Life After Ministry

This page was written for the purpose of providing information about the LDS Church’s teachings on polygamy. From its inception with Joseph Smith to the present day, polygamy has been a topic of discussion when it comes to Mormonism.

As you well know, it’s important to see all the teachings on this subject to gain a clear understanding of how it’s evolved over the years. While Joseph may have denied his participation in this deplorable act, history has proven that he was indeed the instigator of it within the Church and in no uncertain terms was the one who provided LDS scripture demanding it for the salvation of mankind.

As time permits we’ll be adding to the collection presented here in order to provide truth to those researching Mormonism.

Above all, know that we’re not doing this out of animosity but to help those who are looking for truthful answers to their questions. We love the Mormon people dearly and pray for their salvation in the real Jesus!

With Love in Christ; Michelle Grim

Ezra Taft Benson

Brigham has 50-60 Wives – 1858

Journal of Discourses 6:181; “The next man who came on to the carpet wanted to know how many wives brother Brigham had. I replied, “I have not come here to lay before this people the domestic affairs of my Governor. It is a question I never asked him myself, for I never took the pains to inquire anything about it. But still, as I am a Yankee, I will guess, if that will do you any good. Now,” said I, “I will be honest with you, for your pastor has given me the freedom of speech; and if I may judge for appearances, I should presume he has some fifty or sixty.”” – Ezra Taft Benson, Salt Lake City, January 24, 1858

Abraham H. Cannon

Sealed to Female Relatives – 1894

Daily Journal of Abraham H. Cannon,  April 5, 1894, vol. 18, pp. 66-67; “I found about 400 of my female kindred who were never married. I asked President [Brigham] Young what I should do with them. he said for me to have them sealed [married] to me unless there were more than 999 of them” – Abraham H. Cannon

Delivered by President Wilford Woodruff, at the Sixty-fourth Annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, held in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Morning, April 8, 1894 http://emp.byui.edu/SATTERFIELDB/Talks/AdoptionWW.htm

original located at the Brigham Young University Library)

George Q. Cannon

Polygamy a True Principle – 1891

Evidences and Reconciliations, pg 106; “We have striven to the utmost extent of our ability to convince this nation that this is a true principle of religion. I myself have testified…that I knew that doctrine was from God. I told them I felt that if I had not obeyed it I would have been damned, because the Lord gave to me a direct command to obey that principle. . . .Over a thousand have gone to prison to show our sincerity…I believe he [Lorenzo Snow] would have gone out and been shot rather than to have said he would get out of prison on such terms. . . .”God gave the command and it required the command of God to cause us to change our attitude…(Deseret Weekly News, November 21, 1891, Vol. 43, p. 689).” – George Q. Cannon

Following in the Footsteps of Others

Journal of Discourses 13:198; “…we are not the first of God’s people unto whom this principle has been revealed; it is gratifying to know that we are only following in the footsteps of those who have preceded us in the work of God, and that we, to-day, are only carrying out the principle which God’s people observed, in obedience to revelation from Him, thousands of years ago…we are threatened with fines and imprisonment for the practice of precisely the same principle which Abraham, the “Friend of God,” practiced in his life and taught to his children after him.” – George Q. Cannon, Salt Lake City, October 9, 1869

Shortest Lived Nations are Monogamic

Journal of Discourses 13:202; “It is a fact worthy of note that the shortest lived nations of which we have record have been monogamic. Rome…was a monogamic nation and the numerous evils attending that system early laid the foundation for that ruin which eventually overtook her.” – George Q. Cannon, Salt Lake City, October 9, 1869

Righteous Polygamy Brings Pure Communities, Less Selfishness, Higher Knowledge

Journal of Discourses 13:206; “I am speaking now of what are called the spiritual benefits arising from the righteous practice of this principle. I am sure that, through the practice of this principle, we shall have a purer community, a community more experienced, less selfish and with a higher knowledge of human nature than any other on the face of the earth. It has already had this effect to a great extent, and its effects in these directions will increase as the practice of the principle becomes more general.” – George Q. Cannon, Salt Lake City, October 9, 1869

Marry until All Women are Married

Journal of Discourses 20:200; “And now then, the plan that I have to propose to our family is this, that every man shall marry until all the women are married, until every woman that wants a husband shall have one, so that the men who will not marry [s]hall not have a class of unmarried women, to prey upon, to commit violence with, or to prostitute.”Now,” says he, “if you let all these men and women marry, there will be some women who will not want to marry, but that proportion will be very small and by this means you will arrest this dreadful evil that is growing in our midst.”” – George Q. Cannon, Salt Lake City, April 6, 1879

Polygamy can’t be Suppressed

Journal of Discourses 20:276; “If plural marriage be divine, as the Latter-day Saints say it is, no power on earth can suppress it, unless you crush and destroy the entire people…Now we will see which is the best policy. I do not believe in being defiant. Men that marry more wives than one should be able to bear the penalty of it if there be any attached thereto, or they should not take them. A man that enters this Church ought to be able to die for its principles if necessary, and certainly should be able to go to prison for them without crying about the matter. If you are sentenced to prison for marrying more wives than one, round up your shoulders and bear it like men and no murmuring about it; prepare yourselves to take the consequences.” – George Q. Cannon, Salt Lake City, July 20, 1879

Damnation & Hell for Non-polygamists

Journal of Discourses 23:280; “…Whatever men’s laws may be we cannot deny the truth of God, the revelations of God. I cannot do it, I would be damned and go to hell if I were to do it….” – George Q. Cannon, Salt Lake City, October 8, 1882

Selling Out on Polygamy for Statehood

Journal of Discourses 26:7-8; “There has been some agitation … respecting plural marriage, and some people, calling themselves Latter-day Saints, have been almost ready to go into the open market, and bid for a State government, at the price of conceding this principle of our religion…. They are ready to sell out their belief as Latter-day Saints … for the sake of obtaining a little recognition of their rights as citizens…. Can such persons retain the Spirit of God, and take such a course as this? No. they cannot.” – George Q. Cannon, Provo, November 20, 1884

Apostates More Dangerous than Enemies

Juvenile Instructor, Vol. 20, No. 10, May 15, 1885, pg 156; “As the principle of patriarchal marriage is the one now so savagely attacked, this is the one such persons are preparing themselves to yield. I view such men as apostates already in heart. They are more dangerous than our open enemies…. if there are any in the Church who cannot stand the pressure instead of talking compromise, let them withdraw quietly from the Church.” – George Q. Cannon

Jedidiah M. Grant

Jedidiah Grant was Heber J. Grant’s father. Heber Grant was the 7^th prophet of the Church.

Polygamy Reason for Anathema of Christ

Journal of Discourses 1:346; “The grand reason of the burst of public sentiment in anathemas upon Christ and his disciples, causing his crucifixion, was evidently based upon polygamy, according to the testimony of the philosophers who rose in that age. A belief in the doctrine of a plurality of wives caused the persecution of Jesus and his followers. We might almost think they were “Mormons.”” – Jedidiah M. Grant, Salt Lake City, August 7, 1853

If Joseph Wanted Your Wife…

Journal of Discourses 2:13; “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.” – Jedidiah M. Grant, Salt Lake City, February 19, 1854

Joseph Didn’t Want All the Wives

Journal of Discourses 2:14; “Did the Prophet Joseph want every man’s wife he asked for? He did not, but in that thing was the grand thread of the Priesthood developed. The grand object in view was to try the people of God, to see what was in them.” – Jedidiah M. Grant, Salt Lake City, February 19, 1854

Non-Polygamists Need a Place to Have Their Blood Shed

Journal of Discourses 4:49-51; “I would ask how many covenant breakers there are in this city and in this kingdom. I believe that there are a great many and if they are covenant breakers we need a place designated, where we can shed their blood… And we have women here who like anything but the celestial law of God; and if they could break asunder the cable of the Church of Christ, there is scarcely a mother in Israel but would do it this day. And they talk it to their husbands, to their daughters, and to their neighbors, and say they have not seen a week’s happiness since they became acquainted with that law [plural marriage], or since their husbands took a second wife…” – Jedidiah Morgan Grant, Salt Lake City, September 21, 1856

Gordon B. Hinckley

No Such Thing as Mormon Fundamentalist

Ensign, November 1998, “What Are People Asking About Us”; “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.

There is no such thing as a “Mormon Fundamentalist.” It is a contradiction to use the two words together.” – Gordon B. Hinckley

Orson Hyde

Jesus the Bridegroom at Cana

Journal of Discourses 2:80; “”Then you really mean to hold to the doctrine that the Savior of the world was married; do you mean to be understood so? And if so, do you mean to be understood that he had more than one wife?”” – Orson Hyde, Salt Lake City, October 6, 1854

If We’re Wrong, Please Tell Us

Journal of Discourses 2:82; “Gentlemen, that is as plain as the translators, or different councils over this Scripture, dare allow it to go to the world, but the thing is there; it is told; Jesus was the bridegroom at the marriage of Cana of Galilee, and he told them what to do. Now there was actually a marriage; and if Jesus was not the bridegroom on that occasion, please tell who was. If any man can show this, and prove that it was not the Savior of the world, then I will acknowledge I am in error.” – Orson Hyde, Salt Lake City, October 6, 1854

Polygamy All Right with God

Journal of Discourses 2:209-210; “But if a man, in good faith and integrity, with righteousness as the girdle of his loins, take unto himself many wives, acknowledge and sustain them, and honorably care and provide for their offspring, it is all right with me, and with God.” – Orson Hyde, Salt Lake City, March 18, 1855

Single Jesus Too Pure and Holy

Journal of Discourses 2:210; “I discover that some of the Eastern papers represent me as a great blasphemer, because I said, in my lecture on Marriage, at our last Conference, that Jesus Christ was married at Cana of Galilee, that Mary, Martha, and others were his wives, and that he begat children.  All that I have to say in reply to that charge is this—they worship a Savior that is too pure and holy to fulfil the commands of his Father. I worship one that is just pure and holy enough “to fulfil all righteousness;”” – Orson Hyde, Salt Lake City, March 18, 1855

Ancient Worthies Practiced Polygamy

Journal of Discourses 4:259; “We also wish to be counted Abraham’s children, to whom the promises were made, and also with whom the covenants were established; and being told that if we are the children of Abraham, we will do the works of Abraham, we are not a little anxious to do as he did. Among other things that he did, he took more than one wife. In this he was not alone, for this example was copied by most of the ancient worthies and others who succeeded him under the same everlasting covenant.” – Orson Hyde, Salt Lake City, March 1857

Once Upon a Time there was a Polygamous Marriage in Cana…

Journal of Discourses 4:259; “It will be borne in mind that once on a time, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and on a careful reading of that transaction, it will be discovered that no less a person than Jesus Christ was married on that occasion. If he was never married, his intimacy with Mary and Martha, and the other Mary also whom Jesus loved, must have been highly unbecoming and improper to say the best of it.” – Salt Lake City, March 1857

Monogamists Wither and Dry Up

Journal of Discourses 5:22; “I have noticed that a man who has but one wife, and is inclined to that doctrine, soon begins to wither and dry up, while a man who goes into plurality looks fresh, young, and sprightly. Why is this? Because God loves that man, and because he honours His work and word. Some of you may not believe this; but I not only believe it—I also know it. For a man of God to be confined to one woman is small business; for it is as much as we can do now to keep up under the burdens we have to carry; and I do not know what we should do if we had only one wife apiece.” – Orson Hyde, Salt Lake City, June 14, 1857

Husband and His Forty Wives are One

Journal of Discourses 5:282; “If a man have forty wives, and they all receive his mind and spirit, and are thus one in him, he can as easily love them all (because they are one,) as a father can love a half-score of children who copy his mind and spirit. But if a woman rebel in her feelings against a good man, and yield to the temptations of the Devil, she may know that her husband may pity, but cannot love her, because she has ceased to be one with him and to partake of his mind and spirit. If, therefore, your husband be a good man, and you copy his mind and his spirit, he cannot help loving you, though he have forty other wives in the same situation.” – Orson Hyde, Salt Lake City, October 4, 1857

Ruling Every Nation

Journal of Discourses 7:53; “What the world calls “Mormonism” will rule every nation. Joseph Smith and Brigham Young will be the head. God has decreed it, and his own right arm will accomplish it. This will make the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing. Yet upon the words of these men the eternal destiny of the generation in which they lived hangs. Whosesoever sins they remit will be remitted, and whosesoever sins they retain will be retained.” – Orson Hyde, Salt Lake City, delivered sometime between March – June 1858

