When Secrets Become Scandals: Joe Smith’s 42 Wives Were Friends of Emma

30 November

Nauvoo Roots of Mormon Polygamy: A Preliminary Demographic Report, pp. 128, 131; “The secret became a scandal in May 1844…During the two-and-one-half years from his first official plural marriage in April 1841 to his last known marriage in November 1843, Smith took as many as forty-two wives, one or two at a time. On average, this pace produced 1.5 new wives each month. By the end of 1843, Emma Smith’s biographers observed, most close friends of Smith’s legal wife had either married her husband or had given their daughters to him. Reportedly, some of the younger women were discreetly instructed in polygamy by older women who had been inducted previously into the secret order.” – George D. Smith

1 Corinthians 10:31; “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

Today we have a few simple questions…

How does Joseph Smith’s behavior glorify God?

What purpose did this serve?

lessons can Mormons take from this, and apply to their lives to bring them closer to God?

Where in the Bible does God command polygamy for salvation?

Why would God want a method of salvation to be kept secret?

Who benefited from this in the end?

Why isn’t this considered adultery?

If you’re LDS, what’s your opinion about Smith’s past?

Does it matter, and if so why, or why not?

If that scenario happened today would you willingly hand over your wife, or daughter to Smith, in the hopes it’d bring you salvation?

We pray the LDS people would stop to think about the ramifications of Smith’s brand of theology. We pray they put it into a modern day setting instead of detaching themselves from it because it took place long ago.

Smith claimed polygamy is the ‘new and everlasting covenant’, meaning for all intents and purposes, it should still be in effect today. If this is so, why aren’t LDS leaders preaching about this in their conferences and speeches?

With Love in Christ;

Michelle

1 Cor 1:18

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