The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released an essay, "Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo," on October 22, 2014. A few weeks later the essay gained international exposure from places such as The New York Times' article, It's official: Mormon Founder Had Up to 40 Wives." The Telegraph also had an article: "Mormon church finally admits founder Joseph Smith was polygamist with 40 wives."
In the aftermath, many members of the Church said they were unaware of the extent of Joseph Smith's polygamy. Conversely, many members said that they already knew about "this stuff." Among these varying voices are those who say it's not the Church's job to teach history, and/or that it is a devout member's own fault if they don't know more about the Church's past.
On November 11, 2014, the Church's official online PR site, Newsroom, offered some additional context about the essays the Church was publishing. Within that release they said that information about Joseph Smith's polygamy was "known among long-term and well-read members." As we noted in our analysis of that press release, the Church has a long history of reinforcing the idea that only Church-approved material should be used in classes and in a teacher's preparation for class, thus the idea that certain aspects of Mormonism should be known by the members is inaccurate. We give more depth below.
Should a teacher always follow the manual? Can he or she draw from other sources as well?
Grant E. Barton, manager of adult curriculum, Church Curriculum Planning and Development Division
The Church-approved and produced lesson manual is a vital part of a teacher's preparation. Each teacher should read and study the designated lesson. However, he will also find it useful to consult other approved sources, such as the Gospel Principles manual, the new scriptural helps (see October 1979 Ensign), and the general conference addresses, especially those of the living prophet.
A teacher who reads through these approved sources and prays to understand the needs of class members is entitled to inspiration so that he may teach by the Spirit. The Lord has counseled teachers to "treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man" (D&C 84:85). When teachers are "strong in the knowledge of the truth" and have "given themselves to much prayer, and fasting," they will teach with the "power and authority of God" (Alma 17:2-3).
A teacher is like a good cook. A cook takes basic foods and, using appropriate tools, prepares, seasons, and garnishes an appealing and nutritious meal; he then serves it with enthusiasm. Similarly, the teacher starts with basic eternal truths and, using the tools which the Lord has provided (the scriptures, Church resources, and prayer), he seasons and garnishes a lesson with an inspirational experience, a chart, a thought-provoking question, or a small-group experience. In short, he serves up an interesting and accurate spiritual feast, always accompanied by his fervent personal witness.
The Church-prepared manual provides the teacher with well-researched, correlated, and approved lessons for teaching the gospel to class members. But the teacher must provide the prayerful study, the testimony, the setting, the enthusiasm, and, often, an adaptation of explanations and illustrations. Through spiritual preparation, a teacher can speak "by the power of the Holy Ghost," and eternal truths can be carried with renewed import "unto the hearts of the children of men" (2 Ne. 33:1).
"I Have a Question ," Ensign, August 1980. Link is here.
Reinforcing this idea that it is not the Church's aim to teach about the history of the Church is this paragraph found in the introduction to the manual Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith:
This book deals with teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith that have application to our day. For example, this book does not discuss such topics as the Prophet's teachings regarding the law of consecration as applied to stewardship of property. The Lord withdrew this law from the Church because the Saints were not prepared to live it (see D&C 119, section heading). This book also does not discuss plural marriage. The doctrines and principles relating to plural marriage were revealed to Joseph Smith as early as 1831. The Prophet taught the doctrine of plural marriage, and a number of such marriages were performed during his lifetime. Over the next several decades, under the direction of the Church Presidents who succeeded Joseph Smith, a significant number of Church members entered into plural marriages. In 1890, President Wilford Woodruff issued the Manifesto, which discontinued plural marriage in the Church (see Official Declaration 1). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints no longer practices plural marriage.
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, (2007) p xii. Link is here.
