h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As conserning the issue of gold-digging. It orginates with two facts taken out of context on Joseph Smith's life.

1. Joseph Smith worked for a rather breif time for another person serching for silver mines in New York. It was simply another job.

2. The book of mormon was claimed to be translated from gold plates inscribed with characters. This was a source of great persecution for him and his family as mobs would attack him and attempt to get these plates in order to get the gold.

The persecution throughout his life resulted in him and his family having to often move to different places and as he was a farmer by traid, it was quite damaging to any possible carear especially as the original mormon church (LDS) did not and does not pay its individuals. This means he lived in relative poverty throughout his life. Honestly, I can not understand how a man "scamming for money" would knowingly live a relative life of poverty and oppression. He truelly believed what he said, whether or not we believe him.

About plural marraige, less than 5% of the original morman church at the time participated in that. It also forced greater difficulties on an impoverished and oppressed people as the men had to provide a seperate house and increased income to support the mulitipule different families. It would be much easier financhially to just go and get a prostitute or a mistress as they don't have to be kept up to the same standards of living. You can ditch a prostitute when times get ruff, but its much harder to ditch a wife.

By the way, where did you get the info about the secret names and cutting throat info. I've never heard of that and would love to learn more about this religion.