Joseph Smith’s polygamy in Kirtland and Nauvoo totally puzzled me when I debated leaving the Church of Jesus Christ. When I listened to critics, they emphasized a very simple narrative about polygamy in the early church. Namely, that Joseph and other church leaders were manipulative, sex-crazed scoundrels. To incite a reaction from me, critics compared Joseph to the leader of the fundamentalist LDS movement, Warren Jeffs. Taking advantage of the few details that survived that era, critics seemed contented with flashing headlines about Joseph marrying other men’s wives and teenagers as young as 14 years old.

As I did more research, the critical narrative about polygamy just didn’t fit. If Joseph and other church leaders were only doing what they did for power and sex, much of their behavior makes no sense. That narrative only left me with more questions.

If Joseph only wanted sex, why were his likely first two polygamist wives in Nauvoo married women who were 7 months pregnant?³ Didn’t the medical advice of the day advise against sex during pregnancy, warning that it could be harmful to the unborn child?⁴

If Joseph was married and then having sex with other men’s wives, why were no complaints filed against the prophet from the men whose wives he was sealed to?⁵

How come none of the married women and their husbands ever claim that Joseph participated in polyandry?⁶

There is no evidence that the saints (and Joseph) participated in polyandry.⁷ So what are the sealings to married women about?

If Joseph was having lots of sex with lots of women, why were there no children born to Joseph from one of his plural wives despite him clearly being fertile?⁸ (He had 9 children with Emma, even with long periods of time apart and challenging schedules).

That isn’t to say that Joseph had no sexual relations with any of his wives, but clearly, the narrative that it was all about sex is weak. If not for sex, then what is the motive for the sealing practices in Nauvoo and Kirtland?

The Law of Adoption, Dynasty Sealings, Eternity Only Sealings

Joseph Smith was passionate about creating an unbroken chain of families bound together and sealed up to God. This seems to be the driving force behind his actions in Kirtland and Nauvoo. Parley Pratt reports that in 1839 Joseph was teaching the apostles about the sealing power and the eternal family organization.⁹ Surprisingly, sealings were not performed for deceased relatives until 1894.¹⁰ Up to that point, members participated in sealings to other living members of the Church in what is called the “law of adoption” or “dynastic sealings.”¹¹ Without the ability (or practice) of being sealed to one’s deceased ancestors, early saints sought to be sealed and linked to someone, commonly a church leader. For a time, there was the practice of sealing married women to other men, families to other families, siblings to other siblings, and even men to other men. “Eternity only” sealings is a term coined by historians to describe marriages of an already married woman whose husband was not a member of the Church.¹² There is no indication that “eternity only” sealings had any of the standard marital expectations of other traditional marriages or standard plural marriages. Thus, a “marriage” or a “sealing” did not necessarily imply a sexual or marital relationship.¹³

It is worth noting that the Saints’ understanding of adoption in Brigham Young’s day contributed to the solidarity and interdependence that helped them cross the plains to Utah. In other words, the Saints’ understanding of the “law of adoption” as a social order likely helped them survive.¹⁴ Further, I wonder how much benefit from the “law of adoption” we still reap today in our “ward families.”

In the spirit of ongoing revelation, Wilford Woodruff revealed that the Saints could perform proxy sealing work and seal themselves to their ancestors.¹⁵ This change ended the need for the “law of adoption” altogether in the late 19^th century in favor of sealing children to their parents.

When I learned about the “law of adoption,” “dynasty sealings,” and “eternity only” sealings, the once salacious headlines regarding polygamy in the early church lost its shock value. For example, Joseph Smith’s youngest polygamist wife was 14-year-old Helen Mar Kimball. Though marriage at 14 would have been more acceptable on the frontier in the 1840s, that is still fairly young. However, Helen reports that she was sealed to the prophet at the behest of her father, Heber C. Kimball, who had “a great desire to be connected with the prophet.”¹⁶ These details line up with what I’ve come to understand about the “law of adoption.” Further, there is very little evidence to support the claim that Joseph Smith had sexual relations with Helen.¹⁷

Why do critics harp on the headline-catching details of polygamy when the details are fairly limited, and what limited evidence we have points to the “law of adoption,” “dynastic sealings,” and “eternity only” sealings?

The Fruits of Plural Marriage

Critics attempt to frame plural marriage as some sort of sexual deviancy among Joseph Smith and other Church leaders. I’ve heard it said it was depravity at its worst. Historian Lawrence Foster, referring to Latter-day Saint history in plural marriage, stated, “Today, somewhat paradoxically, Mormons are among the most ‘traditional’ of any group in their attitudes toward family life and the role of women.”¹⁸ Couched in Mr. Foster’s bewilderment is the flaw in the critics' logic about polygamy. If the history of Nauvoo and early Utah was one big orgy, why are the Latter-day Saints some of the most chaste people on the planet?

