Did Joseph Smith Think He Was Better Than Jesus?

Hey guys, so every once in a while, you might run across the criticism that the Latter-day Saint prophet Joseph Smith was an arrogant and boastful man who thought he was better than Jesus Himself. To back up this claim, critics will almost always bring up the following quote from a sermon Joseph gave on May 26, 1844. You may have heard it before:

“I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet.” Don’t go anywhere, let’s talk about this.

So here’s the deal: I don’t think that everything Joseph ever said or did needs to be defended. Humans are not one-dimensional beings. Everyone makes mistakes, and just like everyone else, Joseph will have to answer for his. So if this was Joseph just being prideful, I’m willing to acknowledge that while still believing he was a prophet of God. I don’t think this statement would disprove his prophetic call any more than I would believe that his more humble statements (of which there are many) would prove he is a prophet of God. Peter denied Christ 3 times. Should he have done that? Probably not. Was Peter still chosen by Christ to lead his church? Of course. Heaven knows I’ve said plenty of things I shouldn’t have said, and I hope that after I’m gone, I’m not defined by those moments.

To read the entire article and to watch the video: Saints Unscripted