As I said at the beginning of this article, Mormons do not worship Joseph Smith. My point is simply that if all of the points made about him in this talk are to be believed, (which of course I don’t) maybe they should, however in reality I am of course not suggesting you guys worship him, but rather making the point that the things said about Joseph are way more than ever should be said of a man.

I could write a lengthy reply to each item if you would like but this is your blog and not mine so I respect it’s forum. Just wanted to make the basic point crystal clear.

The question hinges on the definition of the words Worthy and Worship in the theological context.

Since both words actually have the same etymological root it becomes doubly complex.

To be worthy of course means to have worth, that is to say value and significance from the point of view of the first person interlocutor;
Obviously it is therefore not an objective term.
For example a crucifix has great theological worth to a Roman Catholic but is merely an anthropological curiosity to a follower of Zoroastrian creeds.
Jesus has massive theological worth to an Anglican, has far less to a Unitarian, less still to a Muslim and none whatsoever to a Jew.

Therefore since the subject of the Question is Joseph Smith, we must first revise and clarify the question to fit the context of the discussion

Does Joseph Smith in the context of the average lay Mormon have significant theological value requiring Worship?

Now we come to the word Worship, which again has the same etymological root “Worth”
To worship is to acknowledge the Necessary Worth, Value and Significance of an abstract concept, place, person or object.
In other words to worship is to give earned or rightful tribute in exchange for services rendered and the continuation of those services.
So we are now faced with:

Does Joseph Smith in the context of the average lay Mormon have significant theological value requiring rightful tribute in exchange for services rendered and the continuation of those services?

Now as stated it is claimed by many if not all Mormons that they DO NOT worship Joseph Smith, they honour him.
Muslims say much the same about the prophet Mohamed and Zoroastrians claim the same about the prophet Zarathustra.
So what is the difference between giving honour to and worshiping?
To give honour to an abstract concept, place, person or object is to acknowledge it’s Necessary Worth, Value and Significance by paying tribute.
To honour and to worship are true synonyms, Honour originating in Latin and Worship from Celtic Saxony, the meaning is exactly the same.
It is a pointless differentiation, since all mentions of Joseph Smith in Mormon scrip, hymns and prayers do him honour or worship for his act of founding the LDS and restoring the gospel.
What most Mormons mean when they say they do not worship Joseph Smith is that they do not PRAY to him, either as a deity or as an intercessor.
However they do not pray to Jesus either, they pray in his name, neither do they pray to Heavenly mother but they do her honour.
Joseph we are told WILL be on the panel of three who will judge the quick and the dead come Parousia, sitting on the left hand of heavenly father (heavenly mother I’m afraid is not afforded this honour, she is presumably too busy having spirit children and backing celestial cookies.)
So we have Joseph Smith being held on a level slightly below Jesus, but higher than heavenly Mother.

Now ask a Mormon do they worship Jesus Christ and they will answer yes, definitely, however they do not worship Joseph, they honour him, to this I cry weasel words.

But is Joseph deserving of the honour given to him by LDS members?
Well if Joseph was the clean cut, all caring, innocent, called by the Lord to become a prophet, who worked tirelessly and kept the gospel laws until his untimely death , that is taught about in Sundays schools in Branches, wards and stakes all over the world, than yes maybe they would have a case for saying so, yes.
However, the truth is he was not. As the church leaders are fond of saying today Joseph was just a man, like any other, he was not perfect, he made mistakes, like everyone else.
What they are not so fond of saying are that the mistakes he made were doozies!
Adultery, not keeping the word of wisdom, hebephilia, occultism, fortune telling, cowardice, lying, mistranslating, possessing black magical artefacts, attempted murder, insurrection, vandalism, incitement to riot, banking fraud, imposture, desertion, public nuisance, and on and on and on goes the list.

Given the true fact even the most forgiving of TBMs must surely concede that Joseph, though the acknowledge founder of the restored gospel, did not and does not have the right to claim worship or honour for the life he otherwise lived and must surely at best be seen only as a fallen prophet.