On Elijah Able

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by Goatnapper'96

The reality is that Mike's righteous indignation about this guy making the claim he did, in light of the reality that most borderlander/progressive's argue that the genesis of the ban came under BY's leadership, is pretty justified. Millet knows what the borderlander/progressive argument is and he sought to win over the hearts and minds of the faithfull by linking the ban to Joseph Smith. As Mike's irate actions indicate linking it to the prophet puts a big dent in their argument. Personally, I don't care. Either it was of God or it wasn't and whether its genesis is with Joseph as the President or Brigham Young makes me no nevermind. For the borderlanders it is a big deal as a big part of the support for the claim that it was never revelatory lies in Joseph Smith having no role in initiating the ban.

Either way I think for someone who seeks to be a legitimate academic I found Millet's response to be rather incriminating. Millet should be familiar enough with the alternate theory to know such a claim that Joseph Smith restricted Elijah Able's rights to utilize the Priesthood conferred upon him should be supportable or not made.

I don't know as to what Millet's motivation is for the promulgation of unsupportable assertions/falsehoods so as to whether or not it is priestcraft, I cannot judge.

Personally, I don't care where it originated (JS vs BY). The process of tracing the roots is useful in that it sheds light on how how the ban evolved. JS ordained Elijah Abel in spite of how many folks interpret the PoGP, so that is good evidence that he did not start the ban or link it to a curse of cain. The first definitive writing on the ban was from BY, and he linked it to the mark of Cain. There is no specific discussion of a revelation anywhere. The modern church (thankfully) has disavowed the mark of Cain folklore (which was present long before the PoGP) and all other justifications. There is nothing left to support the ban or to give it any kind of divinely sanctioned legitimacy.