Heber C. Kimball

Obedience is Woman’s Duty

Journal of Discourses 4:82; “It is the duty of a woman to be obedient to her husband, and unless she is, I would not give a damn for all her queenly right and authority; nor for her either, if she will quarrel, and lie about the work of God and the principle of plurality.” – Heber C. Kimball, Salt Lake City, November 9, 1856

Plurality Brings Glory and Exaltation

Journal of Discourses 4:108; “Many of this people have broken their covenants by speaking evil of one another, by speaking against the servants of God, and by finding fault with the plurality of wives and trying to sink it out of existence. But you cannot do that, for God will cut you off and raise up another people that will carry out His purposes in righteousness, unless you walk up to the line of your duty. On the one hand there is glory and exaltation; and on the other no tongue can express the suffering and affliction this people will pass through, if they do not repent.” – Heber C. Kimball, Salt Lake City, September 28, 1856

Polygamy Mandatory for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob & Mormons

Journal of Discourses 4:224; “Do you suppose that Joseph and Hyrum and all those good men would associate with those ancient worthies, if they had not been engaged in the same practices? They had to do the works of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in order to be admitted where they are;-they had to be polygamists in order to be received into their society. God knows that I am not ashamed of those good men now, and how much more I shall prize my associate polygamists, when I am further advanced in knowledge, I do not know. I am talking in earnest, and from the experience I have had.” – Heber C. Kimball, Salt Lake City, February 8, 1857

Speaking Against Polygamy Brings Half-a-Dozen Devils

Journal of Discourses 5:204; “Some quietly listen to those who speak against the Lord’s servants, against his anointed, against the plurality of wives, and against almost every principle that God has revealed. Such persons have half-a-dozen devils with them all the time. You might as well deny “Mormonism,” and turn away from it, as to oppose the plurality of wives.” – Heber C. Kimball, October 12, 1856, Salt Lake City

Polygamy Revelation Given by Jesus

Journal of Discourses 11:211; “The revelations which Joseph Smith has given to this people were given to him by Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world; and this people cannot be blessed if they lightly esteem any of them…For this purpose did He give the revelation on plurality of wives, as sacred a revelation as was ever given to any people, and fraught with greater blessings to us than we can possibly conceive of, if we do not abuse our privileges and commit sin. This doctrine is a holy and pure principle, in which the power of God for the regeneration of mankind is made manifest…” – Heber C. Kimball, Salt Lake City, April 4, 1866

Joseph Wanted Heber’s Wife, Vilate

Life of Heber C. Kimball, pp. 331-339; “Before he would trust even Heber with the full secret, however, he put him to a test which few men would have been able to bear. It was no less than a requirement for him to surrender his wife, his beloved Vilate, and give her to Joseph in marriage! The astounding revelation well-nigh paralyzed him. He could hardly believe he had heard aright. Yet Joseph was solemnly in earnest. His next impulse was to spurn the proposition, and perhaps at that terrible moment a vague suspicion of the Prophet’s motive and the divinity of the revelation, shot like a poisoned arrow through his soul.” – Orson F. Whitney

Helen Mar Kimball

Mormon Polygamy: A History by Richard S. Van Wagoner; “[He explained] the principle of Celestial marriage [plural marriage]…After which he said to me, ‘If you will take this step, it will ensure your eternal salvation [and] exaltation and that of your father’s household [and] all of your kindred.[‘] This promise was so great that I willingly gave myself to purchase so glorious a reward. None but God [and] his angels could see my mother’s bleeding heart ‑‑ when Joseph asked her if she was willing… She had witnessed the sufferings of others, who were older [and] who better understood the step they were taking, [and] to see her child, who had scarcely seen her fifteenth summer, following in the same thorny path, in her mind she saw the misery which was as sure to come…; but it was all hidden from me.” – Helen Mar Kimball

Mormon Polygamy: A History by Richard S. Van Wagoner; “I would never have been sealed to Joseph had I known it was anything more than ceremony. I was young, and they deceived me, by saying the salvation of our whole family depended on it.” – Helen Mar Kimball

Harold B. Lee

Teachings of Harold B. Lee, pg. 14; “You asked about the birth of the Savior. Never have I talked about sexual intercourse between Deity and the mother of the Savior. If teachers were wise in speaking of this matter about which the Lord has said but very little, they would rest their discussion on this subject with merely the words which are recorded on this subject in Luke 1:34-35…We need not question His method to accomplish His purposes. Perhaps we would do well to remember the words of Isaiah 55:8-9…Let the Lord rest His case with this declaration and wait until He sees fit to tell us more. (1/2/69)”

 

John D. Lee

While the Husband’s Away…

Confessions of John D. Lee, p. 132; “… in his [H.B. Jacobs] absence, she [Mrs. Jacobs] was sealed to the Prophet Joseph and was his wife.”

Orson Pratt

Polygamy Essential Doctrine

Journal of Discourses 1:54; “…we will show you that it is incorporated as a part of our religion, and necessary for our exaltation to the fulness of the Lord’s glory in the eternal world. Would you like to know the reasons? Before we get through, we will endeavour to tell you why we consider it an essential doctrine to glory and exaltation, to our fulness of happiness in the world to come.” – Orson Pratt, Salt Lake City, August 9, 1852

Kingdom of Polygamous Gods

Journal of Discourses 1:65-66; “What does the Lord intend to do with this people? He intends to make them a kingdom of Kings and Priests, a kingdom unto Himself, or in other words, a kingdom of Gods, if they will hearken to His law.” – Orson Pratt, Salt Lake City, August 29, 1852

God Made Abraham a Polygamist

Journal of Discourses 13:188-189; “According to the good old book called the Bible, when God saw proper to call out Abraham from all the heathen nations, and made him a great man in the world, He saw proper, also, to make him a polygamist, and approbated him in taking unto himself more wives than one. Was it wrong in Abraham to do this thing? If it were, when did God reprove him for so doing? When did He ever reproach Jacob for doing the same thing? Who can find the record in the lids of the Bible of God reproving Abraham, as being a sinner, and having committed a crime, in taking to himself two living wives? No such thing is recorded. He was just as much blessed after doing this thing as before, and more so, for God promised blessings upon the issue of Abraham by his second wife the same as that of the first wife, providing he was equally faithful. This was a proviso in every case.” – Orson Pratt, Salt Lake City, October 7, 1869

God Blesses Polygamists

Journal of Discourses 13:189; “Again, what says the Lord in the days of Moses, under another dispensation? We have seen that in the days of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, He approved of polygamy and blessed His servants who practised it, and also their wives and children.” – Orson Pratt, Salt Lake City, October 7, 1869

Polygamy Needed because of Female Surplus

Journal of Discourses 13:195; “If all the inhabitants of the earth, at the present time, were righteous before God, and both males and females were faithful in keeping His commandments, and the numbers of the sexes of a marriageable age were exactly equal, there would be no necessity for any such institution. Every righteous man could have his wife and there would be no overplus of females.” – Orson Pratt, Salt Lake City, October 7, 1869

Monogamy Prevents Thousands from Getting Married

Journal of Discourses 13:196; “There are hundreds and thousands of [unmarried] females in this boasted land of liberty, through the narrow, contracted, bigoted State laws, preventing them from ever getting husbands. That is what the Lord is fighting against; we, also, are fighting against it, and for the re-establishment of the Bible religion and the celestial or patriarchal order of marriage.  It is no matter according to the Constitution whether we believe in the patriarchal part of the Bible, in the Mosaic or in the Christian part; whether we believe in one-half, two-thirds, or in the whole of it; that is nobody’s business.” – Orson Pratt, Salt Lake City, October 7, 1869

Darkness, Hell & Damnation to Monogamists

Journal of Discourses 17:225; “Now I want to prophecy a little. It is not very often that I prophecy, though I was commanded to do so, when I was a boy. I want to prophecy that all men and women who oppose the revelation which God has given in relation to polygamy will find themselves in darkness; the Spirit of God will withdraw from them from the very moment of their opposition to that principle, until they will finally go down to hell and be damned, if they do not repent.” – Orson Pratt, Salt Lake City, October 7, 1874

Reject Polygamy means Rejection of Salvation

Journal of Discourses 17:225; “God has told us Latter-day Saints that we shall be condemned if we do not enter into that principle; and yet I have heard now and then (I am very glad to say that only a few such instances have come under my notice,) a brother or a sister say, “I am a Latter-day Saints, but I do not believe in polygamy.”  Oh, what an absurd expression! what an absurd idea! A person might as well say, “I am a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, but I do not believe in him.” One is just as consistent as the other.”

And now being a Mormon means you must believe in polygamy or else. Smith’s new gospel is the mirror image of polygamy. If there was any doubt he goes on to say…

“Or a person might as well say, “I believe in Mormonism, and in the revelations given through Joseph Smith, but I am not a polygamist, and do not believe in polygamy.” What an absurdity! If one portion of the doctrines of the Church is true, the whole of them are true.”

And here God has suddenly changed his mind after several millennia to say salvation now means sex is mandatory…

“The Lord has said, that those who reject this principle reject their salvation, they shall be damned, saith the Lord; those to whom I reveal this law and they do not receive it, shall be damned…We have either to renounce Mormonism, Joseph Smith, Book of Mormon, Book of Covenants…” – Orson Pratt, Salt Lake City, October 7, 1874

If Polygamy is Untrue then Forever Families is Untrue

Journal of Discourses 21:296; “…If plurality of marriage is not true or in other words, if a man has no divine right to marry two wives or more in this world, then marriage for eternity is not true, and your faith is in vain, and all the sealing ordinances and powers pertaining to marriages for eternity are vain, worthless, good for nothing; for as sure as one is true the other also must be true.” – Orson Pratt, Salt Lake City, July 18, 1880

Polygamous Gods Multiply to Fill Their Own Earths

The Seer, pg. 37; “Each God, through his wife or wives, raises up a numerous family of sons and daughters; indeed, there will be no end to the increase of his own children: for each father and mother will be in a condition to multiply forever and ever. As soon as each God has begotten many millions of male and female spirits, and his Heavenly inheritance becomes too small, to comfortably accommodate his great family, he, in connection with his sons, organizes a new world, after a similar order to the one which we now inhabit, where he sends both the male and female spirits to inhabit tabernacles of flesh and bones. Thus each God forms a world for the accommodation of his own sons and daughters who are sent forth in their times and seasons, and generations to be born into the same. The inhabitants of each world are required to reverence, adore, and worship their own personal father who dwells in the Heaven which they formerly inhabited.” – Orson Pratt

Plurality is Antidote Against Immorality

The Seer, pgs. 123-124; “To be moral is to be innocent of crime: to be immoral I to be guilty of crime.  It can neither be shown from reason nor the word of God that plurality is criminal, and hence it cannot be immoral, and therefore the morals of society are not in the least endangered by its practice.  On the contrary, plurality is a great and powerful antidote against immorality…Because of the vast numbers of un-virtuous females with which the nations are curded, many young men neglect marriage, and seek to gratify their sexual propensities by unlawful and sinful connections.  If no public female prostitutes existed, or if they rarely could be found, the natural consequences would be, that young men, instead of abandoning themselves to prostitution, would seek to unite themselves in honorable marriages with partners of their choice…if the cause be destroyed the effect ceases.” – Orson Pratt

Jesus the Polygamist…God the Father a Polygamist…God had Sexual Relations with His Daughter Mary to Beget Jesus…

The Seer, p. 172 ; “… it will be seen that the great Messiah who was the founder of the Christian religion was a polygamist… the Messiah chose… by marrying many honorable wives himself, to show to all future generations that he approbated the plurality of wives under the Christian dispensation in which His polygamist ancestors lived.
“We have clearly show that God the Father had a plurality of wives, one or more being in eternity, by whom He begat our spirits as well as the spirit of Jesus His First Born, and another being upon the earth by whom He begat the tabernacle of Jesus, as his only begotten in this world. We have also proved most clearly that the Son followed the example of his Father, and became the great Bridegroom to whom Kings’ daughters and many honorable wives were to be married. We have also proved that both God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ inherit their wives in eternity as well as in time… And then it would be so shocking to the modesty of the very pious ladies of Christendom to see Abraham and his wives, Jacob and his wives, Jesus and his honorable wives, all eating occasionally at the same table, and visiting one another, and conversing about their numerous children and their kingdoms. Oh, ye delicate ladies of Christendom, how can you endure such a scene as this?… If you do not want your morals corrupted, and your delicate ears shocked, and your pious modesty put to the blush by the society of Polygamists and their wives, do not venture near the New Earth; for polygamists will be honored there, and will be among the chief rules in that Kingdom.”