However, within that same manual, they give backstories for the concepts being discussed. For example, in the chapter dealing with Joseph Smith's death, they stated the following:
On June 10, 1844, Joseph Smith, who was the mayor of Nauvoo, and the Nauvoo city council ordered the destruction of the Nauvoo Expositor and the press on which it was printed. The Nauvoo Expositor was an anti-Mormon newspaper that slandered the Prophet and other Saints and called for the repeal of the Nauvoo Charter.
"Chapter 46: The Martyrdom: The Prophet Seals His Testimony with His Blood," Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, (2007). Link is here.
This would have been a perfect place to explain that the Nauvoo Expositor paper and press were destroyed (at least in part) because it printed material about Joseph Smith's relationships with women other than his wife. The compilers chose to ignore that historical fact and instead labeled the paper as "anti-Mormon"—a sure way to get many devout Mormons to not go any further in studying more about that episode in Church history: "If the paper was anti-Mormon, that's all I need to know and I don't need to research any more."
Although knowing about Joseph's stick pulling or wrestling accomplishments is not vital to a person's salvation, it is information frequently used to show Joseph's human side. The specifics of polygamy and polyandry would also show those human sides. Great stories of Joseph's inner struggles to marry 14 year olds or other men's wives could be told. Stories of obedience to God, even in the face of public opposition and the laws of the land, could be shared. It wouldn't have been hard for the Church to inform in a "faith-promoting" way. Now that the gates are open, this may happen in future manuals.
Every four years the Church has a course of study called "Doctrine and Covenants and Church History." How can it be claimed that it is not the Church's job or aim to teach history when every four years, the Church explicitly teaches members about the history of the Church in context with the Doctrine and Covenants? Throughout those teacher's manual are faith-promoting stories and vignettes that illustrate gospel principles similar to the wrestling one.
The teacher's manual is Doctrine and Covenants and Church History: Gospel Doctrine Teacher's Manual, Published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah. © 1999 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. English approval: 8/96. (if unavailable, there is an archived copy here)
In fact, in the "Helps for the Teacher" in the above referenced manual, it states as purpose #2 for the class:
Teach the ongoing history of the restored Church of Jesus Christ." And purpose #7 says: "Help class members understand the importance of their day in the history of the Church—that they have inherited a great legacy and that they can find joy in their responsibility to continue to move forward the work of the Lord.
Again, how can it be stated that the Church is not responsible for teaching their members about Church history?
What should actually be claimed is that the Church chooses not to share or teach Church history that may seem unsavory, odd or out-of-touch. They follow Boyd K. Packer when he said:
There is a temptation for the writer or the teacher of Church history to want to tell everything, whether it is worthy or faith promoting or not. Some things that are true are not very useful.
"The Mantle is Far, Far Greater Than the Intellect," Elder Boyd K. Packer, Address to the Fifth Annual CES Religious Educators' Symposium, (1981). PDF file.
What Packer means is that the truth isn't always useful in promoting the Church or people's perception of it. Truth isn't always useful in helping gain converts or retain its base if its history paints the Church unflatteringly. However, this is akin to a used car salesperson saying they won't give you all of the truth about the car you want to purchase because that might change your perception of the many good qualities of that car. A salesperson doesn't want to lose the sale, so they look for ways to skirt the whole truth about the car.
Today, people are inclined to do their studying online. But the Internet is often painted as a place members should be wary of. For example, less than three weeks before the publication of the final two polygamy essays, in the October 2014 General Conference, Elder Neil L. Andersen said the following in his talk titled "Joseph Smith":
We might remind the sincere inquirer that Internet information does not have a "truth" filter. Some information, no matter how convincing, is simply not true.
...We might remind the inquirer that some information about Joseph, while true, may be presented completely out of context to his own day and situation.
...The negative commentary about the prophet Joseph Smith will increase as we move toward the second coming of the savior. The half-truths and subtle deceptions will not diminish.
"Joseph Smith," Elder Neil L. Andersen, General Conference, October 2014. Link is here.
