POLOGAMY & MARRIAGE Biblical Perspective:
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his
wife, and they will become one flesh. Gen 2:24
... and the two will become one flesh Eph. 5:31
When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage...
Mk.12:25
Jesus replied, 'The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But
those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the
resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they
can no longer die, for they are like the angels.' Lk. 20:34-36
An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife... Titus 1:6
Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife...
I Tim. 3:2
There can be no doubt that marriage is a divinely instituted union. In
Eph. 5:22-33, the Apostle Paul uses the ideal relationship between husband and wife as an analogy for Christ's relationship to the Church. For all of Church
history, this relationship has been considered holy, but it has not been considered necessary for salvation. In fact, Jesus specifically taught that marriage would not be a part of post-resurrection life. Furthermore, while openly acknowledging the polygamous relationships of certain Old Testament kings, (which was in direct violation of Deut. 17:17) no New Testament teaching condones this practice. In reality ,as can be seen from the above listed verses, such a relationship would specifically prevent an individual from holding a leadership position in the Church.
On the other hand, the Mormon church states that only those Mormons who have participated in temple marriage will have the opportunity to advance to the highest degree of salvation and obtain godhood status. Just as interesting though is the fact that their own scriptures contradict each other on the subject of polygamy. Furthermore, while they publicly denounce the practice today, they have not renounced the revelations which instituted the teaching of polygamy into their church. In point of fact, several of their leaders entered into polygamous relationships after the church had supposedly abandoned the practice. The following statements from their own standard works and publications reveal the checkered past of this teaching.
1) "And it came to pass that Riplakish did not do that which was right in
the sight of the Lord, for he did have many wives and concubines..."
(Book of Mormon, Ether 10:5)
2) "Behold, the Lamanites your brethren, whom you hate because of their
filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins, are more
righteous than you; for they have not forgotten the commandment of the
Lord, which was given unto our father - that they should have save it
were one wife, and concubines they should have none..."
(Book of Mormon, Jacob 3:5)
3) "Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which
thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord."
(Book Of Mormon Jacob 24)
Note that the foregoing verses of the Book of Mormon conflict directly with the following statement found in the Doctrine & Covenants, to wit:
4) "...I, the Lord, justified my servants ...David and Solomon ...as touching the principle and doctrine of having many wives and concubines... David's wives and concubines were given unto him by me..."
(Doctrine & Covenants 132: 1, 39)
According to the next two quotes apparently Joseph Smith did not initially
believe in the practice of polygamy:
5) "Insomuch 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 case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again..."
(Doctrine and Covenants Sec. 101, 1835 edition)
6) "Do the Mormons believe in having more wives than one? (Smith answered) No, not at the same time."
(The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, as recorded in Elder's Journal, Vol 1 #2, pp 28-29, 1838) parenthesis added
But by July 1, 1841 Smith was busy teaching the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles the doctrine of Celestial Marriage even though he had not yet claimed to have had a revelation on the topic. (Helen Mar Kimball Whitney, "Helen Mar Kimball's Retrospection About Her Introduction to the Doctrine and Practices of Plural Marriage in Nauvoo at Age 15". A sealed letter to be opened at her death, LDS Archives; see also a letter from George A. Smith, (Joseph Smith's cousin) to Joseph Smith III dated October 9, 1868)
By 1842 rumors were flying around Nauvoo about the
7) "...introduction of principles that would soon be, that the ancient order of God that was formerly, would again have its rounds, as it was in the days of old Solomon and David. They had wives and concubines in abundance, as many as they could support. The secret whispering was, that the same will eventually be again."
(Oliver H. Olney Journal, p. 5 found in William Robertson Coe Collection, Beinecke Library,Yale University.)
In the spring of 1842 Joseph Smith approached Sarah M. Kimball with his
teaching about plural marriage. He told her that God had
8) "...instructed him to teach it with commandment, as the church could travel no further without the introduction of this principle."
(Andrew Jenson, "The Historical Record: A Monthly Periodical Devoted Exclusively to Historical Biographical, Chronological, and Statistical Matters", 9 Vols, 1887'see Vol 6, p. 232 May 1887) emphasis added
On July 12, 1843 Joseph Smith claimed to have received a revelation about polygamy. In so doing, he made it clear that the rejection of his new revelation would have dire consequences:
9) "Behold I reveal unto you a new and everlasting covenant and if ye abide
not in that covenant then ye are damned, for no one can reject this
covenant and be permitted to enter my glory."
