Tuesday, May 14, 2024

William Cadman ("Bickertonite") and his very low view of Joseph Smith's Teachings Concerning Deification

  

The Utah Polygamists declare that he [Joseph Smith] gave that revelation [D&C 132]. The reorganized Church under the leadership of his son declares that he did not give it. One of these statements are certainly untrue. It matters not to us which is false because we know that the revelation is false and came from no other source than from the Devil. I will state also that I have had knowledge given to me of God many years ago that Joseph Smith went absurdly wrong. I was in Wheeling in 1864 in company with William Bickerton on religious duties and we there came in contact with the aforementioned W. W. Blair, concerning a sermon of Joseph Smith's, published before his death teaching the plurality of God's. This sermon was delivered by him in the April conference preceding his death. And the Lord revealed to me at that time. "That Joseph Smith (in that case) taught a worse doctrine than the Devil did in the Garden of Eden." The Devil only taught that men should be as God's. But Joseph Smith taught that men should be God's. (William Cadman, Faith and Doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ [Roscoe, Pa.: Roscoe Ledger Print], 16, comments in square brackets added for clarification)