Hello everyone! Thanks for your input! Your comments definitely helped!
Thesis Paragraph - Agreed. It was MUCH too wordy and didn't get right to the heart of the matter. That has been changed.
Theology-related - Nope. My intent is not to introduce religion or to convert anyone. My intent is to introduce Joseph Smith (who happened to be a religious leader) as a hero for what he did, not just for what he represents. It just so happens that much of what he did was while he was leading his church (hence, the title).
In talking with several of my classmates, I've discovered that on my previous essay (Definition Essay) I received the only "A" that anyone has gotten in this class so far. Most students are averaging about a "C". Armed with that information, I took my latest draft in to my teacher's office and cornered him to ensure I knew EXACTLY what he was looking for in an essay. What follows is the result of that meeting:
--- Final Draft (turned in couple days ago) ---
Joseph Smith – Religious Hero
Such an interesting topic for an essay – what classifies as a hero? Determining if a specific individual satisfies the criteria can be quite a challenge because the word “hero” can potentially be applied with a very wide and indiscriminate brush. Despite this wide brush, Joseph Smith, Jr. founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and translator of The Book of Mormon, clearly fits the characteristics of what a hero is. A hero is one who is courageous, noble, self-sacrificing, performs good deeds, and inspires others.
Let us look closer at the definition of a hero by starting with the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, it states that a hero is “a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities; one that shows great courage.” The Wikipedia Encyclopedia tells us that courage is “the ability to confront fear in the face of pain, danger, uncertainty or intimidation.” Niall Richardson, a PhD student at the University of Ulster, writes an article in the Journal of Popular Culture defines a hero as “[one who] is self-sacrificing; [one who] performs good deeds simply for the benefit of mankind and not for personal benefit.” Finally, George Manning and Kent Curtis, both professors at Northern Kentucky University, have written a book entitled The Art of Leadership in which they label a hero as “one who inspires through manners and actions; an individual who leads through personal example and accomplishments requiring bravery, skill, determination, and other admirable qualities.” Let's look at each of these characteristics and see how Joseph Smith measures up.
Courage – the ability to confront fear in the face of pain, danger, uncertainty or intimidation. Fear can come in many forms such as the fear of getting hurt or embarrassed, or even killed. A hero will often face many types of fear that must be overcome.
Joseph Smith was an exemplar of courage. He was repeatedly in situations where he was surrounded by danger and was constantly harassed and threatened by men who wanted to take his life. Yet, he never wavered in his convictions. Just days before he was assassinated he turned himself in at Carthage, Illinois he said, "I am going like a lamb to the slaughter; but I am calm as a summer's morning; I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all men. I shall die innocent, and it shall yet be said of me – he was murdered in cold blood.” (Doctrine and Covenants 135:4)
Noble – one who has outstanding personal qualities. These qualities can include, but are not limited to, traits such as being humble, virtuous, high-principled, and righteous. Heroes are often judged by those around them. They're judged, not only on their 'heroic acts,' but also on their everyday actions on how they treat others.
Over and over Joseph Smith exhibited many of these noble qualities with those he came in contact with. One such example comes to light in a story related by David Whitmer, a friend of Joseph Smith, in which he said, “one morning when he was getting ready to continue the translation [of The Book of Mormon], something went wrong about the house and [Joseph] was put out about it... something that Emma... had done.
Oliver and I [David] went upstairs and Joseph came up soon after to continue the translation but he could not do anything... he went downstairs, out into the orchard, and made supplication to the Lord; was gone about an hour – came back to the house, and asked Emma's forgiveness and then came upstairs where we were and then the translation went alright. He could do nothing save he was humble and faithful.” (Bushman 104) Evidentially David Whitmer was so impressed by Joseph Smith's willingness to be humble and virtuous in admitting to his wife that he was wrong that Whitmer wrote it down for future generations.
Self-sacrifice - performs good deeds simply for the benefit of mankind and not for personal benefit. It is easy to be a 'hero' if you expect to be rewarded for your actions, but a true hero is willing to do go so far as to even lay down their life to help those around them without any thought to personal gain or reward.
The level of self-sacrifice that Joseph exhibited is astounding. He was repeatedly arrested and jailed for numerous trumped-up charges – none of which ever produced a guilty verdict in a court of law. He could have easily hidden from the law, but he often submitted himself to these arrests and imprisonments to protect the members of the church. One of the many places that Joseph Smith was imprisoned was in Liberty Jail. He spent several months in a cold, dark cell and during that time he stated, “all the world is threatening my life, but I regard it not, for I am willing to die any time when God calls for me.” (Esplin 298)
Good deeds – doing something without expectation of any outcomes or rewards except for just feeling good inside. Like self-sacrifice – good deeds are done without expecting something in return. Heroes have reached a level where they are constantly thinking of others and how they can help those around them.
Joseph's entire life abounded with good deeds. He constantly did things for others without thought of remuneration. Not only did he often do good deeds, but he also encouraged others to as well. With so many members joining the church and immigrating to be with the other members at such a rapid rate, poverty and want were running rampant. Joseph established a Law of Consecration in which Joseph says, “that every man who has need may be ample supplied... Now for a man to consecrate his property ... to the Lord is nothing more nor less than to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the widow and fatherless, the sick and afflicted, and do all he can to administer to their relief in their afflictions, and for him and his house to serve the Lord.” (Smith 3:231)
Inspire others – to exert an invigorating, motivating, enlivening influence on. The true test of a hero is whether or not they continue to have an impact on others, even when they are not around. Plus, that impact must be a positive influence – encouraging them to better their own lives.
Dr. Richard Bushman of Columbia University accurately sums it up by when he says, “I think anyone who studies the life of Joseph Smith, whether or not they believe he was divinely inspired, has to acknowledge him as a bold innovator. He was a man of immense power in creating new religious ideas and in attracting people to them. That I think is a simple historic fact.” (Swinton 128) For those who are members of the church, there is a tremendous amount of awe and respect for what Joseph Smith accomplished during his life. He is revered for more than just his courage and nobility. They wonder at the love he had in being self-sacrificing and performing good deeds for others. These acts alone have inspired millions of church members world-wide as they come to know and love him. One tremendous example of how Joseph Smith inspires others was penned by John Taylor, third president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who was with Joseph Smith when he was martyred on June 27, 1844 in Carthage, Illinois. Mr. Taylor said, “Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness (sic) of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord's anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood”. (Doctrine & Covenants 135:3)
Joseph Smith was truly a hero. He clearly fits every criteria that defines the characteristics of what a hero is. While there may be those who have issues with the impact he has had on the religious world, there can be no argument that he was courageous, noble, self-sacrificing, performed good deeds, and still continues to inspire others.
--- End Draft ---
Rob
P.S. Stay tuned... I still have two more essays due this week. I'll post them for your enjoyment.
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