Transcription
Happiness, my brothers and sisters, is the object and the design of our existence. The Prophet Joseph Smith said, "Happiness is the object and design of our existence." The Prophet Joseph Smith taught us, "Happiness is the object and design of our existence." The Prophet Joseph Smith said, "Happiness is the object and design of our existence." The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, "Happiness."
Hi everyone, Nemo here. What you've just heard is the opening of a letter which Joseph Smith sent in 1842 to the 19-year-old Nancy Rigdon. Now, there are plenty of in-depth sources and commentary on this letter, and I'll link those below. But the long and short of this story is, Joseph Smith set up a private meeting with Nancy Rigdon, the daughter of Sydney Rigdon, and made a proposal that Nancy enter into a polygamous relationship with him. Nancy refused, and Joseph left the scene, saying he would write to her to explain that it was God's will he should have a polygamous relationship with her.
The ensuing letter is known as the "Happiness Letter," owing to its opening line: "Happiness is the object and design of our existence, and will be the end thereof, if we but pursue the path which leads to it; and that path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all of the commandments of God." We cannot keep all the commandments without first knowing them, and we cannot expect to know all, or more than we now know, unless we comply with or keep those we have already received.
However, the letter, beyond this opening, takes a rather more troublesome turn when you keep in mind the context in which it was written, that being a justification for Joseph's proposed polygamous relationship with Nancy Rigdon. This is the part they don't read out in General Conference. "That which is wrong under one circumstance may, and often is, right under another. God said, 'Thou shalt not kill;' but another time he said, 'Thou shalt utterly destroy.' This is the principle on which the government of heaven is conducted, by revelation adapted to the circumstances in which the children of the kingdom are placed. Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire." "Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is." And that goes for the polygamous relationship God requires us to enter into. Nancy, you cannot keep all the commandments of God, which is mentioned in the opening of the letter as being the way to happiness, without doing what He commands through me, His servant, by revelation, which in this case is this polygamous relationship.
And later, Joseph makes it crystal clear that this is about polygamy, because he brings up Solomon and the things that might be considered abominable, but would be understood and even desirable to those who know the order of heaven in full, not just in part. I won't go into the letter any further, but I urge you to check out the wonderful resources in the description for further reading. The full text of the letter is down there also, so you can read through it yourself.
But one thing is certain: despite attempts by apologists to cast doubt on whether Joseph ever wrote this letter, it is attributed to him by leaders of the Church at General Conference, as well as in lesson manuals and other Church sources. Therefore, if prophets and apostles are going to teach this to us over the pulpit, I would hope they're being truthful, or at least well-informed about the source of whatever it is they're quoting.
But then, if they do know the source for the thing which they are quoting, how can Church leaders quote from something that was the product of an attempt to manipulate a 19-year-old by threatening her happiness and using the voice and gravitas of God to justify his aims and to invalidate the concerns and reservations that Nancy had? What do you think it means that they quote from such a letter, but never allude to the problematic context in which the quote was made? Is it right that they quote a threat as an uplifting gospel principle? Let me know what you think in the comments.
And next time you hear this quote: "Happiness is the object and the design of our existence, and will be the end thereof if we pursue the path that leads to it, and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God," I hope you remember that, far from a benign fridge magnet slogan, it is the words of a man telling a 19-year-old young woman that her happiness is at stake if she does not enter into a polygamous relationship with him.
Thank you everyone for watching. Let me know in the comments if I missed anything. And so you don't miss anything, be sure to subscribe. Bye now.
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