The vast majority of Latter-day Saints are fully aware that the LDS Church practiced polygamy in the 1800s. It’s not mentioned in missionary discussions but most nonmembers are also aware of it as it’s taught in American History classes throughout the world.

The reasons most commonly given in church to justify polygamy are:

1) There were more women than men in the 1800s and polygamy provided a way for women, particularly widows to have the benefits of a husband.

2) Polygamy was not practiced until after the Saints started immigrating to Utah, and done so that women whose husbands had died from the exertions of the trek could be taken care of.

3) Polygamy was not illegal in the 1800s and was not in violation of U.S. law or against the 12^th article of faith, which supports obeying the laws of the land.

4) Polygamy was an acceptable way to rapidly increase the Church membership.

5) Restoration of a Biblical practice.

6) Commanded from God.

In 1890, President Wilford Woodruff received a revelation that the leaders of the Church should cease teaching the practice of plural marriage so it would not be in violation of the laws of the land. It was ended then and not practiced since. Ending polygamy also helped Utah become a state.

Also for some reason, perhaps as much as half of the LDS membership believes that polygamy started with Brigham Young and not Joseph Smith.

Links recording official church version:

http://www.mormon.org/question/faq/category/answer/0,9777,1601-1-114-1,00.html

http://scriptures.lds.org/od/1

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Significant details & problems that most Latter-day Saints are not aware of.

Polygamy was illegal.

Polygamists in striped prison uniforms, including George Q. Cannon (center with cane), William Gimbert Saunders (second from right), and William Morley Black (right of Cannon with white beard). These men were also known as "Prisoners of Conscience."

http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/Photo_Archives&CISOPTR=8468&REC=2

Why were these people, including First Presidency counselor George Q. Cannon in prison for practicing polygamy? Because polygamy was illegal.

Note: the photo is from an LDS supplementary lesson manual titled My Kingdom Shall Roll Forth: Readings In Church History, 1979, pages 53-60 deal with polygamy.

Why were these wanted posters made for the LDS leaders of the Church? Because polygamy was illegal.

Polygamy was always illegal whenever and wherever the Mormons practiced it. It was even illegal in Canada and Mexico as they only recognize marriages that are legal in the person’s home country. John Taylor, the third president of the church, claimed that he believed in keeping all the laws of the United States "except one"--i.e., "The law in relation to polygamy." (Journal of Discourses, vol. 20, page 317)

Most of Joseph Smith’s polygamous marriages occurred in Illinois in the early 1840s. The Illinois Anti-bigamy Law enacted February 12^th, 1833 clearly stated that polygamy was illegal. It reads:

"Sec 121. Bigamy consists in the having of two wives or two husbands at one and the same time, knowing that the former husband or wife is still alive. If any person or persons within this State, being married, or who shall hereafter marry, do at any time marry any person or persons, the former husband or wife being alive, the person so offending shall, on conviction thereof, be punished by a fine, not exceeding one thousand dollars, and imprisoned in the penitentiary, not exceeding two years. It shall not be necessary to prove either of the said marriages by the register or certificate thereof, or other record evidence; but the same may be proved by such evidence as is admissible to prove a marriage in other cases, and when such second marriage shall have taken place without this state, cohabitation in this state after such second marriage shall be deemed the commission of the crime of bigamy, and the trial in such case may take place in the county where such cohabitation shall have occurred."
Revised Laws of Illinois, 1833, p.198-99

Scan of The Revised Laws of Illinois, 1833

http://www.utlm.org/images/newsletters/no97illinoisbigamylaw.gif

From http://www.i4m.com/think/polygamy/polygamy_illegal.htm

Furthermore, Mormon polygamy was never legal, at any time - not even in the Utah territory from 1847 to 1890.

Marriage is a legal contract between one man and one woman. There has never been a law enacted to allow otherwise. All the married Mormons who immigrated to Utah in 1847 had been married under the civil laws of their respective states; each one of those states had laws against bigamy, thus making monogamy the "common law."

The very reason Brigham Young chose to move to Utah, rather than Oregon, California, or Texas, as others suggested, was because Utah was an uninhabited "no man's land". However, the area was legally Mexican territory and polygamy was illegal in Mexico.

In the United States, marriage is a legal contract regulated by the various states. When the Mormons went to Utah in 1847, all married Mormons at that time had been married under laws of the states they had come from. Utah became U.S. territory in 1848 after the Mexican War, and thus all citizens living therein became subject to the common laws of the nation, including marriage laws. (To use an analogy, you get your drivers' license from your state, but it is recognized as being legal in all the states. Marriage licenses are similar.)

Once in Utah, Young attempted to establish the "Territory of Deseret," and operate the area as a theocracy, under the "Law of the Lord," which included plural marriage and blood atonement. However, Congress rejected Young's attempt, and in 1850, the area was officially established as Utah Territory, with territorial overseers appointed from Washington D.C. President Millard Fillmore appointed Young as governor. Thus, polygamy became specifically illegal under U. S. common laws in 1850; but, since polygamy was also illegal under Mexican laws beforehand, there was never a time when polygamy was legal in Utah.

