Is there an official church stance on William Law?
Question
Gramps,
Is there an official church opinion on William Law? If not, what is your opinion? In reading the Expositor, he strikes me of a man of integrity. Some of his ideals were a little out there, but I couldn’t find anything factually inaccurate. He seemed to be legitimately upset by the path of church leadership. Interestingly, I think he would fit in well with the church today. Thanks.
Albert
Answer
Albert,
There isn’t any official “church [statement]” regarding William Law except that we know he apostatized and forfeited eternal blessings as a result of his disobedience.
Other results of his disobedience, his dissension, ignited other anti-Mormon movements leading to much persecution of the saints as well as indirectly causing the martyrdom of Joseph Smith. In time, during his dissension, we have record of these statements spoken at these meetings,
“By spring, William Law was holding secret meetings with others on how to kill the Prophet, meetings that were reported to Joseph Smith by two loyal boys attending three meetings, Dennison L. Harris and Robert Scott. On 18 April 1844, Law and a number of other conspirators were excommunicated. The next month, the group of excommunicates appointed Law to succeed Joseph Smith, the “fallen prophet.” They canvassed Nauvoo for new members, but the group disintegrated soon after the death of Joseph Smith.”
In relation to his integrity, or being a man of integrity, I personally wouldn’t consider a man who entered into secret combinations with others to kill a person as a “man of integrity.” In light of the history I have read, I would more say William Law would fit in with any other member of the Church who apostatized and created his own church. I think the Nephite prophets would have defined him as a follower of Nehor and his philosophies.
Gramps
According to lds.org’s “Gospel Topics Polygamy Essay” Joseph Smith married 30 to 40 women of which many were concurrently married to other men: polyandry. The essay also states that Joseph had sex with at least some of his polygamous wives and that it is unknown if he had sex with his polyandrous wives (implying that there is a possibility that he did as there is evidence that he did). BYU Maxwell Institute Apologists state he had 12 polyandrous wives and there is good evidence that he had sex with one of this polyandrous wives, Sylvia Sessions. William and Jane Law and at least three other women at the “vow to kill Joseph” meeting claimed that Joseph tried to seduce them and make them a polyandrous or polygamous wife. William also claimed that Joseph had sent Porter Rockwell and Joseph Jackson to assassinate Governor Boggs. Joseph was the Mayor of Nauvoo and self-titled General of the Nauvoo Legion. Joseph lied about his polygamy numerous times and specifically called William Law the liar in rebuttal to William’s polygamy accusations. After the meeting, Joseph was also head of the council that decided to destroy the Nauvoo Expositor that only tried to expose Joseph of his lies.
William saw 1) Joseph steal a dozen other’s wives and try to convince his wife to marry him and attribute it to God’s command; 2) Joseph attempting murder; 3) Joseph’s authoritarian control of his city with a militia and the Danites; and 4) Joseph’s true character intimately due to being his second councilor. The two spies at the meeting stated that the conspirators stated that they wanted to talk and reason with Joseph. The Nauvoo Expositor also said William tried to talk to Joseph first, but was met with distain and denial. William also went to first councilor, Sidney Rigdon, to reason with him about their lies, which they said they would not stop.
William was a good and God fearing man. 40 years later, he said that his greatest shame was being involved in Mormonism. I applaud William’s courage in trying to stop Joseph with the means that he had.