Did Joseph Smith Found or Fight Polygamy?

[MWallace57]

Here is another link regarding BY early association with the Methodist Sect (both his parents were devote Methodists). I would have to assume the BY was somewhat familiar with the theological debates of his day. This was a very active topic at the time. We had the followers of Elias Hicks, (the Hicksite Quakers) who argued for pure, biblical chastity. They held that the state should never regulate adult marriage relationships, but that free men and women should be able to enter into the types of marriages that they choose. In the 19th Century, this was known as the “free love movement” and is not to be confused with the promiscuity advocated during the 1960’s and 1970’s. The Quaker “Free Love Movement” simply believed that certain forms of marriage constituted “social bondage” and believed that all men and women should be free of state control as to their choices in marriage. They believed, for example, that women and men should have a right to remain unmarried, if they so chose.

Elias Hicks died in 1830, the same year that the Church was established. He died maintaining that the men could receive continuing revelation from God. He died believing that men should honor the laws of God concerning marriage above the laws of the land. Some of the Hickites later joined the Church. Were they polygamist? I don’t know, I am doing some of my family genealogy. I have an ancestor who is listed as being married to one sister, and a second sister two years later. Humm? I don’t see at date of death for the first sister. You know what? It’s ok. It’s ok with me. I have a Hicks in my genealogy. I love these people. I will just have to have great-great grandpa sealed to a couple of ladies!!! What they heck, I’ll make a list.

[MisterCurie]

The authors of “Joseph Smith Fought Polygamy” argue that Cochranism is the original source of polygamy in the LDS church. I don’t debate that the Cochranite movement may have influenced JS’s thinking about polygamy, but I still think JS introduced polygamy.

http://restorationbookstore.org/articles/nopoligamy/jsfp-vol1/chp1.htm” class=”bbcode_url”>http://restorationbookstore.org/articles/nopoligamy/jsfp-vol1/chp1.htm

[MisterCurie]

One of the best documented plural marriages of JS was to 17 year old Sarah Ann Whitney, even when using contemporary sources. The information in this post was compiled into Chapter 14 of “In Sacred Loneliness.”

A “revelation” (although unpublised at the time) given on July 27, 1942 given through JS to Newel K. Whitney states:

Quote:

Verily, thus saith the Lord unto my servant N.K. Whitney, the thing that my servant Joseph Smith has made known unto you and your family and which you have agreed upon is right in mine eyes and shall be rewarded upon your heads with honor and immortality and eternal life to all your house, both old and young because of the lineage of my Priesthood, saith the Lord, it shall be upon you and upon your children after you from generation to generation, by virtue of the holy promise which I now make unto you, saith the Lord.

These are the words which you shall pronounce upon my servant Joseph and your daughter S.A. Whitney. They shall take each other by the hand and you shall say, “You both mutually agree,” calling them by name, “to be each other’s companion so long as you both shall live, preserving yourselves for each other and from all others and also throughout eternity, reserving only those rights which have been given to my servant Joseph by revelation and commandment and by legal authority in times passed. If you both agree to covenant and do this, I then give you, S.A. Whitney, my daughter, to Joseph Smith, to be his wife, to observe all the rights between you both that belong to that condition. I do it in my own name and in the name of my wife, your mother, and in the name of my holy progenitors, by the right of birth which is of priesthood, vested in my by revelation and commandment and promise of the living God, obtained by the Holy Melchisedeck Gethrow [Jethro] and others of the Holy Fathers, commanding in the name of the Lord all those powers to concentrate in you and through you to your posterity forever. All these things I do in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and through this order he may be glorified and that through the power of anointing David may reign King over Israel, which shall hereafter be revealed. Let immortality and eternal life hereafter be sealed upon your heads forever and ever.”