Parley P. Pratt

Polygamy, No Such Principle amongst LDS

Millennial Star, August 1842, No. 4, Vol 3, pg. 74; “But, for the information of those who may be assailed by those foolish tales about the two wives, we would say that no such principle ever existed among the Latter-day Saints, and never will; this is well known to all who are acquainted with our books and actions, the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants; and also all our periodicals are very strict and explicit on that subject, indeed far more so than the bible.” – Published by Parley Pratt and T. Wood

George A. Smith

Monogamists are Narrow-minded, Pinch-backed Race

Deseret News, April 16, 1856; “We breathe the free air, we have the best looking men and handsomest women, and if they envy our position, well they may, for they are a poor, narrow minded, pinch-backed race of man, who chain themselves down to the law of monogamy and live all their days under the dominion of one wife. They aught to be ashamed of such conduct, and the still fouler channel which flows from their practices.” – George A. Smith

Joseph Smith, Jr.

Polygamy a Commandment

Contributor 5:259; ““They accuse me of polygamy, and of being a false Prophet, and many other things which I do not now remember; but I am no false Prophet; I am no impostor; I have had no dark revelations; I have had no revelations from the devil; I made no revelations; I have got nothing up of myself. 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. And they say if I do so, they will kill me! Oh, what shall I do? If I do not practice it, I shall be damned with my people. If I do teach it, and practice it, and urge it, they say they will kill me, and I know they will. But,” said he, “we have got to observe it. It is an eternal principle and was given by way of commandment and not by way of instruction.””

Joseph Denies LDS Principle of Polygamy – 1838

Discourses of Joseph Smith, pg. 270; “Do the Mormons believe in having more wives than one?”  No, not at the same time. But they believe that if their companion dies, they have a right to marry again.”

At the time Smith made this announcement it was 1838.  He was already practicing polygamy with three wives.  Also see History of the Church 3:28-29.

Prepare Your Hearts for Polygamy Commandment – July 1843

History of the Church 5:500-501; “Revelation on the Eternity of the Marriage Covenant, including the Plurality of Wives. Given through Joseph, the Seer, in Nauvoo, Hancock County, Illinois, July 11th, 1843, 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… Therefore prepare thy heart to receive and obey the instructions which I am about to give unto you; for all those who have this law revealed unto them must obey the same; for, behold, I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned…and he that receiveth a fulness thereof must and shall abide the law, or he shall be damned, saith the Lord God…Abraham received promises concerning his seed and of the fruit of his loins,—from whose loins ye are—viz., my servant Joseph,—which were to continue so long as they were in the world; and as touching Abraham and his seed out of the world, they should continue…Go ye, therefore, and do the works of Abraham; enter ye into my law, and ye shall be saved…”

Only One Wife at a Time…Unless… – October 1843

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg 324; “Gave instructions to try those persons who were preaching, teaching, or practicing the doctrine of plurality of wives; for, according to the law, I hold the keys of this power in the last days; for there is never but one on earth at a time on whom the power and its keys are conferred; and I have constantly said no man shall have but one wife at a time, unless the Lord directs otherwise. (Oct. 5, 1843.)”

Salvation Requires Polygamy – February 1844

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 332; “I * * * spoke to the people, showing them that to get salvation we must not only do some things, but everything which God has commanded…The object with me is to obey and teach others to obey God in just what He tells us to do. It mattereth not whether the principle is popular or unpopular, I will always maintain a true principle, even if I stand alone in it. (Feb. 21, 1844.)”

Self-fulfilled Prophecy, Polygamy with the Lamanites

Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr., 1831 revelation, recorded in a letter from W.W. Phelps to Brigham Young, dated August 12, 1861; “Verily, I say unto you, that the wisdom of man, in his fallen state, knoweth not the purposes and the privileges of my holy priesthood, but ye shall know when ye receive a fullness by reason of the anointing: For it is my will, that in time, ye should take unto you wives of the Lamanites and Nephites, that their posterity may become white, delightsome and just, for even now their females are more virtuous then the gentiles.”

Joseph F. Smith

Polygamy Denial Post Manifesto

LDS Church Authority and New Plural Marriages, 1890 – 1904

by D. Michael Quinn; “President Joseph F. Smith’s statement of 6 April 1904, read in part:

Inasmuch as there are numerous reports in circulation that plural marriages have been entered into contrary to the official declaration of President Woodruff, of September 24, 1890, commonly called the Manifesto . . . I, Joseph F. Smith, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 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.”

No Polygamy after 1890

Gospel Doctrine: Selections from the Sermons and Writings of Joseph F. Smith, pg. 280; “Official Statement—”Inasmuch as there are numerous reports in circulation that plural marriages have been entered into contrary to the official declaration of President Woodruff, of September 26, 1890, commonly called the Manifesto, which was issued by President Woodruff and adopted by the Church at its general conference, October 6, 1890, which forbade any marriages violative of the law of the land; I Joseph F. Smith, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 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, and I hereby announce that all such marriages are prohibited, and if any officer or member of the Church shall assume to solemnize or enter into any such marriage he will be deemed in transgression against the Church and will be liable to be dealt with according to the rules and regulations thereof, and excommunicated therefrom.” Joseph F. Smith, “President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”  Plural Marriage — Apr. C. R., 1904, p. 75.”

Polygamy & Honesty Essential to Salvation

Journal of Discourses 20:27-31; “27 A man that is not honest in his heart, who does not desire to be just and impartial, even as God is just and impartial, has no business in plural marriage…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…”

Angels with Drawn Sword Threatens Destruction…

29 “…he [Smith] did not falter, although it was not until an angel of God, with a drawn sword, stood before him; and commanded that he should enter into the practice of that principle, or he should be utterly destroyed, or rejected, that he moved forward to reveal and establish that doctrine…”

Polygamy Revelation Came in 1832

29 “To put this matter more correctly before you, I here declare that the principle of plural marriage was not first revealed on the 12th day of July, 1843. It was written for the first time on that date, but it had been revealed to the Prophet many years before that, perhaps as early as 1832…”

Smith’s Example of Matchless Courage to Practice Polygamy…

29-30 “When the time came to introduce this doctrine to those who were worthy in the church, God commanded the Prophet and he obeyed. He taught it as he was commanded to such as were prepared to receive and obey it, and they were commanded to enter into it, or they were threatened that the keys would be turned against them, and they would be cut off by the Almighty. It need scarcely be said that the Prophet found no one any more willing to lead out in the matter in righteousness than he was himself…none excelled, or even matched the courage of the Prophet himself.”

Monogamists will be Damned

31 “I understand the law of Celestial marriage to mean that every man in this Church who has the ability to obey and practice it in righteousness and will not, shall be damned. I say I understand it to mean this and nothing less, and I testify in the name of Jesus that it does mean that.” – Joseph F. Smith, Salt Lake City, July 7, 1878

Joseph Fielding Smith

Families are Forever

Doctrines of Salvation 2:67; “We believe that the family will go on. I get a great deal of comfort out of the thought that if I am faithful and worthy of an exaltation, my father will be my father, and I will be subject to him as his son through all eternity; that I will recognize and know my mother and she will be my mother in all eternity; and my brothers and sisters will be my brothers and sisters for all eternity; and that my children and my wives will be mine in eternity. I don’t know how some other people feel, but that is a glorious thought to me. That helps to keep me sober.” – Joseph Fielding Smith

Erastus Snow

Journal of Discourses 23:294-295; “I believe it was in 1856, that the Republican party was organized; at their first convention held in Philadelphia, they incorporated in their platform the noted plank, “the twin relics of barbarism—slavery and polygamy,” and pledged themselves to rid the country of these two evils. For sixteen years they have labored incessantly to this end…” – Erastus Snow, Salt Lake City, October 7, 1882

Lorenzo Snow

Monogamous Marriages from Power of Darkness

Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, pg. 23; “Laying aside the gospel is dangerous. Nothing can be more foolish than the idea of a man laying off his religion like a cloak or garment. There is no such thing as a man laying off his religion unless he lays off himself. Our religion should be incorporated within ourselves, a part of our being that cannot be laid off. If there can be such a thing as a man laying off his religion, the moment he does so he gets onto ground he knows nothing about, he gives himself over to the powers of darkness. (9 October 1867, JD, 12:148.)”

John Taylor

Kingdom of God Ceases w/out Polygamy

Journal of Discourses 11:221; “Joseph Smith told others; he told me, and I can bear witness of it, “that if this principle was not introduced, this Church and kingdom could not proceed.”” – John Taylor, Salt Lake City, April 7, 1866

Taylor Won’t Obey U.S. Laws

Journal of Discourses 20:318; “I was asked, “Do you believe in obeying the laws of the United States?” “Yes I do, in all except one”—in fact I had not broken that. “What law is that?” “The law in relation to polygamy.” “Well, why do you except that one?” “Because,” I replied “it is at variance with the genius and spirit of our institution; because it is at variance with the Constitution of the United States; and because it is in violation of the law of God to me.”” – John Taylor, Salt Lake City, October 6, 1879

LDS Cannot Obey U.S. Laws

Journal of Discourses 25:309; “God has given us a revelation in regard to celestial marriage. I did not make it. He has told us certain things pertaining to this matter, and they would like us to tone that principle down and change it and make it applicable to the views of the day. This we cannot do; nor can we interfere with any of the commands of God to meet the persuasions or behests of men. I cannot do it, and will not do it.” – John Taylor, Salt Lake City, October 6-7, 1884

LDS not Ashamed of Polygamy

Life of John Taylor, pg. 255; “In this our first issue it may be expected that something would be said in relation to this matter. This we undertake as cheerfully as any other task; for we are not ashamed here in this great metropolis of America * * * to declare that we are polygamists.” – B.H. Roberts

John Taylor denied practicing polygamy while on a missions trip in 1850 in Boulogne, France.  At the time he gave his presentation before a council wanting further information on Mormonism, Taylor had twelve wives while denouncing polygamous behavior as “obscene and disgusting”.

At the time he said this, he had 12 wives.

George Teasdale

Church Bound by Polygamy

Journal of Discourses 25:21; “I believe in plural marriage as a part of the Gospel, just as much as I believe in baptism by immersion for the remission of sins. The same being who taught me baptism for the remission of sins, taught me plural marriage, and its necessity and glory. Can I afford to give up a single principle? I can not. If I had to give up one principle I would have to give up my religion…. I bear my solemn testimony that plural marriage is as true as any principle that has been revealed from the heavens. I bear my testimony that it is a necessity, and that the Church of Christ in its fulness never existed without it. Where you have the eternity of marriage you are bound to have plural marriage; bound to; and it is one of the marks of the Church of Jesus Christ in its sealing ordinances.” – George Teasdale, Salt Lake City, January 13, 1884

Abraham Woodruff

Polygamy to Last Forever

Abraham Woodruff ‑ Colonia Juarez conference; “No year will ever pass, whether it be in this country [Mexico], in India, or wherever, from now until the coming of the Saviour, when children will not be born in Plural Marriage. And I make this prophecy in the name of Jesus Christ.” – Abraham Woodruff

Wilford Woodruff

Polygamy One Feather in a Bird

Journal of Discourses 13:165; “If we were to do away with polygamy, it would only be one feather in the bird, one ordinance in the Church and kingdom. Do away with that, then we must do away with prophets and Apostles, with revelation and the gifts and graces of the Gospel, and finally give up our religion altogether and turn sectarians and do as the world does, then all would be right. We just can’t do that, for God has commanded us to build up His kingdom and to bear our testimony to the nations of the earth, and we are going to do it, come life or come death. He has told us to do thus, and we shall obey Him in days to come as we have in days past.” – Wilford Woodruff, Salt Lake City, December 12, 1869

Woodruff Confirms Emma’s Consent

Journal of Discourses 23:127; “I received my endowments under the direction of Joseph Smith. 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 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.” – Wilford Woodruff, Salt Lake City, May 14, 1882

Keys Turned Against Monogamists

Life of Wilford Woodruff, p. 542; “Concerning the Patriarchal order of marriage, President (John) Taylor said: `If we do not embrace that principle soon the keys will be turned against us.’ If we do not keep the same law that our HEAVENLY FATHER HAS KEPT, WE CAN NOT GO WITH HIM. A man obeying a lower law is not qualified to preside over those who keep a higher law.”” 