The 1862 federal Morrill Act was not the first law which made bigamy illegal; it was merely the first law which specifically reinforced existing state anti-bigamy laws. It was enacted specifically to close the "loophole" that the Mormons mistakenly believed they were operating under.

Even after the passage of the 1862 Morrill Act, the Mormon Church continued to practice polygamy in violation of the law for another half-century, and repeatedly challenged those laws. So anyone who argues that "The Mormons stopped practicing polygamy when it was made illegal" is either misinformed or misrepresenting the truth.

The final nail on the coffin which demonstrates polygamy's illegality was when Ann Eliza Webb filed for "divorce" from Brigham Young and sued him for alimony in 1877. Young successfully argued that their relationship was "an ecclesiastical affair, not a legal one," and the judge rightly ruled that since there was never any legal marriage, Webb could not file for divorce nor seek alimony.

Since Young himself admitted that his own "plural marriages" were not legal marriages, that means that no other Mormon "plural marriage" at any time was a legal marriage either. No legal marriage licenses were ever applied for nor granted, and every single child born of Mormon "plural marriages" was illegitimate - i.e. not born in a legal marriage.

All of the federal laws enacted against Mormon polygamy from 1862 to 1879 merely served to force the Mormons to comply with existing common laws. But the fact that those additional laws were enacted does not mean that Mormon polygamous marriages were ever legal in the first place.

In 1878, the United States Supreme Court upheld the conviction of a Mormon under the federal statute prohibiting bigamy against a challenge that, among other things, the statute infringed on the first amendment right to freedom of religion.

In so doing, the Court noted that polygamy had "always been odious among the northern and western nations of Europe and, until the establishment of the Mormon Church, was almost exclusively a feature of the life of Asiatic and of African people."

Even if you only view LDS publications, the priesthood manual used in 2006 said that polygamy was illegal in 1881 so by that admission the Church practiced it illegally for at least 9 years. In reality the entire time the members practiced polygamy it was illegal ever since Joseph’s first polygamous marriage in 1833.

President Lorenzo Snow admits polygamy was illegal before 1843.

Lorenzo Snow's testimony in the "Temple Lot Case", pp. 320-322:

"A man that violated this law in the Doctrine and Covenants, 1835 edition, until the acceptance of that revelation by the church, violated the law of the church if he practiced plural marriage. Yes sir, he would have been cut off from the church, I think I should have been if I had. Before the giving of that revelation in 1843 if a man married more wives than one who were living at the same time, he would have been cut off from the church. It would have been adultery under the laws of the church and under the laws of the state, too."

Joseph took many plural wives in secret before 1843. And of course polygamy was illegal after 1843 as well as before1843 as President Snow stated.

The Church’s efforts to deceive the U.S. government.

The Saints did everything they could to escape the federal deputies. Kimball Young gives this information: "In addition to false names, disguises, and ruses, a whole system of information gathering, signaling, and spotting informers was developed. For example, the church authorities would pass the word down to the smaller communities of movements of federal deputies out of Salt Lake City in the direction of any particular town." (Isn't One Wife Enough? page 396).

Wilford Woodruff, who became the 4th president of the church, had an armed guard to protect him. In a letter written in 1887, Woodruff wrote: "I have a large stout man who goes with me every ____ [where?] night and day [he] carries 2 pistols & a double barrel shot gun and sayes he will shoot the marshals if they come to take me (Dont tell anybody this) so I am ____ well garded..." (Letter from Wilford Woodruff to Miss Nellie Atkin, dated Sept. 3, 1887, microfilm copy of the original).

By 1890 the church leaders were using bribery to prevent the government from arresting them. Under the dates of October 17 and 18, 1890, Apostle Abraham H. Cannon recorded the following in his journal: "Uncle David came in about noon and told me... a deputy marshal... told him that there were papers out for my arrest,... I got Chas H Wilcken to investigate... Bro. Wilcken came and informed me that he had bought Doyle off, and had got his promise that I should not be molested, nor should any other person without sufficient notice being given for them to escape, and to get witnesses out of the way. He gave Bro. Wilcken the names of some 51 persons whose arrest he intended to try to effect... A messenger was therefore despatched to give these people warning. Thus with a little money a channel of communication is kept open between the government offices and the suffering and persecuted Church members."

Critic’s point: Only people performing illegal acts need to go to such lengths to avoid the law.

References

http://www.i4m.com/think/polygamy/polygamy_illegal.htm

http://mormonismi.info/jamesdavid/dcandlaw.htm

Polygamy contradicts 12^th Article of Faith.

"We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law."
- 12th Article of Faith, written by the Prophet Joseph Smith

The practice of polygamy was against the law so how can the Church claim that one of our most founding principles is to obey the laws of the land?

Gordon B. Hinckley said in regard to the fundamentalists that practice polygamy today:

I wish to state categorically that this Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy. They are not members of this Church. Most of them have never been members. They are in violation of the civil law. They know they are in violation of the law. They are subject to its penalties. The Church, of course, has no jurisdiction whatever in this matter.

