Brigham Young wasn't excommunicated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints? Brigham Young wasn't raised in the church?
The kook was basically following some of the original teachings of Joseph Smith and Brigham young, correct?
I get that but his story is crazier than the guys in question. A difference in the facts of his life not in the craziness of the story.
His interpretation of them, not the interpretation of them followed by the church established by Joseph Smith and continued by Brigham Young. It seems odd to attribute his craziness to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, when the church said he was too crazy and kicked him out.
Not really the point, but that’s fine. All religions have their “eccentricities”, especially given their historical beliefs.
The author tried to attribute the conduct to the role of individual prophetic interpretation as an exalted and accepted practice within LDS culture. Obviously I'm not in the position to know how well that is accepted within the LDS Church, but if one is to dispute that doctrine as inherently dangerous, one is basically disputing the Protestant Reformation. That type of abuse is not unique to the LDS doctrinal structure.