A few weeks after the wedding, JS was in hiding and wrote the following letter to Sarah Ann Whitney and her parents, which was supposed to be burned, but they did not follow this instruction:

Quote:

Nauvoo August 18th 1842

Dear, and Beloved, Brother and Sister, Whitney, and &c.—

I take this oppertunity to communi[c]ate, some of my feelings, privetely at this time, which I want you three Eternaly to keep in your own bosams; for my feelings are so strong for you since what has pased lately between us, that the time of my abscence from you seems so long, and dreary, that it seems, as if I could not live long in this way: and three would come and see me in this my lonely retreat, it would afford me great relief, of mind, if those with whom I am alied, do love me; now is the time to afford me succour, in the days of exile, for you know I foretold you of these things. I am now at Carlos Graingers, Just back of Brother Hyrams farm, it is only one mile from town, the nights are very pleasant indeed, all three of you come come and See me in the fore part of the night, let Brother Whitney come a little a head, and nock at the south East corner of the house at window; it is next to the cornfield, I have a room intirely by myself, the whole matter can be attended to with most perfect safty, I it is the will of God that you should comfort now in this time of affliction, or not at[ta]l now is the time or never, but I hav[e] no kneed of saying any such thing, to you, for I know the goodness of your hearts, and that you will do the will of the Lord, when it is made known to you; the only thing to be careful of; is to find out when Emma comes then you cannot be safe, but when she is not here, there is the most perfect safty: only be careful to escape observation, as much as possible, I know it is a heroick undertakeing; but so much the greater frendship, and the more Joy, when I see you I tell you all my plans, I cannot write them on paper, burn this letter as soon as you read it; keep all locked up in your breasts, my life depends upon it. one thing I want to see you for is git the fulness of my blessings sealed upon our heads, &c. you wi will pardon me for my earnest=ness on when you consider how lonesome I must be, your good feelings know how to every allowance for me, I close my letter, I think Emma wont come tonight if she dont dont fail to come to night. I subscribe myself your most obedient, affectionate, companion, and friend.

Joseph Smith

Nine months after the marriage to JS, JS himself performed a marriage of Sarah Ann to Joseph Kingsbury on April 29, 1843. Kingsbury later gave this affidavit that it was a sham marriage to hide JS’s practice of polygamy:

Quote:

and on 29th of April 1843 I according to President Joseph Smith Couscil & others agreed to Stand by Sarah Ann Whitny as supposed to be her husband & had a preteded marriage for the purpose of Bringing about the purposes of God in these last days as Spoken by the mouth of the Prophets Isiah Jeremiah Ezekiel and also Joseph Smith, & Sarah Ann Should Recd a Great Glory Honor, & eternal lives and I Also Should Recd a Great Glory, Honor & eternal lives to the full desire of my heart in having my Companion Caroline in the first Resurection to claim her & no one have power to take her from me & we both shall be Crowned & enthroned together in the Celestial Kingdom of God Enjoying Each other’s Society in all of the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ & our little ones with us as is Received in this blessing that President Joseph Smith Sealed upon my head on the Twenty third day of March 1843

According to the “Sealing and Adoption Book A”, After JS’s death, on March 4, 1845, Joseph Kingsbury was sealed by Heber C. Kimball to his first wife, Caroline, for eternity, with Dorcas Adelia Moore standing proxy. Then he was sealed to Dorcas for time and eternity. Sarah Ann was not sealed to Kingsbury (supporting that this was a sham marriage). On March 17, Sarah Ann was sealed to Heber C. Kimball. According to the “A Book of Proxey” of the Nauvoo temple proxy sealings, Jan. 7 to Feb 5, 1846, on January 12th, 1846, after completion of the Nauvoo temple, Sarah Ann was sealed to eternity to JS with Heber C. Kimball standing proxy, then was sealed to Kimball for time (again Sarah Ann was not sealed to Kingsbury). On January 26, Kingsbury married Loenza A. Pond polygamously, but again was never sealed to Sarah Ann Whitney. During this time, it was common for JS’s polygamous wives to be sealed to Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, or other church leaders. These sealings support evidence of JS’s polygamous marriages.

[MisterCurie]

So I got the book “Joseph Smith Fought Polygamy” through interlibrary loan and it does appear that the full contents of the book are located at the following website: http://restorationbookstore.org/jsfp-index.htm” class=”bbcode_url”>http://restorationbookstore.org/jsfp-index.htm, for anyone interested in reading it. They even have additional research that has been completed since the book was published. It is really a quick read and I just finished the book and I intend to read the additional material online.