If polygamy was rooted in sexual opportunism, shouldn’t we be seeing those fruits today?

If our heritage is based on sexual conquest, why are the men of the Church more devoted to their spouses and children than other religious and non-religious groups?

Suppose I were to believe the narrative that critics relay regarding polygamy in Nauvoo and Utah. Why then are Latter-day Saints more educated, have stronger families, have higher levels of fidelity, and have longer-lasting marriages?

Polygamy was practiced for about two generations in the early church. Though the mob would have found a way to murder Joseph Smith eventually, polygamy likely accelerated his demise. Polygamy in Nauvoo was kept confidential as it was illegal in Illinois, and Emma Smith, on and off, approved and disapproved of the practice.¹⁹ Some men in Nauvoo, like John Bennett, took advantage of women, telling them that he had been sanctioned by God through the prophet to have sexual relations.²⁰ Polygamist families in Utah experienced untold hardship, especially the women. Polygamy contributed to the hostilities between the settlers of Utah and the US government.²¹ For these reasons and more, it is easy for critics to declare that “nothing good came of polygamy.”

Referring to the times when polygamy is acceptable, Jacob 2:30 declares, “For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things.” (emphasis added)

Much can be said of the qualifier provided in Jacob 2:30, “Raise up seed unto me.” Does that mean more children? Or does it mean more children in faithful, believing homes? In early Utah, a case could be made for either or both. While polygamy does not increase the number of children per woman, it does increase the number of total children in society as more otherwise unmarried women are married.²² Also, in early Utah, the number of endowed women exceeded men by nearly 20%.²³ Undoubtedly, polygamy generated more children within the sealing covenant.

All plural marriages in early Utah required Church leader approval. Some men entered plural marriage because they were asked to do so by Church leaders.²⁴

Participating in plural marriage would have required a high level of devotion to the gospel and faith in Jesus Christ. Religion would not have been a casual, once-a-week sort of thing. It would have been an every-moment, every-day lifestyle. It would have been an intense Abrahamic-like sacrifice.

“Loyalty to the practice of plural marriage led to huge sacrifices economically, socially, physically, and emotionally. Some members lost everything they had for the cause of plural marriage. In this way, the Lord forced a deep-rooted shift in the hearts of His people so that nothing would ever again approach the sacredness reserved for family. Just as Abraham was commanded to sacrifice Isaac to prove his loyalty, the Latter-day Saints were commanded to sacrifice everything to steel their devotion to their spouses and families. Polygamy steeled the foundations of our theology.” – Jonah Barnes (emphasis added, private interaction)

Around 20% of living church members descend from those who practiced polygamy, including much of our highest leadership.²⁵

Is it possible to talk about all of the wonderful fruits of the Church without talking about plural marriage?

If I omit Doctrine and Covenants 132, don’t I omit the beautiful doctrine of eternal marriage and the sealing power?

Would the Church as we know it today have survived without those early saint’s sacrifices?

Polygamy was an uncomfortable topic for me for many years. I am grateful that I do not live in those times when it was practiced. It is likewise uncomfortable for me to ignore the good fruits of polygamy as critics are apt to do. It is uncomfortable for me to ignore the sacrifices that some of my ancestors made to fortify the footing of the Church. It is uncomfortable for me to ignore or mock our legacy of polygamy while enjoying all of its fruits.

Footnotes

1. Imalreadygone21. “Question about polygamy.” Reddit, December 12, 2023, accessed on July 31^st 2024 from https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comments/18gndw4/question_about_polygamy/ ↩

2. VicePrincipalNero. “It’s always going to be about polygamy.” Reddit, February 17^th 2024, accessed on July 31^st 2024 from https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comments/1asxrtj/its_always_going_to_be_about_polygamy/ ↩

3. Bradley, Don. “Knowing Brother Joseph: How the Historical Record Demonstrates the Prophet’s Religious Sincerity.” FAIR Latter-day Saints, 2023, https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/conference/august-2023-old/knowing-brother-joseph-how-the-historical-record-demonstrates-the-prophets-religious-sincerity ↩

4. Bradley, Don. “Knowing Brother Joseph: How the Historical Record Demonstrates the Prophet’s Religious Sincerity.” FAIR Latter-day Saints, 2023, https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/conference/august-2023-old/knowing-brother-joseph-how-the-historical-record-demonstrates-the-prophets-religious-sincerity ↩

5. “Sealings to Legally Married Women.” Joseph Smith’s Polygamy, accessed on 7/30/2024 from https://josephsmithspolygamy.org/common-questions/sexual-polyandry/ ↩