(Joseph Smith's original revelation of the doctrine of polygamy was first recorded secretly on July 12, 1843. It was later found in the Doctrine & Covenants, 132: 3,4, 6,28,61& 62) emphasis added.
CAREFULLY NOTE THAT THIS REVELATION CONCERNED A DOCTRINE WHICH HAD TO BE FOLLOWED IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THE ULTIMATE LEVEL OF MORMON SALVATION; YET, IT WAS NOT PUBLICLY REVEALED UNTIL AUGUST 29, 1852. THAT MEANS THAT FOR 9 YEARS, THE MORMONS WERE HIDING A REVELATION WHICH THEY FELT WAS NECESSARY TO COMPLY WITH IN ORDER TO OBTAIN CELESTIAL GLORY!!!! (Journal of Discourses 1:53 and following)
In 1854 Mormon Apostle Orson Pratt reaffirmed Smith's view of polygamy's importance to the Mormon view of exaltation by stating that:
10) "You will clearly perceive from the revelation which God has given that you can never obtain fullness of glory without being married to a righteous man for time and for all eternity."
(Orson Pratt, "The Seer", p. 40, 1854) emphasis added
Brigham Young echoed this position on August 19, 1866 when he said:
11) "The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy."
(Journal of Discourses, Vol 11, p. 269)
Young also taught that:
12) "Plural marriage was the form of marriage lived by God."
(Brigham Young and his Wives, by John Stewart, p. 41)
(What is truly astounding though, is that as of 1866, other official writings of
the Mormon church still recorded that: "polygamy was a crime..." (Doctrine and Covenants Sec. 109) )
Mormon Apostle Joseph F. Smith, son of Hyrum Smith reiterated Brigham
Young's thoughts in 1878 when he said that:
13) "Some people have supposed that the doctrine of plural marriage was a
sort of superfluity, or non essential to the salvation or exaltation of
mankind... I want here to enter my solemn protest against this idea, for
I know it is false"
(Journal of Discourses 20:28, July 7, 1878)
Church President John Taylor, while reacting to the many laws dating back to the Morrill Anti-bigamy Act of July 1, 1862, stated in no uncertain terms that:
14) "Polygamy is a divine institution. It has been handed down direct from
God. The United States cannot abolish it. No nation on earth can prevent it... I will defy the United States, I will obey God."
(Salt Lake Tribune, January 6, 1880) emphasis added
Apparently because of the continuing external pressure being felt by the Mormons, on September 27 1886 President John Taylor supposedly...
15) "Asked the Lord if it would not be right under the circumstances to
discontinue plural marriages, ... (and received) a revelation ... in which the Lord told him that the principle of plural marriage would never be overcome." (parenthesis & emphasis added, statement of Taylor's son as recorded in Abraham H. Cannon Journal, March 29, 1892; see John Taylor Papers in LDS Archives for typewritten copy of revelation)
Upon Taylor's death in 1887 Mormon Apostle Wilford Woodruff ascended to the first Presidency of the LDS church. During a meeting of the Quorum of the Twelve in December 1888 a discussion concerning the problem which the doctrine of polygamy presented to the territory of Utah's statehood petition was ended by Woodruff's statement that:
16) "The doctrine of plural marriage has come to stay for all time."
(John Henry Smith Journal, December 20, 1888) emphasis added
A few months earlier, at the dedication of the Manti Temple on May 17, 1888 Woodruff again stated that:
17) "...we are not going to stop the practice of plural marriage until the coming of the son of man."
(John Henry Smith Journal ibid) emphasis added
There can be no doubt that a substantial number of the church hierarchy
practiced this 'divine calling'. While it is difficult to know for certain how many wives Joseph Smith had, estimates range from 27 documented cases (see Andrew Jenson ibid, Vol 6, pp. 233-234) to 84 (see Stanley S. Ivins Collection, Utah State Historical Society Library, all as recorded in Richard S. Van Wagoner, "Mormon Polygamy, A History", p. 48, Signature Books, Salt Lake City, 1989)
The point is, for 47 years, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
taught that plural marriage was not only a divinely instituted doctrine which
must be followed in order to obtain the fullness of salvation, but it was the
form of marriage practiced by God himself.
Why then did Mormon Apostle and Church President Wilford Woodruff issue the following manifesto on September 26, 1890, to wit:
18) "Inasmuch as laws have been enacted by Congress forbidding plural
marriages, ... I hereby declare my intention to submit to those laws... And now I publicly declare that my advice to the Latter-day Saints is to refrain from contracting any marriage forbidden by the laws of the land."
