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'''''How widespread was plural marriage?'''' | '''''How widespread was plural marriage?'''' | ||
* Before Joseph Smith's death, | * Before Joseph Smith's death, | ||
− | * At it's peak in Utah: some Church sources use the figure of 2-5%. This number was calculated by placing the number of ''men'' calculating plural marriage, and dividing by the total membership of the Church. Said one faithful LDS historian about this calculation: "this estimate [is] disingenuous, for it include[s] only polygamist males in the numerator, while the entire Church membership [is] the denominator." Probably 15% to 20% of Mormon families were polygamous, “with variations from place to place and from decade to decade.” [Davis Bitton, ''Historical Dictionary of Mormonism'' (2nd edition, 2000), p. 147. | + | * At it's peak in Utah: some Church sources use the figure of 2-5%. This number was calculated by placing the number of ''men'' [[User:GeorgeCobabe|GeorgeCobabe]]calculating - should be "practicing" [[User:GeorgeCobabe|GeorgeCobabe]] plural marriage, and dividing by the total membership of the Church. Said one faithful LDS historian about this calculation: "this estimate [is] disingenuous, for it include[s] only polygamist males in the numerator, while the entire Church membership [is] the denominator." Probably 15% to 20% of Mormon families were polygamous, “with variations from place to place and from decade to decade.” [Davis Bitton, ''Historical Dictionary of Mormonism'' (2nd edition, 2000), p. 147. |
* ''Encyclopedia of Mormonism'': "a maximum of from 20% to 25% of LDS adults were members of polygamous households" - {{EoM|author=Danel Bachman & Ronald K. Esplin|article=Plural Marriage|vol=3|pages=1091-1095}} | * ''Encyclopedia of Mormonism'': "a maximum of from 20% to 25% of LDS adults were members of polygamous households" - {{EoM|author=Danel Bachman & Ronald K. Esplin|article=Plural Marriage|vol=3|pages=1091-1095}} | ||
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While some members consider additional resources as official doctrine, the Church teach that "With divine inspiration, the First Presidency (the prophet and his two counselors) and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the second-highest governing body of the Church) counsel together to establish doctrine that is consistently proclaimed in official Church publications. This doctrine GeorgeCobabe is consistent with GeorgeCobabe the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price, official declarations and proclamations, and the Articles of Faith."
GeorgeCobabe Comment not for the text: The doctrine does not reside "IN" the scriptures, but rather in the prophetic utterances and interpretation of the scriptures. The test for a new doctrine is if it is consistent with what has been said before and what is int he scriptures. We need to emphasize the Prophets while not denying the value of the scriptures,otherwise if we overemphasize the scriptures we are just Baptists with a additional irrerant scripture.GeorgeCobabe
Medium Answer: While some members consider additional resources as official doctrine, church leaders teach that "With divine inspiration, the First Presidency (the prophet and his two counselors) and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the second-highest governing body of the Church) counsel together to establish doctrine that is consistently proclaimed in official Church publications. This doctrine GeorgeCobabe is consistent withGeorgeCobabe the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price, official declarations and proclamations, and the Articles of Faith. .
Within those books are reader aids such as headings, footnotes, and dictionaries which are not scripture, but are meant as helps to the reader.
The Church has stated that "...Not every statement made by a Church leader, past or present, necessarily constitutes doctrine. A single statement made by a single leader on a single occasion often represents a personal, though well-considered, opinion, but is not meant to be officially binding for the whole Church. With divine inspiration, the First Presidency (the prophet and his two counselors) and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the second-highest governing body of the Church) counsel together to establish doctrine that is consistently proclaimed in official Church publications. This doctrine GeorgeCobabe is consistent withGeorgeCobabe the four "standard works" of scripture (the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price), official declarations and proclamations, and the Articles of Faith..."
