IMHO, Joseph Smith was not a Polygamist.

[_readtoomuch]

Ok, so let me make my point. I don't believe Joseph Smith lived Polygamy. There is no evidence in the real world to justify the accusation. If he didn't live it, then what did he live during his life? I think the evidence suggests that that he had a weakness for women and used his religious authority to cover up his desire and actions toward other women. I know what you are thinking. I know you think I have lost my mind. I am very much read up on the topic and personally believe that the word Polygamy is a term that mis-leads people into some form of personal safety zone. "Well, if God told him to do it, then I can eventually accept it or at least get this behind me" But in my opinion, that is exactly what the church wants you to do. I think that term Polygamy is applied and spoken of in order to get the masses of people to accept it and move on.

From my Real-ville perspective, (Real-ville is an imaginary term coined by talk show host Rush Limbaugh that signifies a place where we only deal with reality and we let the facts lead us to the most logical conclusion) there are only two logical conclusions (1) God told Joseph to do it via revelation, or (2) Polygamy was instituted to allow Joseph to have his way with women and have the cover of religion to justify it. Or, perhaps to protect him from accusations and hold on to his religious influence. The first possibility would make things a lot easier on the church and slowly allow the subject to be lost to the future. However, the second possibility lays serious issues at the feet of the General Authorities. This second option would suggest that the church is completely devoid of divine intervention. That a coordinated cover-up was perpetrated upon society and the church itself. Therefore, what does the evidence tell us? Well, that requires some clarification. First, just because someone wrote something down in a journal, doesn't mean it is true. Anyone can write something. All the journals in the world may or may not lead you to truth. It is simply what someone wanted to you to think. This type of evidence must be vetted against other forms of evidence in order to see if the journal entries are corroborated by the other known and accepted facts. So I know there have been journals written that say this and say that. But I suggest we keep things in perspective and not rush to judgment.

So let me make a list of the things I see that leads me to feel the way I do. I do not see a man living Polygamy. I don't see it at all. When I review his life, teachings, struggles, I see a man that had a weakness for women and justified Polygamy to sort of "keep his job".

1. Joseph was only legally married to Emma.
2. Joseph is only known to have children with Emma.
3. Joseph was only known to have lived with Emma.
4. There was no known cohabitation with any of his so called wives.
5. Joseph lived his whole life denying that he was a Polygamist.
6. Joseph swore oaths and affidavits before judges declaring he was not a Polygamist.
7. Joseph wrote many articles in newspapers declaring he was not a Polygamist.
8. Very little is know about Fanny Alger, but Oliver Cowdery called it a "dirty, nasty, filthy affair" Note: it is interesting the church left this small item out of their essay. There really is very little evidence (if any at all) that he ever "married" Fanny Alger. In fact, the evidence of those contemporaries who were there at the time, suggests that it was nothing more than an affair at best.
9. Joseph never published a revelation on Polygamy in the newspapers.
10 Joseph never published a revelation on Polygamy in the Scriptures.
11 The only revelation on Polygamy (section 132) was only announced 8 years after Joseph's death.
12 The so called revelation was presented to the church as it was written by William Clayton; not by Joseph Smith. Thus dubious as to its real author due to how many years passed after Joseph's death. How could anyone know for sure who wrote it and when?
13 Section 132 was not placed in the scriptures until 1876 by Brigham Young.
14 Section 101 of the D&C was removed and then replaced with section 132 in 1876. note: Section 101 of the 1835 D&C stated straight up that Polygamy was not sanctioned by the Lord and that the standard for marriage was "One man and one woman" In fact, section 101 was the standard in the church as published in the D&C from 1835 through 1876. So God was telling the world that the standard was "One man and one woman" while at the same time, telling Joseph and Emma that they would be destroyed if they didn't embrace the doctrine. So in this case, it would have been God perpetuating a fraud on the world. This doesn't sound like the God I have come to know. "Wo be unto the liar, for he shall be thrust down to hell"
15 Joseph wife Emma also denied polygamy.
16 Hyrum Smith also denied Polygamy
17 Joseph Smith toward the end of his life was running for President of the United States. Could a man who had 30 to 40 wives actually believe that he could get away with that? Polygamy during his day was illegal in New York, Ohio, Illinois , Missouri, Canada and Mexico. The U.S. Federal Government had not yet passed a anti-polygamy law but by anyone standards, he would have been "run out of town" so to speak if this would have become public knowledge. Someone who had 30-40 wives would have become in some way more of a recluse and not a public national figure.

So what does that mean? To me at least, it means that I don't see a man called Joseph Smith as a polygamist at all. I see a man, who used the term in order to satisfy his personal desire to be with more than just Emma. I see a man who perhaps was ceremoniously married in a spiritual sense to multiple women but this act was not recognized by the government and none of these so called marriages embraced any traditional polygamy elements as listed in my points above. So, it was simply not Polygamy. After his death, Brigham Young went to the Salt Lake Valley and started living a more traditional form of Polygamy. However, this would have been by definition, common law marriages because even then and there, it still would have been illegal to be married to more than one woman.

