Category: Polygamy

D&C SECTION 132

“Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Nauvoo, Illinois, recorded July 12, 1843, relating to the new and everlasting covenant, including the eternity of the marriage covenant and the principle of plural marriage. Although the revelation was recorded in 1843, evidence indicates that some of the principles involved in this revelation were known by the Prophet as early as 1831. See Official Declaration 1.”

“And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood—if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else. And if he have ten virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given unto him; therefore is he justified. D&C 132:61-62

Editor’s Note

As you read the heading to D&C 132 and verse 61-62, it is clearly understood that the principle of plural marriage was to be a blessing from God. Only God through His prophets could ordain such a high and holy practice. To we mortals on earth, spiritual things are very difficult to understand at times. When we study and pray and become in tune with the spirit, small witnesses can verify difficult doctrine. It seems the easy thing for the world to do is make fun of, and ridicule things they don’t understand through the spirit.

For myself and my dear Celestial Companion, we have discussed and prayed about this wonderful principle of plural marriage, and though it seems difficult to fully understand, we know it is a true principle of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Anyone who says otherwise I feel just has not studied and prayed enough about this holy principle.

Joseph Practiced Plural Marriage

“Those… claiming that there is no evidence that Joseph Smith practiced plural marriage are CLEARLY uninformed and historically illiterate. They have clearly never read the MANY eyewitness testimonies of the woman themselves. These woman gave detailed, consistent accounts that never wavered. Their testimonies always pointed back to Jesus Christ and called for greater holiness, repentance, chastity, honor and reverence for God. Doesn’t sound like a group of adulteress woman to me. Take, for example, Eliza R. Snow, Mary Elizabeth Rollins and Helen Mar Kimball. Anyone who reads their writings will see that these women were some of the greatest women to walk the face of the earth. Their fruit is beautiful! I have seen and experienced the fruit of many individuals who spit on these women. They spread lies, they blackmail innocent men and women, they spend their life tearing down others, instead of building up. Not very appealing to me, I must say. Please! If you are unfamiliar with this subject, go read the firsthand accounts of the women. There are dozens and dozens of men who recorded firsthand experiences with Joseph Smith and those are fascinating as well but read the WOMEN! Give them a chance to speak for themselves and you will come closer to Jesus Christ in the process. That is good fruit.” Hannah Stoddard

“Joseph Smith did not lie about his plural marriages. He was killed because of plural marriage. And maybe you should stop reading anti-Mormon history. If you read real history you would know that the 14 year old girl was Helen Mar Kimball who was the daughter of Heber C Kimball. Her sealing to the Prophet Joseph Smith was arranged by her father Heber C Kimball so their families could be connected eternally. The marriage was never consummated. She became the biggest advocate for the Principle of plural marriage and spent her life defending plural marriage and her sealing to Joseph. She also married Horace Whitney after the Martyrdom of Joseph where she convinced her new husband to marry three more wives. The reason most can’t comprehend this principle is that they are ruled by their passions and not by principles. It’s hard for those who have not overcome the natural man to comprehend that these early saints where men and women of high moral character and purity.” Kimberly W. Smith

“Polygamy Denial” as a movement has grown in the last several years. Not among professional or objective LDS historians, but it is a new pseudo-historical revisionist movement that seeks to blame polygamy on Brigham Young and claim that Joseph Smith never practiced it. Claiming that Joseph Smith didn’t practice plural marriage requires you to discount hundreds of eyewitness testimonies that state the opposite. We are talking about hundreds of testimonies, affidavits, journals, letters, and etc. that all corroborate each other. Dates, chronologies, events, details of conversations, etc. when analyzed all prove that the eyewitnesses are telling the truth. Not only is the world in general without knowledge in relation to this principle of Celestial plural marriage, but many of those among the Latter-day Saints are far from possessing a correct understanding of it.

The principle of Celestial plural marriage has been made the subject of a great deal of ridicule—the doctrine is even condemned as a heinous sin by those who walk in darkness and who have not had the truth manifested to them by the light of revelation. The Spirit of the Almighty is the agent by which we should ever be led—not the vain imagination of man. It is essential that we study the history in context—prayerfully, and being guided by the Spirit to find the truth, “that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” Kimberly W. Smith

Did Joseph Smith Fight Against Plural Marriage?

