On this episode, we dive into a strange occurrence in early 1844. By the last year of his ministry, Joseph Smith had designated half a dozen people to be his rightful successors in his absence or in the case of his death. But, in early 1844, it was finally time for Joseph Smith III (Jo 3.0) to receive his ordination as rightful heir to the Mormon mantle. We discuss when it happened, a bunch of other succession instructions (as well as when and why they were given), and finally discuss the text of the actual Jo 3.0 succession blessing which was “discovered” by Mark Hofmann in 1981. The letter was a forgery, but the RLDS still have the most solid ground for rightful succession. If you disagree, fight me in the comments about it!

Links:

Mormon Enigma by Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/596364.Mormon_Enigma

Lecture on Faith #2 http://lecturesonfaith.com/2/

The Mormon Succession Crisis of 1844 by D. Michael Quinn https://byustudies.byu.edu/content/mormon-succession-crisis-1844

Joseph Smith III’s 1844 Blessing and the Mormons of Utah https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/43200687.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A80c45321eedd4ec0604851943c320570

Benjamin Franklin Johnson, My Life’s Review https://archive.org/stream/BenjaminFJohnsonMyLifesReview/Benjamin+F+Johnson+My+Lifes+Review_djvu.txt

Hofmann audio tape Sunstone presentation https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/mark-hofmann-25-years-later/

Show links:                                                                                                                                                             

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