A Refutation of the Mormon Error of Polygamy

 Introduction
In this essay we shall look at the Mormon doctrines of polygamy which is totally contrary to Christian teaching. In particular, we shall show the various contradictory statements made by Mormon leadership in regard to polygamy, which show that this cannot be in any sense a “revealed” doctrine.

Polygamy
Polygamy is defined as the practise of taking more than one wife; while it was done in the Old Testament, by both pagans and believers, it was never commended by God. In fact, the Scripture show that God intended that one man be joined to one wife, and not several.

We read in Genesis 2:18 that God made one companion for Adam; he did not make several. In verse 24 of the same chapter we read “This is why a man leaves his father and mother and becomes attached to his wife, and they become one flesh.”

Here we see that there is certainly no allowance for polygamy.

Another verse concerning marriage is I Corinthians 7:2 where St. Paul asks that “every man have his own wife.” Note again the singular “wife”, not plural “wives”.

We read in 1 Timothy 3:2, 12 that a bishop may have no more than one wife (as an aside, this verse does NOT require that a bishop be married, as some critics of the Catholic church have claimed!)

 

1 Timothy 3:2, 12
Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well.” (NIV)

Ironically for the Mormon position, the “Book of Mormon” itself contains a condemnation of polygamy:

 

Jacob 2:27
“Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none.”
And Jacob 2:24 says,
“Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.”

So Mormon doctrine is not even consistent with itself, let alone the Bible. We shll see more on what Mormon leaders had to say about the subject a little further on.

With this introduction in mind, let us proceed to the Mormon views, and examine why their position is in error.

The following quote is taken from ‘Discourses of Brigham Young’, page 197. Brigham Young stated the following:

 

”There are multitudes of pure and holy spirits waiting to take tabernacles, now what is our duty? – To prepare tabernacles for them; to take a course that will not tend to drive those spirits into the families of the wicked, where they will be trained in wickedness, debauchery, and every species of crime.
It is the duty of every righteous man and woman to prepare tabernacles for all the spirits they can. This is the reason why the doctrine of plurality of wives was revealed, that the noble spirits which are waiting for tabernacles might be brought forth.”

So, according to Brigham Young, ”the reason why the doctrine of plurality of wives was revealed” was so children could be born on earth in order to provide tabernacles for the spirit children in the pre-existence. Central to the Mormon doctrine of polygamy, therefore, is the erroneous Mormon belief in pre-existence of souls (this doctrine will be refuted in an upcoming paper).

In his book “Evidences and Reconciliations” John A. Widtsoe states

 

”Many of the women who were thus sealed to Joseph Smith lived long after his death. They declared that they lived with the Prophet as husband and wives. These women were of unblemished character, gentle and lovely in their lives who spoke with loving respect of their martyr husband.” (see page 341) It is quite obvious that according to this statement Joseph Smith lived with his plural wives.” (See also Joseph Fielding Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, Vol. 3, p.158-161.)

What is interesting to note is that both Emma Smith and her son Joseph Smith III publicly denied Joseph Smith’s involvement in the practice of plural marriage. This denial took place in an interview with her son, Joseph Smith III at Nauvoo in February, 1879. The proceedings of this interview were made public in the ‘Saints Herald’ of October 1879, pages. 289-90.

So far so good? Nope. The problem that arises is that Joseph Smith had a revelation, recorded in Doctrine & Covenants 132:54, that states that Emma would be destroyed if she did not accept polygamy. Now, if Emma did not accept polygamy, why didn’t the “Lord” destroy Emma Smith as he had warned? In fact, Emma lived to be 75 (almost twice the age of her husband at his death)

Here is more from the polygamy “revelation” to Joseph Smith:

 

Doctrine & Covenants:132.:
51 Verily, I say unto you: A commandment I give unto mine handmaid, Emma Smith, your wife, whom I have given unto you, that she stay herself and partake not of that which I commanded you to offer unto her; for I did it, said the Lord, to prove you all, as I did Abraham, and that I might require an offering at your hand, by covenant and sacrifice.
52 And let mind handmaid, Emma Smith, receive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before me; and those who are not pure, and have said they were pure, shall be destroyed, saith the Lord God.
53 For I am the Lord they God, and ye shall obey my voice; and I give unto my servant Joseph that he shall be made ruler over many things; for he hath been faithful over a few things, and from henceforth I will strengthen him.
54 And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and cleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not in my law.

