Joseph Smith and Plural Marriage (Polygamy)

Summary: Joseph Smith is frequently criticized for his introduction and practice of plural marriage (often called polygamy). From a Christian perspective, these attacks usually focus on arguing that polygamy is unchristian or unbiblical, and that Joseph hid the truth from the world. From a secular perspective, it is asserted that the practice of polygamy sprung from Joseph's carnal desires to marry young women. Of particular interest is the fact that Joseph was sealed to women who were already married to other men (polyandry).

Video published by the Church History Department.

Jump to Subtopic:

• Plural wives of Joseph Smith, Jr.
• Implementation of plural marriage
• Doctrinal issues related to plural marriage
• Critics' claimed motivations for Joseph's implementation of plural marriage
• Keeping plural marriage a secret
• Entering into plural marriage
• Polyandry: Women married to more than one husband
• Emma Smith and polygamy
• Children of Joseph Smith by polygamous marriages
• Latter-day Saints and divorce in the nineteenth century

Plural wives of Joseph Smith, Jr.

Summary: This collection of articles lists a number of known plural wives, with responses to critical claims related to specific plural wives of Joseph Smith, Jr.

Jump to Subtopic:

• Fanny Alger
• Louisa Beaman
• Prescindia Lathrop Huntington Buell
• Sarah Kingsley Howe Cleveland
• Agnes Moulton Coolbrith
• Elizabeth Davis Goldsmith Brackenbury Durfee
• Esther Dutcher
• Hannah Ells
• Olive Grey Frost
• Desdemona Catlin Wadsworth Fulmmer
• Lucinda Pendleton Morgan Harris
• Clarissa Reed Hancock
• Elvira Annie Cowles Holmes
• Sarah Maryetta Kingsley Howe
• Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde
• Vienna Jacques
• Zina Diantha Huntington Jacobs
• Almera Johnson
• Helen Mar Kimball
• Maria Lawrence
• Sarah Lawrence
• Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner
• Malissa Lott
• Sylvia Sessions Lyon
• Martha McBride
• Eliza Partridge
• Emily Partridge
• Rhoda Richards
• Ruth Vose Sayers
• Patty Bartlett Sessions
• Delcena Diadamia Johnson Sherman
• "Miss Smith"
• Mary Heron Snider
• Eliza R. Snow
• Lucy Walker
• Sarah Ann Whitney
• Nancy Maria Winchester
• Flora Ann Woodworth
• Fanny Young

Implementation of plural marriage

Jump to Subtopic:

• Initiation of the practice of plural marriage
• The "Cochranites" and their potential influence on Mormon plural marriage
• Lorenzo Snow's statements about polygamy during the Temple Lot case
• William Marks claimed Joseph intended to abandon plural marriage

Initiation of the practice of plural marriage

Jump to Subtopic:

• Question: When did Joseph Smith receive the revelation on plural marriage?
• Question: Did Joseph Smith actually teach and practice polygamy?
• Question: When and how did plural marriage begin in the Church?

The "Cochranites" and their potential influence on Mormon plural marriage

Summary: Did another religious group from the 1830s--the "Cochranites"--act as the source for plural marriage in the LDS faith?

Jump to Subtopic:

• Question: Did the "Cochranites" influence Joseph Smith or other Mormons to introduce plural marriage into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

Lorenzo Snow's statements about polygamy during the Temple Lot case

Jump to Subtopic:

• Question: What is Lorenzo Snow claimed to have said about plural marriages being adultery prior to 1843?
• Question: Did Lorenzo Snow state that polygamy was actually adultery prior to 1843?
• Question: Are the original Temple Lot Case transcripts available online?
• Question: I've seen Temple Lot court transcripts online. Are these not accurate?

William Marks claimed Joseph intended to abandon plural marriage

Jump to Subtopic:

• Question: Did William Marks claim that Joseph Smith told him that plural marriage had been a mistake and that it would be abandoned?

Doctrinal issues related to plural marriage

Jump to Subtopic:

• The Bible and plural marriage
• Book of Mormon statements about the practice of polygamy
• Early Christians on plural marriage
• 19th century attitudes about plural marriage
• The Law of Adoption: The sealing of men and women as children to prominent Latter-day Saint leaders

Critics' claimed motivations for Joseph's implementation of plural marriage

Jump to Subtopic:

• Did Joseph have "lustful motives" for practicing polygamy?
• Did Joseph Smith send men on missions in order to "steal" their wives?
• Did Joseph Smith practice polygamy for the purpose of monetary gain?

Keeping plural marriage a secret

Jump to Subtopic:

• Joseph Smith hid polygamy from the general Church membership
• Joseph Smith hiding plural marriages from his first wife, Emma
• Joseph Smith's letter to the Whitney family
• Legality of polygamy
• Joseph Smith's Polygamy: "“Thou Shalt not Lie” and Denials of Polygamy: FAQ", by Brian C. Hales

Entering into plural marriage

Jump to Subtopic:

• Joseph Smith's marriages to young women
• Fanny Alger was Joseph Smith's first plural wife
• Did Joseph Smith coerce women to marry him?
• Mormon women refusing offers of plural marriage
• Does Joseph Smith's lack of children through polygamy contradict the commandment to "multiply and replenish the earth"?

Polyandry: Women married to more than one husband

Jump to Subtopic:

• Question: What do we know about Joseph Smith's "polyandrous" sealings or plural marriages?

Emma Smith and polygamy

Jump to Subtopic:

• Question: How did Emma Hale Smith react to Joseph's practice of plural marriage?
• Question: Did Joseph hide his plural marriages from Emma, his first wife?

Children of Joseph Smith by polygamous marriages

Jump to Subtopic:

• What is known about possible children through Joseph Smith's polygamous marriages?

Latter-day Saints and divorce in the nineteenth century

Jump to Subtopic:

• Divorce among Mormons in the 19th century
• Some 19th century Mormons did not receive civil divorces before remarrying
• Joseph Smith's performance of marriages in Ohio