sock puppet wrote:George, could you address the timing of the Alger relationship and the issuance of the Article on Marriage?
I will be happy to summarize Don's argument. One of the unanswered questions in the Alger case is when the relationship began. Sadly, the data here is sparse and highly contradictory, however, the data surrounding when it ended is a bit more rigorous and detailed. Earlier historians suggest that the Alger relationship ended in 1835, and that the Article on Marriage (AoM) was prepared and voted on in Joseph Smith's absence in August of 1835 in response Joseph Smith polgamous relationship with Fanny. They surmised this based on the following wording in the AoM.
Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband, except in case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again.
In addition the early dating to 1835 is based on Benjamin F. Johnson's much later recollection of the timing and an entry in Joseph Smith's diary saying he dismissed some borders on October 17, 1835. The problem is that recent research provides strong evidence that the border dismissed from the house was not Fanny, but instead workers at the printing establishment maintained by the saints. Benjamin F. Johnson's reminiscence is extremely late and is contradicted by others testimony. The above interpretation of AoM, while interesting, is not the only interpretation. According to other research, there are likely other cases of polygamy in Kirtland prior to 1835 to which AoM is likely referring. Additionally, evidence exists (and for what it's worth for which my own Mormon-Masonic research provides substantive confirmatory evidence) that a polygamy revelation was received in 1831 as reported by multiple people presumably in the know. Thus AoM could also be responding to this revelation, or rumors thereto, instead of to a Joseph-Fanny relationship.
Don then marshalls a substantial amount of evidence in favor of mid to late 1836 discovery of the Joseph-Fanny relationship. Generally, the evidence includes (1) the state of the Oliver Cowdery-Joseph relationship, (2) the testimony of friendly and unfriendly witnesses, (3) the timing of Fanny's removal from Kirtland and subsequent marriage to Solomon Custer, (4) the timing of the church court, (5) and the timing and content of the gossip and hubbub surrounding the discovery of the relationship. For brevity's sake I will refrain here from discussing the 30ish pages of Don's detailed analysis.
The main takeaway message is that AoM is likely not responding to a polygamous relationship between Joseph and Fanny, and that the relationship was likely being consummated in mid to late 1836. I find this more likely, as I doubt Joseph could have carried on this charade in Emma's face, and in Emma's home, for a year and a half without Emma and other church members, like Oliver Cowdery, raising an eyebrow and a voice of complaint.