Elder Marcos A. Aidukaitis said in the previous General Conference (April 2014):
The Internet provides many opportunities for learning. However, Satan wants us to be miserable, and he distorts the real purpose of things. He uses this great tool to promote doubt and fear and to destroy faith and hope.
With so much available on the Internet, we must carefully consider where to apply our efforts. Satan can keep us busy, distracted, and infected by sifting through information, much of which can be pure garbage.
One should not roam through garbage.
"If Ye Lack Wisdom," Elder Marcos A. Aidukaitis, General Conference, April 2014. Link is here.
As quoted above, Elder Boyd K. Packer has said,
There is a temptation for the writer or the teacher of Church history to want to tell everything, whether it is worthy or faith promoting or not. Some things that are true are not very useful.
"The Mantle is Far, Far Greater Than the Intellect," Elder Boyd K. Packer, Address to the Fifth Annual CES Religious Educators' Symposium, (1981). Link is here.
All of these are examples of how the Church and its leaders try to direct the devout to only material produced and published by the Church. This inhibits the honest inquirer from finding out more about the Church and its history, even when that information may be written by the devout in a faith-promoting way or not.
When members sing
Follow the prophet, follow the prophet,
Follow the prophet; don't go astray.
Follow the prophet, follow the prophet,
Follow the prophet; he knows the way.
Chorus to "Follow the Prophet", Children's Songbook, (110).
and when they hear words in General Conference like
We will not and cannot lead you astray
"Stay in the Boat and Hold On!" Elder M. Russell Ballard, General Conference, October 2014.
and then they follow the leaders' counsel by not researching outside of Church-produced publications, they are showing that they put their trust in the words of those who say to beware.
It is no wonder that many members say they didn't know about the information found in the polygamy essays.
For some of those who said that they already knew about "this stuff," many of them didn't bother reading the essays because they "already know about it." Come to find out, some of them only had a cursory knowledge of "this stuff," like they knew that Joseph Smith introduced polygamy. Or possibly that he practiced it. Or maybe that Eliza R. Snow was sealed to him. And for the typical member, that's about it.
Because of this, we thought it would be interesting to find what was available by searching on lds.org for as much information as we could related to Joseph Smith and polygamy. It should be noted that this search was about the following only: Joseph Smith and his involvement in polygamy, no other aspects of polygamy. Only the Church's publications on lds.org were consulted and we did not look through publications such as BYU Studies, Dialogue, Journal of Discourses, etc. for the reasons stated above—most members do not read or reference these publications. The material had to be available before 2014, the year the Church began making changes to their curriculum and online information. The current essays on polygamy, available 22 October 2014, were obviously excluded since the search was in direct response to those who said either they knew or didn't know before the essays were published.
Our search found that the most in-depth information came from institute and seminary manuals, which most members have probably never felt the need to consult. If they did a search on lds.org, these sources would come up, but not otherwise.
Keep in mind that for many older members, only the three magazine articles (two Ensign and one Liahona) would have been readily available to them prior to about 2000 (the year the Church began to put much content online).
Here is a synopsis of what was found (full source information and context is given below). The information [in brackets] lists the most likely source a member would find the information in, not all of the sources it is found in. The synopsis is loosely arranged around the chronological order of the historical event.
There aren't any quotes from prophets or apostles. In fact, most of the material is from manuals and three Ensign articles.
Note: The following information can be found and verified through other faith-promoting publications (a few of these things are found in the October 2014 polygamy essays).
Presented in chronological order as to when the source was printed (other than the first two items).
We encourage you to submit additional resources as long as they fit this criteria: 1) it must be about polygamy as it relates to Joseph Smith, 2) it must have been available on lds.org prior to 2014.
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.
Adjustments to the Introductory Material of the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price, 2013 edition compared to 1981 edition, p78. [pdf file - large]
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.
Section 132 Preface, 2013 edition online.
Some of the most important events of Eliza [R. Snow's] life transpired in Nauvoo, Illinois, where the Saints had settled. The soul-moving mixture of sublime happiness and inexpressible grief was intense as she recalled the period in which she was married on July 29, 1842, and in which her husband, Joseph Smith, the Prophet of God, sealed his testimony with his blood.
