painting of two corn on the cob and pumpkin

Heads Like Cornbread and Pumpkins

Posted on by Shawnie Cannon

Authentic Joseph Smith (No. 1)

Part of the Joseph Smith, Jr. Series

All blue quotes by Joseph Smith (unless otherwise noted).

From Wilford Woodruff’s diary (January 1844)

Many Are Called

Any person who is exalted to the highest mansion has to abide a Celestial law and the whole law too. But there has been a great difficulty in getting anything into the heads of this generation. It has been like splitting hemlock knots with a Corn doger for a wedge and a pumpkin for a beetle.

Translation: “It has been like splitting the knots of hemlock trees using a piece of cornbread for a wedge and a pumpkin for the sledgehammer.”

A Golden Calf

Even the Saints are slow to understand. I have tried for a number of years to get the minds of the Saints prepared to receive the things of God…

This sounds just like Moses when he tried to prepare the children of Israel for a higher priesthood and to see God face-to-face. What did he get? A golden calf.

Fly to Pieces

…but we frequently see some of them after suffering all they have for the work of God – will fly to pieces like glass as soon as anything comes that is contrary to their traditions. They cannot stand the fire at all. How many will be able to abide a Celestial law and go through and receive their exaltation I am unable to say. But many are called and few are chosen.

Wow – what a great quote. How do you think Joseph Smith would view us today?

6 thoughts on “Heads Like Cornbread and Pumpkins”

  1. All great thoughts. I find myself hanging on every word spoken by Joseph Smith or President Nelson. Nephi the same. They are food for my soul.

  2. We all tend to feel comfortable in our own skin. When our prophets today offer new ideas or want to lead us away from what is “comfortable,” many want to wrestle with the leadership.

  3. Oh my gosh!!!! So familiar to what we are all living through in these days. After finishing the Old Testament and being frustrated with the people repeating the same sins generation after generation, we are still doing it today.

    1. That is a great way to put it – repeating the same sins – suffering the same consequences and denying ourselves the same blessings.

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