Written by Kimberly W. Smith

There is a growing movement of members of the Church who are resurrecting the old, already debunked RLDS narrative that Joseph Smith neither practiced nor entered into plural marriage. Those who present this argument are staging quotes without context and purposely withholding  sources, data, and clarifying information.

In Nauvoo, you have Celestial Plural marriage that was introduced privately to select members who had proven faithful.  Whenever true Doctrine is revealed from Heaven, Satan sets up a counterfeit. Satan’s counterfeit for Celestial Plural Marriage was John C Bennett’s Spiritual Wifeism which was sex without marriage with multiple women who men said were their spiritual wives so it was okay. John C Bennett was also a doctor who performed abortions on women who he got pregnant.

So you can imagine that when Elders of the Church were seduced by John C Bennett’s spiritual wife, whoredoms that Joseph Smith spoke openly and publicly about what an abomination that was. So every public denial of “polygamy” Joseph always referenced by saying “Spiritual Wifesim”. I will give an example later in this document.  You will notice that past quotes of Joseph denying spiritual wifeism are used without giving the context of the difference between spiritual wifery and Celestial Plural Marriage aka “Polygamy”.Kimberly’s Bio
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The introduction of the doctrine of plural marriage by the Prophet Joseph Smith to his inner circle of trusted friends was the first in a string of crucial events that ultimately led to his death. Joseph Smith restored the previously-established doctrine, introducing it among his very closest associates—those who had already proven themselves to be faithful in 1842. Because of the traditions and prejudices instilled in the Saints themselves, the principle of plural marriage had to be introduced privately, through careful guidance of the Spirit. Therefore, the Prophet’s reestablishment of this doctrine was done primarily through confidential and personal interviews.

Samuel W. Richards remembered:

“I heard him [Joseph Smith] teach it [plural marriage] privately to quite a number at different times, – that is, in the aggregate, to quite a number, but not to many at a time. And I never did hear him preach it or teach it in what could be called a public manner.”

William Clayton wrote:

“After the revelation on celestial marriage was written, Joseph continued his instructions, privately, on the doctrine, to myself and others, and during the last year of his life we were scarcely ever together, alone, but he was talking on the subject, and explaining that doctrine and principles connected with it. He appeared to enjoy great liberty and freedom in his teachings, and also to find great relief in having a few to whom he could unbosom his feelings on that great and glorious subject.”

When the revelation on Celestial and plural marriage was given, the Prophet Joseph was quoted as saying:

“If I have to die for any revelation God has given through me I would as readily die for this one as any other. And I sometimes think that I shall have to die for it. It may be that I shall have to forfeit my life to it and if this has to be so, Amen”.

Contrary to the contentions of those who claim that Joseph never taught or entered into plural marriage, there are well over one hundred sworn statements and affidavits in the various collections of historical materials that currently exist, attesting to the Prophet’s both teaching and practicing the doctrine of Celestial plural marriage.

A great deal of the misunderstanding and confusion over the practice of plural marriage can be avoided when viewed in the light of the examples on the subject contained in ancient biblical records, and by using the correct terminology, such as Celestial marriage, or Eternal plural marriage. ‘Polygamy,’ ‘spiritual wifery,’ and ‘secret wife system’ are all unwarranted, derogatory, and counterfeit labels concocted by Joseph’s avowed enemy, the infamous John C. Bennett. The Prophet Joseph Smith’s consistent public denials of ‘polygamy’ were a disavowal and a refutation of the accusations which were hurled at him of fornication, adultery, lust, and the counterfeit spiritual wife doctrine—they were not a denial of the teaching and practice of “Celestial plural marriage.”

