Joseph smith also learned that with divine approval, some latterday saints would soon be chosen by priesthood authority to marry more than one wife. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints praises the balanced analysis in the book. Did joseph smith have children by his plural wives. Iii in 1876, lucy walker told her that she lived with joseph smith as a wife. This article examines how the mormon church is defending josephs polygamy. A statue of joseph smith and his first wife, emma, at temple square in salt. Fawn brodie lists fortyeight women allegedly sealed to the prophet and at least one other. The letter instructed priesthood leaders to send doubting or inquisitive members to a series of essays recently published in the gospel topics section of lds. Smith and some of the leading quorums of his church publicly denied he taught or practiced it in 1852, leaders of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church acknowledged that smith had practiced plural. Mormon church admits founder joseph smith had up to 40 wives this is a theological problem that needs to be resolved at the highest levels of church governance, she says. Joseph smithpolygamychildren of polygamous marriagesdid he.
Joseph smith 18051844, the founder of the latter day saint movement, secretly taught and practiced polygamy during his. Review of books on the book of mormon 19892011 by an authorized editor of byu. Discovering this fact has shocked many latterday saints, leading to confusion and inner conflict. By june 1844, when joseph died, approximately 29 men and 50 women had entered into plural. Did early church leaders state that the book of mormon condemns polygamy. Joseph smiths first wife was emma hale 180479 the daughter of isaac and elizabeth lewis hale. The founder of the mormon church, joseph smith, wed as many as 40 wives, including one as young as 14 years old, the church acknowledged.
Louisa beaman was born february 7, 1815, to alvah beaman and sarah burtts in livonia, new york, some twentyfive miles south of palmyra. Nancy black eldredge, hannah mariah savage eldredge, and helvig marie andersen eldredge. Joseph smith hiding plural marriages from his first wife, emma. The twoway the church of latterday saints never denied polygamy was part of its history. History, esoteric theology, and controversies are all. Misrepresenting polygamy, especially that of joseph. Joseph smith and plural marriage the church of jesus christ of. Brigham young made polygamy an official doctrine in 1852. Joseph smith and plural marriage church of jesus christ. Mar 10, 2017 as early as july 1830, the lord revealed to emma smith, through joseph the prophet, that she had been called to be for a comfort unto my servant, joseph smith, jun.
To continue this brief narrative of the unfolding of the practice of polygamy in the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, proceed to the section on josephs proposals. The church was governed entirely as a monogamy church from 1832, at the time i became connected with it, up to the time of joseph smiths death. However the affidavit states that the sealing was performed by hyrum smith, which is unlikely because hyrum did not accept plural marriage until may of that year. Nov 12, 2014 the mormon church says for the first time that its founder joseph smith took up to 40 wives, including a 14yearold and others who were already married. Includes a list of 84 women who may have been married to joseph smith. Devoted members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints honor its founder, joseph smith, with saintlike reverence. End reason death 2nd mayor of nauvoo, illinois in office may 19, 1842 18420519 june 27, 1844 18440627. The mormon churchs founder was married to as many as 40 women in the. In his book nauvoo polygamy, smith provides a list of joseph smith s future wives and the interval between the first encounter with the mormon found and the navuoo marriage. Dec 17, 2016 to many latterday saints, joseph smiths sealing to fourteenyearold helen mar kimball in 1843 is one of the most troublesome aspects of early lds church history. This series features joseph smiths financial transactions, both personal and related to various organizations and businesses, to be published over the next few years. Smiths marriage to louis beaman is considered by some to be his first official plural marriage since it is the first for which there is a witness and a. Thereafter, for more than half a century, plural marriage was practiced by some latterday saints.
Many of the essays address controversial issues from the churchs history. The scholarly postings appear on the lds churchs website under the. In speaking about the general membership, this is true, but joseph smith was a member of the church and he clearly practiced it before the 1840s. On september 9, 2014 the church of jesus christ of latterday saints sent a letter to all priesthood leaders. For further information regarding early plural marriage, see plural marriage in the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, gospel topics essays, topics. It is the first online site completely dedicated to presenting this topic to a mainstream lds audience, written from a faithful perspective. Brigham young, sidney rigdon, joseph smith iii, and at least four others each claimed succession. Joseph smith fought polygamy, vision articles the lds. Plural marriage in kirtland and nauvoo church of jesus. Polygamy wasnt a theological debate for early mormon women. Compton, fawn brodie on joseph smiths plural wives, 170. For a complete list of these accounts, see brian c. They were married on january 18, 1827 in south bainbridge, chenango county, new york.
Joseph smith 18051844, the founder of the latter day saint movement, taught and practiced polygamy during his ministry, and married multiple women during his lifetime. She is the executive director of the joseph smith foundation, and producer or director. Plural marriage in kirtland and nauvoo the church of jesus christ. As described in joseph smith fought polygamy, volume 1, chapter 4, it was brigham young, and not joseph, who at nauvoo introduced the practice of marrying other mens wives. Dec 23, 2016 smallscale groundbreaking held for layton utah temple, recording to be made available next week the church of jesus christ of latterday saints in response to media inquiries, the following statement is from irene caso, spokesperson for the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. The lord jesus christ called joseph smith as a prophet to prepare the way for his coming in glory. What do latterday saint churches believe and teach about polygamy today 3. Book of mormon translation on trial, and faith crisis, volume 2. Mormon historian todd compton, whos written a book on smiths.
