29 Wives! - It's official

[Equality]

FairMormon:

Some have wondered how the first plural marriages (such as the Alger marriage) could have occurred before the 1836 restoration of the sealing keys in the Kirtland temple (see D&C 110). This confusion occurs because we tend to conflate several ideas. They were not all initially wrapped together in one doctrine:

• plural marriage - the idea that one could be married (in mortality) to more than one woman: being taught by 1831.
• eternal marriage - the idea that a man and spouse could be sealed and remain together beyond the grave: being taught by 1835.
• "celestial" marriage - the combination of the above two ideas, in which all marriages—plural and monogamous—could last beyond the grave via the sealing powers: implemented by 1840-41.

Thus, the marriage to Fanny would have occurred under the understanding #1 above. The concept of sealing beyond the grave came later. Therefore, the marriage of Joseph and Fanny would have been a plural marriage, but it would not have been a marriage for eternity.

Perhaps it is worth mentioning that priesthood power already gave the ability to ratify certain ordinances as binding on heaven and earth (D&C 1:8), that the sealing power was given mention in earlier revelations such as Helaman 10:7, and that the coming of Elijah and his turning of the hearts of children and fathers was prophesied in 3 Nephi 25:5-6. This supports the view that it is unlikely that Joseph was just making up the sealing power and priesthood power extemporaneously to justify getting married to Fanny and having sexual relations with her.

People need to share this information with the BYU co-eds. You know, the folks who came up with "soaking" as a loophole to the law of chastity. The folks who would fly to Vegas on a Friday night, get married, consummate it, then get a quicky divorce.

This is so much better. No need for the "marriage" to be legal or to be performed in a sealing ceremony in a temple. Just declare yourselves married like Joseph and Fanny did, and voila! No law of chastity violation. Brilliant!

[drumdude]

I agree. It amounts to nothing more than that. There is zero real evidence for concluding that Joseph and Fanny were married.

Bigamy was illegal at the time so it couldn't be a marriage. And if it was a sealing why keep anything secret? And why was Emma so late getting this sealing?

It’s interesting that God, Jesus, and Moroni showed up in person to give such explicit instructions about the Book of Mormon.

But when it comes to Emma, they were content to let Joseph wander with other women in a haze of confusion and deceit.

It’s almost like it has the characteristic fingerprints of being completely made up by Smith.

[sock puppet]

Nephi gets a bye on Thou Shalt Not Kill. So why shouldn't Joseph Smith get a bye on Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery? It's just so convenient to get to retrofit a "revelation" to white-wash what the Book of Mormon pronounces to be the sin next to murder. God didn't intervene at the very last moment to prevent the sin (Nephi's murdering of Laban; Joseph Smith's bedding the babes) as the Old Testament claims God did with Abraham when he was about to slay in sacrifice his son Isaac.