The answer of course is that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
apparently valued statehood for Utah more than their supposedly divine revelation. It had become clear that Utah would not be granted statehood until the Mormons had abandoned the practice of polygamy.
On September 27, 1890 the Salt Lake Tribune flatly stated that the...
19) "Manifesto was not intended to be accepted as a command by the President of the church, but as a little bit of harmless dodging to deceive the
people of the East."
In fact, by September 30, 1890 Woodruff was clearly hedging on his sweeping prohibition of polygamy, for he said:
20) "This Manifesto only refers to future marriages, and does not affect
past conditions. I did not, could not, and would not promise (the nation) that you would desert your wives and children. This you cannot do in honor." (Abraham H. Cannon Journal, October 7, 1890) parenthesis and emphasis added
Joseph F. Smith said the same thing at a meeting of church leaders:
21) "God will not justify you in kicking out your families... We do not want
you to leave your wives because of the Manifesto." (ibid October 7,1891)
But this official winking at the Woodruff Manifesto went far beyond the mere condoning of pre-manifesto marriages. According to the marriage records of Anthony Ivins in the Utah State Historical Society Library,
22) Mormon apostles Matthias F. Cowley, John W. Taylor, Brigham Young Jr., George Teasdale, Abraham O. Woodruff, Marriner W. M<erill, John Henry Smith, Anthon H. Lund, George Q. Cannon, and Joseph F. Smith were involved in sealing plural marraiges in Mexico, Canada and the United States after the 1890 Manifesto.
Furthermore, President Wilford Woodruff, John W. Taylor, Brigham Young Jr, Matthias F. Crowley, George Teasdale, Marriner W. Merrill, Abraham H. Cannon and Abraham O. Woodruff were themselves post-manifesto polygamists in that they married additional wives after September 20, 1890. (Wagoner, ibid p. 162.; see also Salt Lake Tribuine, October 8, 1910)
Indeed, the problem of post-manifesto polygamy was so serious that the then current church president Joseph F. Smith, issued a second anti-polygamy manifesto on Sunday April 7, 1904:
23) "Inasmuch as there are numerous reports in circulation that plural marriages have been entered into contrary to the official declaration of President Woodruff, ... I Joseph F. Smith ... do hereby affirm and declare that no such marriages have been solemnized with the sanction, consent, or knowledge of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints"
(Journal History, April 6, 1904, p. 6 LDS Archives) Editors note: Ironically, Joseph F. Smith, who became the sixth president of the LDS church on October 17, 1901 would eventually plead guilty himself to violating the Utah State anti-polygamy law in 1906!!!
Further proof that even though the Mormon hierarchy made official pronouncements against polygamy they had not truly changed their doctrinal stance concerning the necessity of polygamous marriage is found in the statements of Heber J. Grant 7th president of the LDS church, to wit:
24) "We never believed polygamy was wrong, and never will."
(July 25, 1937 interview in London, as reported in Wagoner, ibid p. 185)
The current teaching that polygamy is wrong does change the fact that as we saw in the section of this study entitled 'Mormons and Their Prophets' church officials say that their prophets will never mislead. However, the foregoing history of the Mormon doctrine of polygamy/celestial marriage clearly shows that their prophets have not only contradicted each other and their own standard works, but they have actively engaged in a campaign to mislead both government officials and their own followers.
The very fact that polygamy is still practiced among significant numbers of
Mormons worldwide is further evidence that even though the LDS leadership publicly denounces the practice, there is a vast difference between words and deeds. If the leaders of the present day Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were truly bent upon wiping out the practice of plural marriage, why don't they simply declare that Joseph Smith's revelation of July 12, 1843 was in error? Why don't these same leaders state that the plural marriages entered into by some of their own apostles and presidents after the Woodruff Manifesto were a violation of God's word? The answer is quite clear. Like it or not, official LDS doctrine still requires plural/patriarchal/polygamous marriage for those who wish to attain the highest level of celestial glory. Like it or not, official LDS doctrine states that polygamous marriage is the type of marriage practiced by god himself.
There is one final doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints which concerns sealing which I will not examine in detail. However, I
would be remiss to ignore it completely. I mention it in passing simply to point
out the fact that there are additional teachings about future 'sealings' which
the Mormons do not want either the general public, or members of their own church to know much about.
25) "Brigham Young speaks about a time when men will be sealed to men in a
more solemn ceremony than the one in which women are sealed to men."
(`Isn't One Wife Enough' p.280) emphasis added
26) Brigham Young stated that the sealing of men to men is a "... great and
glorious doctrine." (Journal of Discourses, Vol 9, p. 269)