If any of our members are found to be practicing plural marriage, they are excommunicated, the most serious penalty the Church can impose. Not only are those so involved in direct violation of the civil law, they are in violation of the law of this Church. An article of our faith is binding upon us. It states, 'We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law' [Articles of Faith 1:12]. One cannot obey the law and disobey the law at the same time. http://www.meetmormonmissionaries.org/mormon_polygamy.html

If President Hinckley can condemn people practicing polygamy today because it is against civil laws then how can we justify the LDS that practiced polygamy in the 1800s when it also was against civil laws?

Were there more women than men?

One common justification that many LDS give for polygamy was that there were more women than men, and the women needed husbands in the harsh West to survive. It is often told in church that economic reasons were a major driving force behind polygamy. Even an article still published on the LDS apologist organization FAIR website supports this. The essay was written in 2002 by Kathryn Daynes, a BYU assistant professor of history. [note: the link has changed a couple times but can be found by searching the FAIR website]. A rebuttal to that article by a critic of the church is found midway down the website here.

This is simply not true. Population statistics for Utah from 1850 to 1950 (Caucasian only):

Year_________________Male_________________Female

1850________________6,020__________________5,310

1860________________20,178_________________19,947

1870________________43,451_________________42,503

1880________________73,477_________________68,946

1890________________108,943_________________96,982

1900________________138,923________________133,542

1910________________192,118________________174,465

1920________________227,232________________214,669

1930________________255,284________________244,683

1940_________________274,587________________268,333

1950_________________341,007________________335,902

Additionally Joseph Smith first began secretly teaching polygamy about 1831, began his first polygamous relationship about 1833, dictated his revelation on celestial marriage in 1843, and he was killed in 1844. Smith introduced plural marriage and
sealed several dozen men and women to each other and himself in Nauvoo before
his 1844 death. The Mormons did not get to Utah, until 1847. Therefore, Smith's institution of polygamy had nothing whatsoever to do with providing husbands for "women who were left behind."

Additional Evidence

An apostle and also the president of FAIR (the largest pro-LDS apologetic group) admit that this commonly-held belief is incorrect.

In his 1943 book, “Evidences and Reconciliations, Apostle John A. Widtsoe explained:

“Plural marriage has been a subject of wide and frequent comment. Members of the Church unfamiliar with its history, and many non-members, have set up fallacious reasons for the origin of this system of marriage among the Latter-day Saints.

The most common of these conjectures is that the Church, through plural marriage, sought to provide husbands for its large surplus of female members. The implied assumption in this theory, that there have been more female than male members in the Church, is not supported by existing evidence. On the contrary, there seem always to have been more males than females in the Church...

The United States census records from 1850 to 1940, and all available Church records, uniformly show a preponderance of males in Utah, and in the Church. Indeed, the excess in Utah has usually been larger than for the whole United States, as would be expected in a pioneer state. The births within the Church obey the usual population law - a slight excess of males...

The theory that plural marriage was a consequence of a surplus of female Church members fails from lack of evidence...

Another conjecture is that the people were few in number and that the Church, desiring greater numbers, permitted the practice so that a phenomenal increase in population could be attained. This is not defensible, since there was no surplus of women...”

Elder Widtsoe goes on to explain the reason he believes polygamy was practiced: “The principle of plural marriage came by revelation from the Lord. That is the reason why the Church practiced it.” (Widtsoe, John A., “Evidences And Reconciliation”, pgs 307 – 310, The Bookcraft Company, 1943, Salt Lake City, Utah)

An example from the U.S. Census records, which Elder Widtsoe referred to, indicates that in 1840 there were 5169 males and 4762 females in Hancock County, Illinois (Nauvoo being the primary population center). Counting just those persons between the ages of 15 and 40, there were 2067 men and 1828 women. 1850 Census information for Utah records 6020 males and 5310 females.

Additionally John Lynch, chairman of FAIR (the largest pro-LDS apologetic group) said in a podcast on mormonstories.org that it was not true that there were more women than men as justification for polygamy. To listen go to http://mormonstories.org/?page_id=102 - I’m not sure which of the three parts it’s on but Brother Lynch admits to John Dehlin that many commonly-held beliefs of the members are untrue – specifically mentioned are that there were NOT more women than men in the Church when they practiced polygamy. He also confirms that the masons did not really have the temple ceremony from Solomon’s time. He even jokes that ‘anti-Mormons’ will use what he said against him.

To Increase the membership of the Church rapidly?

A related justification for polygamy often given is that polygamy is an effective way to rapidly increase the membership of the church. This doesn’t make any sense because a group of women can have far more children if they each have their own husband instead of sharing one man. For example Brigham Young reportedly had 55 children by some 29 child-bearing capable wives but had those women had their own husbands they may have had 150 or more children in total. This reasoning only makes sense if there was a shortage of men but as shown above this was not the case.

