Joseph Smith, Rapist.

Yes, that is what I said, Joseph Smith, rapist.

According to the law as it stood in the time of Joseph Smith, it was possible for a woman to be raped not only by force but also by “deception, enticement or other artifice”
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/grossman/20030211.html

What bearing does this have on Joseph Smith? Joseph Smith’s “chat up line” was an original one. Indeed, it was probably unique. He told women that he found sexually attractive: “An angel with a flaming sword has told me to marry you, or I will be destroyed!”

Now, this puts the young lady in an interesting position. The Prophet of the church wants to marry her. The prophet of the church tells her that only she has the power to save the Prophet from certain death at the hands of an enraged angel.

"I know whereon I stand, I know what I believe, I know what I know and I know what I testify to you is the living truth. As I expect to meet it at the bar of the eternal Jehovah, it is true. And when you stand before the bar you will know. He preached polygamy and he not only preached it, but he practiced it. I am a living witness to it. It was given to him before he gave it to the Church. An angel came to him and the last time he came with a drawn sword in his hand and told Joseph if he did not go into that principle, he would slay him."- Sister Mary Lightner, Address given to Brigham Young University, April 1905, BYU Archives and Manuscripts.


Of course, from the great distance in time and far from the hothouse atmosphere of early Mormondom, we can see what women like Mary Lightener could not see. That Joseph Smith was a liar and a deceiver.

He therefore used “deception, enticement or other artifice” in order to trick the women into joining him in a marriage which, because it was bigamous, was nothing but sham and a pretence, so that he would be able to enjoy sexual intercourse with them.

If Joseph Smith, sheep sacrificer and convicted fraudster had said to Mary Lightener and others: “Hey, toots, how's about us making the beast with two backs?” They would, almost without a doubt, given him very short shrift.

But this was not Joseph Smith, sheep sacrificer and convicted fraudster. This was Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Lord with his "Flaming Sword" chatup line!

Joseph Smith used “deception, enticement or other artifice” in order to entrap his “marks” and engage in sexual intercourse with them. Which, in accordance with the law as it stood at that time, means there is only one inescapable conclusion. That Joseph Smith was a rapist, just as much as if he had beaten them into submission to his will or raped them at gunpoint.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Joseph Smith, rapist.