Church can’t Advance without Polygamy

Life of Wilford Woodruff, pg 546; “The law of the Patriarchal order of marriage belongs to this dispensation, and after it was revealed to the Prophet Joseph he was commanded to receive it. If he and the people had rejected it, the Church and Kingdom of God would have advanced no further and God would have taken it from them and given it to another people.”

Adam is Polygamous God and Begat Jesus Christ

Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, April 9, 1852; “Who begat the Son of God? Infidels say that Jesus was a bastard, but let me tell you the truth concerning that matter. Our Father begat all the spirits that were, before any tabernacles were made. When our Father came into the garden, He came with His celestial body and brought one of His wives with Him and ate of the fruit of the garden until He could beget a tabernacle, and Adam is Michael or God and all the God that we have anything to do with. They eat of this fruit and formed the first tabernacle that was formed. And when the Virgin Mary was begotten with child, it was by the Father and in no other way, in no other way, only as we were begotten. I will tell you the truth as it is in God. The world don’t know that Jesus Christ our elder brother was begotten by our Father in Heaven. Handle it as you please, it will either seal the damnation or salvation of man. He was begotten by the Father and not by the Holy Ghost.” – Wilford Woodruff

Polygamy to Endure Until Jesus’ Return

Journal of John Henry Smith, 21 May 1888, LDS Church Archives; “We will not end the practice of plural marriage until the coming of the Son of Man.” – Wilford Woodruff

Brigham Young

Rome Introduced Monogamy

Prophet Brigham Young, Deseret News, August 6, 1862; “Monogamy, or restrictions by law to one wife, is no part of the economy of heaven among men. Such a system was commenced by the founders of the Roman Empire… Rome became the mistress of the world, and introduced this order of monogamy wherever her sway was acknowledged. Thus this monogamic order of marriage, so esteemed by modern Christians as a hold sacrament and divine institution, is nothing but a system established by a set of robbers.”
“Why do we believe in and practice polygamy? Because the Lord introduced it to his servants in a revelation given to Joseph Smith, and the Lord’s servants have always practiced it. ‘And is that religion popular in heaven?’ It is the only popular religion there…”

Your Duty is to Prepare Tabernacles for Spirits

Discourses of Brigham Young, pg. 197; “Birth Control—There are multitudes of pure and holy spirits waiting to take tabernacles, now what is our duty?—To prepare tabernacles for them; to take a course that will not tend to drive those spirits into the families of the wicked, where they will be trained in wickedness, debauchery, and every species of crime. It is the duty of every righteous man and woman to prepare tabernacles for all the spirits they can. 4:56. This is the reason why the doctrine of plurality of wives was revealed, that the noble spirits which are waiting for tabernacles might be brought forth. 4:56.”

Women Can Marry Up 

 “A Few Words on Doctrine,” speech at tabernacle, October 8, 1861; “The Second Way in which a wife can be separated from her husband, while he continues to be faithful to his God and his priesthood, I have not revealed, except to a few persons in this Church; and a few have received it from Joseph the prophet as well as myself. If a woman can find a man holding the keys of the priesthood with higher power and authority than her husband, and he is disposed to take her he can do so, otherwise she has got to remain where she is… there is no need for a bill of divorcement…” – Brigham Young

Also see In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith, by Todd Compton, p. 17.

“Bleaching” the Lamanites via Polygamy

Prophet Brigham Young, quoted in The Abominations of Mormonism Exposed, pp. 58-59; “We are now going to the Lamanites, to whom we intend to be messengers of instruction… We will show them that in consequence of their transgressions a curse has been inflicted upon them – in the darkness of their skins. We will have intermarriages with them, they marrying our young women, and we taking their young squaws to wife. By these means it is the will of the Lord that the curse of their color shall be removed and they restored to their pristine beauty…” – William Hall

Father Adam the Polygamist

Journal of Discourses 1:51; “Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, Saint and sinner! When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body, and brought Eve, one of his wives, with him.” – Brigham Young, Salt Lake City, July 11, 1852

“The Cat’s Out of the Bag” – Polygamy

Journal of Discourses 1:188; “I will now say, not only to our delegate to Congress, but to the Elders who leave the body of the Church, that he thought that all the cats and kittens were let out of the bag when brother Pratt went back last fall, and published the Revelation concerning the plurality of wives: it was thought there was no other cat to let out. But allow me to tell you, Elders of Israel, and delegates to Congress, you may expect an eternity of cats, that have not yet escaped from the bag. Bless your souls, there is no end to them, for if there is not one thing, there will always be another.” – Brigham Young, Salt Lake City, June 19, 1853 

Enemies can’t Prove Polygamous Behavior

Journal of Discourses 1:362; “Admit, for argument’s sake, that the “Mormon” Elders have more wives than one, yet our enemies never have proved it. If I had forty wives in the United States, they did not know it, and could not substantiate it, neither did I ask any lawyer, judge, or magistrate for them. I live above the law, and so do this people.” – Brigham Young, Salt Lake City, August 1, 1852

Denying Polygamy Brings Damnation

Journal of Discourses 3:266; “Now if any of you will deny the plurality of wives, and continue to do so, I promise that you will be damned; and I will go still further and say, take this revelation, or any other revelation that the Lord has given, and deny it in your feelings, and I promise that you will be damned.” – Brigham Young, Provo, July 14, 1855

Polygamy Provides Channel for Tabernacles

Journal of Discourses 3:266; “This revelation, which God gave to Joseph, was for the express purpose of providing a channel for the organization of tabernacles, for those spirits to occupy who have been reserved to come forth in the kingdom of God, and that they might not be obliged to take tabernacles out of the kingdom of God.” – Brigham Young, Provo, July 14, 1855

Don’t Forsake the Kingdom

Journal of Discourses 4:41; “If I were to forsake this kingdom, the car of righteousness would roll over and crush me into insignificance; and so it will every other man that gets out of the right path. What then are we going to do? We had better stick to the ship than jump overboard, because if we stay aboard we stand a good chance to be saved, but if we jump over we shall be drowned.” – Brigham Young, Salt Lake City, August 31, 1856

Young Girls Choose Old Brigham Over Young Men

Journal of Discourses 5:210; “He has told you that he is an old man. Do you think that I am an old man? I could prove to this congregation that I am young; for I could find more girls who would choose me for a husband than can any of the young men.” – Brigham Young, Salt Lake City, September 6, 1857

Polygamy Apostates become Angel of the Devil

Journal of Discourses 8:179; “Brother Cannon remarked that people wondered how many wives and children I had. He may inform them that I shall have wives and children by the million, and glory, and riches, and power, and dominion, and kingdom after kingdom, and reign triumphantly. “What will you do with all those who have sought to kill you?” Make them soap-boilers and kitchen flunkeys. We are not going to send them into hell fire, for it takes a good Latter-day Saint apostatized to get down into that deep (did I say bottomless?) pit. A person, to become an angel of the Devil, has first to be a good Saint, and then deny the Lord who bought him.” – Brigham Young, Salt Lake City, September 9, 1860

Obligated to Observe Polygamy

Journal of Discourses 8:339; “Some of you may ask, ‘Is there a single ordinance to be dispensed with? Is there one of the commandments that God has enjoined upon the people, that he will excuse them from obeying?’ Not one, no matter how trifling or small in our own estimation. No matter if we esteem them non-essential, or least or last of all the commandments of the house of God, we are under obligation to observe them.” – Brigham Young, Salt Lake City, January 20, 1861

Woman’s Privilege to Give Birth

Journal of Discourses 9:37-38; “Love your duties, sisters. Are you sealed to a good man? Yes, to a man of God. It is for you to bear fruit and bring forth, to the praise of God, the spirits that are born in yonder heavens and are to take tabernacles on the earth. You have the privilege of forming tabernacles for those spirits, instead of their being brought into this wicked world, that God may have a royal Priesthood, a royal people, on the earth. That is what plurality of wives is for, and not to gratify lustful desires. Sisters, do you wish to make yourselves happy? Then what is your duty? It is for you to bear children…Do you look forward to that? or are you tormenting yourselves by thinking that your husbands do not love you? I would not care whether they loved a particle or not; but I would cry out, like one of old, in the joy of my heart, “I have got a man from the Lord!” “Hallelujah! I am a mother—I have borne an image of God!”” – Brigham Young, Salt Lake City, April 7, 1861

Polygamous Wives Wish Others to Leave

Journal of Discourses 9:195; “A few years ago one of my wives, when talking about wives leaving their husbands said, “I wish my husband’s wives would leave him, every soul of them except myself.” That is the way they all feel, more or less, at times, both old and young.” – Brigham Young, Salt Lake City, February 9, 1862

Roman Monogamy Source of Prostitution

Journal of Discourses 11:128; “Since the founding of the Roman empire monogamy has prevailed more extensively than in times previous to that. The founders of that ancient empire were robbers and women stealers, and made laws favoring monogamy in consequence of the scarcity of women among them, and hence this MONOGAMIC SYSTEM which now prevails throughout Christendom, and which had been so fruitful a source of PROSTITUTION AND WHOREDOM throughout all the Christian monogamic cities of the Old and New World, until rottenness and decay are at the root of their institutions both national and religious.” – Brigham Young, Salt Lake City, June 18, 1865

Devil Rejoices at Refusing Polygamy

Journal of Discourses 11:239; “We are told that if we would give up polygamy – which we know to be a doctrine revealed from heaven, and it is God and the world for it – but suppose this Church should give up this holy order of marriage, then would the devil, and all who are in league with him against the cause of God, rejoice that they had prevailed upon the Saints to refuse to obey one of the revelations and commandments of God to them.” – Brigham Young, Salt Lake City, June 3, 1866

Mary had Two Husbands; Joseph & God

Journal of Discourses 11:268-269; “The man Joseph, the husband of Mary, did not, that we know of, have more than one wife, but Mary the wife of Joseph had another husband. On this account infidels have called the Savior a bastard. This is merely a human opinion upon one of the inscrutable doings of the Almighty. That very babe that was cradled in the manger, was begotten, not by Joseph, the husband of Mary, but by another Being. Do you inquire by whom? He was begotten by God our heavenly Father.” – Brigham Young, August 19, 1866, Salt Lake City

Abraham & Sons of God are Polygamists 

Journal of Discourses 11: 269; ” It is the word of the Lord, and I wish to say to you, and all the world, that if you desire with all your hearts to obtain the blessings which Abraham obtained, you will be polygamists at lest in your faith, or you will come short of enjoying the salvation and the glory which Abraham has obtained…The only men who become Gods, even the sons of God are those who enter into polygamy.” – Brigham Young, August 19, 1866, Salt Lake City

Masons Afraid of Polygamy

Journal of Discourses 11:328; “There is another class of individuals to whom I will briefly refer. Shall we call them Christians? They were Christians originally. We cannot be admitted into their social societies, into their places of gathering at certain times and on certain occasions, because they are afraid of polygamy. I will give you their title that you may all know whom I am talking about it—I refer to the Freemasons…” – Brigham Young, Salt Lake City, February 10, 1867

Rome Started Monogamy

Journal of Discourses 12:262-263; “Just ask yourselves, historians, when was monogamy introduced on to the face of the earth? When those buccaneers, who settled on the peninsula where Rome now stands, could not steal women enough to have two or three apiece, they passed a law that a man should have but one woman. And this started monogamy and the downfall of the plurality system. In the days of Jesus, Rome, having dominion over Jerusalem, they carried out the doctrine more or less. This was the rise, start and foundation of the doctrine of monogamy; and never till then was there a law passed, that we have any knowledge of, that a man should have but one wife.” – Brigham Young, Salt Lake City, August 9, 1868

Jesus’ Train of Wives and Children

Journal of Discourses 13:309; “The Scripture says that He, the Lord, came walking in the Temple, with His train; I do not know who they were, unless His wives and children; but at any rate they filled the Temple, and how many there were who could not get into the Temple I cannot say. This is the account given by Isaiah, whether he told the truth or not I leave every body to judge for himself.” – Brigham Young, Ogden City, November, 13, 1870

Polygamy Produces Robust Children

Journal of Discourses 13:317; “Talk about polygamy! There is no true philosopher on the face of the earth but what will admit that such a system, properly carried out according to the order of heaven, is far superior to monogamy for the raising of healthy, robust children! A person possessing a moderate knowledge of physiology, or who has paid attention to his own nature and the nature of the gentler sex, can readily understand this.” – Brigham Young, Ogden City, November, 13, 1870

