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< Joseph Smith | Poligamia
Joseph initiated the practice of polygamy and hid it from the general Church membership during his lifetime.
It is true that Joseph did not always tell others about plural marriage. He did, however, make some attempt to teach the doctrine to the Saints.
A contemporary journal describes the reaction to Joseph's attempt to teach this doctrine:
Joseph tried to teach the doctrine, but it was rejected by many Saints, including Emma, his wife. Joseph then began to teach the doctrine privately to those who would obey.
Keeping the doctrine private was also necessary because the enemies of the Church would have used it as another justification for their assault on the Saints. Orson Hyde looked back on the Nauvoo days and indicated what the consequences of disclosure would have been:
It is thus important to realize that the public preaching of polygamy—or announcing it to the general Church membership, thereby informing the public by proxy—was simply not a feasible plan. Critics of Joseph's choice want their audience to ignore the danger to him and the Saints.
Another advantage to keeping plural marriage private in Nauvoo was that it meant that such relationships were not illegal under Illinois law.
Joseph Smith/Polygamy/Illegal/Illegal in Nauvoo/Was he lying Predefinição:HalesItem
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