View source for Criticism of Mormonism/Online documents/"Questions and Answers" on Mormon Stories/Polygamy

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|L=Criticism of Mormonism/Online documents/"Questions and Answers" on Mormon Stories/Polygamy
|H=Response to questions related to Joseph Smith and polygamy
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|T=[[../|"Questions and Answers: What aspects of LDS Church teachings/doctrine do you still believe in, vs. not?"]]
|A=John Dehlin
|<=[[../First Vision|First Vision]]
|>=[[../Treasure digging|Treasure digging]]
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|L=Criticism of Mormonism/Online documents/"Questions and Answers" on Mormon Stories/Polygamy
|H=Response to questions related to Joseph Smith and polygamy
|L1=Response to claim: "Joseph Smith married over 30 women"|"Joseph Smith married over 30 women"
|L2=Response to claim: "some as young as 14 years old"|"some as young as 14 years old"
|L3=Response to claim: "many of whom were married to other men at the time he married them"
|L4=Response to claim: "Joseph Smith would frequently approach other men’s wives about being his own plural wives — often while the men were away"
|L5=Response to claim: "Joseph Smith publicly lied about his practice of polygamy"
|L6=Response to claim: "Joseph Smith...lied to his own wife (Emma) about the practice"
|L7=Response to claim: "Joseph ordered the destruction of the printing press, which was....a violation of the 1st Amendment"
}}
</onlyinclude>

==Response to claim: "Joseph Smith married over 30 women"==
{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title="Questions and Answers" on Mormon Stories
|claim=(25 June 2014 revision): Joseph Smith married over 30 women
}}
This is true. Subsequent questions, however, demonstrate that the author seems determined to paint a simplistic portrait of plural marriage: one that draws heavily on anti-Mormon sources and interpretations.

Joseph's polygamy is well-attested in Church books and periodicals, and is discussed in {{s||D&C|132|}} and even the ''History of the Church''.<ref>{{HoC|vol=5|pages=xxix–xlvi}}</ref> Any implication that Joseph's personal practice of plural marriage is something which the Church tried to hide is unfair.<ref>Dehlin says: "During this time I began studying LDS church history in depth, with the intent of becoming a better teacher.  Through my studies I discovered several very troubling aspects of LDS church history that I did not recall learning during my years in the church, including the following...."</ref> The author describes Bruce R. McConkie as his "favorite church leader,"<ref>"Bruce R. McConkie was my favorite church leader as a youth and young adult, and I devoured the Doctrines of Salvation trilogy (by Joseph Fielding Smith) as a missionary.  In short, I considered myself to be a highly devoted “True Believing Mormon” up until my mission experience."</ref> and McConkie's best-known work ''Mormon Doctrine'' makes it crystal clear that Joseph and others practiced plural marriage:

:In the early days of this dispensation, as part of the promised restitution of all things, the Lord revealed the principle of plural marriage to the Prophet. '''Later the Prophet and leading brethren were commanded to enter into the practice, which they did''' in all virtue and purity of heart despite the consequent animosity and prejudices of worldly people. After Brigham Young led the saints to the Salt Lake Valley, plural marriage was openly taught and practiced until the year 1890.<ref>{{MD|topics=Polygamy|pages=578, {{ea}}}}</ref>
}}
{{further information label}}
{{:Joseph_Smith/Polygamy}}

==Response to claim: "some as young as 14 years old"==

{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title="Questions and Answers" on Mormon Stories
|claim=(25 June 2014 revision): some as young as 14 years old
}}
There were two wives aged fourteen. We can say nothing about one marriage, due to a lack of evidence. The other marriage was instigated by the bride's parents, and there is considerable evidence that the marriage was not consummated. Many of Joseph's marriages were concerned about sealing families together.
}}

{{:Joseph_Smith/Polygamy/Marriages_to_young_women}}

==Response to claim: "many of whom were married to other men at the time he married them"==

{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title="Questions and Answers" on Mormon Stories
|claim=(25 June 2014 revision): many of whom were married to other men at the time he married them
}}
Again, the author gives no context or nuance to his critical picture. In all the cases of polyandry, there is little evidence that the relationships were consummated. In many cases, we know the husbands (some of them non-members) knew of the marriages and did not object. Emma never objected to the polyandrous marriages. No husband attacked Joseph or reproached him for violation of his marital rights or wife's honor. Many of Joseph's marriages&mdash;including these&mdash;seem to have been intended to seal families together.
}}