"Eliza R. Snow: First Lady of the Pioneers," Jaynann Morgan Payne, Ensign September 1973.
On 27 July 1842, the Prophet Joseph Smith recorded a revelation to the Whitneys on plural marriage.
In obedience to the command of the living prophet, Newel and Elizabeth Ann gave their daughter Sarah Ann in marriage to Joseph Smith. Nearly a year later, Joseph Smith dictated the general revelation about the eternity of marriage and the nature of plural marriage, and Newel asked to have his own copy, a providential request, since the first copy was destroyed. Thus, Newel's desire to have the word of the Lord has blessed the entire Church by preserving what is now Section 132 in the Doctrine and Covenants.
"The Newel K. Whitney Family," D. Michael Quinn, Ensign, December 1978.
[T]he Prophet initially taught it only to a few of his closest associates. Historical evidence suggests that he understood the principle as early as 1831 while working on an inspired revision of the Bible in Kirtland.
Apostates, especially, attempted to discredit the Church over plural marriage, when rumors of its practice circulated in Nauvoo. They claimed that Church leaders were guilty of adultery, which Joseph Smith rightly denied. Actually, Church teachings elevated the place of woman above that she commonly held in nineteenth century society. Men and women accepted plural marriage only because they were convinced it was a religious principle sanctioned by heaven, a principle which reinforced Latter-day Saint insistence upon a high moral life for all members.
"The Gathering to Nauvoo, 1839-45," Glen M. Leonard, Liahona, April 1979.
Emma Smith needed help with her newborn son, and hired first sixteen-year-old Emily, then twenty-year-old Eliza too.
Although little Don Carlos Smith died a short time later, Emily and Eliza continued to live in the Smith home, where, in the summer of 1842, both girls "were married to Bro. Joseph about the same time, but neither of us knew about the other at the time; everything was so secret" (Emily, "Incidents," p. 186).
The sudden and violent death of Joseph Smith in June 1844 was particularly wrenching to his plural wives, since they were forced to bear their grief in silence.
"'Steadfastness and Patient Endurance': The Legacy of Edward Partridge ," Dean Jessee, Ensign, June 1979.
Shortly after the introduction of the endowment [1842] the Prophet revealed that a married couple could be sealed together by the power of the priesthood for time and all eternity. Many of the men and women who were endowed were also sealed by Joseph Smith to their spouses in the marriage covenant.
Later that summer Joseph recorded a revelation on marriage that incorporated principles that had been revealed to him as early as 1831 in Kirtland. [D&C 132]
The law of celestial marriage, as outlined in this revelation, also included the principle of the plurality of wives. In 1831 as Joseph Smith labored on the inspired translation of the holy scriptures, he asked the Lord how he justified the practice of plural marriage among the Old Testament patriarchs. This question resulted in the revelation on celestial marriage, which included an answer to his question about the plural marriages of the patriarchs.
Moreover, Joseph Smith and the Church were to accept the principle of plural marriage as part of the restoration of all things (see v. 45). Accustomed to conventional marriage patterns, the Prophet was at first understandably reluctant to engage in this new practice. Due to a lack of historical documentation, we do not know what his early attempts were to comply with the commandment in Ohio. His first recorded plural marriage in Nauvoo was to Louisa Beaman; it was performed by Bishop Joseph B. Noble on 5 April 1841. During the next three years Joseph took additional plural wives in accordance with the Lord's commands.
