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Polygamy Timeline 2/16/2012 Joseph Smith marries Emma Hale T I M E L I N E o f M O R M O N P O L Y G A M Y Book of Mormon Published, 28 year old Condemns Polygamy "..behold David and Solomon truly had Joseph Smith many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me... Marries hearken to the word of the Lord: ...there shall no man among you have 16 year old save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none." Fanny Alger ~ Book of Mormon, Jacob 2:23-24,27 Official Church publication Doctrine and Covenants denies polygamy charges published - Section 101 condemns polygamy "Inasmuch as this Church of Christ “..this church of Christ has been reproached has been reproached with the crime of with the crime of .. polygamy: .. we believe, fornication and polygamy, we declare that that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband... the above rule of we believe that one man should have marriage as the only one practiced in this one wife and one woman but one husband.” church... We ... know of no other rule or ~Messenger and Advocate 1:163; also ~ History of the Church 2:247 system of marriage.. 1 2/16/2012 General Authorities issue Joseph Smith statement condemning polygamy Marries …we will have no fellowship whatever with any Elder ... who is guilty of polygamy ... and who does not in Lucinda Harris all things conform to the laws of the church contained who was at the in the Bible and in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. time married to ~ Quorum of Seventies Resolution #1 ~ Messenger and Advocate 3:511 George Harris Oliver Cowdery confronts Smith about his Polygamy Oliver Cowdery is A dirty, nasty, filthy affair of Excommunicated [Joseph Smith] and Fanny Alger’s… Oliver Cowdery – Asst President and Book of Mormon Witness Letter recorded by his brother, Warren Cowdery Joseph Smith Denies Joseph Smith denies polygamy Polygamy th Joseph Smith, Question 7 : “We have heard that it is reported by some, ... Do the Mormons believe in having that we not only dedicated our property, but our more wives than one? families also to the Lord; and Satan, taking advantage of this, has perverted it into Answer: No, not at the same time. licentiousness such as a community of wives, Joseph Smith, Mormonism Founder which is an abomination in the sight of God.” Joseph Smith, Mormonism Founder Elder’s Journal, p. 43 Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 127 History of the Church 3:230 2 2/16/2012 Joseph Smith, 35, Joseph Smith marries 20 yr old, marries Zina Huntington Jacobs, who at the time Louisa Beaman was married to Henry Jacobs and WAS 7 MONTHS PREGNANT Joseph Smith Joseph Smith marries marries Agnes Coolbrith, Presendia Buell she was the widow of his brother, Don Carlos Joseph Smith, 36- Joseph Smith, 36, marries Sylvia Lyon, marries 23 yr old 23, who at the time Mary Lightner who was married to at the time was Windsor Lyon. married to Adam Joseph would also Lightner marry Sylvia’s mother: Patty the next month 3 2/16/2012 th Joseph Smith pens the 12 Joseph Smith, 36, Article of Faith marries 47 yr. old Patty Sessions “We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in who at the time was married obeying, honoring and sustaining the law.” to David Sessions. Smith had married Patty’s Polygamy was a violation of the law. daughter Sylvia the previous month 36 Yr. old 36 yr. old Joseph Smith marries: Joseph Smith * Sarah Cleveland, 53 marries 27 yr old * Eliza Snow, 38 and Marinda Hyde * Elizabeth Durfee, 50 who at the time who at the time was was married to married to Orson Hyde Jabez Durfee Official Church publication Joseph Smith, 36, denies polygamy marries Dulcena Johnson, “But for the information of those ... and 17 yr old foolish tales about two wives, we would Sarah Whitney say that no such principle ever existed among the Latter Day Saints…” ~ Millennial Star, Vol.3, No4, p.73 4 2/16/2012 Official Church publication Joseph Smith denies polygamy marries Martha “… inasmuch as this church of Christ McBride has been reproached with the crime of fornication and polygamy; we declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife....” ~Times and Seasons 4:909 37 year old Joseph Smith Joseph Smith, marries marries Ruth Sayers 16 year old Flora Woodworth 37 yr old Joseph Smith Joseph Smith, marries marries Almera sisters Emily, 19, Johnson and Eliza Partridge, 22 5 2/16/2012 37 year old 37 year old Joseph Smith Joseph Smith marries marries sisters 17 yr old Lucy Walker, Sarah, 17, and And Maria Lawrence, 19 14 yr old Helen Mar Kimball 37 year old Joseph Smith, 37, marries Joseph Smith Elvira Holmes who is marries already married to Hanna Ells, 29, Jonathan Holmes - AND Smith also marries 14 year old Rhoda Richards Nancy Winchester who is 58 years old. “Revelation” on plurality