Regarding the published book, I actually was not very impressed with the research. The book does not have the extensive research and footnoting that books such as “In Sacred Loneliness” do. Furthermore, I felt the author’s biases were clearly in favor of Joseph Smith and the RLDS church and against Brigham Young and the LDS church. Reading the book I felt that it was clearly written from the RLDS apologist perspective. The book is full of black and white statements, such as “If Joseph had been guilty of polygamy and yet published all this evidence claiming that he was not, then he was the greatest liar in history” (page 198) and “If Joseph were truthful, then he was a monogamist and was honest in declaring polygamy a false doctrine. If he were lying, he was a sinner, a coward, and a fallen prophet” (page 201). The authors also set up straw men arguments to easily knock down, such as disproving the stories of a very pregnant Eliza R. Snow being pushed down the stairs by Emma (which Compton also believes is probably inaccurate in most of its details, but innaccurate stories do not negate that Snow may have been a polygamist wife of Smith). The authors also take very thin evidence to create a romance between Snow and Bennett. While they “disprove” Snow’s marriage to Smith due to lack of diary entries, they are convinced of a marriage engagement between Snow and Bennett (even without any diary evidence to support it). Their chief arguement against Joseph’s involvement in polygamy seem to be (1) Joseph Smith’s good character, (2) Joseph Smith the III saying it is not true, and (3) the lack of proven children from JS because polygamy could only be for raising up children (I feel this argument depends on JS agreeing with later LDS viewpoints that God commands polygamy to raise righteous seed, but it may not have been JS’s intentions at all).

I think the authors provide some great evidence that polygamy is unlikely to be an inspired principle and is contradictory with early church teachings, but I do not feel that these are evidence against JS introducing polygamy as they suggest. Overall, I am not convinced by their argument against JS founding polygamy and feel that the evidence clearly supports JS as the founder of polygamy in Mormonism. I will post some additional information regarding the arguments from the book that have already been discussed (now that I have been able to read them for myself), and I will post additional information in favor of JS founding polygamy as presented in Compton’s book and other sources.

[MisterCurie]

allquieton wrote:

I don’t have all the answers regarding Law. But:

1. The Higbees did confess to lying about Joseph. So did Bennett.

The Price’s refer to Law several times throughout their book, almost exclusively in a positive light as a witness for JS’s distance from polygamy. Law signed the affidavit saying he heard Bennett’s confession and knows of JS’s upstanding character. I find it a weakness in the Price’s argument that Law could have heard Bennett’s confession of JS’s innocence and yet later become convinced of JS’s involvement in polygamy (as published in the Expositor, quoted in an earlier post). Law likely became convinced after JS propositioned to his wife.

As for Bennett’s confession, I do not find it convincing. Knowing Bennett’s shady character, I suspect he only made the confession to try and keep his influential position within the church, when that was denied him, he turned against JS. Bennett’s confession contains the statement that JS never taught him anything about polygamy, but he also “confesses” that he never said anything about JS when convincing women to enter into polygamy with him. The entire issue at stake was Bennett’s involvement in polygamy and saying that JS sanctioned it. I am confused as to why JS would let such a statement stand, unless he was just happy to get his involvment in polygamy hidden through any means possible, so he was happy to have Bennett say that JS never taught him polygamy and Bennett never used JS as an excuse.

[MisterCurie]

allquieton wrote:

Lol–Okay, I have practically re-read 1/2 the book trying to answer y’all’s questions. I needed a refresher anyhow.

Here is an excerpt from the book. (Higbee was another member of Bennett’s circle, who confessed in writing to fornication and telling the lie that JS secretly preached polygamy. Like Bennett he later went back to the lie.)

JSFP wrote:

Even though the case against Chauncey L. Higbee did not come to trial at Carthage on October 3, 1842, it was a very significant factor in Joseph Smith’s fight against polygamy. It showed that Joseph vigorously contended against that evil doctrine in private and in public. If Joseph had been guilty, he certainly would not have sued a competent lawyer and insisted that the case be tried at Carthage among his enemies. Would a man with plural wives sue a lawyer—in the state of Illinois, where polygamy was a crime at that time (see Statutes of Illinois, Criminal Code,Section 121–122)? If Joseph had been guilty, Chauncey could have easily proven it, and no doubt Joseph would have gone to jail for that crime.