Those who are unconverted to the revelations relating to temple ordinances—whether they be the sacred endowment ceremonies or Eternal marriage covenants—have their agency to reject those revelations and separate themselves from the Church. However, they lack the moral grounds to justify themselves in bearing false witness, misquoting, or practicing deceit by falsely misrepresenting the historical record and the actual teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Celestial marriage, or Eternal plural marriage, as found in the revelation, is fundamentally different from what is commonly referred to as ‘polygamy.’ Polygamy, in the ordinary sense of the term, never was—and is not now—a tenet of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Members of the Church who presently lack sufficient sensitivity to the Spirit to be rescued by correct doctrine will remain adrift on a sea of confusion, falling prey to the misguidance of whoever happens to influence their understanding. It is essential that we study the history in context—prayerfully, and being guided by the Spirit to find the truth, “that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.

More than denying that Joseph Smith ever wrote the revelation on eternal Celestial and Plural Marriage as found in Doctrine and Covenants section 132, detractors even contend that Brigham Young—not Joseph Smith—was the author of section 132, and that it was written after the death of the Prophet. However, there exists irrefutable evidence that the revelation on Celestial marriage was put in writing on July 12, 1843, and that Joseph Smith knew as early as 1831 that plural marriage was to be restored.

Careful investigation discloses that the following women did indeed become plural wives of the Prophet Joseph Smith between 1841 and 1843:

Louisa Beaman was the first plural wife in Nauvoo. She was sealed to Joseph Smith on April 5, 1841—the day before the laying of the cornerstones of the Nauvoo Temple. Zina D. Huntington was sealed to Joseph Smith on October 27, 1841. Sarah Ann Whitney became a plural wife of Joseph Smith on June 27, 1842. Eliza R. Snow was sealed to the Prophet as plural wife on June 29, 1842. Eliza D. Partridge and Emily D. Partridge became plural wives of the Prophet on May 11, 1843, . It is important to note that Emma Smith gave her consent to each of these plural marriages. Those acquainted with her, including some of the plural wives themselves, stated that Emma not only consented beforehand, but that she initially treated each of these plural wives with kindness. In 1843, however, Emma “became severely tried in her mind,” and rejected the revelation, and history has not been able to hide her subsequent perpetual hatred and bitter opposition to the principle.

According to present research, the names of all of Joseph Smith’s plural wives have been revealed, and their testimonies are recorded in heaven and on earth. They were righteous women who were sufficient witnesses to establish the truth upon the earth in such a manner that it can never be forgotten. Their combined testimony is destined to live, and to grow, and to spread upon the face of the earth—to be received, accepted, and adopted by all the virtuous, by all the pure in heart, by all who love the truth and seek to serve God and keep His commandments. Truth will prevail, and the day will come when they will be the most honored women on the face of the earth.

Not only is the world in general without knowledge in relation to the principle of Celestial plural marriage, but many of those among the Latter-day Saints are far from possessing a correct understanding of it. The principle of Celestial plural marriage has been made the subject of a great deal of ridicule—the doctrine is even condemned as a heinous sin by those who walk in darkness and who have not had the truth manifested to them by the light of revelation. The Spirit of the Almighty is the agent by which we should ever be led—not the vain imagination of man.

Joseph Smith made it clear that to practice plural marriage except in the way ordained by divine law was a serious transgression of such magnitude that it jeopardized the offender’s eternal salvation. The Elders of the Church also strongly denounced the unlawful practice of these types of plural marriages. Having been “credibly informed” of an elder who was “preaching polygamy” without authority, the Prophet Joseph Smith and Hyrum published a notice in the Times and Seasons which read”

“This is to notify him and the Church in general, that he has been cut off from the church, for his iniquity.”

When another elder taught that “having a certain priesthood” entitled a man to have as many wives as he pleased, Hyrum Smith wrote:

“I say unto you that that man teaches false doctrine, for there is no such doctrine taught here; neither is there any such thing practiced here.  And any man that is found teaching privately or publicly any such doctrine, is culpable, and will stand a chance to be brought before the High Council, and lose his license and membership also; therefore he had better be aware what he is about.”

The Law of God governing marriage in every dispensation has been consistent: A man may legally have but one living wife at a time, unless the Lord directs otherwise through the constituted channels of His Holy Priesthood. Joseph Smith emphasized this law:

“I have constantly said no man shall have but one wife at a time, unless the Lord directs otherwise.”   

There shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none.”  and acting as the Lord’s mouthpiece, the Prophet Joseph Smith explained to the Nephites: “For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things.”

Because monogamy is the basic law of marriage within the Kingdom of God, the Lord has set clear bounds and restrictions on the taking of plural wives. The Priesthood is necessary to guide men in the practice of plural marriage, and if not practiced with “holiness and purity,” it is a sin.  The Lord conferred upon the Prophet Joseph Smith “the keys and the power of the priesthood to restore all things and to make known all things.” Joseph Smith held the power to turn the key and inquire of the Lord, and by revelation and commandment through the medium of the Lord’s anointed, a man could receive more than one wife.

In ancient times, the keys and power over the plurality of wives were held by Abraham. Only through Abraham could Hagar obtain a blessing that her posterity would become a great nation. In relation to King David, the prophet Nathan held the keys. When David unlawfully took the wife of Uriah to be his own, Nathan came to reprove him for certain disobedience, and told him that through that act, he had lost his other wives; the Lord would give them to another. He also told him that, if he had been faithful, and if he had only asked for them, the Lord would have given him still more.

Joseph Smith taught the same law as found in the Book of Mormon:

There shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none.”  and acting as the Lord’s mouthpiece, the Prophet Joseph Smith explained to the Nephites: “For if I will saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things.”

When the principle of the plurality of wives was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord stated:

“Verily I say unto you, that the wisdom of man in his fallen state knoweth not the purposes and the privileges of my Holy Priesthood, but ye shall know when ye receive a fullness.”

The Lord made clear that in our current fallen state, it is impossible for any of us to understand His purposes without having received a fullness of knowledge. To our own detriment, we allow modern culture to influence our perception, and we so often mistakenly associate marriage with Hollywood’s corrupted version of romance and sexual pleasure, warping our view of its divine and intended purpose. In order to overcome our prejudices surrounding the doctrine of plural marriage, we must make an appeal to heaven and to scripture for understanding.

One of the primary purposes for requiring plural marriage, according to the Book of Mormon, is to raise up seed unto the Lord—but not just any seed: the “Chosen Seed.”

Among the greatest revelations ever received from the Lord by the Prophet Joseph Smith was the doctrine on the eternal order of birthright lineage—that priesthood was passed down to this generation through “a chosen seed.” The Lord revealed:

“The order of this priesthood was confirmed to be handed down from father to son, and rightly belongs to the literal descendants of the chosen seed, to whom the promises were made.”

The revelation in the 84th section of the Book of Doctrine of Covenants illustrates this principle:

“Abraham received the priesthood from Melchizedek, who received it through the lineage of his fathers, even till Noah; And from Noah till Enoch, through the lineage of their fathers.”

And the Lord covenanted with Enoch, and swore unto him, that through his seed the “Messiah” would come:

“And he sent forth an unalterable decree, that a remnant of his seed should always be found among all nations, while the earth should stand.”

Here the Lord made an unbreakable oath with Enoch that not only would Jesus Christ descend through his seed, but this “chosen seed” would always be found on the Earth. In 1832, while he was working on the inspired translation of the Bible, the Prophet Joseph Smith was given a revelation in which the Lord revealed:

“Therefore, thus saith the Lord unto you, with whom the priesthood hath continued through the lineage of your fathers—

For ye are lawful heirs, according to the flesh, and have been hid from the world with Christ in God.”

Joseph Smith, inspired by God, came forth and declared that he and certain of the early brethren were the chosen seed—a royal lineage, and the legal heirs to the Priesthood.

We often fail to realize the deeper significance of this revelation. The Priesthood comes to us through the lineage of our fathers and mothers. The Lord was not talking about the Priesthood line of authority; He was talking about the inherited right to receive the Priesthood. We receive a right to the Priesthood from our royal blood ancestry.