Church History In The Fulness Of Times Student Manual, Religion 341-343. Copyright 1989, 1993, 2000, 2003. pp 255-56 https://www.lds.org/manual/church-history-in-the-fulness-of-times-student-manual/chapter-twenty-doctrinal-developments-in-nauvoo
While working on the translation of the Bible in the early 1830s, the Prophet Joseph Smith became troubled by the fact that Abraham, Jacob, David, and other Old Testament leaders had more than one wife. The Prophet prayed for understanding and learned that at certain times, for specific purposes, following divinely given laws, plural marriage was approved and directed by God. Joseph Smith also learned that with divine approval, some Latter-day Saints would soon be chosen by priesthood authority to marry more than one wife. A number of Latter-day 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. At that conference, Elder Orson Pratt, as directed by President Brigham Young, announced that the practice of a man having more than one wife was part of the Lord's restitution of all things (see Acts 3:19-21).
"Chapter Eight: A Period of Trials and Testing," Our Heritage: A Brief History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (1996), p 97.
In this dispensation, the Lord commanded some of the early Saints to practice plural marriage. The Prophet Joseph Smith and those closest to him, including Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball, were challenged by this command, but they obeyed it. Church leaders regulated the practice. Those entering into it had to be authorized to do so, and the marriages had to be performed through the sealing power of the priesthood.
Lesson 31: "Sealed for Time and for All Eternity," Doctrine and Covenants and Church History: Gospel Doctrine Teacher's Manual, (1999), p 176.
President Joseph F. Smith, who was then a counselor in the First Presidency, wrote that the "principle of plural marriage was first revealed to Joseph Smith in 1831, but being forbidden to make it public, or to teach it as a doctrine of the Gospel, at that time, he confided the facts to only a very few of his intimate associates" (in "Plural Marriage," in Andrew Jenson, comp., Historical Record, 9 vols. [1882-90], 6:219). The Prophet taught the principle privately, and by 1841-42 he and several trusted Church members were living it. Section 132 was recorded in 1843, but the Church did not announce the doctrine of plural marriage publically until 1852.
Doctrine and Covenants and Church History Teacher Resource Manual, copyright 2001, update 2005. p 222.
As shown in the verse summary for Doctrine and Covenants 132, verses 58-66 concern "laws governing the plurality of wives." Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord commanded the practice of plural marriage in the early days of the Church; in 1890, through President Wilford Woodruff, He ended that practice (Official Declaration 1). (p 150)
The Church began the practice of plural marriage after the Lord revealed it to the Prophet Joseph Smith (D&C 132:1-6). (p 182)
Doctrine and Covenants and Church History Student Study Guide, copyright 2001.
Historical Background
It is clear that the Prophet Joseph Smith received section 132 before it was recorded but delayed making it known. The Prophet knew the Lord's will on plural marriage within the new and everlasting covenant probably as early as 1831 (see History of the Church, 5:xxix). In March 1843 he spoke to William Clayton of eternal marriage. In July of that year, he was discussing the doctrine with his brother Hyrum in William Clayton's presence when Hyrum said, "If you will write the revelation on celestial marriage, I will take it and read it to Emma, and I believe I can convince her of its truth, and you will hereafter have peace" (History of the Church, 5:xxxii).
The Prophet consented and told William Clayton to get some paper to write; but to his brother's "urgent request" that the Prophet use the Urim and Thummim to recall the exact revelation, Joseph replied that he did not need it, "for he knew the revelation from beginning to end" (History of the Church, 5:xxxii). When he had finished dictating, William Clayton read it back slowly, and Joseph said that it was exact.
Bishop Newel K. Whitney heard the revelation read and asked permission of the Prophet Joseph Smith to have it copied. With the Prophet's approval, Bishop Whitney sent Joseph C. Kingsbury the next day to copy it. Brothers Kingsbury and Clayton compared the copy line by line to the original and found it correct.
The revelation was not made public until Elder Orson Pratt, under the direction of President Brigham Young, announced it at a Church conference on 29 August 1852. The revelation was placed in the Doctrine and Covenants in 1876.
