View source for Question: Did Joseph Smith become a member of Emma Hale Smith's Methodist congregation in 1828, eight years after the First Vision?

{{Main Page}}
<onlyinclude>
==Question: Did Joseph Smith become a member of Emma Hale Smith's Methodist congregation in 1828, eight years after the First Vision?==
===When the procedures and policy of the Methodist Episcopal Church are examined, it is not possible that Joseph could have joined as related in the story given by one of his critics===  

Joseph and Hiel Lewis were cousins of Emma Hale Smith; they would have been aged 21 and 11 respectively in 1828, and in 1879 reported:    

<blockquote>
...while he, Smith, was in Harmony, Pa., translating his book....that he joined the M[ethodist] [Episocpal] church.  He presented himself in a very serious and humble manner, and the minister, not suspecting evil, put his name on the class book, the absence of some of the official members, among whom was the undersigned, Joseph Lewis, who, when he learned what was done, took with him Joshua McKune, and had a talk with Smith.  They told him plainly that such a character as he was a disgrace to the church, that he could not be a member of the church unless he broke off his sins by repentance, made public confession, renounced his fraudulent and hypocritical practices, and gave some evidence that he intended to reform and conduct himself somewhat nearer like a christian than he had done.  They gave him his choice, to go before the class, and publicly ask to have his name stricken from the class book, or stand a disciplinary investigation.  He chose the former, and immediately withdrew his name.  So his name as a member of the class was on the book only three days.--It was the general opinion that his only object in joining the church was to bolster up his reputation and gain the sympathy and help of christians; that is, putting on the cloak of religion to serve the devil in. <ref>{{CitationSource:Joseph and Hiel Lewis:1879}}</ref>
</blockquote>

However, the Lewis' account of Joseph's three-day membership leaves him neither the time, nor the searching assessment required to become a member of the Methodists. This scenario simply does not match how Methodists admitted or expelled members. At best, he was probably regarded as "on probation" or (in modern LDS parlance) "an investigator".  The means by which the Methodists separated themselves from Joseph are inconsistent with him being a full member; they do, however, match how probationaries were handled, though in Joseph's case he seems to have had more abrupt and preemptory treatment than was recommended.

This, coupled with the late date of the reminiscences, the clearly hostile intent of the witnesses, and [[Joseph_Smith's_First_Vision/Joseph_Smith_joined_other_churches#Sources_which_contradict_the_critics|multiple reports]] from both friendly and skeptical sources that claim Joseph never formally joined another religion make the critics' interpretation deeply suspect.

===There is a marked absence of any ''other'' witnesses of Joseph's supposed membership and involvement===

The Lewis witness is late.  There is a marked absence of any ''other'' witnesses of Joseph's supposed membership and involvement, even though there are many witnesses who ''could'' have given such testimony.

For example, Nathaniel Lewis, another family member, was a Methodist minister.  In his 1834 affidavit against Joseph, he emphasized his "standing in the Methodist Episcopal Church" which led him to "suppose [Joseph] was careful how he conducted or expressed himself before me."  Yet, though anxious to impugn Joseph's character, this Lewis said nothing about membership in (or expulsion) from the Methodists. <ref>{{CitationSource:Nathaniel C. Lewis:1834}}</ref>

Likewise, none of Emma's other family members said anything about a Methodist connection, though they were closest to and most aware of Joseph's actions at this juncture than at any other time.  Yet, Isaac Hale, Alva Hale, Levi Lewis, and Sophia Lewis are silent on the matter of Joseph's Methodism.
</onlyinclude>
{{endnotes sources}}
[[Category:MormonThink]]
[[Category:Questions]]