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Difference between revisions of "Question: Did Joseph Smith offer to trade Jane Law for Emma Smith in a wife swap with William Law?"
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:Belief that the prophet contemplated a 'spiritual swop' of wives with William Law, based on Joseph Jackson's statement in his exaggerated Narrative, 20–21, should be viewed with caution. The best review of the matter remains Newell and Avery, ''Mormon Enigma'', 176–77.<ref>{{Book:Hardy:Works of Abraham|pages=65, note 99}}</ref> | :Belief that the prophet contemplated a 'spiritual swop' of wives with William Law, based on Joseph Jackson's statement in his exaggerated Narrative, 20–21, should be viewed with caution. The best review of the matter remains Newell and Avery, ''Mormon Enigma'', 176–77.<ref>{{Book:Hardy:Works of Abraham|pages=65, note 99}}</ref> | ||
| − | It becomes clear how shaky the evidence is when one drills down to the ultimate source of the idea. The source of this charge seems to be a book by Joseph H. Jackson. Jackson claimed to have insinuated himself into Joseph's counsels, and claimed Joseph had told him that he was going to attempt to "get Mrs. William Law for a spiritual wife…for the purpose of affecting his object [Joseph] got up a revelation that Law was to be sealed up to Emma, and that Law's wife was to be his; in other words there was to be a spiritual swop [sic]…[Joseph] had never before suffered his passion for any woman to carry him so far as to be willing to sacrifice Emma for its gratification."<ref>{{CriticalWork:Jackson:Narrative/Full title|pages=21}}</ref> | + | It becomes clear how shaky the evidence is when one drills down to the ultimate source of the idea. The source of this charge seems to be a book by Joseph H. Jackson. Jackson claimed to have insinuated himself into Joseph's counsels, and claimed Joseph had told him that he was going to attempt to "get Mrs. William Law for a spiritual wife…for the purpose of affecting his object [Joseph] got up a revelation that Law was to be sealed up to Emma, and that Law's wife was to be his; in other words there was to be a spiritual swop [sic]…[Joseph] had never before suffered his passion for any woman to carry him so far as to be willing to sacrifice Emma for its gratification."<ref>{{CriticalWork:Jackson:Narrative/Full title|pages=[https://archive.org/stream/adventuresexperi00jack#page/21/mode/2up 21-22]}}</ref> |
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| + | However, Jackson appears on no Church membership records, and Joseph's early opinion was that he was "rotten hearted." Note that D&C 132 was given almost a year prior to Jackson's claimed revelation.<ref name="enigma">See {{Book:Newell Avery:Mormon Enigma{{Rp|176-177}} The conclude that "Its meaning [the verse in D&C 132] remains a mystery.</ref> | ||
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| + | ===Testimony that contradicts the claim=== | ||
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| + | William Law himself denied that Joseph ever attempted such a swap: | ||
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| + | :Joseph Smith never proposed anything of the kind to me or to my wife; both he and Emma knew our sentiments in relation to spiritual wives and polygamy; knew that we were immoveably opposed to polygamy in any and every form…[but Law did believe] that Joseph offered to furnish his wife, Emma, with a ''substitute'', for him, by way of ''compensation'' for his neglect of her, on condition that she would stop her opposition to polygamy and permit him to enjoy his ''young wives in peace'' and keep some of them in the house.<ref name="enigma"></ref>{{Rp|176}} | ||
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| + | Law thus saw the verse as referring to divorce, not a swap. | ||
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| + | It is also interesting that another anti-Mormon writer (and former wife of Brigham Young) Ann Eliza Webb Young wrote: | ||
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| + | :One particular passage [of D&C 132] is said to refer to a matrimonial scene in which a threat was held out that the life of the Elect Lady should be terminated [84] by poison. She is here commanded to "stay herself, and partake not" of that which Joseph had offered her. It is, however, only right to add that the Mormon exponents of the Revelation say that this passage refers to an offer which Joseph had made to sacrifice his own personal feelings, and to accede to a divorce between Emma and himself. In these few lines more is disclosed of the Prophet's domestic life and difficulties than he probably was aware of. I give these paragraphs in full, that the reader may judge for himself. [She then cites D&C 132:51–60]<ref>{{CriticalWork:Young:Wife No. 19|pages=84}}</ref> | ||
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{{HalesSite|title1=Joseph H. Jackson as an Accuser|link1=http://www.josephsmithspolygamy.com/26Accusers/JosephHJackson.html|summary1=Jackson made numerous assertions, claiming insider knowledge. that Joseph Smith would not have granted a "rotten hearted" individual. he presents no evidence that he was a confidante of the Prophet. Without additional evidence of his privileged status in Joseph Smith's circle of friends, any report or claim reflecting insider knowledge must be evaluated skeptically. | {{HalesSite|title1=Joseph H. Jackson as an Accuser|link1=http://www.josephsmithspolygamy.com/26Accusers/JosephHJackson.html|summary1=Jackson made numerous assertions, claiming insider knowledge. that Joseph Smith would not have granted a "rotten hearted" individual. he presents no evidence that he was a confidante of the Prophet. Without additional evidence of his privileged status in Joseph Smith's circle of friends, any report or claim reflecting insider knowledge must be evaluated skeptically. | ||
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Questions
Did Joseph Smith offer to trade Jane Law for Emma Smith in a wife swap with William Law?
