Mormonism, Polygamy and Stealing Wives

21 September

 Mormonism, Polygamy and Stealing Wives

I’ve been working on another addition to Polygamous Leaders in Mormonism and began wondering about the validity of Joseph Smith’s prophetic calling from God.

Now if someone wants to claim they’ve found a new religion and a new god based upon what they believe is the way to heaven I really wouldn’t care if he or she says you need x amount of spouses to get to heaven or you need to do a certain amount of work. It’d make my heart sad they believe this and I’d want to share the truth with them, but really I wouldn’t be up in arms about it.

What I am up in arms about is when “prophets of God” like Joseph and company go about tricking people into believing they need to give up their wives because Jesus said so. Using the Bible to lure people in while condemning it at the same time perplexes me and leads me to believe the leaders aren’t just misguided, but indeed they’re the wolf in sheep’s clothing we’re warned about in the Bible.

First of all polygamy was never condoned or sanctioned by God. In fact God was very adamant that you not marry your sister’s wife (Lev. 18:18), nor should you add wives to yourself because they could turn your heart away from Him (Deut. 17:17).

Where in scripture do we see Jesus advocating breaking up a marriage so “one of his prophets” can have another wife here on earth and on his own planet?  On the contrary, Jesus told us in Matthew 19:5-6 we become one and what He has joined together no man should separate.

“And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”

Joseph Smith and other leaders in the LDS Church married women who were actively married to other men.  This didn’t just happen once or twice with Smith, but in fact several times. Check out the stats of Joseph yourself to determine whether or not he was truly called of God.

God tells us in Lev. 18:20 and 20:10 not to commit adultery with your neighbor’s wife. Now Joseph went to his apostle Heber Kimball and told him God had said to give up Vilate (Kimball’s wife) so he could obtain salvation. After much agony Kimball and Vilate said yes. When they went to Joseph to give him their answer Joseph told them God was just testing them, but now God wanted their 14 year old daughter Helen to be given to Joseph. Heber C. Kimball, Mormon Patriarch and Pioneer, pg 93.  Also see http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/26-HelenMarKimball.htm

Lev. 20:10; “And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.”

The parents gave their consent and gave their fourteen year old child away for salvation. This scenario alone reminds me so much of when the Moabites gave their kids over to the cult god Chemosh that it’s hard to ignore. See 2 Kings 3:27.

Smith’s wives included mothers and daughters, sisters, sisters-in-law, minors and married women. Now how godly does he sound?  Let’s take a look at the facts.

Child Brides of Joseph Smith –

Helen Mar Kimball – 14

Nancy Maria Winchester – 14

Fanny Alger – 16

Flora Woodworth – 16

Lucy Walker – 16

Parent-less Brides of Joseph Smith

This group of girls was living in the Smith home for various reasons, but all were there because Smith had agreed to be their guardian. Most had inheritances Smith was in charge of so where would they have gone without parents in the 1830’s?

Fanny Alger – 16

Lucy Walker – 16

Eliza Maria Partridge – 22

Emily Dow Partridge – 19

Sarah Lawrence – 17

Maria Lawrence – 19

Sister Wives

Eliza Maria Partridge

Emily Dow Partridge

Sarah Lawrence

Maria Lawrence

Zina Diantha Huntington Jacobs

Prescendia Lathrop Huntington Buell

Delcena Diadamia Johnson Sherman Smith Babbitt

Almera Woodward Johnson Smith Babbitt

Moms and Daughters

Patty Bartlett Sessions

Sylvia Porter Sessions Lyon

Phoebe Watrous Woodworth

Flora Ann Woodworth

Married Women – Wives of Friends

This group constitutes one third of Smith’s wives.  Some of these husbands had no idea their wives were living this lie.

Lucinda Pendelton Morgan Harris (George Harris)

Zina Diantha Huntington Jacobs (Henry Jacobs)

Prescendia Lathrop Huntington Buell (Norman Buell)

Patty Bartlett Sessions (David Sessions)

Sylvia Porter Sessions Lyon (Windsor Lyon)

Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner (Adam Lightner)

Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde (Orson Hyde)

Elizabeth Davis Goldsmith Brackenbury Durfee (Jabez Durfee)

Sarah Kingsley Howe Cleveland (John Cleveland)

Ruth Dagget Vose (Edward Sayers)

Elvira Annie Cowles Holmes (Jonathan Holmes)

Phoebe Watrous Woodworth

Mrs. Tailor

Mary Heron Snider

Now with those statistics we ask the question again. How can this be of God? Not only does the Bible clearly condemn this, but the writings of Joe Smith in the scriptures he produced condemn his actions as well.

Jacob 2:24; “Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.”

I humbly ask each and every Mormon to do your own research and make your own decision. Don’t just take my word for it, Google the names, read LDS documentation and learn the truth for yourself.

Below is a list of places and books to get you started. While the first link is a list for all of Smith’s wives on our site, the references at the end is a good resource for places to do research.

Know that we’re praying for every Mormon and that you’ll come to the saving knowledge of Christ Jesus and his sanctifying love for you.  I remember well the animosity I held in my heart for anyone exposing the truth about Joseph Smith.  While I didn’t totally agree with his teachings 100% of the time, I was dogmatic about keeping the appearance of the Church above reproach. It was my heritage, my culture and the only thing I’d ever known in life.

Looking at truth and using discernment isn’t a bad thing. The Lord tells us in 1 Thess. 5:21 and 1 John 4:1 to test the spirits. And Paul reminds us in Phil. 1:9-10 of his prayer that we might abound more and more in discernment to be found blameless at the time of Christ.

Truth never hurts anything but the lies being told.

With Love in Christ;

Michelle

1 Cor. 1:18

Wives of Joseph Smith

Diaries of Heber C. Kimball

In Sacred Loneliness/Todd Compton

Joseph Smith’s Wives/Perry L. Porter

No Man Knows My History by Fawn Brodie

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3 Responses to “Mormonism, Polygamy and Stealing Wives”

  1. camdenc September 25, 2012 at 12:53 pm #

    Like a rooster in a hen house…

    • lifeafterministry September 25, 2012 at 4:53 pm #

      Well I’d never thought of it that way but now that you mention it…

      It’s so sad, can you imagine Isaiah or Daniel behaving this way?

      Michelle

  2. camdenc September 25, 2012 at 6:11 pm #

    No… in fact, I can’t imagine ANYONE behaving this way!

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