Conference tecrus::mormonism

79.0. "The Grease Spot Prophecy" by CACHE::LEIGH () Wed Mar 02 1988 11:38

This information is from the following booklet.

    Answering an Ex-Mormon Critic, by James A. Carver, Mormon
    Miscellaneous response series #5, Mormon Miscellaneous, 8865 South
    1300 East, Sandy, Utah 84092  (801) 561-5103

-------------------------

Let's analyze the prophecy.  Joseph Smith said, if Congress does not bring
justice to the Saints, "they shall be broken up as a government."  "They"
refers to Congress.  Congress would be broken up as a government.  In
other words, those in office not voting in favor of the Saints would be
broken up, or removed from office; not that the government of the United
States, which Joseph considered to be inspired of God, would cease to exist.
When Joseph says there won't be so much as a grease spot left, he does not
mean the government of the United States; the "them" refers to the individual
congressmen who will be removed from power.

B. H. Roberts, a Latter-day Saint historian, made this comment in reference
to this prophecy:

    "This prediction doubtless has reference to the party in power; to the
    'government' considered as the administration; not to the 'government'
    considered as the country; but the administration party, the Democratic
    Party, which had controlled the destiny of the country for forty years.
    It is a matter of history that a few years later the party then in power
    lost control of the national government, followed by the terrible conflict
    of the Civil War.  The party against which the above prediction was made
    so far lost its influence that it did not again return to power for a
    quarter of a century; and when it did return to power it was with such
    modified views as to many great questions of government, that it could
    scarcely be regarded as the same party except in name." D.H.C. 6:116

I might add that it was the 28th Congress that was in office when Joseph
Smith made this prophecy.  Of the 296 that served during this Congress, 177
were Democrats and 111 were Whigs.  The 28th Congress ended on March 3, 1845.
86 Democrats lost their seat in government and 59 Whigs, plus 6 others, for
a total of 151 Congressmen that did not return to government for the 29th
Congress.  At the end of the 29th Congress, 50 Democrats, 27 Whigs, and 2
others that were in office during the 28th and 29th Congress lost their
seats in Congress.  Thus, at the beginning of the 30th Congress in March of
1847, 230 of the original 296 were no longer in power.  This amounts to
78 percent of Congress.  By 1849, 88 percent of the 28th Congress were
no longer in office and by 1851, just 8 years after Joseph's prophecy, 94 
percent were gone.

It becomes apparent that the grease spot that was left was not very big.
The 6 percent that remained in office may not have voted against the Saints
anyway.  Nonetheless, as the sins of Manasseh were slow in bringing justice,
the Civil War may have been punishment enough for a modern day Israel.

The Lord has said, "And behold, I, the Lord declare unto you, and my words
are sure and shall not fail...all things must come to pass 'in their time.'"
(Doctrine & Covenants 64:31-32)

The reference given by Leza for this prophecy is the Millennial Star, Vol. 22,
p. 45.

Would someone from the SLC office please go to the public library (basement)
and make me a photocopy of the prophecy?  I would like to post the exact
wording that Joseph used so everyone can make their own judgment concerning
the meaning.  I'll be glad to reimburse your expenses.  Please send MAIL to
CACHE::LEIGH if you can do this for me.

Allen

    "I propehcy in the name of the Lord God of Israel, unless the United
    States redress the wrongs commited upon the Saints in the state
    of Missouri and punish the crimes committed by her officers that
    in a few years the government will be utterly overthrown and wasted,
    and there will not be so much as a potsherd left..."

    (Teachings of The Prophet Joseph Smith, P.302)