When the leaders say these essays were written to correct false information on the topic, they overstate their case. Hardys book, on the other hand, deals almost exclusively with the postmanifesto era polygamy between 1890 and 1910. Haunting the hearts and heaven of mormon women and men. Mormon church publishes essay on founder joseph smiths. For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife. Written by lds member richard vanwagoner, a graduate from byu who has won awards from the mormon history association and the dialogue foundation for his important historical work, the book covers the beginning of mormon polygamy with joseph. What the book of mormon says about polygamy jacob 1. Thats what historian laurel thatcher ulrich explores in her new book a house full of females.
Some mormons who wished to continue to practice polygamy fled to mexico or canada. With three different gospel topic essays written in 2014 on the topic of plural marriage or polygamy, much has been discussed recently on this topic. Van wagoners work gives essentially equal balance to the mormon practice of polygamy from the early 1830s until the present day. During this time the church publicly taught against polygamy and denied practicing it, while church authorities were privately taking plural wives.
This is precisely what brian david mitchell did when he abducted elizabeth smart. For if i will, saith the lord of hosts, raise up seed unto me, i will command my people. Utah was denied statehood for 50 years due to the mormons practice of polygamy. Below is an alphabetized combined index for the bound and unbound documents collections. A portrait of religious excess winner of best book awards from the mormon history association and john whitmer historical association.
This is a wikipedia book, a collection of wikipedia articles that can be easily saved. Portraits of a utah town and other acclaimed works, including mormon polygamy. The book of mormon does not condemn the practice of polygamy. The book examines the ideologies of both the lds church and the. New mormon narrative history book includes polygamous roots.
New mormon narrative history book includes polygamous. Mormon historian todd compton, whos written a book on smiths polygamy, says theres good evidence smith married at least 33 women by the time he. See the commentary on biblical polygamy by michael d. Salt lake city ap mormon church founder joseph smith insisted on introducing polygamy in the early 1800s despite knowing the. I was forever finished with the insane attempt to love a god who hurts me. The practice began during the lifetime of founder and prophet joseph smith but became publicly and widely known during the time of 2nd prophet, brigham young. The book of mormon, along with his revelations, then became fundamental tenets of the mormon church. The book lays to rest many of the false assumptions that are currently held by practicing utah mormons regarding the reasons for polygamy such as. He is coauthor of the biographical resource, a book of mormons, and has published in brigham young university studies, dialogue. After months and months of questions about our religion and christian beliefs, we felt it. Others divorced or separated, but continued to financially support formerly polygamous wives and children. How saints and jacobs teachings can help contextualize. Polygamy documents master index how to search fundamentalist documents about check these out joseph smiths polygamy website questions about polyandry dan vogel spins the evidence joseph smith was a polygamist dialogues discussing polygamy controversies website modern polygamy and mormon fundamentalism 2017 visit to the flds yearning for zion ranch in texas is. How mormon polygamy in the 19th century fueled womens.
This spotlight on polygamy is likely to make the majority of mormons who are nonfundamentalist uncomfortable. What do we really know about modern practicing polygamistsnot fictional. The book of mormon was translated and published in 1830. Some men continued to cohabit with multiple wives and to father children until the second manifesto in 1904 by joseph f. Van wagoner is a clinical audiologist and lehi city historian, author of lehi. Mormons change references to blacks, polygamy the changes are the first since 1981, and deal specifically with the churchs original ban on black priesthood ordination and polygamy. One of the most offensive aspects of mormon based polygamy is the rampant practice of taking underage girls as polygamous wives. His sources are often suspect including fawn brodie, jerald and sandra tanner and michael d. Written by lds member richard vanwagoner, a graduate from byu who has won awards from the mormon history association and the dialogue foundation for his important historical work, the book covers the beginning of mormon polygamy with joseph smith up to the flds and modern day plural marriage. Description nauvoo polygamy is a meticulously researched and skillfully written work on mormon polygamy.
Mormons believe that god commanded early latterday saints to practice polygamy for a time. Polygamy culture life outside the book of mormon belt. Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the lord. Critics of the church like to cite a section of the book of jacob in the book of mormon. The lords words will hiss forth unto the ends of the earth, 2 ne.
A young, single man at byu approaches an attractive coed and, after a date or two or 30, tells her he has received revelation that she is to become his wife. By making jacobs teachings more comprehensible, readers of the book of mormon are thereby benefitted as they learn. Doctrine and covenants, section 101 removed in 1876. For example, the book of mormon teaches that men should have only one wife see jacob 2. It is a thorough volume that is scholarly, and eludicates many important issues that, unfortunately, are often distorted in more polemical works.
