Kris Frederickson, a MormonTimes.com columnist, recently wrote about Learning from others outside Mormonism. She wrote,

“My understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ has been greatly improved by the teachings of religious men and women over the ages, many of whom were never actually members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints…”

MS. Frederickson went on to quote noteworthy statements from a diverse group of people including a Catholic saint, a nun, a slave, Galileo, Gandhi, Muhammad and C.S. Lewis. At the end of her article, returning to the Restoration, Ms. Frederickson wrapped up with a quote from Joseph Smith:

“All the religious world is boasting of righteousness: it is the doctrine of the devil to retard the human mind, and hinder our progress, by filling us with self-righteousness.”

Ms. Frederickson concluded,

“We cannot be self-righteous and call ourselves worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Rather, tolerance and respect must be our watchwords.”

As I pondered Ms. Frederickson’s words, a sermon delivered by Joseph Smith on May 26, 1844 came to mind. In that sermon, testifying to the Saints against the LDS dissenters in Nauvoo, the Prophet said,

“I, like Paul, have been in perils, and oftener than anyone in this generation. As Paul boasted,* I have suffered more than Paul did. I should be like a fish out of water, if I were out of persecutions. Perhaps my brethren think it requires all this to keep me humble. The Lord has constituted me so curiously that I glory in persecution. I am not nearly so humble as if I were not persecuted…“Come on! ye prosecutors! ye false swearers! All hell, boil over! Ye burning mountains, roll down your lava! for I will come out on the top at last. I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet. You know my daily walk and conversation. I am in the bosom of a virtuous and good people. How I do love to hear the wolves howl! When they can get rid of me, the devil will also go.” (History of the Church, 6:408-409)

How does Ms. Frederickson’s conclusion, “We cannot be self-righteous and call ourselves worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ” (based on a statement of Joseph Smith’s), correlate with the Prophet’s May 26th sermon?* Paul’s boasting, which he calls foolish and “talking like a madman,” is found in 2 Corinthians 11. Paul ends his “boasting” with these words: “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.”

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To read the entire May 26, 1844 sermon by Joseph Smith see here or here.