9

THE PRACTICE OF PLURAL MARRIAGE

AMONG THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS

by Richard A. Ware

1979

Historical Setting Of Plural Marriage

Section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants is known in the Church as the revelation on Celestial and Plural Marriage. It was on July 12, 1843 that the Prophet Joseph instructed brother William Clayton to record on paper the revelation as we have it today. This took place in the old brick story office of Joseph's located in Nauvoo, Illinois. However, although it was recorded on this date, the revelation itself had been given to Joseph Smith as early as 1831, but had never been written down. Around the month of November of 1831 the Prophet was busily engaged in doing a revision of the Bible while staying at Hiram, Ohio, twenty eight miles south of Kirtland. He came across some passages of scripture in the old testament regarding the plural marriages of the ancient patriarchs which apparently caused him to enquire of the Lord:

Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you, my servant Joseph, that inasmuch as you have inquired of my hand, to know and understand wherein I, the Lord, justified my servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: as also Moses, David and Solomon, my servants, as touching the principle and doctrine of their having many wives and concubines: behold! and lo, I am the Lord thy God, and will answer thee as touching this matter. (D&C 132:1-2)

The Lord then proceeded to explain to Joseph's understanding the principle of eternal marriage coupled with the principle of plural marriage, and how it was that he justified the ancient patriarchs in taking more than one wife. Apparently more was revealed to Joseph on the subject in 1831 than what was actually recorded several years later in Nauvoo. (See D&C 132:66; Also C.H.C., Vol 2:95) In a statement made by Pres. Joseph F. Smith in the Deseret News of May 20, 1886 and later recorded in the Historical Record, he states: "The great and glorious principle of plural marriage was first revealed to Joseph Smith in 1831, but being forbidden to make it public, or to teach it as a doctrine of the Gospel, at that time, he confided the facts to only a very few of his intimate associates. Among them were Oliver Cowdery and Lyman E. Johnson, the latter confiding the fact to his traveling companion, Elder Orson Pratt, in the year 1832. And this great principle remained concealed in the bosom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the few to whom he revealed it, until he was commanded, about 1842, to instruct the leading members of the Priesthood, and those who were most faithful and intelligent, and best prepared to receive it.... While this doctrine was thus being taught by the Prophet to those whom he could trust ---those who had faith, righteousness and integrity, to believe and accept it, with all its consequences (which are no trifling things), it remained an 'unwritten law' and commandment of the Almighty to the faithful only of His Saints, designed to be enlarged as intelligence and fidelity to the laws of God increased, until the 12th day of July, 1843, when a portion of the revelation was written in the manner, and (at that time) for the purpose set forth in the statement of Elder Clayton,... 'And now, as pertaining to this law, verily, verily I say unto you, I will reveal more unto you hereafter, therefore let this suffice for the present.'" (H.R., Vol 6:219-220) Several other early Latter-day Saints also testified that the revelation on plural marriage was given as early as 1831.

When the Prophet Joseph actually entered into the principle of plural marriage after receiving the revelation is not exactly known. But apparently the Prophet knew ahead of time who some of the women were to whom he was to be married. At the funeral services of Elizabeth Ann Whitney, Joseph F. Smith stated that when the Prophet "received the revelation in relation to the eternity of the marriage covenant, which includes plural marriage, in 1831, the Lord showed him those women who were to engage with him in the establishment of that principle in the Church, and at that time some of these women were named and given to him, to become his wives when the time should come that this principle should be established." (Deseret Evening News, Feb 18, 1882)

