Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 7, No. 3, 2008, Page 26
1999, 230), Anderson then focuses his comments directly on the American ‗prophet‘
himself:
In the case of Joseph Smith, the theme of deceiving self and others is not a
thread, but a steel cable. It began with money-digging and seer stone
peeping… after the Book of Mormon was published, it continued with his
sexual conquests under the guise of religious practice (Anderson 1999, 230–
231).
Money digging was a fraud in which a person claimed to use magic in order to uncover
buried treasure (Anderson 1999, 21 see 62 n. 87), and seer stone peeping was a related
fraud in which a person claimed to have special rocks through which one looked in order to
find ―desired objects‖ (Anderson 1999, 21‘ see 79). He supposedly used a seer stone to find
the gold plates on which was written the Book of Mormon (Anderson 1999, 70, 81). (Worth
mentioning is that Alexander, like Smith, claims that he can help people find buried treasure
[Alex., 24]). Consequently, the pattern of interpersonal exploitation exists with each of the
two religious leaders, but the forms that the exploitation takes are culturally and historically
specific.
On sexual matters, both religious founders seem to have used their status as religious
figures to gain access to members of the opposite sex. Indeed, both seem to have practiced
polygamy. Smith‘s practice was, of course, well known, having at least thirty-three wives
and possibly as many as forty-one. Even when he was in his late thirties, one of his
polygamous wives was fourteen years old, another was either fourteen or fifteen, and two
were sixteen (Compton 1997, 4–8, 486–534). Neither the numbers of Alexander‘s partners
nor their ages are known, since Lucian says only that the ―prophet‖ was ―ruining women
promiscuously…. Many women even boasted that they had borne children by Alexander, and
their husbands confirmed the truth of their claims‖ (Alex., 42).17 Alexander also has a
sexual habit, however, that Smith did not: pederasty. Once again, such a habit is in line
with existing research on malignant narcissists.
Summarizing issues of sexuality among these types of narcissists, Ronningstam reports
that:
...manifestations of malignant narcissism can involve sexual perversions
where aggression and interpersonal sadism infuse with sexual desire and
excitement. Such perverse behaviors are also characterized by non-
differentiation or mixture of sexual aims, zones, organs, and gender.
(Ronningstam 2005, 107)
This summary of sexuality among many malignant narcissists provides a context for
Lucian‘s description of Alexander‘s activities with boys:
Though he warned everyone to abstain from having sex with boys as being an
unholy practice, this prince of virtue had an artful scheme for his own
advantage. He used to order the cities of Pontus and Paphlagonia to send him
choirboys for a three-year period, to serve him by singing hymns to the god.
They had to examine, choose, and send the noblest born, the most youthful
and the handsomest. He then kept them locked up and treated them like
bought slaves, sleeping with them and using them offensively in every way. It
was his habit never to welcome and embrace anyone over 18 with a kiss on
the lips he gave his hand to others to be kissed, and kissed only those in the
bloom of youth, who were said to be ―within the kiss.‖ (Alex., 41)
Thus, according to Lucian‘s account, Alexander establishes a regional homosexual child and
teenage procurement ring around towns near the Black Sea, using religion as his guise.18
1999, 230), Anderson then focuses his comments directly on the American ‗prophet‘
himself:
In the case of Joseph Smith, the theme of deceiving self and others is not a
thread, but a steel cable. It began with money-digging and seer stone
peeping… after the Book of Mormon was published, it continued with his
sexual conquests under the guise of religious practice (Anderson 1999, 230–
231).
Money digging was a fraud in which a person claimed to use magic in order to uncover
buried treasure (Anderson 1999, 21 see 62 n. 87), and seer stone peeping was a related
fraud in which a person claimed to have special rocks through which one looked in order to
find ―desired objects‖ (Anderson 1999, 21‘ see 79). He supposedly used a seer stone to find
the gold plates on which was written the Book of Mormon (Anderson 1999, 70, 81). (Worth
mentioning is that Alexander, like Smith, claims that he can help people find buried treasure
[Alex., 24]). Consequently, the pattern of interpersonal exploitation exists with each of the
two religious leaders, but the forms that the exploitation takes are culturally and historically
specific.
On sexual matters, both religious founders seem to have used their status as religious
figures to gain access to members of the opposite sex. Indeed, both seem to have practiced
polygamy. Smith‘s practice was, of course, well known, having at least thirty-three wives
and possibly as many as forty-one. Even when he was in his late thirties, one of his
polygamous wives was fourteen years old, another was either fourteen or fifteen, and two
were sixteen (Compton 1997, 4–8, 486–534). Neither the numbers of Alexander‘s partners
nor their ages are known, since Lucian says only that the ―prophet‖ was ―ruining women
promiscuously…. Many women even boasted that they had borne children by Alexander, and
their husbands confirmed the truth of their claims‖ (Alex., 42).17 Alexander also has a
sexual habit, however, that Smith did not: pederasty. Once again, such a habit is in line
with existing research on malignant narcissists.
Summarizing issues of sexuality among these types of narcissists, Ronningstam reports
that:
...manifestations of malignant narcissism can involve sexual perversions
where aggression and interpersonal sadism infuse with sexual desire and
excitement. Such perverse behaviors are also characterized by non-
differentiation or mixture of sexual aims, zones, organs, and gender.
(Ronningstam 2005, 107)
This summary of sexuality among many malignant narcissists provides a context for
Lucian‘s description of Alexander‘s activities with boys:
Though he warned everyone to abstain from having sex with boys as being an
unholy practice, this prince of virtue had an artful scheme for his own
advantage. He used to order the cities of Pontus and Paphlagonia to send him
choirboys for a three-year period, to serve him by singing hymns to the god.
They had to examine, choose, and send the noblest born, the most youthful
and the handsomest. He then kept them locked up and treated them like
bought slaves, sleeping with them and using them offensively in every way. It
was his habit never to welcome and embrace anyone over 18 with a kiss on
the lips he gave his hand to others to be kissed, and kissed only those in the
bloom of youth, who were said to be ―within the kiss.‖ (Alex., 41)
Thus, according to Lucian‘s account, Alexander establishes a regional homosexual child and
teenage procurement ring around towns near the Black Sea, using religion as his guise.18