D&C 132:41-44. Sin of Adultery
Smith and Sjodahl wrote: "The Prophet, in his prayer on this subject, had asked the Lord for information concerning the ground on which the Patriarchs were justified in their domestic relations, and the answer was the definition of adultery here given. Plural marriage, the Revelation says, in substance, is not adultery, but to violate the marriage covenant is to commit that sin, the penalty being destruction (vv. 41, 52); but God Himself will execute that judgment (v. 54)." (Commentary, p. 833.)
D&C 132:51-56. What Was Emma Commanded Not to Partake of?
No indication is given here or elsewhere of what the Lord had commanded the Prophet Joseph to offer to his wife, but the context seems to suggest that it was a special test of faith similar to the test of Abraham's faith when the Lord commanded him to sacrifice Isaac. Beyond that, it is useless to speculate. However, Emma was given additional counsel from the Lord, including commandments to "receive all those that have been given to her husband" (D&C 132:52) to obey the voice of the Lord (see v. 53), to "abide and cleave unto" the Prophet (v. 54), and to forgive him of his trespasses (see v. 56). The Lord also gave her warnings against rejecting these commandments and promises for keeping them.
President Wilford Woodruff, who was closely associated with the Prophet Joseph Smith, said: "Emma Smith, the widow of the Prophet, is said to have maintained to her dying moments that her husband had nothing to do with the patriarchal order of marriage, but that it was Brigham Young that got that up. I bear record before God, angels and men that Joseph Smith received that revelation, and I bear record that Emma Smith gave her husband in marriage to several women while he was living, some of whom are to-day living in this city, and some may be present in this congregation, and who, if called upon, would confirm my words. But lo and behold, we hear of publication after publication now-a-days, declaring that Joseph Smith had nothing to do with these things. Joseph Smith himself organized every endowment in our Church and revealed the same to the Church, and he lived to receive every key of the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods from the hands of the men who held them while in the flesh, and who hold them in eternity." (In Journal of Discourses, 23:131.)
"Section 132 Marriage: An Eternal Covenant," Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual: Religion 324 and 325, (2002), 327-334.
During the ministry of Joseph Smith, the founding president and prophet of the Church, and continuing for over 50 years, plural marriage was practiced.…It was, in fact, as a result of Joseph Smith's inquiry to God in the early 1830s as to why plural marriage was practiced anciently that the divine instruction to institute the practice in modern times came.
Unauthorized practice of this principle is condemned in the Book of Mormon (Jacob 2:23-30, 34; 3:5), the Doctrine and Covenants (Doctrine and Covenants 132:38-39), the sermons of Joseph Smith himself (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith, Salt Lake City, Deseret, 1976, 324; cited hereafter as TPJS) and teachings of current Church leaders.
"Church Response to Jon Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven," Newsroom, Commentary - 27 June 2003.
This book deals with teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith that have application to our day. For example, this book does not discuss such topics as the Prophet's teachings regarding the law of consecration as applied to stewardship of property. The Lord withdrew this law from the Church because the Saints were not prepared to live it (see D&C 119, section heading). This book also does not discuss plural marriage. The doctrines and principles relating to plural marriage were revealed to Joseph Smith as early as 1831. The Prophet taught the doctrine of plural marriage, and a number of such marriages were performed during his lifetime. Over the next several decades, under the direction of the Church Presidents who succeeded Joseph Smith, a significant number of Church members entered into plural marriages. In 1890, President Wilford Woodruff issued the Manifesto, which discontinued plural marriage in the Church (see Official Declaration 1). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints no longer practices plural marriage.
Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, (2007) p xii.
In the early days of the Church, the practice of plural marriage was revealed to Joseph Smith.(See Doctrine and Covenants 132.) Although this practice was initially difficult for many to accept, the faithful Saints knew that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. They followed the Lord's will as it was revealed to their prophet. They made covenants with God and were strong and devout in keeping those covenants.