Although the Prophet received the revelation, he waited upon the Lord for the command to enter the principle. But apparently Oliver Cowdery chose to go ahead on his own. George Q. Cannon commented that Joseph "was told that it was to obey God's will that His ancient servants had taken more wives than one; and he probably learned, also, that His servants in these days would be commanded to carry out this principle. The Prophet Joseph, however, took no license from this. He was content to await the pleasure and command of the Lord, knowing that it was as sinful to enter upon the practice of a principle like this before being commanded to do so, as it would be to disobey it when required to carry it into effect. Not so with Oliver Cowdery. He was eager to have another wife. Contrary to the remonstrances of Joseph, and in utter disregard of his warnings, he took a young woman and lived with her as a wife, in addition to his legal wife. Had Oliver Cowdery waited until the Lord commanded His people to obey this principle, he could have taken this young woman, had her sealed to him as his wife, and lived with her without condemnation. But taking her as he did was a grievous sin, and was doubtless the cause of his losing the Spirit of the Lord, and of being cut off from the Church." (Juvenile Instructor, XVI, No 18, Sept 15, 1881, p 206) Brigham Young is quoted as saying that "Oliver Cowdery took to wife Annie Lyman, cousin to George A. Smith. From that time he went into darkness and lost the spirit. Annie Lyman is still alive, a witness to these things." (Charles L. Walker Journal, VIII, p. 118, July 26, 1872)

On August 17, 1835, a General Assembly of the church was held at Kirtland, Ohio at which the new book of Doctrine and Covenants was accepted by vote of the church. Voted into the book was an article on marriage which had been written by Oliver Cowdery and which read in part: "Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife: and one woman, but one husband, except in case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again." Joseph Smith was not in attendance at this Conference as he was away visiting the saints in Michigan and did not return to Kirtland until August 23rd. Joseph never indicated his approval of the article. (See H.C. 2,246-253) Although the source is secondary, it is interesting to note a possible reason as to why the article on marriage was written: "Brigham on that occasion made the avowal that the Appendix (Article on Marriage) was written by Oliver Cowdery against Joseph's wishes, and was permitted to be published only after Cowdery's incessant teasing and Joseph's warning to him of the trouble which his course would create ....For he (Oliver) insisted, Brigham says, upon adding to his marital relations a young woman familiar with his family, and did hold the relation of husband to her. To silence the clamour and surmising that arose over this 'second wife', he [Oliver] wrote that Appendix...." (Stenhouse, Rocky Mountain Saints, p. 193)

It was during this time in Kirtland that Joseph Smith took another wife, by the name of Fanny Alger. In a letter to the Church Historian (George F. Gibbs) in 1903, Benjamin F. Johnson wrote that "Without doubt in my mind, Fanny Alger was, at Kirtland, the Prophet's first wife, in which, by right of his calling, he was justified of the Lord." (Letter, p. 14) It was during 1835 that B. F. Johnson became aware of the principle of plural marriage and noticed that "there lived then with his (Joseph's) family a neighbor's daughter, Fanny Alger, a very nice and comely young woman about my own age, toward whom not only myself, but every one seemed partial, for the amiability of her character: and it was whispered even then that Joseph loved her." (Letter, p. 11)

Apparently some of the brethren were trying to live plural marriage without the Prophet's sanction and it caused an apostasy in Kirtland. Benjamin F. Johnson goes on to say that "After this, there was some trouble with Jared Carter, and through Brother Sherman, I learned that 'as he had built himself another house, he wanted another wife', which Joseph would not permit. And there was some trouble with Oliver Cowdery, and whisper said it was relating to a girl then living in his (the Prophet's) family: and I was afterwards told by Warren Parish, that he himself and Oliver Cowdery did know that Joseph had Fannie Alger as wife, for they were spied upon and found together. And I can now see that at Nauvoo, so at Kirtland, that the suspicion or knowledge of the Prophet's plural relation was one of the causes of apostasy and disruption at Kirtland, although at the time there was little said publicly on the subject. * * * . . .Oliver Cowdery, Jared Carter, W. Parish or others were not justified in their criticisms upon the doings of the Prophet, or in their becoming a 'law unto themselves.' Thru darkness they lost the light of their calling and were left in darkness." (Letter, pp 11-12, 14)

