AboutMichael Kelley Expertise For a different viewpoint on Mormonism for your questions, try me. I am a staunch believer in the Book of Mormon and belong to another church (the Church of Christ)that is set up identically to the Biblical church. If there are things about traditional Mormonism that trouble you or you have questions about, just ask and you might find the answers from the Book of Mormon to be quite surprising. I have been studying the scriptures diligently for 16 years under the school of hard knocks... I may not have all of the answers but will sure go find them if I don`t. I`m strongest on Biblical and Book of Mormon doctrines, and am also somewhat familiar with Mormon history and archaeology.
Question Hi, wrote you the other day. What is the purpose (agreed upon or not) that Mormonism, the original Mormonism gave for polygamy and for those in factions that still believe the govt ought not get involved, why do they believe in polygmany? Is is so the man can be waited on more and have more sex?
Thank you.
Answer Hello, I will be happy to answer your questions. Please note that I am ex-LDS and belong to the Church of Christ that believes in the BoM (Book of Mormon).
Well... as best I can tell from the various histories (and taking into account that various biases that each historian might have) polygamy did not exist in the original Church of Christ (which title was later changed to the Church of Latter Day Saints and changed again to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). Joseph Smith publicly denounced polygamy and vehemently denied ever practicing it. He even excommunicated a man for the practice. Emma Smith also denied ever sharing Joseph with any other woman. There are no known children that came from Smith through any of these other alleged wives... only Joseph Smith III through Emma. About the only possible relationship Joseph MIGHT have had was an illicit affair with their housemaid Fanny Alger. One of the BoM witnesses Oliver Cowdery learned of these allegations and rebuked Smith for "that dirty nasty affair". For this false charges were drummed up against Oliver and he was excommunicated and he and his family driven from their home in winter. Ironically it was not long after this that Joseph and the "saints" were driven out of their homes by "Christian" mobs.
Years after Smith's death and Brigham Young took a faction of the original church with him to Utah... this polygamy doctrine arose. He produced a revelation, that was unsigned by Smith, and CLAIMED Smith had authored it and practiced ploygamy in secret. I find this hard to believe with Smith's public denouncement of the practice just prior to his death. The LDS also believe in the doctrine of Celestial Marriage where they are sealed or married for life and eternity in thier temples and will become heavenly fathers and heavenly mothers in the afterlife. They also believe in sealing for the dead so many living women were sealed to Joseph AFTER he was dead and thus they claim he had many wives (without mentioning it was after he was dead). I agree with your statement that polygamy was introduced to have more sex. I also believe it was deeper than that. Brigham Young wanted to be king over his people. The very office of 1st President is much like being the Pope or king. It seems power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Young wanted to be like the kings David and Solomon who also multiplied wives.
While many of Youngs women followers were able to be deceived into accepting polygamy by the seducing doctrines of Celestial Marriage and becoming Gods... once they entered into it many HATED it. According to Young's journals many women ceaselessly whined and complained about it, describing the situation as "a perfect flood of tears" and "I have not been happy a single day for five years". At least half of Youngs wives divorced, separated or annulled their marriages because they considered themselves as being "abandoned". Of course this is true... how on earth could one man emotionally support 53 wives? It is a physical impossibility. He would have a few favorites... probably the most pretty, sexually satisfying, or least complaining would get the most attention, the rest get a one night stand. Some of the wives were under age and coerced by threats to accept it... much like the Warren Jeffs polygamous faction today who force marriaged between girls and old men. It is child molestation and nothing less. I personally met an elderly woman whose great grandmother was told to accept polygamy in Utah or face death threats. She was smuggled out of Utah under the floorboards of a wagon to escape this intolerable situation. The Utah Mormons only put aside the practice under threat of military action by the US government. In this regard... child molestation and death threats... I believe the US Government was justified. Religion should not be a cloak to justify gross criminal behavior. Even then, many LDS continued to practice polygamy secretly. When that was eventually squashed many splintered off from the LDS church and became like Warren Jeffs group today.
The Brighamites used the examples of David and Solomon having many wives to justify the practice, they even mention this in D&C 132 saying God justified David and Solomon having many wives. However in the Law of Moses we read:
Duet 17:17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
The kings were specifically commanded to not multiply wives lest their hearts depart from the Lord. Yet David through habitual lust from polygamy could not resist Bathsheba, and murdered her husband... an utterly faithful servant to David, to hide his affair. This led to David almost being destroyed by God and their son died, and the kingdom divided. Later his son Solomon followed in his footsteps, and through habitual lust from polygamy, brought in exotic strange wives with their pagan religions. Israel adopted these religions which included temple prostitution and burning their children alive to Baal. God was so mad that he destroyed Israel and sent them into captivity. Polygamy has a great price!
While there are a few passages in the Old Testament that could be "interpreted" as some sort of God's "tacit approval" for polygamy, there is certainly no such teaching in the New Testament or BoM. The BoM most bitterly attacked polygamy calling it a whoredom and abomination before God, no exceptions, no excuses. Read it for yourself...