From LDS polygamy researcher Todd Compton

The idea that Mormons practiced polygamy because there was an excess of women in Utah is incorrect. It was a religious obligation.

Todd Compton http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/7207/romney.htm

References

http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/Why.htm

http://mormonstories.org/?page_id=102

http://www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon199.htm

LDS scriptures condemn polygamy.

Doctrine and Covenants

The first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants (1835) included a section denying any practice of polygamy:

"Inasmuch as this Church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication and polygamy, we declare that we believe that one man should have one wife, and one woman but one husband, except in the case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again." (History of the Church, Vol. 2, p. 247)

It is interesting to note that this section in the Doctrine and Covenants was in every single edition until 1876, when the Doctrine and Covenants first included section 132 justifying plural marriage.

At that time the Mormon leaders inserted section 132, which permits a plurality of wives. Obviously, it would have been too contradictory to have one section condemning polygamy and another approving of it in the same book! Therefore, the section condemning polygamy was completely removed from the Doctrine and Covenants.

Note that from the current heading of D&C 132, the church effectively admits the above statement by the church was not true:

"Although the revelation was recorded in 1843, it is evident from the historical records that the doctrines and principles involved in this revelation had been known by the Prophet since 1831."

Book of Mormon

Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none; for I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts. Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lord of Hosts, or cursed be the land for their sakes. 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 (Jacob 2:27-30).

References

http://trialsofascension.net/mormon/lying.html

Polygamy was started by Joseph Smith not Brigham Young.

That fact that LDS practiced polygamy in the early days of the church is well known. What a lot of people don't know, though, is that polygamy was started by Joseph Smith and not Brigham Young. Joseph was very secretive about his practice of polygamy whereas when the Saints went to Utah the members there, lead by Brigham Young, were much more open about it.

The Sunday School lesson manuals, priesthood manuals, seminary books, etc never mention Joseph’s polygamy. There are some references to the other prophet’s plural marriages but not for Joseph. By never mentioning Joseph’s polygamous marriages in lessons taught in church, talks given at conferences, etc. many church members, especially converts, naturally believe that Brigham Young started polygamy.

Perhaps this was done to reinforce the common justifications given for polygamy such as there were more men than women which wouldn’t make any sense for Joseph alone to practice polygamy. Or maybe the reason it’s not talked about is to avoid saying anything that could be considered negative about the first prophet or perhaps provide a reason why someone like Joseph would wish to fabricate his story such as to allow himself to be with other women.

Being objective we would think that it would lend greater credibility to the practice of polygamy if it was plainly taught that Joseph introduced polygamy instead of Brigham Young as Joseph was the first and greatest of the Latter-day prophets but the Church doesn’t seem to see it that way.

Polygamy started with Joseph Smith and not with Brigham Young in Utah as many LDS believe. It was not until 1852 that the LDS Church publicly admitted to the practice of plural marriage. This was 8 years after Joseph Smith was murdered. This is why many LDS are surprised to learn that Joseph Smith was ever a participant in plural marriage.

Additionally, the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints (RLDS) now called Community of Christ had always rejected polygamy and believed until recently that Joseph never practiced polygamy and they believed it started with Brigham Young as well. This was reinforced by Emma Smith (Joseph’s first wife). Emma purposely lied to her children and told them that their father did not practice polygamy. She wanted to spare her children the pain of knowing the truth. Eventually the RLDS church accepted the work of LDS and RLDS historians and acknowledged that Joseph had indeed practiced polygamy. Finding this out was the catalyst for the split in the RLDS church between those that held on to the original concept of a divinely established church and those that now believe that Joseph was merely inspired and that the Book of Mormon is not historical.

Joseph commanded to practice polygamy by an angel.

"The same God that has thus far dictated me and directed me and strengthened me in this work, gave me this revelation and commandment on celestial and plural marriage, and the same God commanded me to obey it. He said to me that unless I accepted it, and introduced it, and practiced it, I, together with my people would be damned and cut off from this time henceforth. We have got to observe it. It is an eternal principle and was given by way of commandment and not by way of instruction."
- Prophet Joseph Smith, Contributor, Vol. 5, p. 259

http://www.i4m.com/think/history/angel_sword.htm

Fanny Alger

Fanny Alger is believed to be Joseph’s first polygamous wife (he had already been married to Emma for many years). Critics believe he had an affair with her, was found out and then introduced the concept of plural marriage in order to justify and continue his affair with her and then other women.

Prior to the official recording of section 132, Joseph Smith had already married multiple wives. His first plural wife was Fanny Alger, whom he married during the time when the Church was in Kirtland. Fanny was a servant in the Smith home. Being a teen-aged servant in Joseph Smith's home was a very typical way to become one of his plural wives.