One needs to be aware that the women Chauncey chose for his witnesses were a part of “Bennett’s clique.” As already stated, his witnesses (those who were members of the Church) had suffered the shame of an investigation before the Nauvoo High Council. Dr. John C. Bennett published their names in newspapers across the land, and in his book, claiming that Joseph had attempted to take them as his plural wives. No doubt Chauncey hoped that by using these women as witnesses, he could convince the world that he was innocent and that Joseph was a polygamist, so the blame would be on Joseph and not himself. The cases of these women are to be treated later.

Because Joseph was innocent, he did not hesitate to have Chauncey arrested and charged. The case of The People vs. Chauncey L. Higbee attests to the innocence of the Prophet, and to his courageous fight to clear his and Emma’s names of the fraudulent charges that he had received a polygamous revelation and had plural wives.

As noted by the authors, this case actually never came to trial. The authors claim that JS was in hiding and could not attend the trial due to Bennett. This may be true, in the author’s own timeline given later in the book, the suit was initially filed in May, then Joseph went into hiding August 1842 through 1843. However, in mid-September, only a couple of weeks before the trial was scheduled, subpoena’s were sent out for witnesses for both Joseph Smith and Higbee to appear at the court. I find it highly curious that subpoenas were sent, but JS never appeared at the court.

[MisterCurie]

allquieton wrote:

Oh, with the Section 132 revelation. Apparently it is in BY’s handwriting. And BY stated that the original was destroyed by Emma, but luckily he had the only surviving copy. Fishy, if you ask me. Also, he waited until 1876 to put it in the D+C replacing the Section 101 Article on Marriage (which specifically denies polygamy and preaches monogamy).

I could not find anything in JSFP that states the 132 revelation is in BY’s handwriting. I already presented the evidence from William Clayton (scribe of JS) supporting that JS “received” the “revelation.” William Marks (the head of the Nauvoo high council during the life of JS and later member of the RLDS First Presidency) is on the record at an RLDS trial attempting to determine the source of polygamy (held during the days of Joseph III) as stating that he saw the revelation on polygamy later known as D&C 132 during the life of JS and it was presented to the Nauvoo high council as a revelation. Joseph III refused to believe Marks as he could not believe his father was involved in polygamy. The Price’s spend an entire chapter (chapter 17) on justifying why an RLDS official (Isaac Sheen) who believed that JS started polygamy is not a credible source of knowledge. I find it interesting that they do not address William Marks statement recorded in the RLDS archives.

[MWallace57]

The LDS Church has maintained and vigorously fought the theory that JS suffered from seizure disorder and Geschwind syndrome. The symptoms of Geschwind Syndrome, which is caused by damage to the temporal lobe of the brain include:

Hypergraphia (for example Ellen G. White, prophetess of the Seventh Day Adventist Faith wrote 100,000 pages in 4,000 articles)

Hypermoralism

Hyposexuality, Altered Sexuality or Hypersexuality. Many patients with Geschwind Syndrome suffer a complete loss of sexual desire, some, however experience a dramatic increase in desire.

“Stickiness” (I thought that was a funny term!). There appears to be an extreme anxiety that causes these patients to want to form permanent attachments to those they love. A woman may begin to adopt stray animals. (Zoning laws were actually changed to allow one epileptic, Geschwind syndrome women to have more than two pets because she simply could not bare to part with her animals). a, oh, yea, and there is even a report of a guy who actually could not part with wives and had many of them sealed to him.

Almost all forensic psychiatrists believe that Ellen G. White suffered from epilepsy and post-epileptic Geschwind syndrome. JS has also appeared on several lists of those suspected of having this syndrome. I really don’t know. My point is that I never want to judge him. He may have suffered extreme distress later in his life. One story that is absolutely true says that when JS and Sidney Rigdon were in jail, Rigdon had such severe, grand mal epileptic seizures that the prison guards had to release him. The men were under charges for treason and were to be executed. When the prison guard came to release the man who was having seizures, JS said it was Rigdon and to let him go. Strange this was, Rigdon didn’t have epilepsy!!!

One thing that the Church has never really acknowledged is that there have been about 5 religious figures who have been suspected of having Geschwind. They are:

Ellen G. White

Saul of Taursus (Apostle Paul)

Moses

Ezekiel, Prophet of the Old Testament

Joseph Smith Jr.

