(Wikimedia Commons)
We’re just barely past Thanksgiving, and, already, some critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are rolling out their annual claim that Mormons celebrate “Smithmas,” the birthday of the Prophet Joseph Smith (23 December), with more enthusiasm and vigor than they celebrate the mainstream Christian holiday of Christmas.
For many, I think it’s just a rather bitter and not particularly funny joke. Some, though, seem to take the claim seriously — or, at least, to want others to take it seriously.
The truth, of course, is that most Latter-day Saints don’t even know that 23 December is the Prophet’s birthday, let alone celebrate it. The charge that “Smithmas” is our most beloved and revered holy day rests on an obscure blend of ill-humored joking and, perhaps, flat dishonesty.
Just to put the truth on the record, though, for those who might otherwise be innocently taken in by the claim, here are some things that I’ve written about it during previous years:
“Prophet’s birthday fits with season”
“‘Twas the last Sunday before ‘Smithmas'”
“Joseph Smith would be 210 years old today”
Posted from Detroit, Michigan
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