Some historians record the date of the marriage as early as 1833, while others believe it was 1835. “Since Fanny moved out of the Smith home soon after the marriage, it evidently took place around 1835, the year when Fanny turned nineteen.” (The Prophet Joseph Smith and His Plural Wives, Richard Lloyd Anderson & Scott H. Faulring, FARMS, 1998) Anderson and Faulring do not give the reason for Fanny’s departure from the Smith home. Fanny left because Emma found out that Joseph had married Fanny. Joseph and Emma had “adopted” Fanny when she was about 16 years old (1833). Joseph Smith married Fanny sometime later. When Emma found out that Joseph had married Fanny, she would not allow her to remain in the house. There is no record of how long Fanny had been married to Joseph before Emma discovered the relationship, so they could have been married as early as 1833 and as late as 1835. The problem is that Joseph Smith did not even follow the law as it is outlined in section 132.

Warren Parrish, the secretary of Joseph for a period of time, told Benjamin Johnson that he and Oliver Cowdery knew the report of an affair between Joseph and the girl to be true, for they "were spied upon and found together." (Letter from Benjamin Johnson to George Gibbs, 1903; Joseph Smith the Mormon Prophet, pp. 103-104)

Just when and how the practice of plural marriage started in the LDS Church has caused much controversy. There is evidence, however, to show that it was secretly practiced when the church was in Kirtland, Ohio, in the 1830's. In the Introduction to volume 5 of Joseph Smith's History of the Church, Mormon historian B. H. Roberts reveals that the "date in the heading of the Revelation [July 12,1843]... notes the time at which the revelation was committed to writing, not the time at which the principles set forth in the revelation were first made known to the Prophet." The LDS writer John J. Stewart commented: "...Joseph as a servant of God was authorized to enter plural marriage, and it is not at all unlikely that he did so in the early or mid-1830's. Perhaps Nancy Johnson or Fanny Alger was his first 'plural' wife at Hiram or Kirtland, Ohio." (Brigham Young and His Wives, page 31) Oliver Cowdery, one of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon, claimed that there was a relationship between Joseph Smith and Fanny Alger but he felt it was an adulterous relationship. In a letter dated Jan. 21, 1838, Cowdery wrote: "When he [Joseph Smith] was there we had some conversation in which in every instance I did not fail to affirm that what I had said was strictly true. A dirty, nasty, filthy affair of his and Fanny Alger's was talked over in which I strictly declared that I had never deviated from the truth in the matter, and as I supposed was admitted by himself." (Letter written by Oliver Cowdery and recorded by his brother Warren Cowdery; see photograph in The Mormon Kingdom, vol. 1, page 27)

Critic’s Note: If we take the witnesses’ statements so seriously, shouldn’t we also accept other things that they reportedly witnessed just as powerfully? For example, Oliver Cowdery called it “a dirty, nasty, filthy affair...”

Joseph’s first polygamous marriage was before the sealing authority was given.

Whether Joseph’s marriage to Fanny Alger occurred in 1833 or 1835, it was illegal BOTH under the laws of the land AND under any theory of divine authority. Plural marriages are rooted in the notion of "sealing" for both time and eternity. The "sealing" power was not restored under LDS belief until April 1836 when Elijah appeared to Joseph and conferred the sealing keys upon him. There is no dispute at all among Latter-day Saints that prior to that time, the sealing power had not been on the earth since the time the Lord had removed it during the Great Apostasy. Thus, Joseph's "marriage" to Fanny Alger could NOT have been performed by anyone with the "sealing power" (unless it was done by Elijah himself, and no one that we are aware of has ever suggested that). No one on earth had authority either under the laws of man OR under the laws of God as understood and taught by the LDS Church to "marry" Joseph and Fanny. As a result, his marriage to her was a nullity from the beginning both in time and eternity, and any sexual relationship he may have had with her (and to which Oliver attested) can ONLY be fairly described as adulterous.

Joseph’s marriage to Fanny is documented on the LDS website: http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/prf/individual_record.asp?recid=670090054.

Joseph married other men’s wives while they were still married to their husbands.

LDS researchers have determined that Joseph Smith married at least 33 women. More astonishing is that 11 of those women were already married to other men when Joseph married them. This is referred to as polyandry.

Here’s the list of Joseph wives that we know of (although some LDS researchers estimate that the number may have been over 60). From the website http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/

BIOGRAPHIES
PDF version (printable, saveable)