6. “Sealings to Legally Married Women.” Joseph Smith’s Polygamy, accessed on 7/30/2024 from https://josephsmithspolygamy.org/common-questions/sexual-polyandry/ ↩

7. “LDS Truth Claims 31: Criticism from Polygamy/Polyandry (see "Description" for links),” YouTube, uploaded by LDS Truth Claims, July 19, 2017, https://youtu.be/Wfw4jCebFAE?si=ybow5syH6efIunUk ↩

8. “Did Plural Marriages Include Sexual Relations?” Joseph Smith’s Polygamy. Accessed on July 30^th 2024 from https://josephsmithspolygamy.org/common-questions/plural-marriages-sexual/ ↩

9. Excerpt from Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt (1979), 297-98, as found in the August 2015 Ensign, “He Taught Me the Heavenly Order of Eternity,” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2015/08/he-taught-me-the-heavenly-order-of-eternity?lang=eng ↩

10. “The Law of Adoption: The sealing of men and women as children to prominent Latter-day Saint leaders.” FAIR Latter-day Saints, accessed on 7/30/2024 from https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/answers/Plural_marriage/The_Law_of_Adoption ↩

11. “Polygamy (Joseph Smith Era).” Mormonr, accessed on July 30^th 2024 from https://mormonr.org/qnas/VvSJBb/polygamy_joseph_smith_era?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwnqK1BhBvEiwAi7o0X94TSe3JnnrvoepSKJLjV4zuGNIq0FqKBHQjUV0yLHGU2G6NyqvxORoCpMIQAvD_BwE ↩

12. “Question: What was the purpose of an eternity-only sealing, which was performed during Joseph Smith's lifetime?” FAIR Latter-day Saints, accessed on July 30^th 2024 from https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/answers/Question:\_What_was_the_purpose_of_an_eternity-only_sealing%2C_which_was_performed_during_Joseph_Smith%27s_lifetime%3F ↩

13. “The Law of Adoption: The sealing of men and women as children to prominent Latter-day Saint leaders.” FAIR Latter-day Saints, accessed on 7/30/2024 from https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/answers/Plural_marriage/The_Law_of_Adoption ↩

14. Bennett, Richard E. “We'll Find the Place: The Mormon Exodus 1846–1848.” Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book, 1997, 77–83. ISBN 1573452866 ↩

15. “The Law of Adoption: The sealing of men and women as children to prominent Latter-day Saint leaders.” FAIR Latter-day Saints, accessed on 7/30/2024 from https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/answers/Plural_marriage/The_Law_of_Adoption ↩

16. “Helen Mar Kimball Whitney,” Autobiography, March 30, 1881, MS 744, Church History Library ↩

17. “Polygamy (Joseph Smith Era).” Mormonr, accessed on July 30^th 2024 from https://mormonr.org/qnas/VvSJBb/polygamy_joseph_smith_era?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwnqK1BhBvEiwAi7o0X94TSe3JnnrvoepSKJLjV4zuGNIq0FqKBHQjUV0yLHGU2G6NyqvxORoCpMIQAvD_BwE ↩

18. Foster, Lawrence. “Polygamy and the Frontier: Mormon Women in Early Utah.” Utah Historical Quarterly, Vol 50, 1982, No. 3, https://issuu.com/utah10/docs/uhq_volume50_1982_number3/s/133731 ↩

19. Hales, Brian. “Episode 19 (History): Emma Smith Struggles.” Joesph Smith’s Polygamy, June 17, 2017, https://josephsmithspolygamy.org/audio/emma-smith-learns-of-mormon-polygamy/ ↩

20. “John C. Bennett’s Spiritual Wifery.” Joseph Smith’s Polygamy, accessed on June 15, 2024 from https://josephsmithspolygamy.org/john-c-bennett-and-spiritual-wifery/ ↩

21. Roberts, David. “The Brink of War.” Smithsonian Magazine, June 2008, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-brink-of-war-48447228/#:~:text=The%20Utah%20War%20culminated%20a,Mormons%20endured%20violence%20and%20privation. ↩

22. “Polygamy and Population Growth.” Mormonr.org, accessed on 6/15/2024 from https://mormonr.org/qnas/fX8STb/polygamy_and_population_growth ↩

23. Daynes, Kathryn. “More Wives Than One: Transformation of the Mormon Marriage System 1840-1910.” Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 2001, 113-114 ↩

24. “Plural Marriage and Families in Early Utah.” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, accessed on June 15, 2024 from https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics-essays/plural-marriage-and-families-in-early-utah?lang=eng ↩

25. Chapman, Brittany. Excerpted from “Let’s Talk About Polygamy.” LDS Living, October 8, 2022, https://www.ldsliving.com/what-does-a-history-of-polygamy-mean-for-latter-day-saints-today/s/10997 ↩