We are a group who still accept that there is something virtuous in what Joseph Smith has taught about Jesus Christ, regardless of our current affiliation with the LDS church.
About The Header Picture:
The header picture for this site is a close-up from a painting by Rembrandt van Rijn of The Apostle Paul c. 1657. We feel Paul is an appropriate figure to use to relate Joseph Smith with Christianity. Joseph Smith likened himself to Paul in his 1838 history, “I felt much like Paul, when he made his defense before King Agrippa, and related the account of the vision he had when he saw a light, and heard a voice; but still there were but few who believed him; some said he was dishonest, others said he was mad; and he was ridiculed and reviled. But all this did not destroy the reality of his vision. He had seen a vision, he knew he had, and all the persecution under heaven could not make it otherwise;”
(LDS Scripture, Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith History 1:24)
About the Subtitle, Anti-Mormonite Joseph Smithites:
This reference is a play on a word title that stems from a story familiar to Latter day Saints of a name of a group of people referenced in the Book of Mormon (Alma ch 23) who, after a significant religious conversion, made a covenant that they would not participate in war, and buried their weapons. They called themselves Anti-Nephi-Lehies to distinguish themselves from their brethren, the “Lamanites” (who were traditional enemies to the more righteous “Nephites”). Since they wanted to associate themselves as being a righteous people, but not being able to call themselves “Nephites” and no longer wanting to be called “Lamanites”, they adopted a name that reckoned to their common father “Lehi” (who was the father of the two sons, Laman and Nephi, from whom the two nations derived).
About the Site Administrators:
Brian Zang was a lifelong and active member in the LDS church until August 2015. Recently he and his wife had their names removed from church records for reasons explained in his resignation letter made public that can be read from a link on his website here.
Jay Ball has been an active member of the LDS church his entire life, served an honorable full time mission for the church, and currently serves as a Sunday School teacher in his ward.