Joseph Smith and Polygamy
Commandment of Polygamy
An article by Brian C. Hales contains at least 23 accounts of an angel with a drawn sword appearing to Joseph Smith threatening to take his life if he does not institute the practice of polygamy.
So an angel appeared to Joseph Smith with a sword threatening to kill him if he did not practice polygamy. The angel also quoted the Book of Mormon, saying it was sometimes permitted for polygamy to be practiced.
The first incident of plural marriage Joseph Smith practiced was with Fanny Alger in 1835 or 1836. Emma Smith considered that to be adultery and Joseph Smith did not teach anyone about the practice for 5-6 years. The delay showed an uncharacteristic reluctance for a man who feared God. Richard Van Wagoner observed: “The difficulties of the Fanny Alger situation . . . seriously hampered Joseph Smith’s apparent enthusiasm for plural marriage
Several accounts relate how Joseph appeared to have felt genuine fear at the time. Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner recalled that the sword-threat was not symbolic: “Joseph told me that he was afraid when the angel appeared to him and told him to take other wives. He hesitated, and the angel appeared to him the third time with a drawn sword in his hand and threatened his life if he did not fulfi ll the commandment.”14 Erastus Snow claimed that Joseph had “to plead on his knees before the Angel for his Life.”15 On another occasion, Joseph reportedly affirmed: “God commanded me to obey it [plural marriage]. He said to me that unless I accept it and introduce it, and practice it, I, together with my people, should be damned and cut off from this time henceforth.”
Joseph Smith told some of his most influential followers that if they knew what a hard and unpalatable revelation [regarding plural marriage] he had had, they would drive him from the city. The heavenly powers, however, were not to be trifled with, and a day was appointed when the important mandate was to be submitted to convocation of the authorities of the Church. The time arrived; but Joseph, in virtuous desperation, concluded rather to flee the city than be the medium of communicating a matter so repugnant to his mind. He mounted his horse and galloped from the town, but was met by an angel with a drawn sword, and threatened with instant destruction unless he immediately returned and fulfi lled his mission. He returned, accordingly, in submissive despair, and made the important communication to the assembled notables. Such is substantially the account of the matter given by simple-minded believers at Salt Lake.
Possible Reasons
- to “raise up seed” Jacob 2:30 reads
30 For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things.
This means God commands us to practice monogamy, 1 wife and 1 husband unless the Lord will “raise up seed unto me”. What does “raise up seed” mean?" An initial thought might be that it means to reproduce and give birth to children within the church to increase the number of church members.
- To allow individuals to receive exaltation
Doctrine and Covenants 132 is a response from God about polygamy. God basically outlines the law, principle, and doctrine of polygamy.
4 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.
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.
So another of the possible reasons is to allow members to enter into the everlasting covenant. verse 4 says those who do not enter into that covenant are damned.
16 Therefore, when they are out of the world they neither marry nor are given in marriage; but are appointed angels in heaven, which angels are ministering servants, to minister for those who are worthy of a far more, and an exceeding, and an eternal weight of glory.
17 For these angels did not abide my law; therefore, they cannot be enlarged, but remain separately and singly, without exaltation, in their saved condition, to all eternity; and from henceforth are not gods, but are angels of God forever and ever.
verses 16 and 17 explains that those who do not get married will remain angels of God forever and ever.
We also read about the story of Helen Mar Kimball saying, "
In 1843 Apostle Heber C. Kimball had an important talk with his only daughter, fourteen-year-old Helen Mar. She wrote: “Without any preliminaries [my Father] asked me if I would believe him if he told me that it was right for married men to take other wives…The first impulse was anger…my sensibilities were painfully touched. I felt such a sense of personal injury and displeasure; for to mention such a thing to me I thought altogether unworthy of my father, and as quick as he spoke, I replied to him, short and emphatically, ‘No I wouldn’t!’…This was the first time that I ever openly manifested anger towards him…Then he commenced talking seriously and reasoned and explained the principle, and why it was again to be established upon the earth. [This] had a similar effect to a sudden shock of a small earthquake.”
The next morning Joseph visited the Kimball home. “[He explained] the principle of Celestial marrage…After which he said to me, ‘If you will take this step, it will ensure your eternal salvation & exaltation and that of your father’s household & all of your kindred. This promise was so great that I willingly gave myself to purchase so glorious a reward. None but God & 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 & who better understood the step they were taking, & 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’s mother reluctantly agreed and in May of 1843, Helen married Joseph Smith
So we can see that Helen Mar Kimball was not excited about marrying Joseph Smith at first, but once the doctrine of celestial marriage was explained to her and the fact that it would “ensure” her eternal salvation, she accepted that it was of God and was the right thing to do, then proceeded to enter into the plural marriage with Joseph Smith.
Other verses
The word destroy or destroyed is used 11 times in the section:
14 For whatsoever things remain are by me; and whatsoever things are not by me shall be shaken and destroyed.
26 Verily, verily, I say unto you, if a man marry a wife according to my word, and they are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, according to mine appointment, and he or she shall commit any sin or transgression of the new and everlasting covenant whatever, and all manner of blasphemies, and if they commit no murder wherein they shed innocent blood, yet they shall come forth in the first resurrection, and enter into their exaltation; but they shall be destroyed in the flesh, and shall be delivered unto the buffetings of Satan unto the day of redemption, saith the Lord God.
41 And as ye have asked concerning adultery, verily, verily, I say unto you, if a man receiveth a wife in the new and everlasting covenant, and if she be with another man, and I have not appointed unto her by the holy anointing, she hath committed adultery and shall be destroyed.
52 And let mine handmaid, Emma Smith, receive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before me; and those who are not pure, and have said they were pure, shall be destroyed, saith the Lord God.
54 And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and cleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not in my law.
57 And again, I say, let not my servant Joseph put his property out of his hands, lest an enemy come and destroy him; for Satan seeketh to destroy; for I am the Lord thy God, and he is my servant; and behold, and lo, I am with him, as I was with Abraham, thy father, even unto his exaltation and glory.
63 But if one or either of the ten virgins, after she is espoused, shall be with another man, she has committed adultery, and shall be destroyed; for they are given unto him to multiply and replenish the earth, according to my commandment, and to fulfil the promise which was given by my Father before the foundation of the world, and for their exaltation in the eternal worlds, that they may bear the souls of men; for herein is the work of my Father continued, that he may be glorified.
64 And again, verily, verily, I say unto you, if any man have a wife, who holds the keys of this power, and he teaches unto her the law of my priesthood, as pertaining to these things, then shall she believe and administer unto him, or she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord your God; for I will destroy her; for I will magnify my name upon all those who receive and abide in my law.
The Implementation of Polygamy
Jacob 2 talks about the topic of polygamy and what is according to the commandments and what is not. We also read in verse 24 that it was an abomination that David and Solomon had many wives and concubines. We also read in Doctrine and Covenants that teh many wives and concubines David and Solomon had were not a sin. This may seem like a contradiction upon first impression, but a closer analysis reveals that David and Solomon did not sin, except for the things they did not receive of God.
Jacob 2
24 Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.
Doctrine and Covenants 132
38 David also received many wives and concubines, and also Solomon and Moses my servants, as also many others of my servants, from the beginning of creation until this time; and in nothing did they sin save in those things which they received not of me.