Hey, Smith is not in bad company. The Lord told JS in the first chapters of the D and C that he would, “visit him in his weakness”. Perhaps He did.

[just me]

MWallace57 wrote:

The LDS Church has maintained and vigorously fought the theory that JS suffered from seizure disorder and Geschwind syndrome. The symptoms of Geschwind Syndrome, which is caused by damage to the temporal lobe of the brain include:

Hypergraphia (for example Ellen G. White, prophetess of the Seventh Day Adventist Faith wrote 100,000 pages in 4,000 articles)

Hypermoralism

Hyposexuality, Altered Sexuality or Hypersexuality. Many patients with Geschwind Syndrome suffer a complete loss of sexual desire, some, however experience a dramatic increase in desire.

“Stickiness” (I thought that was a funny term!). There appears to be an extreme anxiety that causes these patients to want to form permanent attachments to those they love. A woman may begin to adopt stray animals. (Zoning laws were actually changed to allow one epileptic, Geschwind syndrome women to have more than two pets because she simply could not bare to part with her animals). a, oh, yea, and there is even a report of a guy who actually could not part with wives and had many of them sealed to him.

Almost all forensic psychiatrists believe that Ellen G. White suffered from epilepsy and post-epileptic Geschwind syndrome. JS has also appeared on several lists of those suspected of having this syndrome. I really don’t know. My point is that I never want to judge him. He may have suffered extreme distress later in his life. One story that is absolutely true says that when JS and Sidney Rigdon were in jail, Rigdon had such severe, grand mal epileptic seizures that the prison guards had to release him. The men were under charges for treason and were to be executed. When the prison guard came to release the man who was having seizures, JS said it was Rigdon and to let him go. Strange this was, Rigdon didn’t have epilepsy!!!

One thing that the Church has never really acknowledged is that there have been about 5 religious figures who have been suspected of having Geschwind. They are:

Ellen G. White

Saul of Taursus (Apostle Paul)

Moses

Ezekiel, Prophet of the Old Testament

Joseph Smith Jr.

Hey, Smith is not in bad company. The Lord told JS in the first chapters of the D and C that he would, “visit him in his weakness”. Perhaps He did.

Very interesting. A note on Sidney, however, he very likely could have been manic depressive and did have 2 known traumas to the head.

Yes, these people are fascinating to me. What is perhaps even more fascinating are the people who follow these people and base their important life choices on their teachings and “visions.” I guess that makes me a little fascinating, too.

[MWallace57]

Thanks, just me.

I have lived with Temporal Lobe epilepsy for so many years. I sometimes wonder if I have geschwind syndrome (also known as Midnight Disease).

This post is on JS and Polygamy. I just have to add this twist: We always try to go back into time and assign motives for another person’s behavior. This is very hard to do in a case such as JS. I have a friend with Geschwind syndrome who adopted a small or “mini” horse. The problem is that she already has more animals than she can care for. Her home has become a small farm which she uses to rescue unwanted animals. She feels so compelled to “save” them and is very tender with them. She will, for example, not allow her pony to be shoed unless she is present to ensure that the shoe smith does not hurt the pony’s little hoofs. It is all about “saving” as many of these little creatures as she can.

JS motives may have been a simple desire to save as many people as he could, believing that eternal marriage was necessary for the highest degree of glory in the Celestial Kingdom.

Now, many people will assign other motives to JS and polygamy. We have probably heard them all. I, for one, just can’t be so judgmental about this. Salt Lake County had to change a zoning law for me because I refused to relinquish a straw kitty to the animal shelter. (They now allow 3 pets instead of 2.)

[just me]

You are a fascinating person, too, MWallace! It is so enjoyable to get to know you.

There is something that joggles around in my mind about the whole polygamy thing.

JS is claimed to have had a weakness of fearing man more than God. This is documented in the D&C.

We also have documented in the D&C that many men struggled with impure thoughts, lust, adultery and the like.

We also know that polygamy was a hot topic in 3 different areas of the world in the early 1800’s.

Add to that JS’s fascination with the Old Testament and the concept of Restoration.

