Plural marriage is a very large topic in early Mormonism. It really deserves a hundred questions, but here are ten:
1. Why does the Mormon Church claim to follow the law of the land and yet hang onto scripture that is opposed to the law of the land? Why is Doctrine and Covenants 132 still in Mormon scripture if it is illegal? Followers must choose between following Joseph Smith and scripture or following the law of the land and receiving eternal damnation!
2. If polygamy is a wicked practice in Jacob 1:15 and an abomination in God's sight in Jacob 2:24, why would God command it to be practiced in D&C 132?
3. Why does the heading for D&C132 call polygamy a new and everlasting covenant if it was already being practiced and it was outlawed in 1890?
4. Why is D&C 132:54 still included in the scriptures since it is a false prophesy? Emma Smith finally rejected polygamy and taught her sons that is was wrong. Yet she was not destroyed like Joseph Smith threatened. She lived a long life. Joseph Smith accepted polygamy and was destroyed. He was shot to death in a jail.
5. Why would D&C 132:34 say that polygamy was God's idea when the Bible says it was Sarah's idea? The Church is either printing the Bible incorrectly or this verse in D&C is false.
6. Why does D&C 132:34 say that it is necessary for the women to be virgins when a third of Joseph Smith's wives were presently married to living husbands? Examples - Lucinda Pendleton, Zina Diantha Huntington, Prescendia Lathrop Huntington, Sylvia Sessions, Mary Elizabeth Rollins, Patty Bartlett, Marinda Nancy Johnson, Elizabeth Davis, Sarah Kingsley, Ruth Vose and Elvira Annie Cowles
7. Why did Brigham Young say that Mary was married to Joseph for "time" and "sealed" to God the Father for "eternity" if it was important for women to be virgins?
8. Why did Joseph Smith marry living sisters since the Bible speaks against that practice in Leviticus 18:18? Examples - Delcena Diadamia Johnson and Almera Woodward Johnson; Sarah Lawrence and Maria Lawrence; Emily Dow Partridge and Eliza Maria Partridge
9. Why did Joseph Smith marry a mother and her daughter since the Bible speaks against that practice in Leviticus 18:17? Examples - Patty Bartlett and Sylvia Porter Sessions
10. Why does D&C 132:61 talk about the first wife giving her consent? Most of Joseph Smith's marriages were done behind Emma Smith's back.
Everlasting Covenant??? - In Matthew 22:29&30 Jesus said, "...Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven." Deuteronomy 17:17 say, " Neither shall he multiply wives
1. Why does the Mormon Church claim to follow the law of the land and yet hang onto scripture that is opposed to the law of the land? Why is Doctrine and Covenants 132 still in Mormon scripture if it is illegal? Followers must choose between following Joseph Smith and scripture or following the law of the land and receiving eternal damnation!
2. If polygamy is a wicked practice in Jacob 1:15 and an abomination in God's sight in Jacob 2:24, why would God command it to be practiced in D&C 132?
3. Why does the heading for D&C132 call polygamy a new and everlasting covenant if it was already being practiced and it was outlawed in 1890?
4. Why is D&C 132:54 still included in the scriptures since it is a false prophesy? Emma Smith finally rejected polygamy and taught her sons that is was wrong. Yet she was not destroyed like Joseph Smith threatened. She lived a long life. Joseph Smith accepted polygamy and was destroyed. He was shot to death in a jail.
5. Why would D&C 132:34 say that polygamy was God's idea when the Bible says it was Sarah's idea? The Church is either printing the Bible incorrectly or this verse in D&C is false.
6. Why does D&C 132:34 say that it is necessary for the women to be virgins when a third of Joseph Smith's wives were presently married to living husbands? Examples - Lucinda Pendleton, Zina Diantha Huntington, Prescendia Lathrop Huntington, Sylvia Sessions, Mary Elizabeth Rollins, Patty Bartlett, Marinda Nancy Johnson, Elizabeth Davis, Sarah Kingsley, Ruth Vose and Elvira Annie Cowles
7. Why did Brigham Young say that Mary was married to Joseph for "time" and "sealed" to God the Father for "eternity" if it was important for women to be virgins?