{{:Joseph_Smith/Polygamy/Polyandry/Why_would_Joseph_Smith_be_sealed_to_other_men's_wives}}

==Response to claim: "Joseph Smith would frequently approach other men’s wives about being his own plural wives — often while the men were away"==

{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title="Questions and Answers" on Mormon Stories
|claim=(25 June 2014 revision): Joseph Smith would frequently approach other men’s wives about being his own plural wives — often while the men were away
}}
This claim is false. There is only one recorded case of Joseph approaching a potential plural wife while her husband was on a mission. This case occurred at least two years after her husband's departure. The husband ratified the sealing upon his return. This claim too derives from discredited anti-Mormon sources. 
}}
{{:Question: Did Joseph Smith send men on missions in order to "steal" their wives while they were gone?}}
{{:Question: Did Joseph Smith send William Law, Robert D. Foster, and Henry Jacobs on missions so that he could steal their wives?}}

==Response to claim: "Joseph Smith publicly lied about his practice of polygamy"==

{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title="Questions and Answers" on Mormon Stories
|claim=(25 June 2014 revision): Joseph Smith publicly lied about his practice of polygamy
}}
There are three vital facts about which the author seems to have given little thought:
#Joseph's actions were not illegal under the law as long as he did not announce them publicly. If he were to announce them, then he and his plural wives would have been guilty of breaking the law. This was a terrible double-bind without a perfect solution, especially because...
# If Joseph were to announce plural marriage in Nauvoo, he would have put himself, his wives, and thousands of innocent people at risk of mob violence&mdash;as had happened before, and was to happen again following his murder. If he did hide the truth from those who would use violence, that is understandable. However, even this is not as clear-cut as the author makes it, since....
# Joseph was often charged with a type and form of polygamy that he did not practice. Most of his denials were targeted at these accusations, and were technically true.
}}

{{:Joseph_Smith/Polygamy/Hiding_the_truth}}

==Response to claim: "Joseph Smith...lied to his own wife (Emma) about the practice"==

{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title="Questions and Answers" on Mormon Stories
|claim=(25 June 2014 revision): Joseph Smith...lied to his own wife (Emma) about the practice
}}
We know very little about what Joseph told Emma, and when he told her. Emma would always insist Joseph never practiced plural marriage, though it is clear that he did and that she knew it. We should be cautious, then, in being too dogmatic about Joseph's treatment of Emma. Once again, there is far more nuance here than the author seems willing to admit or engage. The situation was terribly difficult for Emma and Joseph, but Joseph deserves to have his decisions and actions viewed in their full context, rather than used as a dismissive soundbite that does not fairly illustrate the known historical data, and acknowledge the many unknowns.
}}
{{:Question: Did Joseph hide his plural marriages from Emma, his first wife?}}
{{:Question: Was Emma aware of the possibility that Joseph could take additional wives even without her consent?}}
{{:Question: What possible modern lessons can we learn from Emma and Joseph's struggle with plural marriage?}}

==Response to claim: "Joseph ordered the destruction of the printing press, which was....a violation of the 1st Amendment"==

{{IndexClaimItemShort
|title="Questions and Answers" on Mormon Stories
|claim=(25 June 2014 revision): Joseph ordered the destruction of the printing press, which was both a violation of the 1st Amendment
}}
* The First Amendment has no legal relevance in the suppression of the ''Nauvoo Expositor''. It would not apply to anything except acts by the federal government until after the Civil War. The author is here displaying his ignorance of historical fact. It shows how little serious study he has given the matter.
* Furthermore, the suppression of the ''Expositor'' was not ordered by ''Joseph'' alone, but by the Nauvoo city council, which included non-Mormons.
* Finally, the suppression of the ''Expositor'' was legal under the law of the day&mdash;as courts found in later incidents under the same legal regime. (The destruction of the press itself was not legal and a misdemeanor&mdash;but Joseph quickly indicated his willingness to pay the fine if this was the case.)
}}

{{:Question: Was the destruction of the ''Nauvoo Expositor'' legal?}}
{{endnotes sources}}