Helen Mar Whitney, who lived the law of plural marriage,* wrote, "We may read the history of martyrs and mighty conquerors, and of many great and good men and women, but that of the noble women and fair daughters of Zion, whose faith in the promises of Israel's God enabled them to triumph over self and obey His higher law, and assist His servants to establish it upon the earth, . I feel sure there was kept by the angels an account of their works which will yet be found in the records of eternity, written in letters of gold."(Helen Mar Whitney, A Woman's View: Helen Mar Whitney's Reminiscences of Early Church History, ed. Richard N. Holzapfel and Jeni B. Holzapfel (1997), 140.)
Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society, 2011.
[* Helen Mar Kimball was 14 when she became one of Joseph Smith's polygamous wives.]
Circumstances for the Saints in the United States proved to be a challenge to this love of freedom. Under the direction of the Lord, the Saints had practiced plural marriage in the Church since the days of Joseph Smith in Nauvoo.
"The Life and Ministry of John Taylor," Teachings of Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, (2011).
[it should be noted that the entry was deleted and replaced with the current entry on polygamy sometime in early 2014]
After God revealed the doctrine of plural marriage to Joseph Smith in 1831 and commanded him to live it, the Prophet, over a period of years, cautiously taught the doctrine to some close associates. Eventually, he and a small number of Church leaders entered into plural marriages in the early years of the Church. Those who practiced plural marriage at that time, both male and female, experienced a significant trial of their faith. The practice was so foreign to them that they needed and received personal inspiration from God to help them obey the commandment.
Polygamy (Plural Marriage) entry in the Gospel Topics section of LDS.org (archived October 22, 2012).
The Bible and the Book of Mormon teach that monogamy is God's standard for marriage unless He declares otherwise (see 2 Samuel 12:7-8 and Jacob 2:27, 30). Following a revelation to Joseph Smith, the practice of plural marriage was instituted among Church members in the early 1840s (see section 132). From the 1860s to the 1880s, the United States government passed laws to make this religious practice illegal. These laws were eventually upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. After receiving revelation, President Wilford Woodruff issued the following Manifesto, which was accepted by the Church as authoritative and binding on October 6, 1890. This led to the end of the practice of plural marriage in the Church.
Preface to Official Declaration 1 incorporated in the 2013 edition.
Following is the new manual for seminary teachers. The copyright is 2013, however, archive.org has the first snapshot of the page on May 22, 2014. Exactly when it went live is unknown. Given the relatively short time before the publication of the polygamy essay in October 2014, it's safe to assume that this resource was probably not used by many people in coming to an understanding of Joseph's polygamy before the essays were released. However, it is encouraging that future seminary students will have a little bit more of an understanding of this aspect of Joseph Smith's life.
While the Prophet Joseph Smith was working on the inspired revisions of the Bible in 1831, he asked the Lord for understanding about the ancient patriarchs having more than one wife. At that time the Prophet began to receive revelation in answer to his inquiries. In subsequent years, the Lord commanded the Prophet and other Latter-day Saints to live the principle of plural marriage. In July 1843, while the Church was headquartered in Nauvoo, Illinois, the Prophet recorded the revelation he had received. Doctrine and Covenants 132 addresses the Lord's teachings regarding plural marriage, including counsel to Joseph and Emma Smith.
[on the same page is the following warning:]
Use approved materials
Seminary and institute curriculum materials are provided as the main resources to help you prepare and teach effective lessons. You may use additional resources, such as Church magazines, as you support students' understanding of the scripture block. Other resources should not be used to speculate or sensationalize lesson topics or to teach ideas that have not been clearly established by the Church. Even if something has been published before, it may not be appropriate for use in the classroom. Choose lesson materials wisely so lessons can build students' faith and testimonies.
Explain that early in this dispensation, as part of the restoration of all things, the Lord commanded some of the early Saints to practice plural marriage through the priesthood keys held by the Prophet Joseph Smith and subsequent Presidents of the Church-Brigham Young, John Taylor, and Wilford Woodruff. In 1890, President Woodruff, acting with those same priesthood keys, received revelation that the practice of plural marriage should end (see Official Declaration 1).