The church uses the term Polygamy, which instills the thought of a committed relationship. It instills a thought of "normal marital relationships,,,sex". The church declares that Polygamy was of God. This forces the focus of Joseph Smith actions during his day toward the rationale of him simply following God's will. This, I am sure, allows members of the church to allow the whole topic be washed away because he was doing at least what God told him to do.

When Brigham Young moved out to the Salt Lake Valley, Brigham began living a form of Polygamy much different than what Joseph did in Nauvoo. He cohabitated with his wives, had children with them, supported them and publically acknowledged them; at least once he came "out of the closet". My issue here is that Joseph didn't set the pattern and Brigham just kept the ball rolling. No, he modified what was done in the past and authored in the church a form of Polygamy unique to him and his administration. To me, this indicates to me that Brigham didn't think too much of the "spiritual wifery system" setup by Joseph. Perhaps it was his dislike for what Joseph was doing that led to such a strong posture of "no sex with anyone but your legally and lawfully wed spouse" Now if God set this all up and it was to be done the way Joseph established it, why would Brigham have changed it?

So now I see almost everyone accepting that Joseph was a polygamist and trying to find understanding. Everyone is hurting, at least those who know enough to care. Yet, I would buck the paradigm and suggest that we consider that perhaps all may not be as it appears. If the church can get everyone accepting and coming to terms that he was a Polygamist, then they are one step closer to putting an end of people looking into the possibility that his real motivation in Polygamy was being able to have his way with women. This is exactly the last thing anyone in Church leadership would want to have surface. In this sense of reasoning, I would think that it is actually a relief for the church to get this topic out in the open.

Joseph Smith claimed his whole life that he was not a Polygamist. He did so in the courts, press and at church. He had the newspaper "The Expositor" destroyed because it attempted in part, to accuse him of Polygamy. Yet, today, the church tells us that he was indeed a polygamist. That leads us to only one legitimate conclusion..........Joseph was a liar and he lied to the world, the government and the church. So this leads us to a much larger issue........Why would anyone believe in a liar? How about a Con-Man? Who brought this to my attention? The Church! The Church tells us this in their affirmation that he was a Polygamist. There are more ways than one to say that someone is a liar. Another example of the church illustrating a way of saying they lied is found in the essay they published where they used the words "carefully worded denials" You see, it is right in front of us. Can you see it? Joseph Fielding Smith claimed in Doctrines of Salvation V. 1 in so many words that everything in the church hung upon Joseph Smith and he was either who he said he was or this whole thing is a fraud. Liars are considered to be frauds. Again, who tells us he was a liar? The Church! I think the church has opened a can of worms they will regret they ever opened. Ironically, it may be the best thing for the church.

It would be interesting if others see it the way I do.

[_Dantana]

Seems clear. Well done!

[_Polygamy-Porter]

Good points.

How does this affect your membership?

[_Tator]

I think the church has opened a can of worms they will regret they ever opened.

I agree.

[Guest]

-

[_kairos]

Holy Matrimony Batman!

You have now dug an even deeper hole for the Mormon leaders to try to climb out of! They have tried to explain the polygamy experience by saying ,as Joseph did, "That angel with a flaming sword made me do it " meaning polygamy was of God, dictated to His (Mormon) church via his chosen prophet. Now you claim it's all a big scam by Joseph Smith. But wait the same God who now you say didn't tell Joseph, DID tell the next PSR Brother Brigham to have the Saints live polygamy.

What kind of a God would do that? What kind of a Church did this God set up?

Your analysis goes to the heart of the matter- the Mormon church has no connection to real truth nor to a God who guides it and tells it what to do via his appointed PSR.

The CJCLDS cannot be the one true church on the face of the earth or anything close-it has "manmade " written all over it . And paints Joseph Smith as the biggest scamster
on the face of the earth.

Can this Church survive to next Friday? Maybe not!

[_ludwigm]

readwritetoomuch wrote

Ok, so let me make my point. I don't believe Joseph Smith lived Polygamy.
...
too much left out, I am sorry

Don't worry! The Bible is behind You.

1.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

2.

And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

I just want to chime in and say this was an excellent, well-reasoned post. Where I live we're seeing the fruits of the essays being published. My wife likes to attend church as a lay person once in a while, and a Sister pulled her aside and confessed her closet disbelief. The nail in the coffin? The essays.

Perhaps the Church thought they would suffer a bleed-off similar to the 1978 revelation. It's probably spot on... After all it has survived multiple schisms, apostasies, and criticisms.

But hey, it's a great place to raise a family. ;)

- Doc

[_sock puppet]

I just want to chime in and say this was an excellent, well-reasoned post. Where I live we're seeing the fruits of the essays being published. My wife likes to attend church as a lay person once in a while, and a Sister pulled her aside and confessed her closet disbelief. The nail in the coffin? The essays.

Perhaps the Church thought they would suffer a bleed-off similar to the 1978 revelation. It's probably spot on... After all it has survived multiple schisms, apostasies, and criticisms.

But hey, it's a great place to raise a family. ;)

- Doc

The Bluth family. Maybe.

[_stockoneder]

What if Joseph denied being a polygamist because he didn't consider what he was doing polygamy? Spiritual wifery, plural marriage or celestial marriage. As long as what he was doing was considered to be something else by him then he could parse words and claim to be innocent. Lawyers do this all the time to justify stuff.