Joseph Smith has some interesting points in his history that stand out. Upon reading his mother’s own biography, a few of the same points stand out. Could it be that Joseph’s own story borrows from those of his mother? Could he borrow from both of his parents? We can see that he already integrated his fathers, Joseph Smith Sr’s recorded dream into the Book of Mormon and reinterpreted it for Lehi. It seems that he found inspiration from his mothers story when writing his own.
Here’s an entry from Lucy Mack Smith’s journal. She shares that she has an anxiety of mind and questions if life is worth possessing. She worries about which church she should join. She states that the churches all disagree about which one is the correct church. She says, “No church will admit that I am right, except the one with which I am associated.”
The grief occasioned by the death of Lovina was preying upon my health, and threatened my constitution with serious injury, and they hoped that to accompany my brother home might serve to divert my mind and thus prove a benefit to me. For I was pensive and melancholy, and often in my reflections I thought that life was not worth possessing.
In the midst of this anxiety of mind, I determined to obtain that which I had heard spoken so much of from the pulpit—a change of heart.
To accomplish this, I spent much of my time reading the Bible, and praying; but notwithstanding my great anxiety to experience a change of heart, another matter would always interpose in all my meditations—if I remain a member of no church, all religious people will say I am of the world; and if I join some one of the different denominations, all the rest will say I am in error. No church will admit that I am right, except the one with which I am associated. This makes them witnesses against each other; and how can I decide in such a case as this, seeing they are all unlike the Church of Christ, as it existed in former days!
While I remained at Tunbridge, I became acquainted with a young man by the name of Joseph Smith, to whom I was subsequently married.
History of the Prophet Joseph by his Mother, Lucy Smith
https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/45619/pg45619-images.html#CHAPTERVIII
Lucy shares this story as before she met her future husband, Joseph Smith (Sr). She yearns for a church that is more like the Church of Christ, “as it existed in former days!” She seeks to understand and where does she turn, but to the bible. This must have been her advice to her son Joseph years later when he was apparently struggling with the same. Or, is this a familiar story she told her children, and Joseph absorbed into his own story?
Did Joseph have these same original thoughts, or was he taught about them from a young age. He seems to have been schooled in the dilemma. He struggled with understanding which church to join, since they all witness against each other. These are issues his own mother struggled with before she was even married. The church presents the situation in the Joseph Smith History as unique and profound, yet it is the same position many still find themselves in. Folks are trying to figure out which church (if any) are correct, because they all contradict one another.
8 During this time of great excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep and often poignant, still I kept myself aloof from all these parties, though I attended their several meetings as often as occasion would permit. In process of time my mind became somewhat partial to the Methodist sect, and I felt some desire to be united with them; but so great were the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person young as I was, and so unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong.
9 My mind at times was greatly excited, the cry and tumult were so great and incessant. The Presbyterians were most decided against the Baptists and Methodists, and used all the powers of both reason and sophistry to prove their errors, or, at least, to make the people think they were in error. On the other hand, the Baptists and Methodists in their turn were equally zealous in endeavoring to establish their own tenets and disprove all others.
10 In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?
Joseph Smith–History 1:8-10
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1?lang=eng&id=p8-p10#p8
Joseph’s solution is unique in that he started a new church that would claim to have the direct authority and blessing of God, but his history does seem to pull many aspects from other places, including his own mother. He questions which church is correct because they all seemed to disagree with each other on that point. He cites the difficulties he has sorting it all out and that he turned to the bible for answers. The bible turned him to prayer, and the prayer (as reported 18 years after the fact) revealed angels, maybe God, and later maybe Jesus too – read the multiple accounts of the First Vision.
How are all these people having the same experiences? His mother had already concluded that all the church’s disagreed (as anyone can see), Joseph also questioned about all the differing sects, and then took his question to God. He states in verse 10 of his history “Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together?” and then later in verse 18 he states that he “asked the Personages who stood above [him] in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into [his] heart that all were wrong).” But how does he suggest the question in verse 10 and then in verse 18 state that the question had never entered into his heart? Perhaps it was really a question of his mothers. She of course, had eventually joined the Presbyterian church. Which Joseph never explains why other than the fact that they were proselyted to. His mother and three of his siblings (Hyrum, Samuel and Sophronia) join that church, and Joseph is stuck wondering what to do.
So did his mother share this story with her children as they grew up? Is it part of the family’s coming-of-age ritual to decide for themselves which church is correct? Did Joseph’s experience mirror his mother’s? Did his story mirror a story that was familiar to him already? Or did his mother’s version mirror that of her own sons story? Was his mother, Lucy Mack Smith, also a gifted storyteller? Share your thoughts or consider sharing your whole Mormon deconstruction journey at wasmormon.org!
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