Polygamy Practiced by Majority of World

Journal of Discourses 14:43-44; “I will say a few words on a subject which has been mentioned here—that is, celestial marriage. God has given a revelation to seal for time and for eternity, just as he did in days of old. In our own days he has commanded his people to receive the New and Everlasting Covenant, and he has said, “If ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned.” We have received it. What is the result of it? I look at the world, or that small portion of it which believes in monogamy. It is only a small portion of the human family who do believe in it, for from nine to ten of the twelve hundred millions that live on the earth believe in and practice polygamy.” – Brigham Young, Salt Lake City, May 8, 1870

Unmarried Men Caused Polygamy

Journal of Discourses 16:166; “If we could make every man upon the earth get him a wife, live righteously and serve God, we would not be under the necessity, perhaps, of taking more than one wife. But they will not do this; the people of God, therefore, have been commanded to take more wives.” — Brigham Young, Paris, Idaho, August 31, 1873

Woman’s Salvation Found only in Polygamy & If Husband Obeys Polygamy Law

Journal of Discourses 16:167; “The women are entitled to salvation if they live according to the word that is given to them; and if their husbands are good men, and they are obedient to them, they are entitled to certain blessings, and they will have the privilege of receiving certain blessings that they cannot receive unless they are sealed to men who will be exalted…” – Brigham Young, Paris, Idaho, August 31, 1873

Polygamous Men have it Worse than Women

Journal of Discourses 16:122-123; “Brother George Q. Cannon says the sisters have borne a great deal. So they have, but if they could only stand in the shoes of their husbands who are good, true and faithful, they would know that they are by no means free from perplexities. Just fancy a man with two, three, or half a dozen of his beloved wives catching him on one side, and before he can take three steps more, catching him on the other, and “I want this,” “I want that,” and “this is not right,” and “that is not right,” and so on; their minds just pulled to pieces.” – Brigham Young, June 29, 1873

Women Must Accept Polygamy or be Damned as was Emma 

Journal of Discourses 17:159; “…I want to say to my sisters that if you lift you heels against this revelation, and say that you would obliterate it, and put it out of existence if you had the power to nullify and destroy it, I say that if you imbibe that spirit and feeling, you will go to hell, just as sure as you are living women. Emma took that revelation, supposing she had all there was; but Joseph had wisdom enough to take care of it, and he had handed the revelation to Bishop Whitney, and he wrote it all off. After Joseph had been to Bishop Whitney’s he went home, and Emma began teasing for the revelation. Said she—“Joseph, you promised me that revelation, and if you are a man of your word you will give it to me.” Joseph took it from his pocket and said—“Take it.” She went to the fire-place and put it in, and put the candle under it and burnt it, and she thought that was the end of it, and she will be damned as sure as she is a living woman. Joseph used to say that he would have her hereafter, if he had to go to hell for her, and he will have to go to hell for her as sure as he ever gets her.” – Brigham Young, Lehi City, August 9, 1874

Additional Resources

Polygamy Revelation from 1831, not 1843

Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 1092; “In 1843, one year before his death, the Prophet Joseph Smith dictated a lengthy revelation on the doctrine of marriage for eternity (D&C 132; see –>Marriage: Eternal Marriage). This revelation also taught that under certain conditions a man might be authorized to have more than one wife. Though the revelation was first committed to writing on July 12, 1843, considerable evidence suggests that the principle of plural marriage was revealed to Joseph Smith more than a decade before in connection with his study of the Bible (see –>Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible), probably in early 1831.”

Anti-Bigamy Laws of Illinois, February 12, 1833

“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.198-199

One of Many Lies Denying Polygamy – September 24, 1834

History of the Church 2:247; “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 case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again. It is not right to persuade a woman to be baptized contrary to the will of her husband; neither is it lawful to influence her to leave her husband. All children are bound by law to obey their parents, and to influence them to embrace any religious faith, or be baptized, or leave their parents without their consent, is unlawful and unjust. We believe that husbands, parents, and masters, who exercise control over their wives, children and servants, and prevent them from embracing the truth, will have to answer for that sin.”

September 24, 1834. 

This text was part of D&C 101 from 1834 to 1876.

Also see Messenger & Advocate 1:163

Fanny Alger First Polygamous Wife – 1836

Doctrines of the Kingdom, pg. 452-453; “Though Joseph Smith may have had other women in mind to be plural wives at an earlier time, evidence can only be found to support the claim that Fanny Alger was the first woman with whom he had a plural connection. Benjamin F. Johnson said: “Without doubt in my mind, Fanny Alger was, at Kirtland, the Prophet’s first plural wife, in which, by right of his calling, he was justified of the Lord.” The Prophet probably entered into this relationship sometime during the latter part of 1836, or early in 1837, and in doing so he sought the aid of some trusted men.” – Hyrum L. Andrus

No Fellowship with Polygamists – May 1937

Messenger and Advocate, (October 1836-Sept. 1837), Vol. 3, No. 8 Kirtland, Ohio, pg 511; “That we will have no fellowship whatever with any Elder belonging to the quorums of the Seventies who is guilty of polygamy…” 

May, 1837

Kirtland, Ohio

Smith had been practicing polygamy for several years by this time. He married Fannie Alger, a 16 yr old house-maid in 1833. 

Just Another Polygamy Denial – May 8, 1838

History of the Church 3:28-29; “Question 7th.—“Do the Mormons believe in having more wives than one?” “No, not at the same time. But they believe that if their companion dies, they have a right to marry again. But we do disapprove of the custom, which has gained in the world, and has been practiced among us, to our great mortification, in marrying in five or six weeks, or even in two or three months, after the death of their companion. We believe that due respect ought to be had to the memory of the dead, and the feelings of both friends and children.””

Smith had three wives at this point; Emma, Fanny Alger and Lucinda Pendleton Morgan Harris.  

Also see Elder’s Journal, Vol. 1, No. 3, pg 43.

Ex-Mormons Spread Lies – December 10, 1838

History of the Church 3:230; “Was it for committing adultery that we were assailed? We are aware that that false slander has gone abroad, for it has been reiterated in our ears. These are falsehoods also. Renegade “Mormon” dissenters are running through the world and spreading various foul and libelous reports against us…Such characters God hates; we cannot love them. The world hates them, and we sometimes think that the devil ought to be ashamed of them.

We have heard that it is reported by some, that some of us should have said, that we not only dedicated our property, but our families also to the Lord; and Satan, taking advantage of this, has perverted it into licentiousness, such as a community of wives, which is an abomination in the sight of God.”

December 10, 1838

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith pg 127

Apostates’ False Accusations – August 1842

Millennial Star, Vol. 3, No. 4, pg 73-74; “Among the most conspicuous of these apostates, we would notice a young female who emigrated from Manchester in September last, and who, after conducting herself in a manner unworthy the character of one professing godliness, at length conceived the plan of gaining friendship and extraordinary notoriety with the world, or rather with the enemies of truth, by striking a blow at the character of some of its worthiest champions.”

This was written and distributed in August 1842.

Polygamy Denial – September 1, 1842

Times and Seasons Vol. 3, No. 21, September 1, 1842, pg 909; “Inasmuch as the public mind has been unjustly abused through the fallacy of Dr. Bennett’s letters, we make an extract on the subject of marriage, showing the rule of the church on this important matter. The extract is from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and is the only rule allowed by the church.

“All legal contracts of marriage made before a person is baptized into this church, should be held sacred and fulfilled. 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 case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again. It is not right to persuade a woman to be baptized contrary to the will of her husband neither is it lawful to influence her to leave her husband.”

September 1, 1842

Nauvoo, Illinois

By this time Smith had 24 wives.

The same denial can also be found in the following:

History of the Church 2:247 – September 24, 1834 

This text was part of D&C 101 from 1834 to 1876

Messenger & Advocate 1:163

Millennial Star, Vol. 13, No. 14, 15 July 1851, pgs 218-219

D&C 101, Elders & Relief Society Deny Polygamy – October 1, 1842

Times and Seasons, “Truth will Prevail”, Volume 3, No 23, pg 939;

ON MARRIAGE

According to the custom of all civilized nations, marriage is regulated by laws and ceremonies: therefore we believe, that all marriages in this church of Christ of Latter Day Saints, should be solemnized in a public meeting, or feast, prepared for that purpose: and that the solemnization should be performed by a presiding high priest, high priest, bishop, elder, or priest, not even prohibiting those persons who are desirous to get married, of being married by other authority…The clerk of every church should keep a record of all marriages, solemnized in his branch.

All legal contracts of marriage made before a person is baptized into this church, should be held sacred and fulfilled. 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 case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again. It is not right to persuade a woman to be baptized contrary to the will of her husband, neither is it lawful to influence her to leave her husband. All children are bound by law to obey their parents; and to influence them to embrace any religious faith, or be baptized, or leave their parents without their consent, is unlawful and unjust. We believe that husbands, parents and masters who exercise control over their wives, children, and servants and prevent them from embracing the truth, will have to answer for that sin.”

The text above is D&C Section 101. In 1842 the Church decided to republish this in their periodical Times and Seasons and add the following declaration

We have given the above rule of marriage as the only one practiced in this church, to show that Dr. J. C. Bennett’s “secret wife system” is a matter of his own manufacture; and further to disabuse the public ear, and shew [show] that the said Bennett and his misanthropic friend Origen Bachelor, are perpetrating a foul and infamous slander upon an innocent people, and need but be known to be hated and despise. In support of this position, we present the following certificates:-

We the undersigned members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and residents of the city of Nauvoo, persons of families do hereby certify and declare that we know of no other rule or system of marriage than the one published from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and we give this certificate to show that Dr. J. C. Bennett’s “secret wife system” is a creature of his own make as we know of no such society in this place nor never did.

S. Bennett

N. K. Whitney
George Miller

Albert Pettey
Alpheus Cutler

Elias Higbee
Reynolds Cahoon

John Taylor
Wilson Law

E. Robinson
W. Woodruff

Aaron Johnson

We the undersigned members of the ladies’ relief society, and married females do certify and declare that we know of no system of marriage being practised [practiced] in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints save the one contained in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and we give this certificate to the public to show that J. C. Bennett’s “secret wife system” is a disclosure of his own make.

Emma Smith, President
Elizabeth Ann Whitney, Counsellor
Sarah M. Cleveland, Counsellor
Eliza R. Snow, Secretary
Mary C. Miller

Catharine Pettey
Lois Cutler

Sarah Higbee
Thirza Cahoon

Phebe Woodruff
Ann Hunter

Leonora Taylor
Jane Law

Sarah Hillman
Sophia R. Marks

Rosannah Marks

October 1, 1842

Nauvoo, Illinois

D&C 101 condemning polygamy was published by the Church and part of their canon from 1835 to 1876. Their new declaration on marriage is known as D&C 132, commanding polygamy for salvation.

Partridge Sisters Marry Joseph Smith – March 4, 1843

 Historical Record 5:240; “I was married to Joseph Smith on the 4th of March 1843… My sister Eliza was also married to Joseph a few days later. This was done without the knowledge of Emma Smith.” – Emily Dow Partridge

Saints Do Not Practice Polygamy – March 15, 1843

Times & Seasons Vol. 4, No. 9, March 15, 1843, pg 143; “We are charged with advocating a plurality of wives, and common property. Now this is as false as the many other ridiculous charges which are brought against us. No sect have a greater reverence for the laws of matrimony, or the rights of private property, and we do what others do not, practice what we preach…”

Clayton Marries Sister-in-Law Margaret Moon – April 1843

HISTORICAL RECORD 6:225; “On the 27th of April, 1843, the Prophet Joseph Smith married to me Margaret Moon, for time and eternity, at the residence of Elder Heber C.

Kimball; and on the 22^nd of July, 1843, he married to me, according to the order of the Church, my first wife Ruth.”

Emma Chastises Hyrum over Polygamy Revelation – July 12, 1843

History of the Church, introduction vol. 5 xxxiii; “On the morning of the 12th of July, 1843; Joseph and Hyrum Smith came into the office in the upper story of the brick store, on the bank of the Mississippi river. They were talking on the subject of plural marriage. Hyrum said to Joseph, “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.” Joseph smiled and remarked, “You do not know Emma as well as I do.”