8. Why did Joseph Smith marry living sisters since the Bible speaks against that practice in Leviticus 18:18? Examples - Delcena Diadamia Johnson and Almera Woodward Johnson; Sarah Lawrence and Maria Lawrence; Emily Dow Partridge and Eliza Maria Partridge
9. Why did Joseph Smith marry a mother and her daughter since the Bible speaks against that practice in Leviticus 18:17? Examples - Patty Bartlett and Sylvia Porter Sessions
10. Why does D&C 132:61 talk about the first wife giving her consent? Most of Joseph Smith's marriages were done behind Emma Smith's back.
Everlasting Covenant??? - In Matthew 22:29&30 Jesus said, "...Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven." Deuteronomy 17:17 say, " Neither shall he multiply wives
MISSION and PURPOSE
Acknowledge and remember these largely forgotten women to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold."
|
Wife
|
Date
|
Age
|
Husband*
|
Emma Hale
Fanny Alger Lucinda Morgan Harris Louisa Beaman Zina Huntington Jacobs Presendia Huntington Buell Agnes Coolbrith Sylvia Sessions Lyon Mary Rollins Lightner Patty Bartlett Sessions Marinda Johnson Hyde Elizabeth Davis Durfee Sarah Kingsley Cleveland Delcena Johnson Eliza R. Snow Sarah Ann Whitney Martha McBride Knight Ruth Vose Sayers Flora Ann Woodworth Emily Dow Partridge Eliza Maria Partridge Almera Johnson Lucy Walker Sarah Lawrence Maria Lawrence Helen Mar Kimball Hanna Ells Elvira Cowles Holmes Rhoda Richards Desdemona Fullmer Olive Frost Melissa Lott Nancy Winchester Fanny Young |
Jan 1827
1833 1838 Apr 1841 Oct 1841 Dec 1841 Jan 1842 Feb 1842 Feb 1842 Mar 1842 Apr 1842 Jun 1842 Jun 1842 Jul 1842 Jun 1842 Jul 1842 Aug 1842 Feb 1843 Spring 1843 Mar 1843 Mar 1843 Apr 1843 May 1843 May 1843 May 1843 May 1843 Mid 1843 Jun 1843 Jun 1843 Jul 1843 Mid 1843 Sep 1843 1843 Nov 1843 |
22
16 37 26 20 31 33 23 23 47 27 50 53 37 38 17 37 33 16 19 22 30 17 17 19 14 29 29 58 32 27 19 14 56 |
NONE
NONE George W. Harris NONE Henry Jacobs Norman Buell NONE Windsor Lyon Adam Lightner David Sessions Orson Hyde Jabez Durfee John Cleveland NONE NONE NONE NONE Edward Sayers NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE Jonathan Holmes NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE |
* Living Husband at the time of
Marriage to Joseph Smith |
BIBLIOGRAPHY
WWW.FAMILYSEARCH.ORG (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City)
MORMON POLYGAMY: A HISTORY (Van Wagoner, Signature Books, Salt Lake City, 1989)*
MORMON ENIGMA: EMMA HALE SMITH (Newell & Avery, University of Illinois Press, Urbana and Chicago, 1994)*
IN SACRED LONELINESS: THE PLURAL WIVES OF JOSEPH SMITH (Compton, Signature Books, Salt Lake City, 1997)*
DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City)
* Available at the Deseret Book special order desk: (800) 453-4532 |
ETCETERA
1. PDF version of Remembering the Wives of Joseph Smith
2. What do Latter-day Saint churches believe and teach about polygamy today?
3. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints praises the "balanced analysis" in the book: "In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith".
4. Did Joseph Smith have children by his plural wives? DNA research may be providing answers. 5. Why Did Joseph Smith Practice Polygamy? Apostle John A. Widtsoe discusses some common misconceptions. 6. Who created this website, and why? Excerpts from readers emails and responses. 7. Was it common in the 1800's for teenage girls to marry? U.S. Census Data and social research explain marriage patterns of the last 200 years |