Wife	Date	Age	Husband*
Emma Hale Fanny Alger Lucinda Morgan Harris Louisa Beaman Zina Huntington Jacobs Presendia Huntington Buell Agnes Coolbrith Sylvia Sessions Lyon Mary Rollins Lightner Patty Bartlett Sessions Marinda Johnson Hyde Elizabeth Davis Durfee Sarah Kingsley Cleveland Delcena Johnson Eliza R. Snow Sarah Ann Whitney Martha McBride Knight Ruth Vose Sayers Flora Ann Woodworth Emily Dow Partridge Eliza Maria Partridge Almera Johnson Lucy Walker Sarah Lawrence Maria Lawrence Helen Mar Kimball Hanna Ells Elvira Cowles Holmes Rhoda Richards Desdemona Fullmer Olive Frost Melissa Lott Nancy Winchester Fanny Young	Jan 1827 1833 1838 Apr 1841 Oct 1841 Dec 1841 Jan 1842 Feb 1842 Feb 1842 Mar 1842 Apr 1842 Jun 1842 Jun 1842 Jul 1842 Jun 1842 Jul 1842 Aug 1842 Feb 1843 Spring 1843 Mar 1843 Mar 1843 Apr 1843 May 1843 May 1843 May 1843 May 1843 Mid 1843 Jun 1843 Jun 1843 Jul 1843 Mid 1843 Sep 1843 1843 Nov 1843	22 16 37 26 20 31 33 23 23 47 27 50 53 37 38 17 37 33 16 19 22 30 17 17 19 14 29 29 58 32 27 19 14 56	NONE NONE George W. Harris NONE Henry Jacobs Norman Buell NONE Windsor Lyon Adam Lightner David Sessions Orson Hyde Jabez Durfee John Cleveland NONE NONE NONE NONE Edward Sayers NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE Jonathan Holmes NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE NONE
* Living Husband at the time of Marriage to Joseph Smith			References

Joseph’s wives can be verified by going to the Church’s own genealogical website: http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Search/AF/individual_record.asp?recid=7762167&lds=0®ion=-1®ionfriendly=&frompage=99

Note the following examples of Joseph’s polyandry (one women being married to more than one man at the same time):

Mary Elizabeth Rollins married Adam Lightner on 11 Aug 1835.
Their son, George Algernon Lightner was born on 22 Mar 1842.
Adam Lightner died on 30 Aug 1885.
Joseph Smith married Mary Elizabeth Rollins on 17 Jan 1842, when she was about seven months pregnant (was Adam Lightner the father, or Joseph Smith?).

Zina Diantha Huntington married Henry Bailey Jacobs on 7 Mar 1841.
Henry Bailey Jacobs died on 1 Aug 1886.
Joseph Smith married Zina Diantha Huntington on 27 Oct 1841, about seven and a half months after she married Henry.

Prescendia Lathrop Huntington married Norman Buell on 6 Jan 1828.
There is no online record of Norman Buell’s death.
Joseph Smith married Prescendia Lathrop Huntington on 11 Dec 1841.

The fact that Joseph Smith asked for other men's wives was made very plain in a sermon given in the Tabernacle by Jedediah M. Grant, second counselor to Brigham Young. In this sermon, delivered Feb. 19, 1854, Grant revealed:

"When the family organization was revealed from heaven — the patriarchal order of God, and Joseph began, on the right and on the left, to add to his family, what a quaking there was in Israel. Says one brother to another, 'Joseph says all covenants are done away, and none are binding but the new covenants: now suppose Joseph should come and say he wanted your wife, what would you say to that?' 'I would tell him to go to hell.' This was the spirit of many in the early days of this Church....

“What would a man of God say, who felt aright, when Joseph asked him for his money? He would say, 'Yes, and I wish I had more to help to build up the kingdom of God.' Or if he came and said, 'I want your wife?' 'O yes,' he would say, 'here she is, there are plenty more.'... Did the Prophet Joseph want every man's wife he asked for? ... If such a man of God should come to me and say, 'I want your gold and silver, or your wives,' I should say, 'Here they are, I wish I had more to give you, take all I have got.' " (Journal of Discourses, vol. 2, pages 13-14)

Ann Eliza Young, who had been married to Brigham Young, charged that Joseph Smith was guilty of adultery:

"Joseph not only paid his addresses to the young and unmarried women, but he sought 'spiritual alliance' with many married ladies... He taught them that all former marriages were null and void, and that they were at perfect liberty to make another choice of a husband. The marriage covenants were not binding, because they were ratified only by Gentile laws.... consequently all the women were free....

"One woman said to me not very long since, while giving me some of her experiences in polygamy: 'The greatest trial I ever endured in my life was living with my husband and deceiving him, by receiving Joseph's attentions whenever he chose to come to me.'

"This woman, and others, whose experience has been very similar, are among the very best women in the church; they are as pure-minded and virtuous women as any in the world. They were seduced under the guise of religion,...

"Some of these women have since said they did not know who was the father of their children; this is not to be wondered at, for after Joseph's declaration annulling all Gentile marriages, the greatest promiscuity was practiced; and, indeed, all sense of morality seemed to have been lost by a portion at least of the church." (Wife No. 19, 1876, pages 70-71)

LDS apologists admit Joseph married other men’s wives

From the pro-LDS site http://www.fairlds.org/pubs/polyandry.pdf

In an article, published on LDS FAIR (The Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research) web site, apologist Samuel Katich confirms the Church’s acceptance that Joseph Smith did marry a number of women who were already legally married to other men. He says:

“Perhaps one of the most misunderstood aspects of Joseph Smith is that of his plural marriages to women that were already married to other men. This paper examines the forms of marriage in practice and looks at each of the women and men involved in the relationships in an attempt to better understand these unique marriages. Joseph Smith was eternally married to what currently are argued to be between eight and eleven already married women. If we consider only those eight marriages that can be adequately documented, we find that six of the marriages occurred within an eight-month period between late October 1841 and June 1842. Two more marriages occurred early in 1843.

