Runtu wrote:Joseph Smith married (in the fullest sense of the word) women and girls without the knowledge and consent of his wife, Emma. He made an effort to conceal these marriages from her.... These facts are beyond dispute, and I think they speak rather poorly of Joseph Smith's character.
I don't dispute the fact that Joseph Smith concealed from Emma the full extent of his practice of polygamy. But I question whether this necessarily speaks poorly of his character.
I believe that Joseph believed that he was divinely commanded to practice polygamy. But I think he also saw clearly that following this divine imperative would create enormous hurt and resentment on the part of Emma. Joseph--hoping against hope, no doubt--sought Emma's blessing at one point, but it was short-lived. Emma had shared her husband with others, indeed the whole church, for almost their entire marriage. It was too much for her to share him with other wives too--including trusted friends. Surely Joseph wished to avoid domestic strife (he abhorred contention), but I think he also wished to spare Emma's feelings (as much as possible). After all, he loved her.
So he left her out of it. To my way of thinking, to do otherwise, to have involved Emma in every detail of his polygamous relations--or worse, to have taken wives openly and exposed Emma to public shame--would have been heartless and cruel. As it was, their marriage was severely strained by the ordeal.
So, although regrettable, I don't know that Joseph's actions here were necessarily wrong. They may have been (D&C 132:56 refers to unspecified "trespasses" against Emma), but I can't say with certainty that they were.