#44 Chosen of God or Total Fraud?

I’ve been fascinated lately by studying great men in the history of the world. Men like the Biblical Prophet-King David of Israel, Abraham and Moses. Men like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. Ferdinand Magellan and Christopher Columbus. Men we have been taught to laud as heroes that were chosen of God to accomplish great things upon this Earth. My fascination came about after more than a few acquaintances and friends have recently abandoned their faith in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints of which I am an active and faithful member. The reason they have turned away from a lifetime of belief and fidelity in the Church? Their discovery that the Prophet Joseph Smith, who we believe restored Jesus Christ’s original gospel and priesthood authority, committed major sins. Presumably coming to the conclusion that if he really was God’s chosen Prophet, then he couldn’t possibly have committed some of the sins he is accused of committing. In this episode I dive deep into some of these amazing men in history that fell victim to weakness and human fallibility. Knowing these facts about these men only strengthens my belief that God has always used ordinary, imperfect men and women to bring to pass his greatest purposes. It brings me hope in my own life that I am not defined by the biggest mistakes I’ve made. Every good thing I’ve done is not canceled out when I falter. We all strive to be the best versions of ourselves, we all have divine potential and because we are all human beings, we ultimately fall short. We make major mistakes. Only one perfect man ever lived on this earth and his name was Jesus Christ.