Hyrum repeated his opinion, and further remarked, “The doctrine is so plain, I can convince any reasonable man or woman of its truth, purity and heavenly origin,” or words to that effect. Joseph then said, “Well, I will write the revelation and we will see.”

He then requested me to get paper and prepare to write. Hyrum very urgently requested Joseph to write the revelation by means of the Urim and Thummim, but Joseph in reply, said he “did not need to, for he knew the revelation perfectly from beginning to end.”

Joseph and Hyrum then sat down and Joseph commenced to dictate the revelation on celestial marriage, and I wrote it, sentence by sentence, as he dictated. After the whole was written, Joseph asked me to read it through, slowly and carefully, which I did, and he pronounced it correct. He then remarked that there was much more that he could write on the same subject, but what was written was sufficient for the present. “Hyrum then took the revelation to read to Emma. Joseph remained with me in the office until Hyrum returned. When he came back, Joseph asked him how he had succeeded. Hyrum replied that he had never received a more severe talking to in his life, that Emma was very bitter and full of resentment and anger.” Joseph quietly remarked, “I told you, you did not know Emma as well as I did.” Joseph then put the revelation in his pocket, and they both left the office.”

Denial of Polygamy – January 9, 1844

Millennial Star, Vol. 4, No. 9, pg 144; “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 but one wife, and one woman but one husband… We wish these doctrines to be taught by all that are in the ministry, that the people may know our faith respecting them, and also to correct the public mind in respect to the church.”

January 9, 1844

Hyram Brown’s to Blame for Polygamy – February 1, 1844

Times and Seasons, Vol. 5, No. 3, pg 423; “As we have lately been credibly informed, that an Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter-day Saints, by the name of Hyram Brown, has been preaching polygamy, and other false and corrupt doctrines, in the county of Lapeer, state of Michigan. This is to notify him and the Church in general, that he has been cut off from the church, for his iniquity.”

February 1, 1844

Nauvoo, Illinois

Polygamy Denial/No Such Doctrine – March 15, 1844

Times and Seasons, Vol. 5, No. 6, pg 474; “Whereas brother Richard Hewitt has called on me to-day, to know my views concerning some doctrines that are preached in your place, and states to me that some of your elders say, that a man having a certain priesthood, may have as many wives as he pleases, and that doctrine is taught here: I say unto you that that man teaches false doctrine, for there is no such doctrine taught here. And any man that is found teaching privately or publicly any such doctrine, is culpable, and will stand a chance to be brought before the High Council, and loose his license and membership also: therefore he had better beware what he is about.” – Hyrum Smith

March 15, 1844

Polygamy Denial/JC Bennett’s Accusations – April 1844

Times & Seasons, Vol. 5, No. 7, pg 491; “We very frequently receive letters from elders and individuals abroad, inquiring of us whether certain statements that they hear, and have written to them, are true: some pertaining to John C. Bennet’s spiritual wife system; others in regard to immoral conduct, practiced by individuals, and sanctioned by the church; and as it is impossible for us to answer all of them, we take this opportunity of answering them all, once for all.

In the first place, we cannot but express our surprise that any elder or priest who has been in Nauvoo, and has had an opportunity of hearing the principles of truth advanced, should for one moment give credence to the idea that anything like iniquity is practiced, much less taught or sanctioned, by the authorities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

If any man writes to you, or preaches to you, doctrines contrary to the Bible, the Book of Mormon, or the book of Doctrine and Covenants, set him down as an imposter.

April 1844

Polygamy Denial/All Hell Boil Over – May 26, 1844

History of the Church 6:408-411; “Come on! ye prosecutors! ye false swearers! All hell, boil over! Ye burning mountains, roll down your lava! for I will come out on the top at last. I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet…

I had not been married scarcely five minutes, and made on proclamation of the Gospel, before it was reported that I had seven wives. This new holy prophet [William Law] has gone to Carthage and swore that I had told him that I was guilty of adultery. This spiritual wifeism! Why, a man dares not speak or wink, for fear of being accused of this… What a thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only find one. I am the same man, and as innocent as I was fourteen years ago.”

May 26^, 1844

An address towards the dissenters of the Church, two months later Smith was killed.  By now Smith had 48+ wives.

Sidney Rigdon Affirms Polygamy – October 1844

Messenger and Advocate, vol. 1, No. 1; “It is a fact, so well known, that the Twelve and their adherents have endeavored to carry this spiritual wife business in secret… and have gone to the most shameful and desperate lengths, to keep it from the public… I could bring facts which can be established in any court of justice, in relation to these vile abominations practiced under the garb of religion that would make humanity blush.”

October 1844

Sidney Rigdon – First Presidency Counselor

Polygamy Denial/Church Law doesn’t Allow it – November 15, 1844

Times and Seasons, Vol. 5, No. 21, November 15, 1844, pg 715; “The law of the land and the rules of the church do not allow one man to have more than one wife alive at once…”

Nov. 15, 1844

Polygamy Denial/D&C Says No – May 1845

Times & Seasons, Vol. 6, No. 8, pg 894; “The Latter-day Saints are charged by their enemies, with the blackest crimes. Treason, murder, theft, polygamy, and adultery, are among the many crimes laid to their charge… As to the charge of polygamy, I will quote from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, which is the subscribed faith of the church and is strictly enforced. Article Marriage, sec. 91, par. 4, says, “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 BUT ONE WIFE, and one woman but one husband.”

May 1845

Men & Women Need Each Other for Salvation – July 1, 1845

Times and Seasons, Vol. 6, No. 12, July 1, 1845, pg 955; “And I would say, as no man can be perfect without the woman, so no woman can be perfect without a man to lead her, I tell you the truth as it is in the bosom of eternity; and I say so to every man upon the face of the earth; if he wishes to be saved he cannot be saved without a woman by his side. This is spiritual wives.” – Brigham Young

Polygamy will Commence Again – 1850

Millennial Star 1850

Author John Bowes wrote an expose of Joseph Smith and his philandering ways in 1849. The Church publicly responded to Mr. Bowes’ claims via the Mormon publication Millennial Star.

As to Mr. Bowes’ claim the Church was practicing polygamy, they outright denied it and called him the liar.

The name of Mr. Bowes’ book is called “Mormonism Exposed, in Its Swindling and Licentious Abominations, Refuted in Its Principles, and in the Claims of Its Head, the Modern Mohammed Joseph Smith, Who Is Proved to Have Been a Deceiver and No Prophet of God (London: E. War, n.d.)”

Another Refutation of Polygamy – January 15, 1850

Millennial Star, Vol. 12, No. 2, January 15, 1850, pages 29-30; “12th Lie—Joseph Smith taught a system of polygamy.
12th Refutation.— The revelations given through Joseph Smith state the following if any commit adultery they shall be dealt with according to the law of God.”  Page 127. – “He that looketh upon a woman to lust after her; or, if any commit adultery in their hearts, they shall not have the Spirit.” Page 150. – “Thou shalt love thy wife, and shalt cleave unto her, and none else.” Page 124. – “We believe that one man should have one wife.” Doctrine and Covenants, page 331.” – Elder Thomas Smith

Standard Denial – July 1851

Millennial Star, Vol. 13, No. 14, 15 July 1851, pgs 218-219; “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 case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again. It is not right to persuade a woman to be baptized contrary to the will of her husband, neither is it lawful to influence her to leave her husband. All children are bound by law to obey their parents; and to influence them to embrace any religious faith or be baptized, or leave their parents without their consent, is unlawful and unjust.” – John Taylor  

Also see:

History of the Church 2:247 – September 24, 1834. 

This text was part of D&C 101 from 1834 to 1876.

Messenger & Advocate 1:163

One Wife System Leads to Temptation – April 15, 1853

Millennial Star, Vol. 15, No. 15, April 15, 1853, pg 227; “The one‑wife system not only degenerates the human family, both physically and intellectually, but it is entirely incompatible with philosophical notions of immortality; it is a lure to temptation, and has always proved a curse to a people.” – John Taylor

Jesus’ Polygamous Parents & His Own Polygamous Life – December 15, 1853

Millennial Star, Vol. 15, No. 51, December 15, 1853, pg 825; “. . .we apprehend that even greater troubles than these may arise before mankind learn all the particulars of Christ’s incarnation-how and by whom he was begotten; the character of the relationships formed by the act; the number of wives and children he had. . .”

Polygamy Obliterates Decency – 1854

Utah and The Mormons, pgs 252-253; “Their system of plurality has obliterated nearly all sense of decency… There are a number of cases in which a man has taken a widow and her daughter for wives at the same time. One has a widow and her two daughters. There are also instances of the niece being sealed to the uncle, and they excite no more attention than any ordinary case….Brigham Young stated in the pulpit, in 1852, that the time might come when, for the sake of keeping the lineage of the priesthood unbroken, marriages would be confined to the same families; as, for instance, the son of one mother would marry the daughter of another by the same father… Why should not the blood of the priesthood, like that of the Incas, be kept pure?” – Benjamin G. Ferris, Secretary of Utah Territory

Young Men Need to Hurry & Marry – 1855

Deseret News November 14, 1855, pg 2; “If any of you will deny the plurality of wives and continue to do so, I promise that you will be damned…I wish more of our young men would take to themselves wives of the daughters of Zion, and not wait for us old men to take them all; go ahead upon the right principle, young gentlemen, and God bless you forever and ever and make you fruitful , that we may fill the mountains and then the earth with righteous inhabitants.” – Heber C. Kimball, Comments made on October 6, 1855

Blessed be the Woman Who Finds More Wives for Husband – 1856

Songs of Zion, Early Pioneer Song; “Now, sisters, list to what I say; with trials this world is rife. You can’t expect to miss them all; help husband get a wife! Now this advice I freely give, if exalted you will be, Remember that your husband must, be blessed with more than thee. Chorus: Then, oh, let us say, God bless the wife that strives, And aids her husband all she can to obtain a dozen wives.” – See also Abanes One Nation Under Gods, pg. 303

Indians Become White & Delightsome through Polygamy to LDS Leaders – 1857

Mormonism: Its Leaders and Designs, pgs 109-110; “… Brigham now teaches that “the way God has revealed for the purification of the Indians, and making them “a white and delightsome people,” as Joseph prophesied, is by us taking the Indian squaws for wives!!” Accordingly several of these tawny beauties have been already “sealed” to some of the Mormon authorities.” – John Hyde, Jr.

Polygamy Denial/No Authority to Practice It – July 25, 1857

Millennial Star, v. 19, No. 30, July 25, 1857, pg 475;”The Latter-day Saints, from the rise of the Church in 1830, till the year 1843, had no authority to marry more than one wife each. To have done otherwise, would have been a great transgression.”

July 25, 1857

Polygamy or Nothing at All – October 21, 1865

Millennial Star, Vol. 27, No. 42, October 21, 1865, pg 673-676; “The doctrine of polygamy with the `Mormons’ is not one of that kind that in the religious world is classed with “non-essentials.”…

The whole question, therefore, narrows itself to this in the “Mormon” mind. Polygamy was revealed by God, or the entire fabric of their faith is false. To ask them to give up such an item of belief is to ask them to relinquish the whole, to acknowledge their Priesthood a lie, their ordinances a deception, and all that they have toiled for, lived for, bled for, prayed for or hoped for, a miserable failure and a waste of life…

There is no half way house…The “Mormons” have either to spurn their religion and their God, and sink self-damned in the eyes of all civilization at a moment when most blessed in the practice of their faith, or go calmly on to the same issue which they have always had * * * “Mormonism” in its entirety the revelation of God, or nothing at all. * * * “Mormonism” allowed in its entirety, or- “Mormonism” wiped out in blood.”

Polygamy or Nothing at All – October 25, 1865

Millennial Star, Vol. 27, No. 43, pgs 675-676; “We have shown that in requiring the relinquishment of polygamy, they ask the renunciation of the entire faith of this people. No sophistry can get out of this. “Mormonism” is true in every leading doctrine, or it is false as a system altogether…The childish babble about another revelation is only an evidence how half informed men can talk. The “Mormons” have either to spurn their religion and their God, and sink self-damned in the eyes of all civilization…–“Mormonism” in its entirety the revelation of God, or nothing at all…those who so unwisely seek to stir up the Government to wrath, will yet learn there is but one solution of the “Mormon” problem – “Mormonism” allowed in its entirety, or “Mormonism” wiped out in blood.” – Brigham Young, Saturday, October 28, 1865

The Tower America Built to the Sun – March 24, 1866

Millennial Star, Vol. 28, No. 12, March 24, 1866, pg 190; “Plurality is a law which God established for his elect before the world was formed, for a continuation of seeds forever. It would be as easy for the United States to build a tower to remove the sun, as to remove polygamy, or the Church and kingdom of God.” – Heber C. Kimball

More Women than Men… – 1866

The Mormon Prophet and His Harem on, An Authentic History of Brigham Young, His Numerous Wives and Children, pg. 222; “Utah Census of 1850…it will appear that there was, at that time, an excess of males in every county in the Territory, amounting, in the aggregate, to 712; the total number of males being 6,046, and of females, 5,334.  The national census of 1860 shows the following result: males, 20,255 – females 20,018.”

