Did God Command Polygamy?
D&C 132:1; “Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servant Joseph, that inasmuch as you have inquired of my hand to know and understand wherein I, the Lord, justified my servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as also Moses, David and Solomon, my servants, as touching the principle and doctrine of their having many wives and concubines—”
Mormon Doctrine, pg 578; “From such fragmentary scriptural records as are now available, we learn that the Lord did command some of his ancient saints to practice plural marriage. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — among others (D. & C. 132) — conformed to this ennobling and exalting principle; the whole history of ancient Israel was one in which plurality of wives was a divinely accepted and approved order of matrimony. Those who entered this order at the Lord’s command, and who kept the laws and conditions appertaining to it, have gained for themselves eternal exaltation in the highest heaven of the celestial world.”
Let’s take a look at those wives of the “ancients” and who said what to whom…
Abraham
Genesis 16:1-2, 4a; “Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.2 And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. 4 ¶ And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived…”
So Sarai (Sarah) told Abram (Abraham) to take another wife and they laughed at God when He told Abram Sarai would conceive – (Gen. 17:17). By the way, the name Isaac in Hebrew means laughter. Abram hearkened to his wife’s voice and command, not God’s.
Isaac
Genesis 25:20-21; “And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-aram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. 21 And Isaac intreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren: and the LORD was intreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.”
Isaac never had any other wife but Rebekah. Rebekah prayed for a child, the Lord heard her prayers and she conceived twins Esau and Jacob.
Jacob
Poor Jacob, his life was so complicated. While outside choices made by others caused him grief, he still made the decision to enter polygamy all on his own.
Laban tricked Jacob into marrying Leah
Genesis 29:21-25, 29-30; “And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her. 22 And Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. 23 And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her to him; and he went in unto her. 24 And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah Zilpah his maid for an handmaid. 25 And it came to pass, that in the morning, behold, it was Leah: and he said to Laban, What is this thou hast done unto me? did not I serve with thee for Rachel? wherefore then hast thou beguiled me?
After Jacob discovered what happened to him, he then chose to work another 7 years so he could marry Rachel. God didn’t command him to take another wife – this was Jacob’s idea!
29 And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid. 30 And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. 31 ¶ And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren.”
Again envy and hatred brought discontent amongst the Israelites. This is always a symptom of not heeding God’s voice and remembering that no matter where we go or what we do – He is with us. Genesis 28:15.
Their behavior was that of a petulant two year old who tells its mama “I do it myself”.
Genesis 30:1-3; “And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. 2 And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in God’s stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb? 3 And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees that I may also have children by her.”
Eventually Rachel did indeed have kids of her own; Joseph and Benjamin. However, it was Rachel’s command that Jacob go into her maid’s tent, not God’s. Likewise, as stated above, it was Jacob’s idea to not be faithful to Leah.
So where in these scenarios did God command polygamy?
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