http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/approaching-mormon-doctrine
President George Q. Cannon (counselor in the First Presidency) explained that the scriptures are GeorgeCobabeimportant, but only when GeorgeCobabe comment not for the test: the quote does NOT support the idea that the word "only" should be used GeorgeCobabe GeorgeCobabe delete this phrase :source of official doctrine,GeorgeCobabe coupled with later revelation to the prophets that has been presented to the Church and sustained:
B.H. Roberts further explained that only those things within the Standard Works and those GeorgeCobabe other sources GeorgeCobabe presented for a sustaining vote by the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles is binding upon the Church and its members:
GeorgeCobabe Comment - the following is NOT a true statement. The statements from the First Presidency are of equal values tothe scriptures. Anything else is valuable and may be of use for explanation, exhortation, and instruction, but does not bear the weight of ‘scripture’ in the LDS canon. GeorgeCobabe Harold B. Lee was equally explicit ~~ in declaring the value of the scriptures and statements from the Prophet as being the source of doctrine GeorgeCobabe:
Elsewhere, President Lee taught the same principle:
In Mormon Doctrine, Elder Bruce R. McConkie was equally clear GeorgeCobabe in declaring the value of the scriptures to be used as a consistent test for doctrine GeorgeCobabe:
Latter-day Saints love the Bible and cherish it as a source of information about God and His plan for mankind. We consider it to be inspired, and it is one of the four books Latter-day Saints regard as scripture.
Latter-day Saints love the Bible and cherish it as a source of information about God and His plan for mankind. We consider it to be inspired, and it is one of the four books Latter-day Saints regard as scripture. We study and ponder its sayings and seek to live by the divine standard it proclaims (Discourses of Brigham Young, pp. 124-125). The Bible, as no other book, bears testimony of the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ and testifies of His atoning sacrifice and resurrection. It contains the prophecies of patriarchs and seers that the Messiah-Christ would come and the testimonies of apostles and other witnesses that He did come. When it was recorded, it was truly "the word of God" revealed to inspired men. By the providence of the Lord it has been handed down from age to age and preserved as a witness to all mankind that God loves us and has provided a way for us to return to Him.
The late Elder James E. Talmage, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, had this to say about the Bible in his classic book Articles of Faith:
Every year the LDS Church around the world focuses its Sunday School lessons on one book of scripture in a four year rotating course. Two of those four years are dedicated solely to the Bible. The same goes for the "seminary" program in which every LDS teenager participates. Latter-day prophets consistently urge the membership of the Church to study, ponder and pray about the messages found in the Bible.
Latter-day Saints treasure the Bible. We accept it as scripture and use it as a source of doctrine. In particular, we treasure the words of our Savior Jesus Christ found in the New Testament, and the prophecies about His coming and atonement in the Old Testament.
Latter-day Saints treasure the Bible. We accept it as scripture and use it as a source of doctrine. In particular, we treasure the words of our Savior Jesus Christ found in the New Testament, and the prophecies about His coming and atonement in the Old Testament. The Church has adopted the Authorized King James as the official English translation used by the Church, but is not opposed to other translations. The LDS Church encourages study of the Bible. It forms a significant part of what Latter-day Saints consider scripture. This includes, along with the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine & Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Every year each congregation of the LDS Church focuses its Sunday School lessons on one book in a four-year rotating course. Two of those four years are dedicated solely to the Bible. The same goes for the “seminary” program, which is a study course for high school students.. The Bible is the most quoted text of LDS scripture, and members of the Church are encouraged to use the Bible as a source of doctrine, for personal study and enlightenment, and most importantly, we treasure the words of our Savior Jesus Christ found in its New Testament.
Our 8th Article of Faith reads in part "We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly" We understand this to mean that we believe that the Bible is an inspired book, that it was given through inspired authors, and that as far as it represents the intent of God given to those original authors, it is the word of God. As with any revelation from God, we believe that reading with the Spirit of God is a crucial aspect of understanding the Bible. In following our view that the Bible is the word of God as given to its original authors, we also believe in supporting and using responsible scholarship to help us restore as much as possible that original text of the Bible.