In April of 1837 the Presidents of Seventy in Kirtland spoke out against any member guilty of plural marriage, and if anyone was guilty he would lose his fellowship with the quorum. (Messenger & Advocate, III, No 8, May, 1837, p 511) In the fall of 1837, the Elder's Journal carried the following question & answer: "Q: Do the Mormons believe in having more wives than one? A: No, not at the same time." (Elder's Journal I, No 2, November, 1837) It was during this same year that the charge of adulterous relations 'with a certain girl' was brought against the Prophet by Oliver Cowdery. (Far West Record, p. 117) In a letter written to his brother Warren Cowdery, on January 21, 1838, Oliver relates a conversation which took place between himself and Joseph during November of 1837 in which Oliver mentioned "a dirty, nasty, filthy affair of his [Joseph's] and Fanny Alger's". (BYU Special Collections Library) In spite of Oliver's endeavors to discredit the Prophet, Oliver himself was brought to trial at Far West and on April 11, 1838 was excommunicated from the church for having adulterous relations. (Far West Record, p 117: Also Elders Journal, July 1838, p. 45)

Another early saint, Warren Parrish "went into Kirtland, Ohio, and hired his boarding in the house of one Zerah Cole: he had not however been there but a short time, until Mr. Cole began to make a grievous complaint, about his taking unlawful freedom with his [Cole's] wife. Parrish was, accordingly, brought to an account, before the authorities of the church, for his crime. The fact was established that such unlawful conduct had actually taken place between them [Parrish and Cole's wife]. (Elder's Journal, I No 4, August, 1838, p 57, 59)

During the latter part of 1840 the Prophet moved ahead and began instructing several brethren of the priesthood in the principle of plural marriage and began teaching them that they must also enter into the order of plural marriage. At a quarterly stake conference at Centreville, Utah, on June 11, 1883, Elder Joseph B. Noble stated that the angel of the Lord had appeared to Joseph and had informed him that the time had fully come to establish the principle. "Elder Noble sealed his wife's sister [Louisa Beamon] to Joseph, that being the first plural marriage consummated [in Nauvoo]." (Historical Record (HR), 6,232-233) Fourteen years prior to this public announcement he made out a sworn statement in the which he said "that in the fall of 1840, Joseph Smith taught him the principle of celestial or plural marriage, or a plurality of wives, and that the said Joseph declared that he had received a revelation from God on the subJect, and that the angel of the Lord had commanded him [Joseph Smith] to move forward in the said order of marriage: and further, that the said Joseph Smith requested him (Joseph B. Noble) to step forward and assist him in carrying out the said principle. . ." (HR 6:221) Brother Noble relates how "the Prophet gave the form of the ceremony, Elder Noble repeating the words after him. Elder Noble bore testimony to the purity of character of his sister in law, who was a woman of irreproachable morality, who entered into the plural marriage relation on a deep seated conviction that the doctrine was from God." (HR 6:233)

One early day saint indicated that although God had revealed the law of polygamy that Joseph "delayed, as long as possible, to make this principle known, except to a few of the most faithful and humble of the Saints." (HR 6:230) Apparently Joseph's delaying longer than the Lord wanted caused severe consequences' ". . .an angel of God, with a drawn sword, stood before him and commanded that he should enter into the practice of that principle, or he should be utterly destroyed, or rejected, that he move forward to reveal and establish that doctrine." (Joseph F. Smith, J.D. 20:29) "An angel with a flaming sword descended from the courts of glory and confronting the Prophet, commanded him in the name of the Lord to establish the principle so long concealed from the knowledge of the Saints and of the world. That principle was the law of celestial or plural marriage." (Life of Heber C. Kimball, Whitney, p. 321) On June 17, 1883, Charles L. Walker, an early member of the church stated that he attended "the quarterly conference, this p.m. Pres. E. Snow spoke of the Angel of the Lord meeting Joseph with a drawn sword and of his going to slay him for his being neglectful in the discharge of his duties and of Joseph having to plead on his knees before the Angel for his life." (Charles L. Walker journal, p 39)

The first plural marriage in Nauvoo was on April 5th, 1841, when the Prophet took Louisa Beaman to wife. (HR 6:221) According to the Historical Record the Prophet also took two other women as plural wives this year: Prescindia L. Huntington on December 11, 1841, and Zina D. Huntington on December 27, 1841. Their brother Dimick B. Huntington officiated at both marriages. (HR 6:233) It was also during this year that the Prophet began teaching the principle to many of the Twelve and other leading priesthood holders.