The women ranged in age from 20 to 47, with an average age of 29. Of those eight marriages, five were to women who had Mormon husbands and three were to women married to disaffected members or non-Mormons. Three of the women’s first marriages to Mormon husbands and two of the marriages to non-Mormons lasted until death. The other three remaining marriages ended later in life after Joseph’s death in 1844. In all cases the women continued to live with their first husbands. Technically, a woman with more than one husband is defined as being involved in a polyandrous relationship, or practicing polyandry.”

ALSO, from the pro-LDS site http://www.fairlds.org/Mormonism_201/m20117b.html

Under the section called POLYANDRY the FAIR apologists admit it is true and attempt to defend it.

Critic’s Comments

What possible justification can there be for marrying other men’s wives? Most of them were even good LDS men. Some of the men were on missions for the church – giving their time in service to the church. What a way to get rewarded for their service.

Imagine if you had spent 50 years living with your devoted spouse, fully intending to be married together in heaven for all eternity, just like you have enjoyed on earth for the last 50 years and then the prophet says he wants your wife to be his 33^rd wife. So in the next life you don't get your devoted wife of 50 years, instead you have to find another. Are we to believe that God actually commanded the prophet to do this? That is even more cruel than having someone else have sex with your wife.

What about the children of polyandrous marriages?

Polyandry also runs counter to the entire notion of eternal families. As we understand it, children are sealed to their father and the wife is sealed to the father, and in that means the entire family is sealed together. If in these cases the women were sealed to Joseph, then who were the children sealed to? If they were sealed to the woman's first husband, then the woman would not be sealed to them. If they were sealed to Joseph, then the poor first husband would not only be deprived of his wife, but also of his children in the eternity. So much for the plan of happiness.

If you believe the concept of eternal marriage, then Joseph Smith literally stole other men's wives and their children, regardless of whether he had sex with them or not. What right did he have to do that - because he was the prophet?

References

http://www.i4m.com/think/history/Joseph_Smth_mens_wives.htm

http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/home.htm

http://www.utlm.org/newsletters/no66.htm

Joseph Testing men

Smith's Failed Proposals to Married Women

John Taylor's Wife, Leonora
"The Prophet went to the home of President Taylor, and said to him, 'Brother John, I WANT LEONORA.'" Taylor was stunned, but after walking the floor all night, the obedient elder said to Smith, "If GOD wants Leonora He can have her." Woodruff concluded: "That was all the prophet was after, to see where President Taylor stood in the matter, and said to him, Brother Taylor, I don't want your wife, I just wanted to know just where you stood."
- Prophet Wilford Woodruff, John Mills Whitaker Journal, Nov. 1 1890; emphasis in original

Heber C. Kimball's Wife, Vilate
“During the summer of 1841, shortly after Heber's return from England, he was introduced to the doctrine of plural marriage directly through a startling test-a sacrifice which shook his very being and challenged his faith to the ultimate. He had already sacrificed homes, possessions, friends, relatives, all worldly rewards, peace, and tranquility for the Restoration. Nothing was left to place on the altar save his life, his children, and his wife. Joseph demanded for himself what to Heber was the unthinkable, his Vilate. Totally crushed spiritually and emotionally, Heber touched neither food nor water for three days and three nights and continually sought confirmation and comfort from God." Finally, after "some kind of assurance," Heber took Vilate to the upper room of Joseph's store on Water Street. The Prophet wept at this act of faith, devotion, and obedience. Joseph had never intended to take Vilate. It was all a test."
- Biography of Heber C. Kimball, "Heber C. Kimball, Mormon Patriarch and Pioneer." By Stanley B. Kimball, page 93.

Note: Joseph married Heber Kimball’s 14 year-old daughter instead.

Orson Pratt's Wife, Sarah
"Sometime in late 1840 or early 1841, Joseph Smith confided to his friend that he was smitten by the "amiable and accomplished" Sarah Pratt and wanted her for "one of his spiritual wives, for the Lord had given her to him as a special favor for his faithfulness" (emphasis in original). Shortly afterward, the two men took some of Bennett's sewing to Sarah's house. During the visit, as Bennett describes it, Joseph said, "Sister Pratt, the Lord has given you to me as one of my spiritual wives. I have the blessings of Jacob granted me, as God granted holy men of old, and as I have long looked upon you with favor, and an earnest desire of connubial bliss, I hope you will not repulse or deny me." "And is that the great secret that I am not to utter," Sarah replied. "Am I called upon to break the marriage covenant, and prove recreant to my lawful husband! I never will." She added, "I care not for the blessings of Jacob. I have one good husband, and that is enough for me." But according to Bennett, the Prophet was persistent. Finally Sarah angrily told him on a subsequent visit, "Joseph, if you ever attempt any thing of the kind with me again, I will make a full disclosure to Mr. Pratt on his return home. Depend upon it, I will certainly do it." "Sister Pratt," the Prophet responded, "I hope you will not expose me, for if I suffer, all must suffer; so do not expose me. Will you promise me that you will not do it?" "If you will never insult me again," Sarah replied, "I will not expose you unless strong circumstances should require it." "If you should tell," the Prophet added, "I will ruin your reputation, remember that."
(Article "Sarah M. Pratt" by Richard A. Van Wagoner, Dialogue, Vol.19, No.2, p.72. Also see: http://www.xmission.com/~country/reason/spratt.htm)

