"So Called" Polyandrous Marriages just Dynastic Liasons

[_moksha]

These "So Called" Polyandrous Marriages were nothing more than just Dynastic Liaisons between worldly men linking their estates and empires together. This process has been utilized by the aristocracy throughout human history as a natural means transferring wealth and power, as well as passing superlative genetics on to the next generation.

[_ludwigm]

Mr. Bean and superlative genetics !

I don't know if we teach that. I don't know if we emphasize it ...

[_Fence Sitter]

Few members realize that the "families are forever" mantra that the modern church promotes had very little to do with the reasons Joseph Smith and BY practiced polygamy and adoptive sealings.

John Taylor declined to be sealed to his actual father because his father was a mere Elder. It was not just about families, it was more about getting connected as closely as possible to the highest level of authority within the church. Everyone below you would then become part of your celestial dominion in the afterlife. It was a celestial pyramid scheme.

On the saints first arrival in Salt Lake, the town was laid out so the Twelve all had large plots of land near the center on which to build up their own power bases. BY once famously said he thought some Elders would go so far as to seal themselves to Satan if they thought it would increase their own dominion.

[_canpakes]

Few members realize that the "families are forever" mantra that the modern church promotes had very little to do with the reasons Joseph Smith and BY practiced polygamy and adoptive sealings.

John Taylor declined to be sealed to his actual father because his father was a mere Elder. It was not just about families, it was more about getting connected as closely as possible to the highest level of authority within the church. Everyone below you would then become part of your celestial dominion in the afterlife. It was a celestial pyramid scheme.

On the saints first arrival in Salt Lake, the town was laid out so the Twelve all had large plots of land near the center on which to build up their own power bases. BY once famously said he thought some Elders would go so far as to seal themselves to Satan if they thought it would increase their own dominion.

As someone who grew up outside of the LDS World (but involved in it through extended family, by marriage), I've tried to wrap my head around this idea that someone is arbitrarily deemed 'more special' than another person - or derives some sort of extra benefit - in the afterlife, simply because they were 'sealed' to that person. I have not ever run across any justification for this from records of Smith's day, or from later apologetic analysis. I do recall a Maxwell Institute paper from many years ago that looked at the polygamy question with an eye to 'dynastic sealings' being the reason, but the conclusion there was also, "We don't know why". All in all, the lack of elucidation on this from the source or from later leading apologetic mouthpieces speaks to the idea that 'dynastic' sealings are no more defensible than standard, straight-up polygamy.

Is there anything out there in LDS World that sheds more light on the workings of 'dynastic sealings'? .

[_Fence Sitter]

Is there anything out there in LDS World that sheds more light on the workings of 'dynastic sealings'? .

The Journal Of Mormon History Volume 37-3 found here has two very good articles on this. Both the Samuel Brown Article and the Stapley articles are excellent.

[_canpakes]

Is there anything out there in LDS World that sheds more light on the workings of 'dynastic sealings'? .

The Journal Of Mormon History Volume 37-3 found here has two very good articles on this. Both the Samuel Brown Article and the Stapley articles are excellent.

Excellent; thank you, FS - I will be reading through these this evening.

One thing that I absolutely love about MD is the fact that there are so many folks here with solid sources from a variety of perspectives, to address questions.

[_son of Ishmael]

These "So Called" Polyandrous Marriages were nothing more than just Dynastic Liaisons between worldly men linking their estates and empires together. This process has been utilized by the aristocracy throughout human history as a natural means transferring wealth and power, as well as passing superlative genetics on to the next generation.

"Cough, cough, BS, cough, cough, BS, cough cough..."

[_ZelphtheGreat]

Naturally the brethren can show us the scriptures where this is commanded?

[_just me]

It was a celestial pyramid scheme.

I LOVE IT!

[_Kishkumen]

Mr. Bean and superlative genetics !

I don't know if we teach that. I don't know if we emphasize it ...

Well played!