Polygamy--What if...

[_beastie]

Josephine Lyon, daughter of Sylvia Sessions Lyon, is reported to have told her daughter that she “was the daughter of the Prophet Joseph Smith” shortly before she died. It is not known whether Sessions was referring to her daughter as being a literal descendant of Joseph Smith, or if she was referring to that fact that she had been sealed to the prophet. DNA testing is ongoing in order to make this determination, but it is rendered more difficult since the Y chromosome evidence of paternal lineage is not present in females.

http://en.fairmormon.org/Joseph_Smith_a ... _marriages

It seems that she was referring to be a spiritual daughter of Joseph Smith.

This is proof that no matter how lame an apologetic argument is, once it has been suggested, it will never die.

If Sylvia was only referring to being a "spiritual daughter of Joseph Smith", then she would not have singled out ONE offspring.

Nor would she have kept something so innocuous a secret until her deathbed.

by the way, it's interesting that the DNA research was suspended just as the evidence was seeming to point to Josephine being Joseph Smith' biological daughter.


In regards to the OP, I do not believe the LDS church will EVER reinstate polygamy. Unlike the early LDS church, today's LDS church, more than anything else, wants to be seen as part of the mainstream religious community. Reinstating polygamy would ensure that LDS would be viewed forever as the whacky fringe, which today's leaders do not want.

Personally, I would enjoy the spectacle if it were reinstated. I'd enjoy watching all these big mouths who defend polygamy trying to deal with it in real life.

[_why me]

Josephine Lyon, daughter of Sylvia Sessions Lyon, is reported to have told her daughter that she “was the daughter of the Prophet Joseph Smith” shortly before she died. It is not known whether Sessions was referring to her daughter as being a literal descendant of Joseph Smith, or if she was referring to that fact that she had been sealed to the prophet. DNA testing is ongoing in order to make this determination, but it is rendered more difficult since the Y chromosome evidence of paternal lineage is not present in females.

http://en.fairmormon.org/Joseph_Smith_a ... _marriages

It seems that she was referring to be a spiritual daughter of Joseph Smith.

This is proof that no matter how lame an apologetic argument is, once it has been suggested, it will never die.

If Sylvia was only referring to being a "spiritual daughter of Joseph Smith", then she would not have singled out ONE offspring.

Nor would she have kept something so innocuous a secret until her deathbed.
daughter.

She (Sylvia) then told me that I was the daughter of the Prophet Joseph Smith, she [u]having been sealed to the Prophet at the time that her husband Mr. Lyon was out of fellowship with the Church."[/u]

She equated the sealing with being the daughter of Joseph Smith. It does seem that she was referring to the daughter as being the spiritual daughter of Joseph Smith. I see nothing about sex here.

[_harmony]

She equated the sealing with being the daughter of Joseph Smith. It does seem that she was referring to the daughter as being the spiritual daughter of Joseph Smith. I see nothing about sex here.

There are none so blind as they who will not see.

[_Yoda]

She equated the sealing with being the daughter of Joseph Smith. It does seem that she was referring to the daughter as being the spiritual daughter of Joseph Smith. I see nothing about sex here.

There are none so blind as they who will not see.

I don't understand why it would be such a bad thing if she was Joseph's biological daughter. If Joseph was living the law of polygamy as commanded, it would certainly follow that he would have biological children. Wasn't the whole point of polygamy for Joseph Smith, in particular, to "raise righteous seed"?

I don't understand why there is such dissonance among the apologists with this. Either they support Joseph Smith, and honestly feel that polygamy was a commandment from God, and accept all of the consequences that come with that, or they don't.

[_truth dancer]

Hi Liz,

I don't understand why it would be such a bad thing if she was Joseph's biological daughter. If Joseph was living the law of polygamy as commanded, it would certainly follow that he would have biological children. Wasn't the whole point of polygamy for Joseph Smith, in particular, to "raise righteous seed"?

I find it odd... how many children did Joseph Smith and Emma have who died in infancy or before bearing children? Seven or eight?

