefs, places, things and himself, whose ability to abruptly shift positions on people and faith would dazzle even the more formidable propagandist of the twentieth century.

Besides the two Nauvoo positions the OP lists he was also the Chancellor of the University of The City Of Nauvoo and the quartermaster general of the state of Illinois. He attempted to launch colleges and educational institutions in as many as 15 different locations in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. Though when it came to higher education he was better known for granting diplomas or conferring degrees in numerous academic areas like law, divinity, arts, science and agriculture based on his "examination" of the prospective conferee. 

 

He was instrumental in promoting the use of tomatoes by popularizing the notion that they were healthful, though much of what he said about the other benefits of the fruit were inaccurate.

He created or popularized two specific breeds of poultry and, contrary to some reports,  he died relatively well off and respected by his Polk City neighbors.

 

For more see

The Saintly Scoundrel: The Life and Times of Dr. John Cook Bennett

 

 

 

 

 

[MDalby]

So...  Bennett promoted tomatoes and poultry and that overcomes potentially plotting murder and adultery in his character flaws?

[CA Steve]

15 hours ago, MDalby said:

So...  Bennett promoted tomatoes and poultry and that overcomes potentially plotting murder and adultery in his character flaws?

Well I potentially didn't say anything to that effect but you seem good at reading more into a story than is really there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 8, 2017 by CA Steve

[Calm]

"Bennett for one period of time really was a good man"?

Hadnt he abandoned his wife and child(ren) during this time?

Edited November 8, 2017 by Calm

[CA Steve]

The realty about J.C.Bennett, as his biographer acknowledges, is that he was a talented scoundrel who was good at promoting himself for his own gain. He was that way when he showed up at Nauvoo and he was that way when he left. As Calm mentions, he had abandoned his family before coming to Nauvoo.

 

The story about Joseph Smith being warned about a possible murder plot by Bennett is interesting but there is no evidence that I know of, other than the claim by Joseph, that such a plot even existed. Additionally if the spirit could warn Joseph about such a plot by Bennett, where was it when Joseph welcomed him into the top leadership of the church?

[stemelbow]

Even humbugs have something in them that is noble and worthy. 

Quote

"One of the first persons to be initiated into the plural-wife doctrine, if not indeed Joseph's confederate in producing it, was Dr. John C. Bennett, at that time Mayor of the city, Major-General of the Nauvoo Legion, and a very great friend of Joseph. It is said that the pupil fairly outran the teacher, and his success as special pleader for the system of Celestial Marriage was so decided that he incurred the displeasure of the Prophet, and they quarreled violently. He taught the doctrine to some ladies whom Smith had intended to convert himself, and thus coming directly in contact with the Prophet and his schemes, a rupture was caused between the worthy co-workers." (Wife No. 19, 1876, page 74)
 

He was, perhaps, ahead of his time--a shameless promoted. 

No one knows if he conspired to kill joseph or have him killed.  There were a lot of rumors, in secret society type fashion of murder in Nauvoo.  A really difficult time in church history.  In some ways, some may wonder if Bennett, among others, became the fall men for the secret schemes left, perhaps, many schemers covered up.  His bravado was likely the reason he was an easy target. 

[Bob Crockett]

I sometimes wonder about the way Bennett is perceived.  He obviously did bad things vis a vis the Church and Joseph Smith (I have read his book), but he was regarded highly enough by universities to use him as a legislative lobbyist.   He also later became a world-wide expert on tomatoes and I believe pigeons.  

Joseph Smith saw enough of him to make him a counselor.  

I think that a good apologist or student of Church history should view Bennett with a little more equanimity.  

Edited November 8, 2017 by Bob Crockett

[RevTestament]

18 hours ago, MDalby said:

I thought it was interesting to see the Spirit give the prophet promptings regarding Bennett.

I have really never seen any convincing evidence that anyone joined the Church as part of a conspiracy or a personal plan to destroy the prophet. I truly believe even such characters as Hurlbutt joined the Church with good intentions, but became somewhat disaffected at certain points - many with the discovery that polygamy was being practiced. When they became disaffected, they turned and began to battle against the Church. At exactly what point Bennett became disaffected, I am not sure, but I am not surprised to see JS voicing some doubts over Bennett. At some point many Church leaders became disaffected, so it is not surprising. The restored gospel did ask much of them.

