Some fascinating things we learn from this, which was released by the LDS Church today: - So far, genetic testing has not found any children fathered by Joseph Smith by plural wives. (see footnotes) - Josephs first plural marriage happened in Nauvoo in 1841,three years before he was murdered. - Josephs youngest plural wive was 14. The oldest was 56. - An angel appeared to Joseph in 1842 with a drawn sword, threatening Joseph with destruction unless he went forward and obeyed the commandment fully. - The pioneers practiced two kinds of plural marriage -- time and eternity, and eternity only, meaning no matrimony relationship in this life. - Joseph Smith was sealed to a number of women who were already married. Neither these women nor Joseph explained much about these sealings. -Emma likely did not know about all of Joseph’s sealings. - After Josephs death, Emma never spoke about plural marriage again, but she did wear a lock of Josephs hair in a necklace for the rest of her life. - I love this: Heber C. Kimball: “I never felt more sorrowful,” he said of the moment he learned of plural marriage in 1841. “I wept days. … I had a good wife. I was satisfied. Joseph seemed to feel the same way, from the evidence. You can only say that he entered into plural marriage with great reluctance and very slowly -- ten years after he was first commanded, and even then only when threatened with a sword by an angel! - For many women and men, initial revulsion and anguish was followed by struggle, resolution, and ultimately, light and peace. - A substantial number of today’s members descend through faithful Latter-day Saints who practiced plural marriage. Including me :)
Posted on: Thu, 23 Oct 2014 20:31:06 +0000
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