Polygamy Necessitates Subordination & Inferiority – 1866

The Mormon Prophet and his harem on, An Authentic History of Brigham Young, his numerous wives and children. pg. 223-224; “This practice tends necessarily to the degradation of woman.  Instead of being a companion of man, socially his equal, sympathizing with his moral and intellectual nature, and sharing in all his pursuits and enjoyments, she becomes, under this system, merely the minister to his passions and physical comfort, or the servant to assist in the increase of his worldly store.

It is impossible that several women should live on terms of such intimacy with the same man, all at the same time on a social equality with him and with each other.  The idea of plurality necessitates that of subordination and inferiority.  Rules must be established and observed, to insure even the appearance of harmony…The husband loses respect for her who sits at his feet, rather than by his side…It need scarcely be asked whether this is an evil.”

John Taylor Lies about Polygamy in France – 1866

The Mormon Prophet and his harem on, An Authentic History of Brigham Young, his numerous wives and children. pg. 229; “In July, 1850, at a discussion held at Boulogne, France, John Taylor, a well-known Mormon Apostle, when charged with the belief and practice of this doctrine, said; – “We are accused here of polygamy, and actions the most indelicate, obscene, and disgusting such that none but a corrupt and depraved heart could have contrived.  These things are too outrageous to admit of belief.  Therefore, leaving the sisters of the “White Veil,” the “Black Veil,” and all the other veils, with those gentlemen to dispose of, together with their authors, as they think best, I shall content myself by reading our views of chastity and marriage, from a work published by us, containing some of the articles of our faith.”  He then read from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, the article on marriage, already quoted from.”

When Mr. Taylor delivered this speech he was married to fourteen women. You can read about his marriages in our series Polygamy & Mormon Church Leaders here.

Ordinary Polygamy not Part of Mormonism – May 20, 1866

Deseret News, May 20, 1866; “Polygamy in the ordinary and Asiatic sense of the term, never was and is not now a tenet of the Latter-day Saints. That which Joseph and Hyrum denounced… was altogether different to the order of celestial marriage including a Plurality of wives…. Joseph and Hyrum were consistent in their action against the false doctrines of polygamy and spiritual wifeism, instigated by the devil and advocated by men who did not comprehend sound doctrine nor the purity of celestial marriage which God revealed for the holiest of purposes.”  Prophet Joseph F. Smith, editor

Polygamy Covenant Most Important ever Revealed to Man – 1874

Historical Record 5:226; “I learned that the doctrine of plural and Celestial marriage is the MOST HOLY AND IMPORTANT DOCTRINE EVER REVEALED TO MAN ON EARTH and that without obedience to that principle no man can ever attain to the fulness of exaltation of Celestial Glory.” – William Clayton

All Sense of Morality Lost – 1876

Wife No. 9, Ann Eliza Young, wife of Brigham Young, 1876, pgs 70-71; “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. These laws the Lord did not recognize; 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 care to me.”…some of these women have since said they did not know who was the Father of her 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.”

Polygamy Integral as Baptism – June 25, 1877

Millennial Star, Vol. 39, No. 26, June 25, 1877, pg 407; “If the Mormons were ever so unwilling to become polygamists they have no choice in the matter. God has commanded and they must obey. If there was not a single word or example to be found in the Bible in its favor, still they must observe its practice. It is in no sense optional with them. It is as much an integral part of their faith as baptism for the remission of sin or the laying on of hands for the bestowal of the Holy Ghost. It holds precisely the same relation to the Gospel plan of salvation, redemption and exaltation (which of a verity we know to be true, and for which hundreds of our people have laid down their lives) as the arms and legs sustain to the human body. And with us it is absolutely as necessary to the eternal happiness and behoof of the Latter day Saints as the union of the head and trunk of the body is necessary to the perpetuity of mortal life.” – A. Milton Musser

Polygamy Vital Principle – April 15, 1878

Millennial Star, v. 40, No. 15, April 15, 1878, pg. 226-227; “And we… are believers in the principles of plural marriage or polygamy… as a principle revealed by God, underlying our every hope of eternal salvation and happiness in heaven… we cannot view plural marriage in any other light than as a vital principle of our religion.” – Brigham Young

April 15, 1878

Damned if They Do & Damned if They Don’t – April 21, 1879

Millennial Star, Vol. 41, No. 16, April 21, 1879, pg 242-243; “… the God of Israel … commanded Joseph Smith…and the Latter-day Saints, to obey this law, “or you shall be damned,” saith the Lord. Now…the Congress of the United States, and the supreme judges of the nation, stand forth and say, “You shall be damned if you do obey it.” …God says, “We shall be damned if we do not obey the law.” Congress says, “We shall be damned if we do.” It places us precisely in the…position that it did the Hebrews in the fiery furnace, and Daniel in the den of lions….Now who shall we obey? God or man? My voice is that we obey God….The Congress of 1862, and the supreme judges of 1879, in their acts and decisions, have taken a dangerous and fearful step; their acts will sap the very foundation of our government, and it will be rent asunder …” – Wilford Woodruff

Righteous Men can Save Women – 1881

Contributor Vol. 2, No. 11, August 1881, pg. 339; “In the resurrection they stand side by side and hold dominion together. Every man who overcomes all things and is thereby entitled to inherit all things, receives power to bring up his wife to join him in the possession and enjoyment thereof.”

Lorenzo Snow Imprisoned for Polygamy – 1882

Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 1369; “…Snow was tried and imprisoned for violation of the 1882 Edmunds Act, which prohibited the practice of polygamy. The territorial governor, Caleb W. West, promised amnesty if he would renounce plural marriage, but Elder Snow replied, “I thank you, Governor, but having adopted sacred and holy principles for which we have already sacrificed property, home and life on several occasions,…we do not propose, at this late hour, to abandon them because of threatened danger”  (Romney, p. 381). He remained in prison for eleven months before being released under mandate of the U.S. Supreme Court.”

Polygamy & Eternal Marriage Interwoven – July 9, 1883

Millennial Star, Vol. 45, No. 28, July 9, 1883, pg 454; “He showed that the revelation that had been the subject of attention (Sec. 132) was only one published on Celestial marriage, and if the doctrine of plural marriage was repudiated so must be the glorious principle of marriage for eternity, the two being indissolubly interwoven with each other.” – Charles W. Penrose

Polygamy or Damnation – November 9, 1885

Millennial Star, v. 47, No. 45, November 9, 1885, pg 711; “Damnation was the awful penalty affixed to a refusal to obey this law [polygamy]. It became an acknowledged doctrine of the Church; it was indissolubly interwoven in the minds of its members with their hopes of eternal salvation and exaltation in the presence of God…”

November 9, 1885

Part of the General Conference Address given while in hiding.

Joseph’s “8 Daughters” had to Move Out – 1886

 Mormon Portraits, by Dr. W. Wyl, 1886, pgs 57-58; “Mr. W.: “Joseph kept eight girls in his house, calling them his “daughters.” Emma threatened that she would leave the house, and Joseph told her, “All right, you can go.” She went, but when Joseph reflected that such a scandal would hurt his prophetic dignity, he followed his wife and brought her back. But the eight “daughters” had to leave the house.””

Enemies Will be Overthrown – February 15, 1886

Millennial Star, No. 7, Vol. 48, February 15, 1886, pg 110-111; “Respecting the doctrine of Plural or Celestial marriage * * * it was revealed to me, and afterwards, in 1843, fully explained to me by Joseph Smith, the Prophet. I married my wives because GOD COMMANDED IT. The ceremony which united us for time and eternity was performed by a servant of God having authority. God being my helper I would prefer to die a thousand deaths than renounce my wives and violate these sacred obligations. Though I go to prison God will not change His law of Celestial marriage. But the man, the people, the nation, that oppose and fight against this doctrine and the Church of God will be overthrown.” – Lorenzo Snow

Smith Married Sarah Whitney – May 22, 1886

Historical Record 5:226; “I will add that I also knew that the Prophet Joseph Smith had married other women besides his first wife – Emma; I was well aware of the fact of his having married Sarah Ann Whitney, the eldest daughter of Bishop Newel K. Whitney and Elizabeth Ann Whitney, his wife. And the Prophet Joseph told me personally that he had married other women, in accordance with the revealed will of God, and spoke concerning the principle as being a command of God for holy purposes. (Signed) Joseph C. Kingsbury.”

Anti-polygamists will be Overthrown – October 1886

Historical Record, 1886, 5:144; “The severest prosecutions have never been followed by revelations changing a divine law, obedience to which brought imprisonment or martyrdom. Though I go to prison, God will not change his law of celestial marriage. But the man, the people, the nation, that oppose and fight against this doctrine and the Church of God, will be overthrown.” – Prophet Lorenzo Snow

No Man Saved without Polygamy – 1886

Historical Record 5:231; ““It was there (at my house in Nauvoo, one afternoon when the Prophet and Patriarch Hyrum Smith called in and the latter read a revelation on eternal marriage and plurality of wives,” said Samuel Woolley, “he told me that revelation was of God and that no man could or would receive a fulness of Celestial Glory and eternal life except he obeyed that law and had MORE THAN ONE LIVING WIFE AT THE SAME TIME.”” – Samuel Woolley

Polygamy Makes Life Unendurable – 1886

The Women of Mormonism, Ann Eliza Young, letter to Mormon Women, “Letter Number Two,” in Froiseth, ed. pp. 169-170; “It is the very refinement of cruelty, this polygamy, and it hurts are deeper and more poisonous than any other wounds can be. They never heal, but grow constantly more painful, until it makes life unendurable.”

Buying Cows & Taking Wives – 1886

The Women of Mormonism: or the Story of Polygamy as Told by the Victims Themselves, 1886 by Jennie Anderson Froiseth/Also see Abanes, One Nation Under Gods, pg. 295; “I think no more of taking another wife than I do of buying a cow, and if you want to build up the kingdom you must take more wives.”  (Apostle Heber C. Kimball)

Edmunds-Tucker Act – 1887

US Congress passed an anti-polygamy act – two weeks later (March 3) it would be signed into law.

In 1862 President Abraham Lincoln signed a federal enactment into law banning bigamy and limiting churches and non-profits in America to $50,000 in assets. It was targeted to stop Mormons from practicing polygamy and curb their dominance in Utah Territory. While Lincoln gave Brigham Young unspoken permission to ignore the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act in exchange for not getting involved in the Civil War, the issue wouldn’t quietly go away.

The Manifesto of 1890 allowed Utah to become a state of the Union, but another manifesto was needed in 1904 to completely and formally declare before Congress that no one in the Church could perform multiple marriages. The first manifesto, known as the Official Declaration 1, was canonized and Mormons today consider it to be a direct revelation from God.

February 19, 1887

Polygamy was Leading Church to Destruction – 1890

Encyclopedia of Mormonism, “Edmunds-Tucker Act of 1890”, pg. 52; “In 1890 after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the seizure of Church property under the Edmunds-Tucker Act in The Late Corporation of the Mormon Church v. United States and the Idaho test oath in Davis v. Beason, it became clear that plural marriage was leading toward the economic and political destruction of the Church. Shortly after these decisions, a revelation was received by President Wilford Woodruff, who then withdrew the requirement for worthy males to take plural wives and announced the manifesto, formally stating his counsel to Latter-day Saints to abide by antibigamy laws (see D&C Official Declaration-1). The Manifesto ended the legal confrontation between the U.S. government and the Church.”

U.S. Laws causes Ineffectiveness of LDS Church – September 1890

Encyclopedia of Mormonism, pg. 1583; “Woodruff’s ordination as President came at a crucial time in the Church’s history. Like other leaders, he had gone into seclusion to avoid imprisonment…Federal legislation against polygamy had almost totally destroyed the effectiveness of the Church. For weeks President Woodruff “wrestled mightily with the Lord,” and then, on September 24, 1890, after seeing in vision the consequences of inaction, he issued his now-famous Manifesto of 1890, which announced the end of the official practice of plural marriage (D&C, Official Declaration-1).”