of wives – D&C 132 Joseph Smith Smith dictates a "revelation" requiring the marries practice of polygamy to obtain exaltation: becoming gods (v.1-6, 20). Desdemona The revelation specifically states that if Emma rejects it she would be destroyed (v.54,64). But it Fullmer was Joseph who died within a year. Emma, who was 39 years … lived to be 75. Additional wives were to be virgins. (v.61-62). ~ Doctrine & Covenants 132 6 2/16/2012 37 year old Joseph Smith Joseph Smith, marries marries Olive G. Frost 19 year old, Melissa Lott 37 year old, Despite the July revelation Joseph Smith requiring polygamy, the marries Mormon Church publication 56 year old, Millennial Star continued to deny it. Fanny Young ~ Millennial Star, Vol. 4, No. 9, p.144 Joseph Smith denies polygamy Under the direction of Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith As we have lately been credibly informed, that an Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ, of officiated a polygamous Latter-day Saints, by the name of Hyram wedding for Mormon Brown, has been preaching polygamy, … apostle Erastus Snow This is to notify him… that he has been cut off ~ Testimony of Erastus Snow, The Historical Record 6:232 from the church, for his iniquity. ~ Joseph Smith - Mormonism founder; Times and Seasons 5:423 7 2/16/2012 Joseph’s brother Hyrum Joseph Smith denies polygamy denies polygamy “…some of your elders say, that a man having a “… pertaining to John C. Bennet’s spiritual wife certain priesthood, may have as many wives as system …we cannot but express our surprise… he pleases, and that doctrine is taught here: I say that anything like iniquity is practiced, much less … there is no such doctrine taught here. And any taught or sanctioned by the … LDS Church…” man that is found teaching privately or publicly ~ Joseph Smith - Mormonism founder; any such doctrine, …. had better beware Times and Seasons, Vol.5, No.7, p.491 what he is about. ~ Hyrum Smith - Assistant President,Times and Seasons 5:474 Presidency Counselors Joseph Smith Protest Smith's Behavior denies polygamy “I had not been married scarcely five minutes, After Jane Law rebuffs Joseph Smith’s before it was reported that I had seven wives. .. proposal .. Her husband William Law, This spiritual wifeism! Why, a man dares not Smith’s 2nd Counselor, is excommunicated. speak or wink, for fear of being accused of this... st What a thing it is for a man to be accused of Austin Cowles, the 1 Counselor, quits the committing adultery, and having seven wives, church in protest. when I can only find one. I am .. as innocent as I was fourteen years ago.” ~Joseph Smith - Mormonism founder, History of the Church 6:410-11 William Law publishes Joseph Smith orders the newspaper condemning printing press destroyed Smith’s polygamy Smith is the Mayor of In the latter part of the summer, 1843, the Patriarch, Nauvoo when he Hyrum Smith, did in the High Council, of which I was orders the Expositor a member, introduce what he said was a revelation destroyed – the given through the Prophet...... the doctrine of a Governor has plurality of wives, or marrying virgins…. ~ Nauvoo Expositor, Vol. 1, No. 1, p.2 Joseph arrested.. 8 2/16/2012 Joseph Smith is killed Sidney Rigdon admits church authorities An angry mob practice polygamy storms Joseph and Hyrum’s It is a fact, so well known, that the Twelve and their adherents have endeavored to carry jail cell - they are this spiritual wife business in secret... and have killed in a gone to the most shameful and desperate lengths, to keep it from the public. gun battle. ~ Messenger and Advocate, Vol. 1, No. 1 Official LDS Publication Official LDS Publication denies polygamy denies polygamy The law of the land and the rules of the church do not The Latter-day Saints are charged by their allow one man to have enemies, with the blackest crimes. Treason, more than one wife murder, theft, polygamy, and adultery, are among the many crimes laid to their charge... alive at once. ~ Times and Seasons, Vol. 5, No. 21, p.715 ~ Times and Seasons 6:894 John Taylor denies Public Acknowledgment polygamy while married to of polygamy! at least 7 plural wives In a special conference, the LDS “We are accused here of polygamy, and church publicly actions the most indelicate, obscene, and acknowledges the disgusting, such that none but a corrupt and practice of depraved heart could have contrived. These polygamy. things are too outrageous to admit of belief...” ~ Deseret News Extra, September 14, 1852 ~ John Taylor, Three Nights’ Public Discussion, p.8 9 2/16/2012 Mormon Authority encourages Official LDS publication polygamy condemns polygamy before 1843 “What would a man of God say, … when Joseph … came and said, "I want your wife?" "O yes," he would say, "here she is, there are plenty more"..
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