Note especially verse 54: “But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be destroyed.”

So what about Joseph Smith himself? Did he always stand by his “revelation” that he should practise polygamy? Well, the answer is no, he didn’t. Here is the proof.

What did other Mormon leaders have to say about polygamy?

Brigham Young certainly had more to say on the subject. In 1866, the second president of the Mormons said, “The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of Gods, are those who enter into polygamy.” (Journal of Discourses 11:269).

On an earlier occasion , he writes “Now if any of you will deny the plurality of wives, and continue to do so, I promise that you will be damned.” (Journal of Discourses 3:266).

Wilford Woodruff, Mormonism’s future fourth president, 1869:

 

“If we were to do away with polygamy, it would only be one feather in the bird, one ordinance in the Church and kingdom. Do away with that, then we must do away with prophets and Apostles, with revelation and the gifts and graces of the Gospel, and finally give up our religion altogether and turn sectarians and do as the world does, then all would be right. We just can’t do that, for God has commanded us to build up His kingdom and to bear our testimony to the nations of the earth, and we are going to do it, come life or come death. He has told us to do thus, and we shall obey Him in days to come as we have in days past” (Journal of Discourses 13:165 – p.166).

1866: John Taylor, the future third president of the Mormon church,

 

“Where did this commandment come from in relation to polygamy? It also came from God…When this commandment was given, it was so far religious, and so far binding upon the Elders of this Church that it was told them if they were not prepared to enter into it, and to stem the torrent of opposition that would come in consequence of it, the keys of the kingdom would be taken from them. When I see any of our people, men or women, opposing a principle of this kind, I have years ago set them down as on the high road to apostacy, and I do to-day; I consider them apostates, and not interested in this Church and kingdom” (Journal of Discourses 11:221).

1880, Mormon Apostle Orson Pratt:

 

“if plurality of marriage is not true or in other words, if a man has no divine right to marry two wives or more in this world, then marriage for eternity is not true, and your faith is all vain, and all the sealing ordinances, and powers, pertaining to marriages for eternity are vain, worthless, good for nothing; for as sure as one is true the other also must be true.” (Journal of Discourses 21:296).

With all these teachings approving of polygamy, it comes as rather a surprise that LDS Apostle Bruce McConkie comes up with:

 

“All who pretend or assume to engage in plural marriage in this day, when the one holding the keys has withdrawn the power by which they are performed, are guilty of gross wickedness” (Mormon Doctrine, page 579).

One page earlier in Mormon Doctrine, on page 578 , McConkie comes out with

“Obviously the holy practice will commence again after the Second Coming of the Son of Man and the ushering in of the millennium. ( Isa. 4:1)”

So apparently McConkie believed polygamy to be a “holy practice”, but, before the Second Coming, it comes under the category of “gross wickedness”. What nonsense.

Some Mormons have attempted to defend the practise by quoting the Book of Mormon: Jacob 2:30 “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.”

The usual argument insists that polygamy was allowed in the early years of Mormonism in order to “raise up seed”, and that there were many more women than men in Utah. And yet, according to Mormon Apostle Orson Pratt, (The Seer, 1853, p. 110) there were more men than women in early Mormonism, not the other way around!!!

This passage nowhere allows polygamy. Attempts to find this doctrine in this verse is simply reading nto the text what wants to see. Remember that this quote is from the very same book that gave us the quote “Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.” (Jacob 2:27) only three verses earlier.

The reason the practise of polygamy is today wicked, is apparently because it is illegal. (short note to clarify: by this I mean the LDS OFFICIAL VIEW of polygamy, and I do not mean that a man made law can make something good evil or somethig evil good). This leaves us with some obvious questions:

• what about Mormonism in countries where polygamy is legal? Is polygamy practised? 
• Is it not more reasonable to believe that the real reason polygamy is not practised any more (at least officially) is that in 1882 and 1887 the federal US government enacted anti-polygamy laws, resulting in the “Manifesto” of President Woodruff of September 24th, 1890, which can be found following section 138 in the Doctrine and Covenants. In this document the practise of polygamy is abjured. Rather strange, considering the quotations of the earlier Mormon leaders, wouldn’t you think?