harfad

I don’t agree with that interpretation. To “rule over” in that context means to preside, to have the final say; but it doesn’t mean to rule like a dictator. It means to rule with compassion, kindness, love; and also with intelligence and wisdom. If your partner has made a right decision, then you acknowledge that, and give her the credit that is due. And if you disagree with her, then you express that with kindness and love, and provide the necessary explanation so she understands.

Good question. I can only assume it was due to confusion in the minds of Church leaders at the time, because, though not mandatory for exaltation, polygamy was nevertheless an integral part of law of the New and Everlasting Covenant, as revealed in D&C 132; and they felt at the time that they could not abandon the polygamy element, without violating that law somehow. And I suppose if you look at it from a purely logical point of view, that would have been a valid concern at the time. But ultimately when they examined all the possible options, and discovered that they were faced with either abandoning polygamy, and keeping Church intact; or keeping polygamy, and losing the Church altogether (which is exactly what would have happened), they decided wisely that giving up polygamy was the better option. But the most important element, as far as the subject of the present discussion is concerned, is that the John Taylor revelation is not about polygamy. It is about the eternity of the marriage covenant. That is the main element of it. The context of the revelation makes that perfectly clear. Polygamy is permitted under that law; but the practice of it is not mandatory, nor a requirement for exaltation in the Kingdom of God. That is what the New and Everlasting Covenant is all about.

Talking nonsense again, “ignoring all the facts”. I am only interested in the truth; that is the only thing that “makes me feel better”. At that time polygamy had become controversial, because it had been declared illegal in the US—first by the Morrill Act of 1862, and then tightened further by the Edmunds Act of 1882 (and then tightened further again by the Edmunds-Tucker Act of 1887). The polygamy revelation of John Taylor was received in 1886, four years after the Edmunds Act of 1882 (and before the Edmunds-Tucker Act of 1887). When the Edmunds Act of 1882 was passed, the Church was faced with a dilemma, to ignore or disobey the law of God, as revealed in D&C 132, and obey the law of the land instead; or to disobey the law of the land (and suffer the consequences), but stick with the law of God. The law of God revealed in D&C 132, however, known as the New and Everlasting Covenant, does not make the practice of polygamy mandatory for exaltation in the celestial kingdom of God; it makes it only permissible. The only thing that is mandatory for exaltation is eternal marriage with at least one wife. It appears at that time, in order to resolve the issue, John Taylor had inquired of the Lord if the whole of the New and Everlasting Covenant could be revoked by the Lord (which was not necessary), and to which the Lord said “no”. But that was not necessary anyway, to resolve the issue. The only thing that was necessary was to simply discontinue the practice of polygamy (which was not mandatory under the New and Everlasting Covenant of Marriage)—and which is what the Church eventually did.

Still not correct. Polygamy had become a controversial issue at that time, and the John Taylor revelation became part of that controversial topic, and that is how it became associated with polygamy; but as the context of the revelation makes clear, the revelation itself was not about polygamy, but about the eternal nature of the marriage covenant. It is true, however, that the Church’s response to it initially was somewhat incongruous and erratic, and to that extent it can be said that the Church was somewhat at fault.

I repeat what I said, the “law” makes polygamy permissible under the “New and Everlasting Covenant”, but the practice of it is not mandatory, nor a requirement for exaltation in the celestial kingdom of God. The only thing that is required for exaltation is eternal marriage with at least one wife.

Wrong on all accounts, 100% wrong. The full text of the John Taylor revelation is as follows: “My son John, you have asked me concerning the New and Everlasting Covenant how far it is binding upon my people. “Thus saith the Lord: All commandments that I give must be obeyed by those calling themselves by my name unless they are revoked by me or by my authority, and how can I revoke an everlasting covenant, for I the Lord am everlasting and my everlasting covenants cannot be abrogated nor done away with, but they stand forever. “Have I not given my word in great plainness on this subject? Yet have not great numbers of my people been negligent in the observance of my law and the keeping of my commandments, and yet have I borne with them these many years; and this because of their weakness—because of the perilous times, and furthermore, it is more pleasing to me that men should use their free agency in regard to these matters. Nevertheless, I the Lord do not change and my word and my covenants and my law do not, and as I have heretofore said by my servant Joseph: All those who would enter into my glory must and shall obey my law. And have I not commanded men that if they were Abraham’s seed and would enter into my glory, they must do the works of Abraham. I have not revoked this law, nor will I, for it is everlasting, and those who will enter into my glory must obey the conditions thereof; even so, Amen.” The revelation is about the New and Everlasting Covenant, which which refers to eternal marriage (and other eternal covenants) exclusively. It has no relevance to polygamy at all. The “New and Everlasting Covenant” is revealed in Doctrine and Covenants section 132, which as the context makes clear, is about eternal covenants of various kinds, including eternal marriage, not polygamy. Polygamy is permitted under that law, but the practice of it is not mandatory, nor a requirement for exaltation in the celestial kingdom of God, as the context makes clear: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/132?lang=eng

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The two big mistakes that everyone makes about this revelation is, firstly, that it is not about polygamy; it is about the eternity of the marriage covenant; which is not the same thing. Polygamy is permitted under that law; but the practice of it is not mandatory, nor a requirement for exaltation in the celestial kingdom of God. The only thing that is required for exaltation is eternal marriage with one wife. And the practice of it under that law is permissible and possible under the jurisdiction, authorization, and administration of the LDS Church. It is possible to practice polygamy outside of that divine mandate, as it has been done in many ancient cultures in the past; but to practice it under the New and Everlasting Covenant is possible only under the permission, administration, and authorization of the LDS Church. This revelation has generated controversy because it has been used by polygamists and other breakaway groups as a justification for the continued practice of polygamy, when in fact that is not what it is all about. It is about the eternity of the marriage covenant, not polygamy. The second mistake that people generally tend to make about this revelation is that they assume that it is a rare occurrence in the history of the LDS Church, because very few others like it have been published or made public. That is not so. The LDS Church has received hundreds of such (written) revelations since Joseph Smith, and preserved in the archives of the Church. They just haven’t been published or made public—and someday presumably they will be. The reason why this one has gained publicity is because of the controversy surrounding it.