Plural marriage/Polygamy in the 19th Century

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Polygamy in the 19th Century

Jump to Subtopic:

• The purpose of plural marriage
• Plural marriage as a requirement for exaltation
• 19th century statements from Church leaders regarding the practice of plural marriage
• John Taylor's statements regarding polygamy
• Brigham Young's statements regarding polygamy
• Early Church leaders' comments about the difficulties of plural marriage
• Reports that the Lamanites were to become "white and delightsome" through polygamous marriage
• Divorce among Mormons in the 19th century
• Divine manifestions to plural wives and families
• Polygamy practiced after the Manifesto
• Prevalence of polygamy in Utah
• The Law of Adoption: The sealing of men and women as children to prominent Latter-day Saint leaders
• Parley P. Pratt's marriage and murder
• Lorenzo Snow's statements about polygamy during the Temple Lot case

1. REDIRECT Purpose of plural marriage
2. REDIRECT Plural marriage as a requirement for exaltation

19th century statements from Church leaders regarding the practice of plural marriage

Jump to details:

• Question: Did some Church leaders teach that plural marriage was a practice that would persist forever?
• Question: Was Heber C. Kimball concerned that missionaries would "take all the best" convert women as plural wives before they returned to Salt Lake City?

1. REDIRECT John Taylor's statements regarding polygamy

Brigham Young's statements regarding plural marriage

Jump to Subtopic:

• Question: Did Brigham Young and Joseph Smith say that polygamists were allowed to go beyond normal bounds of social interaction?
• Question: Did Brigham Young boast about his ability to get more wives even though he was married to 50-60 women?
• Question: Why did Emma Smith and Brigham Young dislike one another?
• Question: Why did Brigham Young say that women "have no right to meddle in the affairs of the Kingdom of God"?
• Question: Did Brigham Young believe that one could not enter the Celestial Kingdom unless they were a polygamist?
• Brigham Young and plural marriage

Early Church leaders' comments about the difficulties of plural marriage

Summary: It is claimed that early Church leaders "admitted" that there were many difficulties with plural marriage that caused "problems" and "great sorrow."

Jump to details:

• Gospel Topics: "It is therefore difficult to accurately generalize about the experience of all plural marriages"
• Question: Did early Church leaders "admit" that there were many difficulties with plural marriage that caused "problems" and "great sorrow"?

Reports that the Lamanites were to become "white and delightsome" through polygamous marriage

Jump to details:

• Question: Did the Church suppress a revelation given to Joseph Smith in 1831 which encouraged the implementation of polygamy by intermarriage with the Indians in order to make them a “white and delightsome” people?
• Question: Was Ezra Booth commanded to take a wife from among the Indians?

Divorce among Mormons in the 19th century

Summary: Some critics like to emphasize that some LDS members did not receive civil divorces before remarrying—either monogamously or polygamously. They either state or imply that this shows the Saints' cavalier attitude toward the law.

Jump to details:

• Gospel Topics: "Divorce was therefore available to women who were unhappy in their marriages"
• Question: How were divorces formalized among Mormons on the frontier in the 19th century?
• Question: Was it normal not to obtain a formal civil divorce in 19th century America?

1. REDIRECT Divine manifestations to plural wives and families
2. REDIRECT Plural marriage practiced after the First Manifesto
3. REDIRECT Prevalence of plural marriage in Utah

The Law of Adoption: The sealing of men and women as children to prominent Latter-day Saint leaders

Summary: Critics point to the early practice of sealing men and women as children to prominent LDS leaders as an example of changes in LDS belief.

Jump to details:

• Question: What is the "Law of Adoption" practiced among 19-century Mormons and why has it changed?
• Question: What is the history behind the Mormon practice called the "Law of Adoption"?
• Question: Why were men sealed to other men during the early days of the Church?
• Question: Did Joseph Smith perform marriages between brothers and sisters?

Parley P. Pratt's marriage and murder

Summary: It is claimed that Parley P. Pratt's practice of polygamy was responsible for his murder, partly because he married a woman who hadn't been divorced from her first husband.

Jump to details:

• Question: Was Parley P. Pratt murdered because he stole another man's wife?
• Question: Was it normal not to obtain a formal civil divorce in 19th century America?

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

Jump to details:

• 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?