If God really needed Joseph's "seed", seems weird he would command polygamy (which He stated in the Book of Mormon breaks the hearts of his daughters) rather than just perform a miracle and allow already born babies and children survive.

Emma not only got her heart broken by Joseph Smith's numerous affairs but also experienced the pain of numerous babies dying.



Seems to me if God could intervene in Joseph's life by sending an angel with a flaming sword, He could certainly allow innocent babies to live.

~td~

[_Ray A]

Personally, I would enjoy the spectacle if it were reinstated. I'd enjoy watching all these big mouths who defend polygamy trying to deal with it in real life.

[_harmony]

There are none so blind as they who will not see.

I don't understand why it would be such a bad thing if she was Joseph's biological daughter. If Joseph was living the law of polygamy as commanded, it would certainly follow that he would have biological children. Wasn't the whole point of polygamy for Joseph Smith, in particular, to "raise righteous seed"?

I don't understand why there is such dissonance among the apologists with this. Either they support Joseph Smith, and honestly feel that polygamy was a commandment from God, and accept all of the consequences that come with that, or they don't.

Well, for one thing, the Brethren would have to publically acknowledge all the REST of the stuff Joseph was doing... the lying from the pulpit, the sneaking around, the sending his friends on missions so he could bed their wives, the sleazeball-in-action stuff that they'd just as soon keep in the darkest corner of the closet. And FANNY! Let us not forget Fanny!

Just look at all the trouble that acknowledgement would cause... all the curriculums would have to be rewritten, all the bumbling apologetics would have to be changed... the words of McKonkie come to mind, to forget everything they'd said before. And it's just too much for these guys to acknowledge.

[_beastie]

She (Sylvia) then told me that I was the daughter of the Prophet Joseph Smith, she having been sealed to the Prophet at the time that her husband Mr. Lyon was out of fellowship with the Church."

She equated the sealing with being the daughter of Joseph Smith. It does seem that she was referring to the daughter as being the spiritual daughter of Joseph Smith. I see nothing about sex here.

Of course she told her daughter she'd been sealed to Joseph. Otherwise, it would just look like a "dirty, nasty affair."

Tell me why she singled out ONE offspring. Tell me why she shared it only on her deathbed. Tell me why church leaders used this as evidence of Joseph Smith' practice of polygamy, in order to silence the RLDS.

[_Jason Bourne]

I said that there were two reasons for polygamy: raising a righeous seed and a test of faith. Here is an article that stresses the test of faith:

http://www.fairlds.org/pubs/polyandry.pdf

Sarah failed the test. Now if I were sarah I would have stayed in Nauvoo with Emma and lived my life. But for some strange reason she headed west with the polygamists. Why?

Honestly Why Me it takes a pretty sick God to test people is such a way. This is why it seems clear to me this was not of God.

[_Jason Bourne]

In regards to the OP, I do not believe the LDS church will EVER reinstate polygamy. Unlike the early LDS church, today's LDS church, more than anything else, wants to be seen as part of the mainstream religious community. Reinstating polygamy would ensure that LDS would be viewed forever as the whacky fringe, which today's leaders do not want.

Personally, I would enjoy the spectacle if it were reinstated. I'd enjoy watching all these big mouths who defend polygamy trying to deal with it in real life.

The LDS Church well NEVER EVER bring back polygamy even if it is legal. They make persons who want to join the Church where it is legal stop the practice. I have no doubt that the current leader wish this black spot was not there at all. They just will never do it. First, in spite of Why Me's naïve proposition that many of the faithful would see the light and embrace it, the reinstutution of it would decimate the church. Many would bolt. Next it would, as beastie pointed out marginalize the Church and hamper growth. Had the LDS Church kept polygamy it would have remained a largely small and marginalized sect and never grown beyond a few hundred thousand members. The Church wants to grow, and it wants to attract new members. One only need read the Ensign or listen to conference to see how much the Church has become fairly common and not all that unique. Even it most interesting in in my opinion appealing, but distinct and different from mainstream doctrines are rarely brought up and discussed.

If polygamy is legalized and some put pressure to bring it back the Church won't do it and they will simply say you can only do it when the Lord commands and he has not commanded and he ain't gonna!