[hope_for_things]

19 hours ago, MDalby said:

I have been doing a little reading up John C Bennett and it was an interesting situation.  It looks like the prophet received promptings that something wasn't right with Bennett...

• Nauvoo Mayor, Major-General of the Nauvoo Legion: February 1841
• Bennett was Assistant to Joseph Smith: April 8, 1841 – May 11, 1842
• Excommunicated from the Church for adultery: May 11, 1842

On May 6, 1842, five days before Bennett was excommunicated, the Nauvoo Legion was going through some battle exercises and the Prophet Joseph Smith recorded the following:

Could you explain your assertion that it was Joseph's promptings about Bennett and not actual evidence Joseph received that caused him to make a statement expressing some misgivings about Bennett.  I'm not an expert on Bennett history or the specific events that led up to his excommunication on May 11th, but I know there was a lot of back and forth and I'm inclined to believe there were events at play that led up to the excommunication.  

[hope_for_things]

1 hour ago, Bob Crockett said:

I sometimes wonder about the way Bennett is perceived.  He obviously did bad things vis a vis the Church and Joseph Smith (I have read his book), but he was regarded highly enough by universities to use him as a legislative lobbyist.   He also later became a world-wide expert on tomatoes and I believe pigeons.  

Joseph Smith saw enough of him to make him a counselor.  

I think that a good apologist or student of Church history should view Bennett with a little more equanimity.  

Thank you, this is an important point.  Mormonism doesn't need to create a monster out of Bennett or William Law or any of the fall guys that they did in the past.  The entire US Government was the object of disdain for many years.  Lets have honest history and complex history.  Even the super hero movies of today present more complex characters, surely we can do better at this.  

[cinepro]

19 hours ago, MDalby said:

 

I wonder if Bennett for one period of time really was a good man or if his intentions were always fraudulent and the Saints were just took in by his personality.  I think Church leaders make mistakes just as  in the case with local saints.

Hate to crash the party, but there is this in D&C 124:

Quote

16 Again, let my servant John C. Bennett help you in your labor in sending my word to the kings and people of the earth, and stand by you, even you my servant Joseph Smith, in the hour of affliction; and his reward shall not fail if he receive counsel.

17 And for his love he shall be great, for he shall be mine if he do this, saith the Lord. I have seen the work which he hath done, which I accept if he continue, and will crown him with blessings and great glory.

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/124.39-40

This was given in January 1841.  If he was "always fraudulent," then apparently he was slick enough to fool God Himself! 

[Pete Ahlstrom]

25 minutes ago, cinepro said:

Hate to crash the party, but there is this in D&C 124:

This was given in January 1841.  If he was "always fraudulent," then apparently he was slick enough to fool God Himself! 

God was well pleased with the Nauvoo Charter Bennett had just helped in obtaining the month prior. So you ought to give God a break for his enthusiasm for Bennett at the time. 

[Calm]

2 hours ago, Bob Crockett said:

I sometimes wonder about the way Bennett is perceived.  He obviously did bad things vis a vis the Church and Joseph Smith (I have read his book), but he was regarded highly enough by universities to use him as a legislative lobbyist.   He also later became a world-wide expert on tomatoes and I believe pigeons.  

Joseph Smith saw enough of him to make him a counselor.  

I think that a good apologist or student of Church history should view Bennett with a little more equanimity.  

There are plenty of people who do good work publicly, helping the stranger even, while making trash of their personal relationships, including abusing, sometimes fatally, their loved ones.

Bennett's treatment of women, first his wife and then those he seduced, was reprehensible in my view.

I am not suggesting that one  label everything he does as morally corrupt, but I am reminded of someone who suggested we look at Trump's family to see what kind of man he was, thinking apparently of his relationships with his children as adults and seeing that in a very positive way, which as far as I could tell was ignoring how he got there...two divorces and at least one affair while married, from what I have read he hardly saw his youngest daughter before she was college age.

I am not sure equanimity is the filter one should be using, though definitely not just lumping it all into one vat of highly immoral cad.  Sexual exploits may have no bearing on effectiveness of administrating or fundraising.

