Joseph smith lied when he said he only had one wife rich. Pdf version of remembering the wives of joseph smith. Throughout the years, she has remained a complex topic for both mormons and nonmormons. Joe smith bio married, salary, net worth, team, wife.
The topic of joseph smiths polygamy 1 tends to polarize those who grapple with it. Joseph was sealed to between 30 and 40 plural wives, but there are no known. God declared in the book of mormon that monogamy was the standard. July 19, 1876 july 2, 1972 was an american religious leader and writer who served as the tenth president of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church from 1970 until his death in 1972. Joseph smithpolygamychildren of polygamous marriagesdid he. Top ten books the lds mormon church doesnt want you to. Includes links to responses and other biographies on joseph smith. Mormon leaders have acknowledged for the first time that the churchs founder and prophet, joseph smith. This is too substantial of a number twothirds to be ignored and has great implications in proving that joseph didnt practice polygamy. Joseph smith, may 24, 1844, circuit court record, hancock county, book d, 12829. Compton, fawn brodie on joseph smiths plural wives, 165. The plural wives of joseph smith compton, signature books, salt lake city, 1997 doctrine and covenants the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, salt lake city all books available through deseret book and corrections, comments and questions are welcome. The documents, which include transcriptions and annotations, have been published both online and in.
Lds priesthood lie myth the story of john the baptist visiting joseph smith and oliver cowdery. A journal of mormon thought, classical quarterly, and the journal. Born on november, 1838, to hyrum joseph smiths elder brother and mary fielding smith, he experienced upheaval and hardships early in life. Emma smith was the wife of the first mormon prophet, joseph smith.
He was the son of former church president joseph f. What do latterday saint churches believe and teach about polygamy today 3. Joseph smiths teenage plural wives mormons in transition. Joseph smith 18051844, the founder of the latter day saint movement, secretly taught and practiced polygamy during his ministry, and married multiple women during his lifetime. Mormon church publishes essay on founder joseph smiths. Nancy black eldredge, hannah mariah savage eldredge, and helvig marie andersen eldredge.
Joseph smith junior and oliver cowdery bought october the 8th 1829 at egbert b grandins book store palmyra wayne county new york bottom of flyleaf. They were married on january 18, 1827 in south bainbridge, chenango county, new york. Beginning in the 1830s, at least thirtythree women married joseph smith, the founder of mormonism. Reemerging mormon feminism, and has been published in the american journal of philology, dialogue. The forgotten wives project, she said, grew out of hours of reading books about smiths polygamy, which the church essay says was a commandment of god that smith reluctantly embraced.
Understandably, it is difficult to remain neutral when faced with the fact that joseph smith took at least thirty women as wives, that he physically consummated many. History of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints official history of which large portions were written by joseph smith and his scribes. As founder of the mormon religion, this may not seem surprising, but its refreshing just the same to read todd comptons book with its almost exclusive focus on joseph s wives, and comparatively little focus on the mormon prophet. Please note that supportive evidence for each of these sealings varies, with some being highly reliable and others based upon a single attestation or sources of lesser credibility.
Many who know about smith s philanderous ways may assume that these women must have been widows or old maids and their prophet was doing a favor to them by marrying them. Nov 11, 2014 the founder of the mormon church, joseph smith, wed as many as 40 wives, including one as young as 14 years old, the church acknowledged. In joseph smiths time, monogamy was the only legal form of marriage in the united. Joseph smith jr 34 wives at manti sharing their stories. The church made the disclosure about joseph smith to show. There is substantial evidence to show that joseph smith was sealed to the wives of other men. The majority of smiths wives were younger than he, and onethird were between fourteen and twenty years of age. Presendias name is also spelled presenda or prescindia in contemporary documents. Smiths marriage to louis beaman is considered by some to be his first official plural marriage since it is the first for which there is a witness and a reliable record. Two chapters on plural marriage with fifteen others on controversies in lds doctrine and church history.
But an article posted last month on, the official website of the church. Joseph smiths first wife was emma hale 180479 the daughter of isaac and elizabeth lewis hale. Nov 11, 2014 a statue of joseph smith and his first wife, emma, at temple square in salt lake city. The lds church lies by 1 not educating the common mormon people about the nature of joseph smiths polygyny and polyandry, and 2 allowing gigantic faithpromoting rumors concerning polygamy. The plural wives of joseph smith signature books, 1997 788 pages, cloth, isbn 156085085x. The maxwell institute does a reasonable job researching and reporting on lds history from the point of view of mormon believers.
