Anyone familiar with Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon church, knows that he could drop a prophecy on your ass quicker than Glenn Beck can turn on the crocodile tears.One of the more popular prophecies is the "White Horse Prophecy". While lacking in originality, basically Smith says that there will come a day when the constitution of the United States will be in the proverbial crapper and the Mormons will save the day.
You will see the Constitution of the United States almost destroyed," the diary entry quotes Smith as saying. "It will hang like a thread as fine as a silk fiber." Not only will the Mormons save the Constitution, under the prediction, but the prophecy goes further, insinuating that Mormons will control the government. "Power will be given to the White Horse to rebuke the nations afar off, and you obey it, for the laws go forth from Zion," the prophecy says.
This popular prophecy of Smith's is explained in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism:
LDS attachment to the Constitution has been further encouraged by an important oral tradition deriving from a statement attributed to Joseph Smith, according to which the Constitution would "hang by a thread" and be rescued, if at all, only with the help of the Saints. Church President John Taylor seemed to go further when he prophesied, "When the people shall have torn to shreds the Constitution of the United States the Elders of Israel will be found holding it up to the nations of the earth and proclaiming liberty and equal rights to all men" (JD 21:8). To defend the principles of the Constitution under circumstances where the "iniquity," or moral decay, of the people has torn it to shreds might well require wisdom at least equal to that of the men raised up to found it. In particular, it would require great insight into the relationship between freedom and virtue in a political embodiment of moral agency. (Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol.1, 1992)
In the running for White Horse savior ...
- Orin Hatch - While Hatch has apparently alluded to the LDS prophecy, his chances of being the white horse are about the same as his chances of getting into the White House.
- Mitt Romney - Romney looks the part and talks the talk. His dad, George Romney, was mentioned as a possible white horse when he considered a run for the presidency in 1968. Both Mitt and his dad stated that they didn't believe in this particular prophecy.
- Glenn Beck - We know he has the ego to assume this title and/or use his imagined powers over the masses to help Romney.
Beck has a lot in common with LDS founder, Smith. Both are not easily analyzed, both use some seriously flawed logic and misrepresentations, and both appears to have a touch of ADD.
His religious thought is not easily encapsulated or analyzed. His teachings came primarily through his revelations, which, like other forms of scripture, are epigrammatic and oracular. He never presented his ideas systematically in clear, logical order; they came in flashes and bursts. Nor did he engage in formal debate. His most powerful thoughts were assertions delivered as if from heaven. Assembling a coherent picture out of many bits and pieces leaves room for misinterpretations and forced logic. Even his loyal followers disagree about the implications of his teaching. Bushman, Rough Stone Rolling, p.xxi.
Disclaimer: I don't judge all Mormons based on Beck. In general, they seem like some of the most hard working and faithful citizens. Just as Beck gives conservatives a bad name, he does a similar disservice to the LDS church.
You've conflated two ideas into one. The so-called "White Horse Prophecy" is bogus and has been condemned as such by Mormon leaders for over a hundred years. That Joseph Smith claimed the Constitution would "hang by a thread" is a historical fact; but he claimed it would be saved by Mormons (plural) not by one person and there is no connection between that statement and the "White Horse Prophecy." You might want to look at this site: www.byteline.blogspot.com/2007/06/white-horse-prephecy.html
ReplyDeletewhoops that should read "prophecy" rather than "prephecy" in the link.
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