- Born fairly poor
- Gains notoriety with help from his wealthy friends
- Aspires to be a king
- Is a polygamist
- Has his own army
- Sends men away so he can sleep with their wives
- Appointed his son as successor, but it was a controversial decision
- Has a legacy as being appointed by God, but sinned and fell from grace
No, I’m not thinking of Joseph Smith, I’m thinking of King David.
I think reframing Joseph Smith as a modern-day cautionary tale would do his character a lot of good. He’s not someone to be praised, he’s an example of what not to do.