Manifesto 1 – October 6, 1890

Intro to Declaration 1; “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.”

Polygamists Cut Off from Church – 1893

“Temple Lot Case”, pgs 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.” – Lorenzo Snow

Wool over Americans Eyes – 1904

Reed Smoot Congressional Hearings, Vol.1, pg 15; “The following is from a sermon reported to have been delivered by the late President Brigham Young in the Salt Lake Tabernacle July 12, 1875:

“Do not be discouraged by your repeated failures to get into the Union as a State. We shall succeed, we shall pull the wool over the eyes of the American people and make them swallow Mormonism, polygamy and all.

We shall drop the old issue between the Mormons and the Liberals in Utah, ally ourselves with the two great national parties, dividing ourselves about equally, so as to fall in with the one in power. We don’t know and we don’t care about the issues. We must be at peace with them in order to get into the Union. After that we can snap our fingers in their faces, restore the good old times when we dwelt undisturbed in these valleys of the mountains, and cast out devils as we used to do.””

Polygamy Commanded by God – 1904

Reed Smoot Case, vol. 1, page 18; “We formerly taught to our people that polygamy or celestial marriage as commanded by God through Joseph Smith was right; that it was a necessity to man’s highest exaltation in the life to come.

That doctrine was publicly promulgated by our president, the late Brigham Young, forty years ago, and was steadily taught and impressed upon the Latter-Day Saints up to a short time before September 1890.”

Woman’s Consent to Other Wives Means Nothing – 1904

Reed Smoot Case, v. 1, p. 201; “Senator Pettus. Have there been any past plural marriages without the consent of the first wife?
Mr. [Joseph F.] Smith. I do not know of any, unless it may have been Joseph Smith himself.
Senator Pettus. Is the language that you have read construed to mean that she is bound to consent?
Mr. Smith. The condition is that if she does not consent the Lord will destroy her, but I do not know how He will do it.
Senator Bailey. Is it not true that in the very next verse, if she refuses her consent her husband is exempt from the law which requires her consent?
Mr. Smith. Yes; he is exempt from the law which requires her consent.
Senator Bailey. She is commanded to consent, but if she does not, then he is exempt from the requirement?
Mr. Smith. Then he is at liberty to proceed without her consent, under the law.
Senator Beveridge. In other words, her consent amounts to nothing?
Mr. Smith. It amounts to nothing but her consent.”

Polygamy Forbidden in Book of Mormon – 1904

Reed Smoot Case, v. 1, pg. 480; ““The Chairman: That is the Book of Mormon?
Joseph F. Smith: Yes, sir; that is the Book of Mormon.
The Chairman: Is the doctrine of polygamy taught in that revelation?
Mr. Smith: Taught in it?
The Chairman: Yes.
Mr. Smith: It is emphatically forbidden in that book.
The Chairman: In that book it is emphatically forbidden?
Mr. Smith: It is.””

Prophet Fined for Polygamy – 1906

Deseret Evening News, November 23, 1906; “… President [Joseph F.] Smith appeared forthwith and entered a plea of guilty and was fined three hundred dollars. The fine was promptly paid and the defendant discharged.”

Polygamy Never Essential – 1914

The Story of Mormonism, pg 89; “The Latter day Saints were long regarded as a polygamous people. That plural marriage has been practiced by a limited proportion of the people, under sanction of Church ordinance, has never since the introduction of the system been denied. but that plural marriage is a vital tenet of the Church is not true. What the Latter day Saints call Celestial marriage is characteristic of the Church, and is in very general practice; but of Celestial marriage, PLURALITY OF WIVES WAS AN INCIDENT, NEVER AN ESSENTIAL.” – James Talmage

Polygamy & Celestial Marriage not Synonymous – June 17, 1933

“Official Statement” published in the Deseret News of June 17, 1933, the First Presidency of the Church;

“Celestial marriage–that is, marriage for time and eternity–and polygamous or plural marriage are not synonymous terms MONOGAMOUS marriages for time and eternity, solemnized in our temples in accordance with the word of the Lord and the laws of the Church, are Celestial marriages.”

Suicide Result of Polygamy – 1954

“Isn’t One Wife Enough?”, pgs 147-148; “When James Hunter took his second wife, the first who had accompanied the couple to the Endowment House for the ceremony could not sleep and walked the floor all night as she thought of her husband lying in the arms of his bride…
“A person brought up in a polygamist household… told this story: ‘There is one real tragedy in polygamy that I can remember. One evening a man brought home a second wife. It was winter and the first wife was very upset. That night she climbed onto the roof and froze to death.’” – Kimball Young

Church System Hides and Lies for Polygamists

pg 396; “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.” – Kimball Young

Children Taught to Fear Outsiders

pg 402; “At very early ages children were introduced into conspiratorial operations. Not talking to strangers, being part of a warning system, and being taught outright falsification were all elements in their training during those years which would certainly not be considered normal today.” – Kimball Young

Catholic Saints among 200+ Women Sealed to Smith – 1944

No Man Knows My History, by Fawn Brodie, Preface to Second Edition; “… over two hundred women, apparently at their own request, were sealed as wives to Joseph Smith after his death in special temple ceremonies. Moreover, a great many distinguished women in history, including several Catholic saints, were also sealed to Joseph Smith in Utah. I saw these astonishing lists in the Latter-day Saint Genealogical Archives in Salt Lake City in 1944.”

Surplus of Women Theory Debunked – 1960

Evidences and Reconciliations, pg 390-391; “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. Orson Pratt, writing in 1853 from direct knowledge of Utah conditions, when the excess of females was supposedly the highest, declares against the opinion that females outnumbered the males in Utah. (The Seer, p. 110) The theory that plural marriage was a consequence of a surplus of female Church members fails from lack of evidence.” – John A. Widstoe

Ignorant of How Many Wives in Family – 1966

J. Golden Kimball: The Story of a Unique Personality, pg. 19; “Mother married Heber C. Kimball at Nauvoo, Illinois, and she knew not her number as one of his polygamous wives. I don’t know either. Mother didn’t have any idea, as father never told her. My mother was no concubine, but an acknowledged wife. She was a wife and mother. And not many lived who, to my mind, were quite so good.” – Claude Richards

J. Golden Kimball’s mother was Christeen. She married Heber C. Kimball at the age of 22 (he was 39) and became wife #23 of 44. You can read about Kimball’s wives in our series Polygamy and Mormon Church Leaders here.

Polygamy Gospel Provides Lineage for Pre-existent Spirits – 1966

 Mormon Doctrine, pg. 219; “Thus the gospel of Abraham was one of celestial marriage (including plurality of wives); it was a gospel or commission to provide a lineage for the elect portion of the pre-existent spirits, a gospel to provide a household in eternity for those who live the fulness of the celestial law. This power and commission is what Elias restored, and as a consequence, the righteous among all future generations were assured of the blessings of a continuation of the seeds forever, even as it was with Abraham of old. (D. & C. 132.)”

Polygamy to Commence after Jesus’ 2^nd Coming – 1966

Mormon Doctrine, pg 578; “Obviously the holy practice [of polygamy] will commence again after the Second Coming of the Son of Man and the ushering in of the millennium.” – Bruce R. McConkie

Instructions to Bring Back Pretty Wives – 1969

The Lion of the Lord, by Stanley P. Hirshon, pgs 129-130; “Kimball always kept an eye out for romance. “Brethren,” he instructed some departing missionaries, “I want you to understand that it is not to be as it has been heretofore. The brother missionaries have been in the habit of picking out the prettiest women for themselves before they get here, and bringing on the ugly ones for us; hereafter you have to bring them all here before taking any of them, and let us all have a fair shake.””

1^st Wife’s Must Regard Husband with Indifference – 1969

The Lion of the Lord, pp. 229-230, Zina Huntington, wife of Prophet Brigham Young, New York World, November 17, 1869; “It is the duty of the first wife to regard her husband not with a selfish devotion…she must regard her husband with indifference, and with no other feeling than that of reverence, for love we regard as a false sentiment; a feeling which should have no existence in polygamy… we believe in the good old custom by which marriages should be arranged by the parents of the young people.”

God has a Wife – 1973

Ensign July 1973, p. 79; “He said, “We have heard it said that you believe that God has a wife. Would you explain that to us?” I think he thought he had me in trouble, and so rather facetiously I said, “I don’t see how in the world he could have a son without a wife, do you?’”  – LeGrand Richards, Salt Lake City, 143^rd General Conference

Smith, Young & Kimball Most Married Men in Nauvoo – 1996

Nauvoo Roots of Mormon Polygamy 1841-1846; A Preliminary Demographic Report, George D. Smith, pg. 16, 32; “The thirty polygamous husbands from 1841 up to Joseph Smith’s death on June 27, 1844, had married a total of 114 legal and plural wives, who had borne 131 children…Over the six years when polygamy was practiced in Nauvoo, 1841 to 1846, Smith, Kimball, and Young were the most-married men in Nauvoo; they accounted, in fact, for 117 of the 434 Nauvoo polygamous marriages, over one-fourth of the marriages by the community of 153 polygamous husbands. After Nauvoo, Young married fifteen more wives and Kimball married eight. At the funeral of his wife, Vilate, Kimball, pointing to the coffin, said: “There lies a woman who has given me forty-four wives.””

The Nightmare of Polygamy – 1998

Caroline Owens, in Matilda Joslyn Gage, Women, Church and State, 1998, pgs 238-240; “I can never tell the horrors of the next few hours…. I went to my room and dressed for the reception, which took place at Cannon’s other house, where he kept his three wives. When I went down, there was a crowd there, among the rest a plain looking girl in a calico dress, to whom I was introduced. It was Emily Spencer…. I told her to get up. Miles came forward and said, “Sit still Emily Spencer, my wife.” I felt as though I had been shot. I said, “Your wife! Then what am I?” He said, “You are both my wives.” All at once my shame flashed over me. Here I was dishonored, the polygamous wife of a Mormon. I ran out of the house, bent only on escape, I did not think where. I could not do it, though for Miles and young Cannon, a son of the Delegate, ran after me and dragged me back…. [B]ut I stole away and returned to the other house, where I had been living the three weeks since my arrival from England. I noticed there was no key in the lock, but shot a little bolt and piled chairs against the door. I cried myself to sleep. The next thing I knew, I don’t know what time it was, Miles stood in the room and was locking the door on the inside. I screamed…

Miles said I need not take on, for Brother Cannon had anticipated that I would make trouble and had the house cleared of everyone else. I found out that it was so. He told me that I might as well submit; there was no law here to control the saints. There was no power on earth that would save me.”

LDS Scripture References

Polygamy is Abominable

Jacob 2:24; “Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.”

Wives, Concubines & Sin

Mosiah 11:2; “For behold, he did not keep the commandments of God, but he did walk after the desires of his own heart. And he had many wives and concubines. And he did cause his people to commit sin, and do that which was abominable in the sight of the Lord. Yea, and they did commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness.”

Church Demands One Wife System

D&C 42:22; “Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else.”

February 9, 1831

Kirtland, Ohio

History of the Church 1:148-154

One Wife Only

D&C 49:16; “Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation.”

March 1831

Kirtland, OH

Denial of Polygamy

D&C section 101, pg. 251; “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.”  1835 Edition of D&C

No Polygamy, No Salvation

D&C 131:1-4; “In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]; And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.  He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase.”

Damnation for Rejecting Polygamy

D&C 132:4-6; “For behold, I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory. 5 For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundation of the world. 6 And as pertaining to the new and everlasting covenant, it was instituted for the fulness of my glory; and he that receiveth a fulness thereof must and shall abide the law, or he shall be damned, saith the Lord God.”

Polygamy Brings Godhood, Salvation

D&C 132:19-21; “And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them—…Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.  Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye abide my law ye cannot attain to this glory.”

Law of Polygamy Brought Godhood to Abraham and Sons

D&C 132:37; “Abraham received concubines, and they bore him children; and it was accounted unto him for righteousness, because they were given unto him, and he abode in my law; as Isaac also and Jacob did none other things than that which they were commanded; and because they did none other things than that which they were commanded, they have entered into their exaltation, according to the promises, and sit upon thrones, and are not angels but are gods.”

Men Justified to Take Virgins

D&C 132:61; “And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood—if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else.”