Explain that the Prophet Joseph Smith was reluctant to begin the practice of plural marriage. He stated that he did not begin the practice until he was warned that he would be destroyed if he did not obey (see "Plural Marriage," Historical Record, May 1887, 222). Because of a lack of historical documentation, we do not know about Joseph Smith's early attempts to comply with the commandment. However, by 1841 the Prophet had begun to obey the commandment and to teach it to some members of the Church, and over the next three years he married additional wives in accordance with the Lord's commands. The Prophet Joseph Smith's obedience to the Lord's commandment to practice plural marriage was a trial of faith for him and his wife Emma, whom he loved dearly.
Explain that in addition to commanding Emma to receive those who had been sealed to her husband, the Lord commanded her to abide in His law and forgive Joseph of his trespasses. Invite students to read Doctrine and Covenants 132:56 silently to learn what the Lord promised Emma Smith.
Explain that in 1841, Joseph Smith began to teach other faithful men and women the principle of plural marriage.
Practicing plural marriage brought additional challenges. Because the practice was initially kept very quiet, rumors began to spread about Church leaders marrying additional wives. These rumors greatly distorted the truth, slandered the names of the Prophet and other Church leaders, and contributed to increased persecution against the Saints.
Read Doctrine and Covenants 132:63 aloud, beginning with the phrase "for they are given unto him." Before you read, explain that this verse helps us understand one reason why the Lord commanded Joseph Smith and others to practice plural marriage. Ask the class to follow along, looking for that specific purpose.
What commandment does the Lord refer to in verse 63? (The commandment to multiply and replenish the earth.) What does it mean to multiply and replenish the earth? (To have children.)
Commentary and Background Information
Doctrine and Covenants 132. How to approach a study of plural marriage
Much unreliable information pertaining to plural marriage exists on the Internet and in many print sources. Be cautious and wise with such information. Some authors who write about the Church and its history present information out of context or include partial truths that can be misleading. The intent of some of these writings is to destroy faith.
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles warned:
"There have always been a few who want to discredit the Church and to destroy faith. Today they use the Internet.
"Some of the information about the Church, no matter how convincing, is just not true" ("Trial of Your Faith," Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2012, 41).
In studying about plural marriage, it is important to remember the pattern the Prophet Joseph Smith followed in his gospel learning. He studied, pondered, and prayed to gain knowledge.
Reliable historical research concerning the practice of plural marriage can be found at josephsmithpapers.org and byustudies.byu.edu.
Eliza R. Snow, who was sealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, recorded the details of the Prophet Joseph teaching the principle of plural marriage to her brother Lorenzo Snow. She noted the anguish and pain that the principle caused Joseph Smith and that he only moved forward in establishing the principle because of divine revelation:
"The Prophet Joseph unbosomed his heart [to Lorenzo Snow], and described the trying mental ordeal he experienced in overcoming the repugnance of his feelings, the natural result of the force of education and social custom, relative to the introduction of plural marriage. He knew the voice of God-he knew the commandment of the Almighty to him was to go forward-to set the example, and establish Celestial plural marriage. He knew that he had not only his own prejudices and prepossessions to combat and to overcome, but those of the whole Christian world stared him in the face; but God, who is above all, had given the commandment, and He must be obeyed. Yet the Prophet hesitated and deferred from time to time, until an angel of God stood by him with a drawn sword, and told him that, unless he moved forward and established plural marriage, his Priesthood would be taken from him and he should be destroyed! This testimony he not only bore to my brother, but also to others-a testimony that cannot be gainsayed [contradicted]" (Biography and Family Record of Lorenzo Snow [1884], 69-70).
2013 Doctrine and Covenants and Church History Seminary Teacher Manual, (2013), first archived on archive.org May 22, 2014.
Someone has created a quick, 10 item survey seeing what members knew about Joseph Smith's polygamy before the essays were released. Feel free to take it. Link is here.
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