Four weeks before the Martyrdom of the Prophet, Joseph Smith was being accused of ADULTERY by William Law who had been excommunicated for Apostasy and who also entered into a blood oath to take the life of Joseph, Hyrum, and other Church leaders.

Dr. Goforth was invited into the Laws’ clique, and Dr. Foster and the clique were dissatisfied with that document,  and they rush away and leave the Church, and conspire to take away my life; and because I will not countenance such wickedness, [they proclaim that I have been a true prophet, but that I am now a fallen prophet]

…What a thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only find one. ”

THIS STATEMENT -WHEN VIEWED IN ITS PROPER CONTEXT AND IN LIGHT OF THE CHARGES BROUGHT AGAINST JOSEPH-HAS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT MEANING.

He states: “I had not been married scarcely five minutes, and made one proclamation of the Gospel, before it was reported that I had 7 wives..”

This is TRUE!!! Joseph Smith did not have 7 wives 5 minutes after marrying Emma. He didn’t take his plural wife until many years later. Joseph was smart and was outwitting the court and his enemies because his life and the lives of the Saints were at stake.

1. Joseph Smith  denying ADULTERY and SPIRITUAL WIFEISM! NOT celestial plural marriage. Again, he is very intentional to word his statements carefully. 

Remember Spiritual wifesim was John C Bennett’s deliberate counterfeit doctrine that he seduced women with and committed multiple whoredoms including performing abortions. 

Joseph Smith denied he was associated with this counterfeit doctrine repeatedly! He did not engage in spiritual WIFEISM which was sex with multiple women without marriage. This was a gross sin and what Joseph Smith was calling adultery in his denials. 

Joseph Smith NEVER denied being sealed to multiple women in the Celestial Marriage covenant under the authority and keys given  to him by God. 

2. In this paragraph, the Prophet Joseph Smith states: 

“This New holy prophet (William Law) has gone to Carthage and swore that I had told him I was guilty of ADULTERY. This SPIRITUAL WIFEISM!” 

3. In this paragraph, Joseph Smith states: 

“A man asked me whether the commandment was given that a man may have seven wives; and now the new prophet has charged me with ADULTERY. I never had any fuss with these men until that Female Relief Society brought out the paper against adulterers and adulteresses.”

Joseph Smith was speaking about Elders who were Falsely teaching that the Priesthood entitled a man to have More than one wife. This was not the doctrine Joseph Smith taught. He taught the Eternal Celestial marriage covenant to select Elders who were authorized to receive more than one wife. The Priesthood alone never entitled a man to more than one wife. 

4. To take an additional wife without AUTHORITY according to the Prophet Joseph Smith was adultery and he denied doing that himself or teaching it as doctrine.

Keeping the revelation and practice of plural marriage secret and out of public view was a matter of life or death for the Saints.  Joseph Bates Noble performed the first plural marriage of Joseph Smith on April 5, 1841, to Louisa Beaman. The Prophet dictated the words of the ceremony to Noble, and later cautioned him,

“In revealing this to you, I have placed my life in your hands, therefore do not in an evil hour betray me to my enemies” ( Joseph B Noble, affidavit, June 26 1869).

Reflecting back on the events in Nauvoo Apostle Orson Hyde related:

“What would it have done for us, if they had known that many of us had more than one wife when we lived in Illinois? They would have broken us up, doubtless, worse than they did.” 

Anyone who will read carefully the denials, as they are termed… will see clearly that they denounce adultery, fornication, brutal lust, and the teachings of plurality of wives by those who were NOT commanded to do so. In light of the circumstances under which they were spoken, Joseph’s words were carefully chosen in order to protect the Saints from mounting tensions and incitement to violence.

There are times where withholding or misrepresenting the truth may be appropriate to protect others from persecution, violence, or death.

In order for faithful Mormon leaders to deny plural marriage publicly with a clear conscience, they developed a code for speaking using double meanings.

