I think the following verses in Section 132 authorize sexually intimate polyandry:
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. 42 If she be not in the new and everlasting covenant, and she be with another man, she has committed adultery.
If I'm reading this correctly, if a woman is married, she can "be with another man" as long as God has "appointed unto her by the holy anointing." She commits adultery only if God has not "appointed unto her." Verse 42 goes on to say that women who are married outside of the new and everlasting covenant do not have this right.
It sounds to me like the D&C reserves the right for someone in the LDS church with the keys to do so, to annoint a woman in some ceremony, alleging that she has been appointed unto this by God, and that she is then free to be with another man, notwithstanding she is already married in the temple to a still-living man.
Hmm, and that's pretty much what Joseph Smith actually did, isn't it? Other than that we don't know whether he actually "annointed" the women he polyandrously married. But he apparently reserved the right, as Prophet, to do so.
I wonder if the LDS church leadership of today understand and appreciate that they have the power to allow married women to be with other men? I doubt it gets used anymore though. Probably not since the days of Brigham Young.
Mormonism ceased being a compelling topic for me when I finally came to terms with its transformation from a personality cult into a combination of a real estate company, a SuperPac, and Westboro Baptist Church. - Kishkumen
Interesting. I always thought Joseph's polyandry was in violation of his own revelation. But I think you are correct. Section 41 appears to make polyandry acceptable if certain criteria are met.
"We of this Church do not rely on any man-made statement concerning the nature of Deity. Our knowledge comes directly from the personal experience of Joseph Smith." - Gordon B. Hinckley
"It's wrong to criticize leaders of the Mormon Church even if the criticism is true." - Dallin H. Oaks
You gotta give Joseph Smith credit. Most guys are only willing to buy flowers, dinner and a movie to get laid. Joe made up scripture... hell, the dude made up a whole religion!
I guess it wasn't enough to do the horizontal mambo with as many women as possible... he had to have a clean conscience about it too. Either that, or Emma just scared the living crap out of him.
God belief is for people who don't want to live life on the universe's terms.
I especiall like how it starts out. "as ye have asked concerning adultery," Why is Joseph Smith asking about adultery? I can just picture him like a little kid questioning the rules trying to find loopholes.
"We of this Church do not rely on any man-made statement concerning the nature of Deity. Our knowledge comes directly from the personal experience of Joseph Smith." - Gordon B. Hinckley
"It's wrong to criticize leaders of the Mormon Church even if the criticism is true." - Dallin H. Oaks
Don't forget the diatribe against Emma, wherein God specifically tells Emma she cannot (despite the fact there were many women around gathering multiple husbands).
51 Verily, I say unto you: A commandment I give unto mine handmaid, Emma Smith, your wife, whom I have given unto you, that she stay herself and partake not of that which I commanded you to offer unto her; for I did it, saith the Lord, to prove you all, as I did Abraham, and that I might require an offering at your hand, by covenant and sacrifice. 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. 53 For I am the Lord thy God, and ye shall obey my voice; and I give unto my servant Joseph that he shall be made ruler over many things; for he hath been faithful over a few things, and from henceforth I will strengthen him. 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.
"I think one of the great mysteries of the gospel is that anyone still believes it." Sethbag, MADB, Feb 22 2008
It's interesting to me that the author mixes and matches his ye and thy around all higgledy piggledy.
"Ye" is the plural of "thou", ie: "you all" in modern English.
"Thy" is the possessive of "thou", ie: "your" in modern English.
When the verse says "I am the Lord thy God, and ye shall obey my voice" it's switching from the singular "thy" to the plural "ye" in mid sentence. The author does this multiple times throughout the section. Kind of funny how inept Jesus Christ is at emulating King James English, isn't it?
Mormonism ceased being a compelling topic for me when I finally came to terms with its transformation from a personality cult into a combination of a real estate company, a SuperPac, and Westboro Baptist Church. - Kishkumen
Trinity wrote:Don't forget the diatribe against Emma, wherein God specifically tells Emma she cannot (despite the fact there were many women around gathering multiple husbands).
Of course. Men have no problem with the neighborhood women sleeping around with other guys in the neighborhood, especially if he gets to join in on the fun. But these same men would never let their wives sleep around.
"We of this Church do not rely on any man-made statement concerning the nature of Deity. Our knowledge comes directly from the personal experience of Joseph Smith." - Gordon B. Hinckley
"It's wrong to criticize leaders of the Mormon Church even if the criticism is true." - Dallin H. Oaks