Unlike the mainstream polygamists you may have seen on the tlc show sister. Joseph smith 18051844 born on december 23, 1805, in sharon, vermont, to joseph and lucy mack smith, joseph smith jr. Dec 17, 2016 joseph smith also practiced polyandry, which i find makes so much sense because the wives in question would have had caretaker husbands just like joseph was to mary. Snow, mary elizabeth rollins, helen mar kimball, rachel ivins grant. The article briefly discusses in particular joseph smith s sealing to helen mar kimball, who was only 14 years old at the time. Mormon church admits founder joseph smith had up to 40 wives. As founder of the mormon religion, this may not seem surprising, but its refreshing just the same to read todd comptons book with its almost exclusive focus on josephs wives, and comparatively little focus on the mormon prophet. This is a series of articles on joseph smiths polygamy in light of the statement issued in october 2014 by the lds church on its official website.
Smith fails to tell us that all those who have been definitively tested so faroliver buell, mosiah hancock, zebulon jacobs, moroni pratt, and. Index of claims compton, fawn brodie on joseph smiths plural wives, 166170. He went to maury high school and further attended the university of maryland. Dec 15, 2014 see todd compton, in sacred loneliness. The topic of joseph smith s polygamy 1 tends to polarize those who grapple with it. Apr 01, 2020 smith was mobile throughout his career, the nba shows that he was one of the most traded players. A statue of joseph smith and his first wife, emma, at temple square in salt lake city. On the other hand, they are among the few who have taken joseph and emma seriously as fighting against the sexual corruption that was occurring in nauvoo circa 1842. Jan 22, 2009 according to both a 2016 article and a 2011 article in deseret news, eight of twelve children that joseph smith, jr.
Documents, volume 10, which includes papers from may through august 1842, covers a time during which joseph smith oversaw missionary work, encouraged the construction of the nauvoo temple, served as editor of the church. The plural wives of joseph smith, by todd compton, p. Understandably, it is difficult to remain neutral when faced with the fact that joseph smith took at least thirty women as wives. Joseph smithpolygamychildren of polygamous marriagesdid. A discussion of joseph and emmas family can be found on.
For a summary article of these women after the death of joseph smith, read joseph smiths plural wives after the martyrdom. Online reprint from the book of abraham project byu at. For an overview, see our article the lds church addresses joseph smiths polygamy. Many people have focused almost entirely on the decisions she made in the last years of joseph smiths life and after his death, and sometimes those events trouble mormons and please non. The documents, which include transcriptions and annotations, have been published both online and in printed form. Navigating lds doctrine and church history edited by laura harris hales two chapters on plural marriage with fifteen others on controversies in lds. However, historians disagree as to the number and identity of the plural wives which smith had. Many of the poor guys were on their missions when joseph smith married their wives. Smith was mobile throughout his career, the nba shows that he was one of the most traded players. In response to the often ignored and usually biased information provided on early marriages the author seeks to give the wives of joseph smith a place of their own. Smith and some of the leading quorums of his church publicly denied he taught or practiced it in 1852, leaders of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church.
The church of jesus christ of latterday saints praises the balanced analysis in the book. Smith and the greatnephew of lds church founder joseph smith. As a 2014 article on the official website of the lds church acknowledged, joseph smith took between thirty and forty women. Here their stories can be told in their own words and writings, as much as possible, and without the defensive or condemning commentary that can often be found in this discussion. Navigating lds doctrine and church history edited by laura harris hales. Did joseph smith have children by his plural wives. The joseph smith papers or joseph smith papers project is a project researching, collecting, and publishing all manuscripts and documents created by, or under the direction of, joseph smith, jr. Joseph smith also practiced polyandry, which i find makes so much sense because the wives in question would have had caretaker husbands just like joseph was to mary. Joseph smith and other mens wives pt 2 dan vogel duration. The prophet joseph smith and his plural wives this is a landmark recent publication, an ambitious first book by todd m. The number of smith s polygamous offspring is a bit of a mystery. Aug 24, 2017 joseph smith and other mens wives pt 2 dan vogel duration. Joseph married many additional wives and authorized other latterday saints to. May 03, 20 emma smith was the wife of the first mormon prophet, joseph smith.
Did joseph smith have children with any of his other wives. A history, van wagoner, signature books, salt lake city, 1989 c mormon enigma. Joseph smiths wives the question that must be asked is why. Isbn 9780877470045 9780877470045 softcover, deseret book company, 1980.