Emma hale smith nauvoo polygamy is s a thorough investigation. One of these tenets was polygamy, which his contemporaries said came as a result of smith having been commanded by an angel to marry plural wives. Although it is a faithful book, it accurately describes some of the disturbing details of polygamy and mentions the book of mormon translation details that most members are unaware of. A study of the reactions among mormons and non mormons to the introduction of polygamy as a key mormon doctrine. A story of violent faith is a nonfiction book by author jon. In 1830, he completed an english translation of these plates called the book of mormon and formed the church. By the time of his death in 1844, joseph smith is believed to have married at least 33 women, with some as young as 14 years old. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds the mainstream mormon church.
The lord covenanted with enos to bring forth the book of mormon to the lamanites, enos 1. These are a few examples of what polygamy culture looks like. The hidden world of mormon polygamy kindle edition by. While latterday saints today do not know all the reasons for gods command, they do understand some reasons why god would command the practice of polygamy. Another testament of jesus christ is similar to and complimentary to the holy bible. Analytical and contextual commentary on the book of mormon. From 1830 to 1876, lds scripture was consistent in prohibited polygamy. Popular polygamy books meet your next favorite book. Van wagoner took great liberties in writing the book including cherrypicking references. Alexander although the occasion of many of the sermons i have given in church gatherings has faded into oblivion, the evening i reported my mission in the ogden twentyninth ward is indelibly impressed on my mind.
Foster is perhaps the single best volume on the issue of mormon polygamy i have thus far encountered. This volume features articles on the churchs legal confrontation with government over polygamy, various aspects of plural marriage in st. The book of mormon unequivocally condemns the practice of polygamy. Smith first dictated the revelation about plural marriage on july 12, 1843, though he always denied it outside the mormon community, and the polygamy doctrine was not publicly acknowledged until 1852. Ed pilkington uncovers a closed world of sisterwives and underage. The book of mormon itself inveighed against the sin of polygamy conformably to the book of mormon, the book of doctrine and covenants expressly declared that we believe that one man should have but one wife, and one woman but one husband. In 1831 joseph smith made a prayerful inquiry to the lord regarding the ancient old testament practice of plural marriage. For instructions and downloading option for indexes to the contents of this website, click here. Van wagoner is supposed to be a comprehensive study of mormon polygamy but it is not. Explaining polygamy and its history in the mormon church. In the western united states, there are at least 30,000 people involved in the practice of mormon based polygamy. But the trial of a fundamentalist mormon for assisting in the rape of a. The book of mormon and the bible will grow together, 2 ne.
How the women of the mormon church came to embrace. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the book is very different from van wagoners effort. The book of mormon, translated in 1829, makes mention of polygamy and, while it seems to forbid polygamy, it recognizes that sometimes god commands men to practice polygamy. In getting there, smith had to have done something pretty big, which for all intents and purposes was publishing the book of mormon, a religious text smith translated from gilded plates and which describes the history of hebrews who came to north america. This is a wikipedia book, a collection of wikipedia articles that can be easily saved, imported by an external electronic rendering service, and ordered as a printed book. I thanked the god of love, and threw that piece away. Although the lds church banned the practice of polygamy in 1890, mormons. The book of mormon was written for the intent that we may believe the bible, morm.
It was the fact that solomon allowed some of his wives to turn his heart away from the lord, just like uriahs wife did with david, that resulted in sin or evil. Its a fairly tame book and probably the best lds book for members that only want a slight introduction to some of the more colorful aspects of mormon history. When i picked up the little pieces of godordained polygamy, i smiled because there was no question. As early as the publication of the book of mormon in 1830, latter day saint doctrine maintained that polygamy was allowable only if it was commanded by god. The book of jacob condemned polygamy as adultery, 71 but left open the proviso that for if i will, saith the lord of hosts, raise up seed unto me, i will command my people. This book, edited by two notable lds historians newell bringhurst and craig l. As a few book of mormon central knowhys have explored see below, jacobs teachings about polygamy are made more comprehensible when they are read in light of ancient israelite and mesoamerican social practices and in light of the larger point of jacobs speech. The historian laurel ulrich uses the diaries of 19thcentury mormon women to tell the story of polygamy in a house full of females. The book of mormon explains that only when god commands it can a man have more than one wife at a time. Mormon polygamy, however, was an important part of the teachings of the church for fifty years. While the bible is the record of israelites in the holy land, the book of mormon is an account written by israelite prophets among a branch of israel that dwelt anciently in the americas.
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