The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Appendix 7: Selected Chronology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-47, 14 May, 1843; “Hyrum Smith tells congregation only devil would give plural wife revelation.” – D. Michael Quinn
Also see:
Joseph Smith’s Polygamy Chronology, May 1843; ““14 May 1843 – Presiding Patriarch and Associate President Hyrum Smith assures a citywide congregation that only the Devil would give a revelation approving “wifes & concubines.” Joseph Smith was traveling outside of Nauvoo at the time. PLACE: Nauvoo, IL”
Psalm 141:4; “Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.”
If you can believe the recorded history of Mormonism, there might be reason to think Hyrum was unaware of Joe’s adulterous lifestyle. I know, I know, it’s a stretch! Giving ol’ Hyrum the benefit of the doubt, he’s still not left without any culpability in the evil schemes his older brother practiced.
Whatever date Hyrum was let in on Joe’s secrets, he should’ve walked away and denounced everything upon the discovery. Not surprisingly, he followed in his younger brother’s footsteps which in the end caused his demise.
With this in mind, I found historical records supporting the idea he may not have known about it until two weeks after he made the speech listed above.
On May 26, 1843, William Clayton recorded: “Hyrum received the doctrine of priesthood.” George D. Smith, ed., An Intimate Chronicle: The Journals of William Clayton, p. 106
William Law, Affidavit dated July 17, 1885, qtd. in Charles A. Shook, The True Origin of Mormon Polygamy, p. 126
After having a conversation with one of Joe’s soon-to-be-brides (Desdemona Fullmer) and telling her he’d kick every polygamist he knew to the curb, he had to retract his statement after he spoke to Joe about it the next day. See josephsmithpolygamy.org
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