William Law's Wife, Jane
"William Law, a former counselor in the First Presidency, wrote in his 13 May 1844 diary: "[Joseph] ha[s] lately endeavored to seduce my wife, and ha[s] found her a virtuous woman" The Laws elaborated on this in a public meeting shortly thereafter. "The Prophet had made dishonorable proposals to [my] wife . . . under cover of his asserted 'Revelation,' " Law stated. He further explained that Joseph came to the Law home in the middle of the night when William was absent and told Jane that "the Lord had commanded that he should take spiritual wives, to add to his glory." Law then called on his wife to corroborate what he had said. She did so and further explained that Joseph had "asked her to give him half her love; she was at liberty to keep the other half for her husband" Jane refused the Prophet, and according to William Law's 20 January 1887 letter to the Salt Lake Tribune, Smith then considered the couple apostates. "Jane had been speaking evil of him for a long time . . . slandered him, and lied about him without cause," Law reported Smith as saying. "My wife would not speak evil of . . . anyone . . . without cause," Law asserted. "Joseph is the liar and not she. That Smith admired and lusted after many men's wives and daughters, is a fact, but they could not help that. They or most of them considered his admiration an insult, and treated him with scorn. In return for this scorn, he generally managed to blacken their reputations--see the case of . . . Mrs. Pratt, a good, virtuous woman."
(Mormon Polygamy by Richard S. Van Wagoner, page 44)

Hiram Kimball's wife, Sarah
Sarah M. Kimball, a prominent Nauvoo and Salt Lake City Relief Society leader was also approached by the Prophet in early 1842 despite her solid 1840 marriage to Hiram Kimball. Sarah later recalled that
"Joseph Smith taught me the principle of marriage for eternity, and the doctrine of plural marriage. He said that in teaching this he realized that he jeopardized his life; but God had revealed it to him many years before as a privilege with blessings, now God had revealed it again and instructed him to teach with commandment, as the Church could travel [progress] no further without the introduction of this principle." ("LDS Biographical Encyclopedia" By Elder Andrew Jensen, 6:232, 1887)
Sarah Kimball, like Sarah Pratt, was committed to her husband, and refused the Prophet's invitation, asking that he "teach it to someone else." Although she kept the matter quiet, her husband and Smith evidently had difficulties over Smith's proposal. On 19 May 1842, at a Nauvoo City Council meeting, Smith jotted down and then "threw across the room" a revelation to Kimball which declared that "Hiram Kimball has been insinuating evil, and formulating evil opinions" against the Prophet, which if he does not desist from, he "shall be accursed." Sarah remained a lifetime member of the Church and a lifelong wife to Hiram Kimball.
- LDS Biographical Encyclopedia By Elder Andrew Jensen, 6:232, 1887, Official History of the Church 5: 12-13,

Did Brigham Young marry women that already had husbands also?

Brigham also married Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner (Smith) who Joseph had first married polyandrously. She remained married to Adam Lightner throughout. She married Brigham on May 22 1846 when she was 26 years old. It was repeated in the Nauvoo Temple on Jan 17,1846, Brigham 44. Ref BOP #35. She also recorded it herself.

However Brigham asked Mary if she wanted to go West with his group and she said yes but he left her behind. She wrote: “I felt stunned, the thought came to me that Polygamy was of the Devil - and Brigham knew it, or he would have cut off his right hand before he would have left me… I wept myself sick, and felt to give up, and go among the Gentiles in fact I felt as though I was like one in any open Boat at Sea, without Compass or Rudder.”

Two of Joseph’s polyandrous wives went on to marry Heber C Kimball, Prescendia Lapthrop Huntington and Sylvia Porter Sessions, also continuing to live with their first husbands.

Brigham had a daughter (Zina Prescendia) by Zina and Heber had three children by Prescendia. (Prescendia Celestia, Joseph and Eliza).

Zina Diantha Huntington Jacobs Smith Young

"Prescindia's sister, Zina D. Huntington, lived in the Smith home. Henry B. Jacobs married the twenty-year-old Zina in March 1841. According to family records, when the Jacobs asked [Joseph] Smith why he had not honored them by performing their marriage, allowing John C. Bennett to officiate instead, he replied that "the Lord had made it known to him that she [Zina] was to be his Celestial wife" (Cannon, "History," 5). Believing that "whatever the Prophet did was right, without making the wisdom of God's authorities bend to the reasoning of any man" (ibid.), the devout Jacobs consented for the six-months-pregnant Zina to be sealed to Smith on 27 October 1841. Though sealed to Smith for