Edited November 8, 2017 by Calm

[MDalby]

1 hour ago, hope_for_things said:

Could you explain your assertion that it was Joseph's promptings about Bennett and not actual evidence Joseph received that caused him to make a statement expressing some misgivings about Bennett.  I'm not an expert on Bennett history or the specific events that led up to his excommunication on May 11th, but I know there was a lot of back and forth and I'm inclined to believe there were events at play that led up to the excommunication.  

Joseph's statement, "that the gentle breathings of that Spirit, which whispered me on parade, that there was mischief concealed in that sham battle" seem to be a pretty strong indication that it was the Spirit's promptings.

[hope_for_things]

7 minutes ago, MDalby said:

Joseph's statement, "that the gentle breathings of that Spirit, which whispered me on parade, that there was mischief concealed in that sham battle" seem to be a pretty strong indication that it was the Spirit's promptings.

This doesn't tell us anything about this historical timeline of events unfortunately, its just words that Joseph used to describe his feelings.  I was wondering if you had a more close read of the historical events of the time to tell us what Joseph knew by the time he made this statement and what the situation between he and Bennett was like at that particular point in time.  

[Jeanne]

Okay...now please don't be angry with me!!  What about the rumors of performing abortions??  Or was this something just connecting to his knowledge of how to keep from getting pregnant...I am just going by memory here and can't back it up..but I have run across this piece of info several times.  Please correct me if I am wrong..I seem to be related to the Bennetts somehow.

[MDalby]

2 hours ago, hope_for_things said:

This doesn't tell us anything about this historical timeline of events unfortunately, its just words that Joseph used to describe his feelings.  I was wondering if you had a more close read of the historical events of the time to tell us what Joseph knew by the time he made this statement and what the situation between he and Bennett was like at that particular point in time.  

This is what Susan Easton Black has in her Who's Who in the Doctrine and Covenants...

Quote

 

History has accused John of conferring medical degrees for money; the "diplomas were sold throughout the Middle West and as far east as New York." 3 The Western Medical Reformer in 1845 referred to John C. Bennett as "that notorious personage who, in 1833-34, traveled through New York, the north of Pennsylvania and Ohio, and peddled his New Albany diplomas to every ignoramus who could raise ten dollars to buy one. He filled the diplomas and peddled them out." 4

Despite a widespread sullied reputation, he was an unknown character to the Latter-day Saints in 1840 when he made his first formal contact with Church leaders. Joseph Smith, always cordial to the stranger, extended a warm welcome to him: "Therefore my general invitation is, Let all that will, come, and partake of the poverty of Nauvoo freely." 5 John accepted the invitation and came to the city of the Saints.

In March 1841 news of his marred reputation reached Nauvoo. Convincing denials momentarily removed the speculation, and in April 1841 he was appointed assistant to Joseph Smith. Tensions soon erupted between John and the Prophet. When an animated sham battle was enacted by the Nauvoo Legion, John tried to persuade President Smith to carelessly move to an unprotected position. The Spirit whispered to the Prophet that there was "mischief concealed in that sham battle," and the Prophet did not comply with John's request. 9

Eight days after the incident Joseph initiated Church court proceedings to investigate John's behavior. The investigation uncovered his unscrupulous medical practices, including his taking advantage of his close contacts with female patients and his possible performing of abortions. On 17 May 1842, after his illicit relationships had become public, John resigned as mayor. He later pleaded with Church leaders for forgiveness, "cried like a child, and  begged that he might be spared" punishment. 10 He told William Law "that if he were exposed it would break his mother's heart-that she was old, and if such things reached her ears it would bring her down with sorrow to the grave." 11 Church leaders were unconvinced.
(Susan Easton Black, Who's Who in the Doctrine and Covenants)

 

 

[CA Steve]

Quote

Susan Easton Black said:

 

Despite a widespread sullied reputation, he was an unknown character to the Latter-day Saints in 1840 when he made his first formal contact with Church leaders. Joseph Smith, always cordial to the stranger, extended a warm welcome to him: "Therefore my general invitation is, Let all that will, come, and partake of the poverty of Nauvoo freely." 5 John accepted the invitation and came to the city of the Saints

 

According to Andrew Smith, J.C.Bennett's biographer, Bennett and Joseph Smith had met on at least two occasions prior to Bennett coming to Nauvoo.