Those involved with Nauvoo polygamy authorized by Joseph Smith believed they were doing so in obedience to Celestial Law as commanded by God, and so to protect individuals involved with obeying the commandments was seen as righteous, even if practicing polygamy was in violation of the law in the state of Illinois, for as Peter said “We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29) 

Monogamy versus Polygamy

Monogamy is always the Lord’s standard until he commands otherwise: “For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things.” According to the History of the Church’s expansion of Joseph Smith’s October 5, 1843 journal entry, the Prophet also taught polygamy in this context: “I have constantly said that no man should have but one wife at a time, unless the Lord directs otherwise.”

Apostle George A. Smith recalled that when Joseph Smith was faced with opposition from quotes in the Book of Mormon against polygamy, the Prophet responded “God has commanded us.”

The Lord initially commanded monogamy. Doctrine and covenants section 42 states “Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else.”

It took revelation from the Lord to do otherwise, as W. W. Phelps recalled being taught by the Prophet when he asked about plural marriage: “About three years after this [July 1831 revelation] was given, I asked brother Joseph, privately, how ‘we,’ that were mentioned in the revelation could take wives of the ‘natives’ as we were all married men? He replied instantly ‘In the same manner that Abraham took Hagar and Keturah; and Jacob took Rachel, Bilhah and Zilpah; by revelation — the saints of the Lord are always directed by revelation’.”

After Joseph Smith taught William Law polygamy, Law retorted “there is a revelation [in the Doctrine and Covenants] just the contrary of this,” to which Joseph replied, “that was given when the church was in its infancy, then it was all right to feed the people on milk, but now it is necessary to give them strong meat.”

Plural marriage was not taught and practiced from the beginning of the Church, but “held in reserve until after the apostles and other leaders had dedicated their lives in the service of God. They preached the Gospel and built up the Church for years before the Lord through Joseph permitted them to enter into polygamy.”

The Documentary History of the Church reports that Joseph Smith said “it is not always wise to relate all the truth. Even Jesus, the Son of God, had to refrain from doing so, and had to restrain His feelings many times for the safety of Himself and His followers, and had to conceal the righteous purposes of His heart in relation to many things pertaining to His Father’s kingdom.”

HOW PSEUDO-HISTORICAL RLDS SOURCES ARE INFLUENCING LATTER-DAY SAINTS TODAY

Richard and Pamela Price, leaders in the RLDS movement, claim they were by a letter written by RLDS Church President Israel A. Smith in 1956 to write a 3-volume book entitled Joseph Fought Polygamy. 

It seems clear that, from the outset, authors Richard and Pamela Price did not set out to write a scholarly work based on sound historical evidence. Joseph Fought Polygamy was simply a reprinting of old arguments made by the RLDS Church dating back to the 1860s, using the same old falsehoods placed into circulation in Nauvoo by dissenters who themselves coveted Brigham Young’s leadership position. The entire foundation of the RLDS Church’s identity is fundamentally anchored to the belief that Joseph Smith never practiced or taught the revelation on Celestial plural marriage. The principal criticism of their work by trained historians—without an agenda—is the Prices’ very selective use of historical data, presenting a one-sided, highly biased, and distorted view of “polygamy” and Brigham Young.

In 1983, Richard Howard, the first professionally trained historian of the RLDS Church, dropped a bombshell at a historical conference when he delivered irrefutable evidence connecting the origins of the doctrine of plural marriage in Nauvoo to the Prophet Joseph Smith. A once-cherished belief by members of the RLDS Church had been proven false under the weight of historical evidence. 

The feud over polygamy in the RLDS Church became a decades-long struggle among their members, who refused to accept defeat. Richard and Pamela Price became key players in the movement to keep a dying tradition on life support. 

Sadly, their persistence in re-publishing historically inaccurate falsehoods has infused lies into the hearts and minds of a growing number of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who don’t even realize they are the unfortunate victims of a 160-year-old deception.

More recently, a man named Richard Karren wrote a book in 2018 titled “The Exoneration of Emma, Joseph, and Hyrum,” which he dedicated to his “RLDS” aunt whom he claims “inspired my work.” Karren reveals in the preface of his work that one of his purposes is to “offer proof that Emma, Joseph, and Hyrum did not participate or practice polygamy in any way; but instead fought it vigorously.” He also revealed that he was aided by the research of Richard and Pamela Price.

