A thought experiment in Time Travel

[jay santos]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

So would you intervene and save his life, under the theory that the church would be better off with Joseph surviving?

My gut feeling, and looking at it strictly academically/intellectually with no acknowledgement of the hand of God in things, I would say church is better off today (in terms of church membership, respectability, financial strength, growth, etc.) with Joseph dying a young martyr's death, church moving west, and Brigham Young moving the church forward than had Joseph lived a long life.