At the same time, we understand that God speaks to men "in their weakness, after the manner of their language, that they might come to understanding" (DC 1꞉24). Thus, we do not expect biblical authors to be perfect, or to have a modern understanding of science, history, etc.
As our 9th Article of Faith tells us: “We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.” As God reveals His will and inspires prophets, it is God that is adding to His word, not us. In doing so, we are not supplanting scripture, we are extending it -- adding new revelation specifically provided for us in our present circumstances. In this sense, while new scripture is added, it does not have the purpose of changing past revelation that we also view as holy scripture.
As our 9th Article of Faith tells us: “We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.” In this sense, we believe the following: a) that God continues to covenant with men, and that this covenantal relationship can be recorded as scripture, b) that God continues to reveal His will to men (both individually and collectively through prophets), and c) that as God reveals His will and inspires prophets, it is God that is adding to His word, not us. In doing so, we are not supplanting scripture, we are extending it -- adding new revelation specifically provided for us in our present circumstances. In this sense, while new scripture is added, it does not have the purpose of changing past revelation that we also view as holy scripture.
We believe that the Bible was not intended by God to be His final word to mankind, and that Jesus was not intended to be the final revelation of God for mankind. Rather, God has many things that He will yet reveal to His children. Our message to the world is that God has not stopped speaking—He continues to speak to a prophet in our day.
We believe that God, not scripture, is the ultimate authority. By this we mean in effect that present-day revelation is as important as past scripture, including the Bible. This can be summed up by our 9th Article of Faith…
We believe that God, not scripture, is the ultimate authority. By this we mean in effect that present-day revelation is as important as past scripture, including the Bible. This can be summed up by our 9th Article of Faith…
Just as with the Bible, we believe that God is the author of revelation - whether it comes through His chosen prophets, or personally as a witness from the Holy Spirit. The role of modern revelation is not only to provide new information but also to explain or clarify past revelation (including the Bible). In this way, we see God as the authority behind not just the Bible, but all scripture. The main role of scripture (both ancient and modern) is to bring us to God and to allow us to receive a personal witness of the atonement of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.
God commanded Joseph Smith to practice polygamy and reveal this practice in the early days of the latter-day Church. Some early members of the Church practiced polygamy because they received a spiritual witness that God commanded them to practice it. Many of them were reluctant to do so, but chose to obey the commandment, though they did not understand the reasons for it.
[Important note: People should be careful not to offer as an explanation that there were many single sisters that needed to be cared for. There is very little evidence that this played into most practice of polygamy, so critics of the Church make short work of this suggestion. It is not accurate.]
God commanded Joseph Smith to practice polygamy and reveal this practice in the early days of the latter-day Church. Some early members of the Church practiced polygamy because they received a spiritual witness that God commanded them to practice it. Many of them were reluctant to do so, but chose to obey. Although they did not understand all the reasons for it, many members of the Church who practiced polygamy believed that they were restoring something that had been practiced by the early patriarchs and faithful prophets of God, and in doing so they were taking part in the restoration of “all things” that was necessary as a prophesied precondition to the Savior’s second coming
“The Bible indicates that Abraham, Jacob, and others of the Lord’s servants had multiple wives (see Genesis 16:1–3; 29:23–30; 30:4, 9; Judges 8:30; 1 Samuel 1:1–2). Joseph Smith asked God why He had permitted this practice and was told that God had commanded it for specific purposes. One reason given by the Lord for plural marriage is mentioned in the Book of Mormon: “If I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall [have only one wife]” (Jacob 2:30; see also v. 27). “After God revealed the doctrine of plural marriage to Joseph Smith in 1831 and commanded him to live it, the Prophet, over a period of years, cautiously taught the doctrine to some close associates. Eventually, he and a small number of Church leaders entered into plural marriages in the early years of the Church. Those who practiced plural marriage at that time, both male and female, experienced a significant trial of their faith. The practice was so foreign to them that they needed and received personal inspiration from God to help them obey the commandment.” (www.lds.org – gospel topics – polygamy)
How widespread was plural marriage?'
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