There is a recurring method to Joseph Smith's madness. Perhaps it starts with a story his Grandfather Mack told about bamboozling a group of Indians that he encountered in a forest. With only one companion, Grandpa Mack charges the Indians, shouts "Come on boys" and fools the Indians into fleeing, thinking he has a troop to back him up. Lucy Mack relates Joseph Jr. using a similar tactic when confronted at his front door by a group of neighbors looking for "them gold plates." But Joseph's contemporaries give numerous example of Joseph using bluster and bluff to get his way. It popped up in his speeches again and again, especially in the Nauvoo period. A few examples from the History of the Church:
"I prophesied, by virtue of the holy Priesthood vested in me, and in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that, if Congress will not hear our petition and grant us protection, they shall be broken up as a government. * * * *["and not even a grease spot left." was edited out!)
(HC:VI, p. 116)"The Danite system alluded to by Norton never had any existence." (HC:VI, p. 163) As opposed to Joseph's journal of 27 July 1838 which says: "Thus far, according to the ord[e]r of the Dan-Ites, we have a company of Danites in these timesto put to rights physically that which is not righ[t], and to clense the Church of verry great evils which hath hitherto existed among us, inasmuch as they cannot be put to rights by teachings & persuaysons, this company or a part of them exhibited on the fourth day of July." (JSP:Journals, v. p. 292-93) This passage was later crossed out.
"I testify that no man has power to reveal it but myself" (HC:VI, p. 367)
"I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam" (HC:VI, p. 408-9) Did he forget about Enoch?
"What a thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only find one." (HC:VI, p. 411) I believe he had more than thirty wives at the time.
"Will you all stand by me to the death....." ("Aye" shouted thousands") He (Joseph) then said, "It is well. If you had not done it, I would have gone out there (pointing to the west) and would have raised up a mightier people."(HC:VI,p. 499)