Disturbing early versions of the golden plates stories. Wikipedia book book v t e joseph smith 18051844, the founder of the latter day saint movement, secretly taught and. This occurred while the men were still legally married to their wives. The twoway the church of latterday saints never denied polygamy was part of its history. In a times and seasons editorial, october 1, 1842, the prophet joseph smith, after. Joseph smith publicly condemned polygamy, but there is ample evidence that smith both taught in its favor and practiced it, and had a number of wives sealed to him. Joseph smith no man knows my history fawn brodies biography on joseph smith. Biographies of josephs plural wives joseph smiths polygamy.
October 1st is the anniversary of a little known event in early church history that i believe, in consequence of significant research progress, now deserves recognition for identifying a region of major book of mormon lands and for initiating book of mormon archaeological historicity research. On the other hand, they are among the few who have taken joseph and emma seriously as fighting against the sexual corruption that was occurring in. Whenever polygamy was brought up the discussion was usually centered on brigham young as the one who set the example and paved the way for polygamy in the early mormon church. Added the reference to the todd compton interview, secondtolast section, below. Media in category wives of joseph smith the following 18 files are in this category, out of 18 total. To see citations to the critical sources for these claims, click here notes john dehlin, questions and answers, mormon stories podcast 25 june 2014. The prices are clearly more motivated by their premise i. The plural wives of joseph smith compton, signature books, salt lake city, 1997 doctrine and covenants the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, salt lake city available at the deseret book special order desk.
William mclellin, 1872 letter to joseph smith iii, see in sacred loneliness. Joseph smith 18051844, the founder of the latter day saint movement, secretly taught and practiced polygamy during his. The plural wives of joseph smith, compton, signature books, salt lake city, 1997. Joe smith was born as joseph leynard smith on 26 july 1975, in the city of norfolk, virginia, the united states of america.
Another plural wife not mentioned in the article, nancy maria winchester, was probably also 14, though close to turning 15, at the time of her sealing. The plural wives of joseph smith compton, signature books, salt lake city. He currently plays electric violin in the mark davis group, which. Unlike the mainstream polygamists you may have seen on the tlc show sister wives or in the.
Smith, the age of joseph smiths plural wives in social and. Mormon historian todd compton, whos written a book on smiths. Smith tells his readers that until decisive dna testing of possible joseph smith descendantsdaughters as well as sonsfrom plural wives can be accomplished, ascertaining whether smith fathered children with any of his plural wives remains hypothetical pp. Joseph smith lied when he said he only had one wife rich kelsey. Documents, volume 10, released 4 may 2020 the joseph smith papers. Smith, and todd compton, have attempted to identify the women who married smith. Sometimes these second marriages even occured outside the presence of their husbands. The church historians press today announced the release of the latest volume of the joseph smith papers. Smith was the sixth prophet of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, the mormon church. Married to at least 33 women, mormon founder joseph smith began and encouraged the practice of polygamy within the church. Aug 18, 2015 the forgotten wives project, she said, grew out of hours of reading books about smiths polygamy, which the church essay says was a commandment of god that smith reluctantly embraced. Jun 25, 2008 the lds church lies by 1 not educating the common mormon people about the nature of joseph smith s polygyny and polyandry, and 2 allowing gigantic faithpromoting rumors concerning polygamy to.
The founder of the mormon church, joseph smith, wed as many as 40 wives, including one as young as 14 years old, the church acknowledged. The plural wives of joseph smith, editor of mormonism and early christianity, a contributor to the encyclopedia of mormonism and women and authority. Joseph smiths wives the question that must be asked is. All products joseph smith s plural wives, volume 1. It is hard to find a book about early mormonism that does not focus almost exclusively on joseph smith. Smith mormonisms founder, joseph smith, was married to more than 30 women, meaning that emma was not his one and only wife. These were passionate relationships which also had some longevity, except in cases such as that of two young sisters, one of whom was discovered by josephs first wife, emma, in a locked bedroom with the prophet. Smith and compare prices find signed collectible books by joseph f. In the years i was a mormon there was little talk about joseph smith and polygamy. Smith was twenty years old when he married his first wife and twentyseven years old when he married the first of five plural wives, for which his legal wife divorced him in california on grounds of adulterous intercourse with his concubines julina lambson and sarah ellen richards. Mormon leader joseph smiths 34 wives inspire utah artist. Understandably, it is difficult to remain neutral when faced with the fact that joseph smith took at least thirty women as wives, that he physically consummated many of those. The number of smiths polygamous offspring is a bit of a mystery.
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