The RLDS Wanted Their Church Back

But they had no idea what that was.

The Church was whatever Joseph Smith thought it was, but he changed his mind frequently. 

This mental instability is what attracted people to him. And this what I want to write about today. 

I could be blunter, and describe him as a crazy man, along with his followers, who were numerous. They were part of a craziness that swept the Western World, sometimes called Industrialization.  

Part of this was religious revivals, such as the Second Great Awakening, that the Smith family was part of. America has always been a religious nation. 

Part of this was a search for buried treasure, that employed people (such as Joseph) who could detect where this treasure was. This was an illegal occupation and got him into trouble with the Law. 

This was a persistent pattern throughout his life: he thought he had special powers (of many kinds) that made him a leader other people should follow - a religious dictator. He was often described as a Prophet of God. 

His LDS church moved frequently because it was the subject of violent attacks. From Kirtland, Ohio, to a number of locations in Missouri, to Nauvoo, Illinois.

Its time in Missouri was especially unfortunate - they should never have gone there.