On August 17, 2021, Richard Karren declared in a social media comment: “Our Mormon-ic Forefathers and Mothers were and are DISGUSTING… May these lying whores be endlessly raped in their perspective hells, by their demonic priesthood leaders…until all truth is revealed or until the end of time…whichever occurs last. Let them take their pain and complaints to Brigham and Heber.”

Richard Karren and those like him are moved on by the spirit of the adversary, the enemy of our souls. Those who choose to be the tools of wicked and designing men, and of him who is the Father of Lies, will receive their reward according to their works.

Rob Farthingham is a disgruntled member of the Church who has a a popular video on You-tube titled, First LDS Polygamist: Joseph or Brigham? In this video, Farthingham alleges that polygamy began with Brigham Young not Joseph Smith. 

However, Rob only presents a fragmented, one-sided, and distorted view of the historical record through the selective use of documents. In fact, Rob Farthingham admitted in an interview with  Mark Curtis —-a leader in the Doctrine of Christ movement on Hemlock Knots dot com—  the following: 

“I think I tried to be realistic about the limitations of my understanding even in the Joseph and Brigham video. It is fair to say that the evidence that is available that supports the traditional narrative about Joseph Smith being a polygamist vastly outweighs anything I was able to  accumulate and to present. From my perspective I wasn’t trying to be exhaustive. There is persuasive evidence on both sides to make the case for both sides.” 

I am thankful for Rob’s honesty.  His You-Tube video ignores the hundreds of documents that prove that plural marriage originated in Nauvoo and was both taught by and practiced by the Prophet Joseph Smith. Sadly, these are the main sources for the modern “Polygamy denial” movement that has grown in the last several years.  Sadly, Rob Farthingham  has been able to persuade hundreds of latter-day Saints to his side by manipulating the facts and withholding credible evidence. 

Plural Marriage and the Relief Society

(Additional proof that all public denials were denials of John C Bennett’s spiritual wife system not plural marriage). 

Joseph Smith and the small group of his trusted associates who had privately entered into plural marriages considered their relationships to be holy matrimony, sealed or confirmed by divine authority and approval. Joseph Smith’s 1843 revelation regarding plural marriage specified that he was the sole possessor of the authority for the performance of such marriages. However, as knowledge of the practice of plural marriage spread, it prompted counterfeit practices and abuse, such as John C. Bennett’s notion of “spiritual wifery.  Bennett and others “got an inkling” of Joseph Smith’s private teachings on plural marriage and “made use of some of those principles to corrupt to destroy not only himself but others.”

Publicly addressing John C Bennett’s assertions regarding “secret wives” also  posed a significant challenge for Relief Society leaders in Nauvoo: how to openly refute Bennett’s false claims without acknowledging or explaining the practice of plural marriage in a public setting. The Times and Seasons published a statement signed by nineteen prominent members of the Nauvoo Relief Society in which the women distanced themselves from Bennett’s activities and accusations.

“We the undersigned members of the ladies’ relief society, and married females do certify and declare that we know of no system of marriage being practiced in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints save the one contained in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and we give this certificate to the public to show that J. C. Bennett’s “secret wife system” is a disclosure of his own make.

Emma Smith, President,
Elizabeth Ann Whitney, Counsellor,
Sarah M. Cleveland, Counsellor,
Eliza R. Snow, Secretary,

Eliza R. Snow later wrote, “At the time the sisters of the Relief Society signed our article, I was married to the prophet— we made no allusion to any other system of marriage than Bennett’s— his was prostitution, and it was truly his, and he succeeded in pandering his course on the credulity of the unsuspecting by making them believe that he was thus authorized by the Prophet. In those articles there is no reference to divine plural marriage. We aimed to put down its opposite.”

Complete Article at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MQjQ2Tq5rD-7KGRda3cQxt5SE2QQ5fiAvxAVMyV4zjE/edit

See a Great Blog below from Kimberly W. Smith

https://www.bofm.blog/faith-crisis-solutions-how-i-resolved-my-questions-regarding-joseph-smiths-polygamy/

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