Polygamy answer

[daz2]

I have been trying for 6-8 months to get my answer on mormon.org approved. The most recent objection is that my answer is "too detailed for the intended audience". I am becoming tired of revising my proposed answer. I welcome suggestions on how to keep my answer true historically and consistent with correlation, and reducing the amount of detail.

While studying carefully the Bible, Joseph Smith noticed that many of the great men described in it had more than one wife, such as Abraham, Jacob, King David and King Solomon. While polygamy was an accepted practice at the time of the Hebrew Bible, and still was a custom in many parts of the world, by the time of Joseph Smith polygamy was forbidden in western civilization (including Europe and America). Believing that God is an unchangeable God, Joseph wondered how God could have permitted men in biblical times to have more than one wife. The revelation Joseph received in response is now Section 132 of the Doctrine & Covenants. That revelation teaches that marriages may last for time and eternity if a couple is "sealed" in a sacred ceremony performed in a Mormon temple. The revelation also explained that, when commanded or authorized by God a living man could be married, and sealed, to more than one woman at a time, and that the plural marriage could continue in heaven. Joseph Smith and his successors in the Mormon Church, Brigham Young, John Taylor, and Wilford Woodruff, accepted the revelation's further direction that, as authorized by Church leaders, certain Mormon men should have multiple wives simultaneously. And they did. The practice ended in the Mormon Church over a century ago (although some groups, that are no longer part of the Church, continue to practice that principle). D&C 132 remains as part of Mormon scripture, although the practice has ended. Even though polygamy is found in the Old Testament, the idea is discomforting to many people, including me. I have ancestors, however, who lived in polygamous households. As best I can tell, those of my ancestors and other Mormons who practiced plural marriage believed it was God's will, many of them after making it a matter of sincere prayer and study. And for that, I greatly respect them. Further, I believe that through God's grace, love and priesthood power, bonds of familial love can, in some manner, continue and thrive in the hereafter.

[BCSpace]

Something like this might get through:

The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. At certain times and for His specific purposes, God, through His prophets, has directed the practice of plural marriage (sometimes called polygamy), which means one man having more than one living wife at the same time. In obedience to direction from God, Latter-day Saints followed this practice for about 50 years during the 1800s but officially ceased the practice of such marriages after the Manifesto was issued by President Woodruff in 1890. Since that time, plural marriage has not been approved by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and any member adopting this practice is subject to losing his or her membership in the Church.

It's the Church's own explaination in the topical section (the introductory paragraph before it gets into more details) at lds.org. I'm quite sure the trouble you are having is from the fact that the Church doesn't want potential converts contemplating plural marriage in any more than "in passing" and only if the subject comes up.

Mormon.org does not want to get bogged down with apologetics. They are looking for those who are ready now. The principle is that when a sale is made, stop selling. It's not unreasonable to think in those terms; it's just how people are and we have to roll with it. I personally think most people should stop being how they are, but I'm not going to get very far with that obviously.

[David T]

I think opening up that question to the general membership - when no official answer has been given apart from 'Revelation said for some people to do it' - is inviting a trainwreck of speculative faithpromoting (but factually false) twinkies.

[jadams_4242]

I have been trying for 6-8 months to get my answer on mormon.org approved. The most recent objection is that my answer is "too detailed for the intended audience". I am becoming tired of revising my proposed answer. I welcome suggestions on how to keep my answer true historically and consistent with correlation, and reducing the amount of detail.

i think we can all agree that polygamy got "out of hand" for awhile....so why advertise it? it seems us l.d.s are held accountable to a much higher standard than the rest of the world;; truth be known.. we are human beings too, and so have all the prophets of God since the beggining of time been human as well. {there was only ONE perfect person whom ever walked this earth}

[blackstrap]

The last sentence of the lds.org quote needs to be changed to: Plural marriage is not approved by....

Otherwise it is a bit misleading.Plural marriages were done in Mexico and other places after 1890 with the tacit approval/acceptance of the Church. At least that seems to be what G.L.Smith writes.

PS daz2 ,to quote Family Feud " good answer"

[california boy]

I have been trying for 6-8 months to get my answer on mormon.org approved. The most recent objection is that my answer is "too detailed for the intended audience". I am becoming tired of revising my proposed answer. I welcome suggestions on how to keep my answer true historically and consistent with correlation, and reducing the amount of detail.

Just wondering what your documentation source you used for supporting your statements about what prompted Joseph Smith to inquire about polygamy. Is that official Church doctrine?

[daz2]

Just wondering what your documentation source you used for supporting your statements about what prompted Joseph Smith to inquire about polygamy. Is that official Church doctrine?

Section 132:1--

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 bconcubines

Too detailed for the intended audience? (That comment is directed at the reviewers for mormon.org.)

[rpn]

My revision

While studying carefully the Bible, Joseph Smith noticed that many of the great men described in it had more than one wife, such as Abraham, Jacob, King David and King Solomon. Joseph wondered how God could have permitted men in biblical times to have more than one wife. The revelation Joseph received in response to his inqury is now Section 132 of the Doctrine & Covenants. The revelation explained that, when commanded or authorized by God a living man could be married, and sealed, to more than one woman at a time, and that the plural marriage could continue in heaven. Joseph Smith and his successors in the Mormon Church, Brigham Young, John Taylor, and Wilford Woodruff, accepted the revelation's further direction that, as authorized by Church leaders, certain Mormon men should have multiple wives simultaneously. And they did. The practice ended in the Mormon Church over a century ago.

[BCSpace]

The last sentence of the lds.org quote needs to be changed to: Plural marriage is not approved by....

Otherwise it is a bit misleading.Plural marriages were done in Mexico and other places after 1890 with the tacit approval/acceptance of the Church. At least that seems to be what G.L.Smith writes.

Too detailed as it derails from the subject of when can you have the missionaries over to whether or not the Church was still expecting the Supreme Court or the Congress to ultimately protect their freedom to worship and whether or not it was the Church giving it's tacit approval or a few rogue apostles.

Section 132:1--

Too detailed for the intended audience? (That comment is directed at the reviewers for mormon.org.)

I agree with the sentiment. But yes it is too detailed. Afterall, it's not the D&C one is initially supposed to read and pray about.

[daz2]

I shortened the answer, and wonder or wonder, after 6-8 months of trying to get an answer approved, it finally was approved, as follows:

While studying carefully the Bible, Joseph Smith noticed that many of the great men described in it had more than one wife--something that was unacceptable in the world and time in which Joseph Smith lived. He inquired of God about it. The revelation Joseph received in response is now Section 132 of the Doctrine & Covenants. That revelation teaches that marriages may last for time and eternity if a couple is "sealed" in a sacred ceremony performed in a Mormon temple. The revelation also explained that, when commanded or authorized by God, a living man could be married, and sealed, to more than one woman at a time. Joseph Smith and other Mormons accepted the revelation's further direction that, as authorized by Church leaders, certain Mormon men should marry more than wife. And they did. The practice ended in the Mormon Church over a century ago. D&C 132 remains as part of Mormon scripture, although the practice of plural marriage has ended. Even though polygamy is found in the Old Testament, the idea is discomforting to many people. I have ancestors, however, who lived in polygamous households. I believe that those of my ancestors and other Mormons who practiced plural marriage understood it to be God's will, many of them after making it a matter of sincere prayer and study. And for that, I greatly respect them.