 

Quote

In January 1832 Bennett traveled to traveled to northern Ohio and Pennsylvania. On January 11 he met William McLellin, a recent convert to Mormonism. McLellin took Bennett on his sleigh to see Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon, the leaders of the Mormons, who were then in Hiram, Ohio, translating the Bible. Two days later on Friday the thirteenth, Bennett "talked considerable with Br Joseph" 

Smith,  Andrew. (1997)  The Saintly Scoundrel, The Life and Times of Dr. John Cook Bennett  Pg 12

Quote

Bennett attended Mormon services there [Kirtland] in early 1835, when both Rigdon and Smith were present. 

Smith,  Andrew. (Pg 56)

Andrew Smith also why he thinks Bennett really moved to Nauvoo.

Quote

While there were many spontaneous conversions to Mormonism, religious fervor was not likely to have been central to Bennett's move to Nauvoo. His correspondence was a calculated attempt to gain Smith's and Rigdon's confidence. Unlike other confidence men, Bennett did not seek financial gain, but he did view the Mormons as a great personal opportunity.....

Bennett might have believed from the onset that Smith was a charlatan and that Mormonism was a fraud, but this would not have particularly mattered to him. He pursued secular, not religious goals He was interested in using the Mormons, as he had the Methodist and the Christian Disciples, to promote his eminence and enhance his powers.

Smith,  Andrew. (Pg 55)

 

Edited November 8, 2017 by CA Steve

[hope_for_things]

On 11/7/2017 at 3:44 PM, MDalby said:

• Nauvoo Mayor, Major-General of the Nauvoo Legion: February 1841
• Bennett was Assistant to Joseph Smith: April 8, 1841 – May 11, 1842
• Excommunicated from the Church for adultery: May 11, 1842

I'm finding some conflicts with your dating of the Excommunication here.  The May 11th 1842 date it looks to be a notice of withdrawal of fellowship by the first presidency.  Then on May 17, 1842 Bennett formally withdrew his name from the church, and a statement by Joseph Smith said "“the best of feelings subsisting between all parties".  His official excommunication date I'm finding evidence for was June 18, 1842.  

I got all this from Michael Marquardt's web site, who is a meticulous and well respected scholar.  

https://user.xmission.com/~research/central/datesonbennett.pdf

 

[MDalby]

1 hour ago, hope_for_things said:

I'm finding some conflicts with your dating of the Excommunication here.  The May 11th 1842 date it looks to be a notice of withdrawal of fellowship by the first presidency.  Then on May 17, 1842 Bennett formally withdrew his name from the church, and a statement by Joseph Smith said "“the best of feelings subsisting between all parties".  His official excommunication date I'm finding evidence for was June 18, 1842.  

I got all this from Michael Marquardt's web site, who is a meticulous and well respected scholar.  

https://user.xmission.com/~research/central/datesonbennett.pdf

 

Thank you for the updated info.

[strappinglad]

We really have no modern instances where a charismatic individual gained power and then used it to do bad behaviors all the while having photo ops with the rich and politically connected who even entrusted their precious ones to the care of said person. Oh wait...

[Bob Crockett]

18 hours ago, hope_for_things said:

 

I got all this from Michael Marquardt's web site, who is a meticulous and well respected scholar.  

 

 

I have never considered him such and have never quoted him in any of my papers.  Does he hold a doctorate?  Does he teach history?  

[hope_for_things]

5 minutes ago, Bob Crockett said:

I have never considered him such and have never quoted him in any of my papers.  Does he hold a doctorate?  Does he teach history?  

I'm personally not aware of his formal credentials, but I respect his work, I know the church history department has used his work as well, and from what I've seen and spoken with Mormon historians he is well respected in the community.  Perhaps you just haven't worked with the historical community much?    

[clarkgoble]

23 hours ago, cinepro said:

Hate to crash the party, but there is this in D&C 124:

This was given in January 1841.  If he was "always fraudulent," then apparently he was slick enough to fool God Himself! 

How does that follow? Jesus called Judas.

God seems pretty pragmatic in his dealings with people. He's not above using scoundrels to bring about his work.

I don't deny in the least Bennett was a complex figure. But then so is Charlie Sheen or Donald Trump.

Edited November 9, 2017 by clarkgoble