To see citations to the critical sources for these claims, [[../CriticalSources|click here]]
Answer
This claim rests on a single, unreliable hostile source. Other hostile sources (including William Law) deny the tale.
Detailed Analysis
This question arises because of a somewhat opaque verse in the Doctrine and Covenants section on plural marriage. (The revelation was written down at Hyrum Smith's request, who believed that he could persuade Emma Smith of the doctrine's provenance from God.) The verses in question read:
- 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, saith the Lord, to prove you all, as I did Abraham, and that I might require an offering at your hand, by covenant and sacrifice....54 And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and cleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. (D&C 132꞉51,54.
No one is certain as to what this refers. William Clayton, Joseph's scribe and secretary, wrote in his contemporaneous journal:
- This A.M. President Joseph took me and conversed considerable concerning some delicate matters. Said [Emma] wanted to lay a snare for me. He told me last night of this and said he had felt troubled. He said [Emma] had treated him coldly and badly since I came…and he knew she was disposed to be revenged on him for some things. She thought that if he would indulge himself she would too.[1]
Some have seen this as Emma claiming she would practice plural marriage (a strange idea, given how she felt about it), and these readers have then extended the reading to include a belief that she was threatening to marry William Law. Others have seen these verses (perhaps more plausibly) as Emma simply threatening divorce if Joseph didn't cease plural marriage. In this reading, Joseph would have agreed to a divorce--both were probably speaking somewhat in the heat of the moment—and the Lord in D&C 132 makes it clear that he does not endorse Joseph's offer of (or agreement to) a divorce.
The idea of Joseph offering William Law to Emma springs out of an anti-Mormon work. As D. Carmon Hardy noted:
- Belief that the prophet contemplated a 'spiritual swop' of wives with William Law, based on Joseph Jackson's statement in his exaggerated Narrative, 20–21, should be viewed with caution. The best review of the matter remains Newell and Avery, Mormon Enigma, 176–77.[2]
It becomes clear how shaky the evidence is when one drills down to the ultimate source of the idea. The source of this charge seems to be a book by Joseph H. Jackson. Jackson claimed to have insinuated himself into Joseph's counsels, and claimed Joseph had told him that he was going to attempt to "get Mrs. William Law for a spiritual wife…for the purpose of affecting his object [Joseph] got up a revelation that Law was to be sealed up to Emma, and that Law's wife was to be his; in other words there was to be a spiritual swop [sic]…[Joseph] had never before suffered his passion for any woman to carry him so far as to be willing to sacrifice Emma for its gratification."[3]
However, Jackson appears on no Church membership records, and Joseph's early opinion was that he was "rotten hearted." Note that D&C 132 was given almost a year prior to Jackson's claimed revelation.[4]
Testimony that contradicts the claim
William Law himself denied that Joseph ever attempted such a swap:
- Joseph Smith never proposed anything of the kind to me or to my wife; both he and Emma knew our sentiments in relation to spiritual wives and polygamy; knew that we were immoveably opposed to polygamy in any and every form…[but Law did believe] that Joseph offered to furnish his wife, Emma, with a substitute, for him, by way of compensation for his neglect of her, on condition that she would stop her opposition to polygamy and permit him to enjoy his young wives in peace and keep some of them in the house.[4]:176
Law thus saw the verse as referring to divorce, not a swap.
It is also interesting that another anti-Mormon writer (and former wife of Brigham Young) Ann Eliza Webb Young wrote:
- One particular passage [of D&C 132] is said to refer to a matrimonial scene in which a threat was held out that the life of the Elect Lady should be terminated [84] by poison. She is here commanded to "stay herself, and partake not" of that which Joseph had offered her. It is, however, only right to add that the Mormon exponents of the Revelation say that this passage refers to an offer which Joseph had made to sacrifice his own personal feelings, and to accede to a divorce between Emma and himself. In these few lines more is disclosed of the Prophet's domestic life and difficulties than he probably was aware of. I give these paragraphs in full, that the reader may judge for himself. [She then cites D&C 132:51–60][5]