Maybe, just maybe, there were a lot of leaders gunning for adding polygamy to the doctrine and Joseph succumed to them. Maybe he was also intrigued by the concept. Afterall, he saw himself as a modern Moses. He believed that EVERYTHING had to be restored, including animal sacrifice.

Oh, another thing I wonder about is the symbolism of the whole thing. Marriage is often used to symbolize our relationship with God-or the church with Christ. Polygamy would be symbolic of “going after strange gods” or drifting away trying to serve two masters.

I think it is okay to acknowledge that polygamy went wrong without casting all the players into hell. Even if it had the noblest of intentions, it did go awry. I’m glad that Joseph was vocal against polygamy. Even if it makes him a liar. Because then I can believe that he knew in his heart it was wrong (at least in the way it was being done). I am also really happy that D&C 132 has so many doctrinal inconsistancies. It makes it easier for those seeking to set it aside as “false doctrine.”

[MWallace57]

Thanks again, Just me.

My dear friend who suffers from Gershwind syndrome just happens to be a Seventh Day Adventist who married a Mormon. I am so sorry to go off on a tangent (tangential writing), but here goes.

Gershwind syndrome patients are exceptionally spiritual! That is an understatement. Many have founded churches. Perhaps the Lord does literally, “visit them in their weakness” as he told JS in the D and C.

Many, however, suffer from severe obsessive-compulsive disorder or OCD. I’ve had this (can’t elaborate). Let’s just say that I mowed my lawn 4 times just in case I missed a blade of grass!!! I knew I had to recover or I’d spend eternity mowing my lawn. Oh, yeah, I also mowed my neighbor’s lawn and trimmed her edges. Gosh!!! Ok, I know when I’m OCD after a seizure. I’ve learned what it is and how to keep it from taking over my life. I manage it.

Well, I also know how to recognize when another person is suffering from OCD. It just takes one to know one.

For example, Ellen G. White who founded the Seventh Day Adventist Church became so obsessed with keeping the Sabbath Day Holy that she would not allow little children to play on the Sabbath Day, hence no nurseries in the SDA Church. I have been a nursery leader for years and I understand that little children learn from play. They learn how to share etc. I love Ellen G. White and I feel her spirit. I think that she would be pleased if I helped introduce SDA Church members to the idea of church nurseries. Ellen White loved little children. She loved educating little ones. I think she would just love the new little nurseries for her “little lambs”.

Now as for JS, I wanted to introduce the idea of having 3 or less wives, not 30 or more wives. I don’t mean this to sound cruel. I love JS. I feel his spirit helping me overcome my OCD. I know I can live with just 3 cats, for me that’s an accomplishment. I know that I can save unloved pets without adopting them. I can donate to the no-kill shelters. I can recover, I can get well. It is about setting boundaries, setting limits and learning to recognize what is post-seizure OCD from what is logical and sane.

[HiJolly]

MisterCurie wrote:

allquieton wrote:

Oh, with the Section 132 revelation. Apparently it is in BY’s handwriting. And BY stated that the original was destroyed by Emma, but luckily he had the only surviving copy. Fishy, if you ask me. Also, he waited until 1876 to put it in the D+C replacing the Section 101 Article on Marriage (which specifically denies polygamy and preaches monogamy).

I could not find anything in JSFP that states the 132 revelation is in BY’s handwriting. I already presented the evidence from William Clayton (scribe of JS) supporting that JS “received” the “revelation.” William Marks (the head of the Nauvoo high council during the life of JS and later member of the RLDS First Presidency) is on the record at an RLDS trial attempting to determine the source of polygamy (held during the days of Joseph III) as stating that he saw the revelation on polygamy later known as D&C 132 during the life of JS and it was presented to the Nauvoo high council as a revelation. Joseph III refused to believe Marks as he could not believe his father was involved in polygamy. The Price’s spend an entire chapter (chapter 17) on justifying why an RLDS official (Isaac Sheen) who believed that JS started polygamy is not a credible source of knowledge. I find it interesting that they do not address William Marks statement recorded in the RLDS archives.

Thanks for your research and contributions in this thread, MisterCurie. I agree with what you have said. I was amazed by Compton’s book, but as good as that is, I think I enjoyed “Mormon Enigma” even more.

I respect Emma, even if she did lie about polygamy clear to her dying day. I have no idea what she had to endure.

HiJolly

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