Some early members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints also received and. Mormon church admits founder joseph smith had up to 40 wives. The first publication of a list of women alleged to be smiths plural wives was in 1887, by andrew jenson, an assistant church historian of the lds church. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints, as the mormon. Joseph smith sees a vision of god and jesus christ. Jun 25, 2008 the lds church lies by 1 not educating the common mormon people about the nature of joseph smiths polygyny and polyandry, and 2 allowing gigantic faithpromoting rumors concerning polygamy to. Speaking at the funeral of william clayton, mormonisms future sixth president, stated. Response to those who say members should have known more.
Nov 11, 2014 mormon church admits founder joseph smith had up to 40 wives. New mormon history exiled from church headquarters. Joseph smith and hyrum smith never taught polygamy, and there was no revelation on polygamy or celestial marriage, or anything of the kind. Joseph smiths wives the mormon churchs first prophet. Mormon leaders have acknowledged for the first time that the churchs founder and prophet, joseph smith. The lds church addresses joseph smiths polygamy mormons in. A number of latterday saints practiced plural marriage in nauvoo, but a public announcement of this doctrine and practice was not made until the august 1852 general conference in salt lake city. Nov 11, 2014 the founder of the mormon church, joseph smith, wed as many as 40 wives, including one as young as 14 years old, the church acknowledged. Pdf version of remembering the wives of joseph smith. The founder of the mormon church, joseph smith, wed as many as 40 wives, including one as young as 14 years old, the church. A discussion of joseph and emmas family can be found on.
The church has previously sought to portray smith as loyal to his first wife. The beginnings of mormon polygamy joseph smiths polygamy. This doctrine of eternal union of husband and wife, and of plural marriage, is one of the most important doctrines ever revealed to man in any age. Due to the ongoing covid19 pandemic and the need to limit public gatherings, leaders of the church of. Bennett book, the nancy rigdon affair, the sarah pratt affair and also the martha h. Hales,encouraging joseph smith to practice plural marriage. By the time the latterday saints settled in illinois, the young women joseph once met as preteenagers had become old enough for him to marry. Nov, 2014 the book, which included an appendix of smiths 48 wives she wrote that there were probably more, resulted in brodies excommunication for apostasy by the lds church after its release. Concerning this record the prophet joseph smith said. Joseph smith 1st president of the church of christ later the church of jesus christ of latter day saints april 6, 1830 18300406 june 27, 1844 18440627 successor disputed. Smith explained, any one who will read carefully the denials, as they are termed, of plurality of wives in connection with the circumstances will see clearly that they denounce adultery, fornication, brutal lust and the teaching of plurality of wives by those who were not commanded to do so george a.
God declared in the book of mormon that monogamy was the standard. For joseph smiths wife emma, it was an excruciating ordeal. She is the executive director of the joseph smith foundation, and producer or director of seven. Hannah stoddard is the lead author of faith crisis, volume 1. Introduction to joseph smiths polygamy joseph smiths polygamy. Joseph was sealed to between 30 and 40 plural wives, but there are no known offspring. Smith was insisting that plural marriage was essential for lds exaltation. Criticism of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints.
An angel, moroni, instructs him and shows him where to find an ancient record. Dec 15, 2014 the lds church now officially admits that joseph smith had over 30 wives, that he had sex with some of them, and that some of his wives had legal husbands. Prescindia lathrop huntington buell and her husband norman joined the church in 1836. After receiving a revelation commanding him to practice plural marriage, joseph smith married multiple wives and introduced the practice to close associates.
Click here for full article prescindia lathrop huntington buell summary. Lds church history documents that their mormon founder, joseph smith, lied to a large group of people about his having multiple wives. I was called of my heavenly father to lay the foundation of this great work and kingdom in this dispensation, and testify of his revealed will to scattered israel. In addition to joseph smith, the lord provided for eleven others to see. Contains a detailed study of the mormon doctrine of plural marriage, the spiritual wife doctrine, the john c. Nov 14, 2014 mormon church publishes essay on founder joseph smith s polygamy the mormon churchs founder was married to as many as 40 women in the years before his murder in 1844, the church acknowledged in. In his essay titled the coming of the manifesto, mormon writer kenneth godfrey notes andrew jenson, one of the most revered of the latterday saint historians, officially acknowledged that joseph smith had taken twentyseven wives before his death. Mormon essays publishes links to the recent essays written by the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, or the mormon church. On this website, you can search records and find v. Mormon founder joseph smith took his first plural wife, fanny alger. Jun 15, 2019 smallscale groundbreaking held for layton utah temple, recording to be made available next week the church of jesus christ of latterday saints in response to media inquiries, the following statement is from irene caso, spokesperson for the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. The joseph smith papers is pleased to announce its latest web release, which includes the launch of a new, onlineonly financial records series. Nov 11, 2014 a statue of joseph smith and his first wife, emma, at temple square in salt lake city. Mormon church publishes essay on founder joseph smiths.
Saints recounts several important stories relating to the practice of plural marriage by joseph smith and other early latterday saints. Where did joseph smith get his teachings on the family. Joseph smith 18051844, the founder of the latter day saint movement, secretly taught. The plural wives of joseph smith, is a calmly crafted work designed to bring truth and understanding to this segment of latterday saint history which too often has been characterized by either deliberate obfuscation or shameless sensationalism. The first plural marriage in nauvoo took place when louisa beaman and joseph smith were sealed in april 1841. Joseph smith foundation director, author, film producer, speaker. The essays seek to explain the events in an easy to understand format for both members of the church and other individuals that may be interested in mormon history. Joseph smiths life is a testimony to the reality of that calling.