Faith Crisis Solutions: How I Resolved My Questions Regarding Joseph Smith’s Polygamy
By Kimberly W Smith
“To many Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith’s Polygamy is one of the most “troublesome” aspects of early Church history. Discovering this history has shocked many Latter-day Saints, leading to confusion and inner conflict.
“Although plural marriage is no longer practiced in the Church, I believe it is critical for every faithful latter-day saint to obtain a witness and testimony that it was the Lord who commanded Joseph Smith to institute the practice of plural marriage. Joseph Smith’s “polygamy” is not a stain on his character and it is not something we need to apologize for or be embarrassed about.
There are many in this generation who cannot understand plural marriage because they themselves are “governed by their passions and not by principles.” Not only is the world without knowledge in relation to this principle, but many of those among the Latter-day Saints are far from possessing a correct understanding of it. 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. For every good thing, Satan produces a counterfeit that is exactly 180 degrees opposed, inverted, and distorted. The devil promotes lust, God promotes love. They are not comparable. Warren Jeff’s polygamy is not comparable to Celestial Plural Marriage as revealed by God to the Prophet Joseph Smith. It is a Satanic counterfeit.
If the idea of this principle or doctrine is something you have struggled with you are not alone. It is also important to recognize that despite the truth of the principle, Plural marriage has been a source of controversy since the beginning of its practice by early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
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.”
The Prophet 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 Jacob 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.
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 to 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.
In Nauvoo, when Eliza R. Snow—plural wife of the Prophet Joseph Smith—first understood that the practice of plurality of wives was to be introduced into the Church, she recorded in her journal: “The subject was very repugnant to my feelings.” But later, after growing in her understanding of the principle through the teaching of the Holy Spirit, she wrote: “As I increased in knowledge concerning the principle and the design of plural marriage, I grew in love with it, and today esteem it a precious, sacred principle.”
In a blessing given to Eliza R. Snow by the Prophet Joseph Smith, he pronounced her to be a daughter of Judah’s royal house. The Prophet also prophesied that Eliza R. Snow, by virtue of her royal lineage, would one day visit Jerusalem. In 1872, Brigham Young commissioned George A. Smith to rededicate the Holy Land. He was accompanied by Eliza R. Snow, and together with her brother, Lorenzo Snow, they stood on top of the Mount Olives and re-consecrated the Holy Land for the Gathering of the Jews and the House of Israel.
Consider for a moment the significance of this knowledge—that our pioneer ancestors were men and women of honor, integrity, and noble character, who understood the sacred lineage of which they were a part—that the plural wives of the Prophet Joseph were not victims, but were women who understood their religion, they counted the cost of discipleship, and bore the cross of sacrifice so that the blessings of the birthright lineage—and all the powers of the Priesthood—would be placed on the heads of their posterity forever.
In the Nauvoo Temple revelation, the Lord said unto Joseph Smith, as he said unto Abraham: “In thee and in thy seed shall the kindreds of the earth be blessed.”
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, descendants of these faithful forbearers, are the “chosen seed.” We are heirs of the Eternal Priesthood through the lineage of our pioneer fathers and mothers. The vast majority of multi-generational members can trace their lineage back through the lines of faithful men and women who accepted the Celestial plural marriage covenant. We would not be here without them. The plural wives of the Restoration understood—like the four wives of Jacob—that their offspring would inherit the rights, keys, and honors of the Priesthood.
Many struggle to resolve concerns dealing with Joseph Smith’s polygamy. LDS Answers, a Joseph Smith foundation website, provides accurate, faith-filled answers that tell the real story with the real facts and the real history.” Kimberly Smith (Editor added some bold and red for highlight)
Behind the controversy, lies the untold history and inspiring stories of real women with their personal experiences, successes, failures, trials, and legacies. Latter-day Saint women looking for exemplary heroines will be inspired to discover female role models of strength, intelligence, compassion, courage, determination, talent, leadership, and accomplishment.
If you know someone who is struggling with the historic practice of plural marriage, this book will provide the reader with an honest and faith-filled account of the history, from the perspective of the women—the forgotten mothers of the Restoration.
Kimberly Smith- Writer, Researcher at the Joseph Smith Foundation
Presentation: How I resolved my questions regarding Joseph Smith’s Polygamy-Faith Crisis Solutions!
Sept 2021
Kimberly Smith is a writer and researcher of church history. She is the Research Director for the Joseph Smith Foundation and author of several articles on the web including the article: “Answering the Claim: Did Joseph Smith Fight Plural Marriage”. I will be speaking on How I resolved my questions regarding Joseph Smith’s Polygamy-Faith Crisis Solutions! https://josephsmithfoundation.org/
See Kimberley’s New Video from the Sept 2021 Conference here: bookofmormonevidence.org/streaming
