Is this true?

[_TygerFang]

I don't think it's so unbelievable that he waited until 40 to get married, people in ancient times did do that. Well the men did actually, the women got married in their teenage years.

[_ajax18]

Brgham Young had over 28 wives throughout his lifetime.
Heber C. Kimball had over 28 wives throughout his lifetime.

So are you grouping types of polygamy practiced based on how may plural wives? If that is so what is the cutoff number for acceptable and not acceptable?

Wherefore, I the Lord God will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old.

Was it D&C or Jacob that said the sin of King David was not that he had 700 wives because they were given unto him, but that he took a man's wife unjustly basically by orchestrating his death.

I see your point with the word tolerate. It certainly doesn't connotate that God saw this as the ideal situation. But if one truly believes in an all knowing God, why would God tolerate Abraham to have many wives and not Joseph Smith? Abraham should have had just as much of the gospel and priesthood revealed to him as Joseph Smith. He didn't live a lesser law as did the Isrealites before Jesus. Lastly if Jesus were to change everything, why didn't he change polygamy or slavery for that matter when he introduced the higher law. He seemed more focused on controlling thoughts and emotions.

The next question I have is concerning concubines and handmaidens. As I understand it, a concubine belongs to a man, but does not have the full status of a wife. I'm not sure what the ramifications are of that or what benefits the status of wife affords over concubine. In LDS seminary we're taught that Reuben did not lose the birthright because he was not a child of Jacob's favorite wife, but because he fornicated with Jacob's handmaiden Bilhah. It seemed that all of the sons of Jacob regardless of whether they were from a wife or a concubine were afforded an equal birthright. To be more clear, birth order in time seemed to be the deciding factor on inheritance, not which mother you came from. At least that's generally how it was supposed to work. I can already think of an exception in the case of Isaac and Ishmael, but the fact that there was such a contention over this suggests to me that normally Ishmael would have been the birthright son. In any event, couldn't one argue that Joseph Smith's polygamy was actually higher than Abraham's polygamy because he did not have any concubines, but all wives were equal in status.

[_John Larsen]

Anyway, it is a pro-mormon literature.

Given enough time, all pro-Mormon literature turns into anti-Mormon literature. It is like coal and diamonds.

[_Brackite]

Was it D&C or Jacob that said the sin of King David was not that he had 700 wives because they were given unto him, but that he took a man's wife unjustly basically by orchestrating his death.

Hello there ajax18,

It was King Solomon who had up to 700 wives, and not King David. (1) And it is Doctrine and Covenants Section 132 that states that the wives were given to King David, and Not Jacob in the Book of Mormon. (2) The Book of Mormon fully condemns the Practice of Polygamy. (3)

1. 1 Kings 11:1-3 - 1 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 2 They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. (NIV)

2. Doctrine and Covenants Section 132:1, 38 & 39 - 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— 38 David also received many wives and concubines, and also Solomon and Moses my servants, as also many others of my servants, from the beginning of creation until this time; and in nothing did they sin save in those things which they received not of me. 39 David's wives and concubines were given unto him of me, by the hand of Nathan, my servant, and others of the prophets who had the keys of this power; and in none of these things did he sin against me save in the case of Uriah and his wife; and, therefore he hath fallen from his exaltation, and received his portion; and he shall not inherit them out of the world, for I gave them unto another, saith the Lord.
Jacob 2:23-24 - 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.

3. Please check Out and See: The Book of Mormon condemns the Practice of Polygamy.:
And:
Reading Jacob Chapter Two, Exegetically:

[_rcrocket]

David's taking of Uriah's life and wife were abominable to the Lord, but he had many wives. He was given all of Saul's wives by the Lord.

The Book of Mormon condemns David's and Solomon's wife-taking, but stated an exception to an outright ban against polygamy. This is an old issue.

And, indeed, at least one published sociological study I've seen shows that plural marriage was pursued to care for the extraordinary imbalance of women in the church.

[_Dr. Shades]

And, indeed, at least one published sociological study I've seen shows that plural marriage was pursued to care for the extraordinary imbalance of women in the church.

Then why did Joseph Smith marry women who already had a husband and were thus already being taken care of?