Jacob 2:23 But the word of God burdens me because of your grosser crimes. For behold, thus saith the Lord: This people begin to wax in iniquity; they understand not the scriptures, for they seek to excuse themselves in committing whoredoms, because of the things which were written concerning David, and Solomon his son.24 Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.
Jacob 2:35 Behold, ye have done greater iniquities than the Lamanites, our brethren. Ye have broken the hearts of your tender wives, and lost the confidence of your children, because of your bad examples before them; and the sobbings of their hearts ascend up to God against you. And because of the strictness of the word of God, which cometh down against you, many hearts died, pierced with deep wounds.
Jacob 3:5 Behold, the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye hate because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins, are more righteous than you; for they have not forgotten the commandment of the Lord, which was given unto our father—that they should have save it were one wife, and concubines they should have none, and there should not be whoredoms committed among them.
You know, I find it deeply ironic... the LDS were racist against Africans, and practiced polygamy. Yet the BoM teaches that the UNBELIEVING Lamanites who had dark skins were MORE RIGHTEOUS than the believers because they kept the commandments to have only one wive and no concubines. That is another thing I can never get a straight answer from the LDS on... concubines. Live in girly friends, mistresses and sex slaves... and they believe God Justifies this!!?? They claim it in D&C 132...
D&C 132:1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servant Joseph, that inasmuch as you have inquired of my hand to know and understand wherein I, the Lord, justified my servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as also Moses, David and Solomon, my servants, as touching the principle and doctrine of their having many wives and concubines—
Yet the BoM teaches the very opposite that God did NOT justify these men in this practice, that it was abominable to Him. I can see how a person who had only the Old Testament might stumble over the examples of David and Solomon but those who have the New Testament know better, and those who have the BoM are utterly without excuse... they are complete apostates. The BoM condemns polygamy in other places too...
Ether 10:5 And it came to pass that Riplakish did not do that which was right in the sight of the Lord, for he did have many wives and concubines, and did lay that upon men's shoulders which was grievous to be borne; yea, he did tax them with heavy taxes; and with the taxes he did build many spacious buildings.
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.3 And he laid a tax of one fifth part of all they possessed, a fifth part of their gold and of their silver, and a fifth part of their ziff, and of their copper, and of their brass and their iron; and a fifth part of their fatlings; and also a fifth part of all their grain.4 And all this did he take to support himself, and his wives and his concubines; and also his priests, and their wives and their concubines; thus he had changed the affairs of the kingdom.5 For he put down all the priests that had been consecrated by his father, and consecrated new ones in their stead, such as were lifted up in the pride of their hearts.6 Yea, and thus they were supported in their laziness, and in their idolatry, and in their whoredoms, by the taxes which king Noah had put upon his people; thus did the people labor exceedingly to support iniquity.7 Yea, and they also became idolatrous, because they were deceived by the vain and flattering words of the king and priests; for they did speak flattering things unto them.8 And it came to pass that king Noah built many elegant and spacious buildings; and he ornamented them with fine work of wood, and of all manner of precious things, of gold, and of silver, and of iron, and of brass, and of ziff, and of copper;
It is very ironic, that Brigham Young did EXACTLY the same thing as the wicked King Noah and Riplakish did... he multiplied wives, flattered them with lies, he taxed the people with mandatory tithes, and built up many spacious and elegant buildings to support his empire and false priests and their many wives.
The LDS Mormons are NOT true Mormons. The ancient prophet Mormon never taught these LDS doctrines and would have bitterly condemned them. The book that Mormon compiled certainly condemns them.
I had a fella tell me what he thought of Brigham Young... he said he was "just another horny old man". Boy was that the truth. The LDS try to say they had to have polygamy to repopulate their numbers because many of their men were killed by their enemies. Untrue. The ratio of men and women remained about the same. They say there can be more seed created. Untrue. Most of Youngs wives had only one or no children at all. They would have had MUCH MORE children if they had one husband for themselves!
Now the LDS are really in a pickle because they still revere Young an an infallible prophet who practiced polygamy righteously, yet today they denounce the practice and excommunicate those that do. Mainly this stand was due to political pressure, especially with Mitt Romney running for president. Even Mitt Romney said his anscestor HATED polygamy, she would pace the floor in tears when her husband was in the arms of "that other woman". Sure the men may be getting their jollies... but deep down the women knew in their hearts exactly what was going on... hard core adultery plain and simple.
The LDS should come clean and admit their wrong and denounce polygamy forever and admit Young was wrong. Yet in order to do this they would have to admit their prophet was a false prophet and their entire church would crumble. There really is no easy way out of this mess for the. What Brigham Young did was wage thermonuclear war on the Restoration, and the radiation poisoning continues to this very day. Countless millions reject the beautiful gospel in the BoM because of what this evil man did... and they do not even realize the BoM itself bitterly condemns what Young did. The very reason WHY I left the LDS church is BECAUSE I believe in the BoM. It is not uncommon for apostates to not follow their own books.
