It is worse for the Mormon church if Joseph Smith was evil, than it is for the Catholic church if some of the Popes were evil

Reasons to agree

1. Catholics can say that they had some evil Popes, but that was just a time that the Church was struggling. They can also point at very good popes. They don't have a Pope, that some say was evil, that started the whole thing.

Reasons to disagree

1. It may be a little bit worse, but it is essentially saying the same thing. It is saying that sure churches may be a little bit inspired, but they are not very inspired. If you want to find a little bit of meaning from your Church, that is fine, but it is sort of Stupid to put a whole lot of faith in a Church that would make real big mistakes.
2. If your church made real big mistakes in the past, or its leaders weren't much better than you, why should you totally alter your life, doing what it says, when what it is telling you might be a mistake also.

Score:

# of reasons to agree: +1

# of reasons to disagree: -2

# of reasons to agree with reasons to agree: +0

# of reasons to disagree with reasons to agree: -0

Total Idea Score: -2

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There is more reason to say that Joseph Smith had bad motivation than Moses

Reasons to agree

1. Moses, to the best of our knowledge, never used it position as a way to increase the number of his sexual partners.

Reasons to disagree

1. Moses killed an Egyptian. If you applied the same methods of judging Moses, that some want you to judge Joseph Smith then he would not come out looking to good.

Saying Joseph Smith was power hungry is like saying Moses is power hungry

Reasons to agree:

1. Power does not always corrupt.
2. People can have noble motives to lead.

Reasons to disagree:

1. There is more reason to say that Joseph Smith had bad motivation than Moses.

Joseph Smith seemed to like power -1

Reasons to agree:

1. Joseph liked dressing in Military uniforms. 


2. Joseph ran for president. 

Reasons to disagree:

1. Saying Joseph Smith was power hungry is like saying Moses is power hungry. +2

Score:

# of reasons to agree: 2

# of reasons to disagree: -1

# of reasons to agree with reasons to agree: 0

# of reasons to disagree with reasons to agree: -2

Total Idea Score: -1

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Images That agree

 

Images That disagree

Scriptures that agree

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Scriptures that disagree

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Interest of those who agree

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Interest of those who disagree

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Common Interest

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Opposing Interest

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Videos That agree

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Videos That disagree

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Websites that disagree

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Joseph smith's motivations were pure -1

Reasons to agree

1. Joseph worked his whole life in menial labor trying to build up the kingdom of God.


2. Joseph's wife stayed married to him.


3. Many people stayed loyal to him.


4. Joseph tried to build a zion-like society, and paid respect to grace, and virtue.


5. Joseph bought a slave his freedom.

Reasons to agree

1. Joseph seemed to like power. -1


2. Joseph tried to form a bank, perhaps he was trying to get rich.


3. Joseph seems to have introduced polygamy as a way to increase his sex partners.

Score:

# of reasons to agree: 5

# of reasons to disagree: -3

# of reasons to agree with reasons to agree: 0

# of reasons to agree with reasons to disagree: -1

Total Idea Score: -1

Scriptures that agree

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Scriptures that disagree

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Images That agree

Images That disagree







Interest of those who agree

Interest of those who disagree



Common Interest

Opposing Interest





Videos That agree

Videos That disagree



Website that agree

Websites that disagree



Related arguments:



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You can logically believe that Joseph was once inspired but had fallen.

Reasons to agree:

1. True, no one is perfect one day and totally evil the next day, but it makes sense that someone could have qualified at one time for spiritual guidance, lost it, and gone astray.

Reasons to disagree:

1. David fell, and Judus, but God wouldn't mess with people so much, to send a new prophet in the latter days, and let him fall.


2. Mormons leaders have said that God will not let them lead the church astray. But if Joseph Smith was removed because of polygamy, why wasn't Brigham Young? If Brigham Young was removed because of his view's on race, why weren't the next church leaders?

It is important to analyze unbiased history around Joseph Smith

Reasons to agree

1. All truth is important.


2. Historical truth is important.

Reasons to disagree

1. Whatever problems have emerged in his story are not really to be examined because they are of God and so the explanation for them lies in the mystery of God.