Mormon Urban Legends - Pt 1 (Polygamy)

[JLHPROF]

Having been a part of Mormonism for so many years there are routinely myths about the Church that have crossed my path.  I thought some might be fun to discuss - starting with polygamy legends.  I was wondering if I was the only one (or if any of these had any evidence to back up the rumours).

Disclaimer: I do not personally believe all/any of these urban legends to be true.  I am merely bringing them up for discussion (and wondering if anybody had any insights).

1. David O. McKay secretly had his long term unmarried secretary Claire Middlemiss sealed to him as a plural wife.
https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/pdf/138-65-67.pdf (see footnote 6) and this is not the only places I've heard this theory.

2. Joseph Fielding Smith was sealed to 3 wives over the course of his life.  The rumour goes that although he married his third wife Jessie Evans in April 1938 (just 8 months after his 2nd wife died in August 1937) that they had actually been sealed together before his second wife died so that he could claim to have lived plural marriage.

I can find NO evidence to back up this legend.

3. Heber J. Grant attempted to marry a post-manifesto wife  Fanny Woolley in 1901 and was denied.

This is recorded in the minutes of the trial of Matthias F. Cowley and Kidnapped From That Land by Bradley.

 

So does anyone have any evidences for or against these urban legends?

Additionally: There is an entertaining site called http://holyfetch.com/ that likes to address many of the myths that pop up in Mormon culture.  Some of them might make for interesting thread topics.

[cinepro]

Honestly, I hadn't heard those before, and I'm not sure what good it does to spread them around, even in the context of "debunking" them. I know one of President McKay's granddaughters; she is a wonderful woman, and I would feel terrible if I had any role in spreading something that was untrue about her grandfather.

Edited March 24, 2014 by cinepro

[JLHPROF]

Honestly, I hadn't heard those before, and I'm not sure what good it does to spread them around, even in the context of "debunking" them. I know one of President McKay's granddaughters; she is a wonderful woman, and I would feel terrible if I had any role in spreading something that was untrue about her grandfather.

 

Really didn't mean any offense.  Just curious if anyone had any insight.  These are just Mormon legends I'd heard over the years and wondered if anyone knew anything.  If they're that offensive I can delete the post?

 

The site I posted (Holyfetch.com) doesn't contain these but has lots of fun Mormon legends too:  Where did the Cain is Bigfoot idea come from?  Did a farmer witness an actual resurrection?  Did an unknown man, possibly Moroni, convince the Founding Fathers to sign the Declaration of Independence?

 

There are so many fun and interesting myths in Mormonism I just thought they'd make a good series of topics (you know, Mormon folklore and all that) and wanted to start with these polygamy rumours I had heard.

Edited March 24, 2014 by JLHPROF

[Bob Crockett]

Poor Claire

[Coreyb]

I have only heard the David O. McKay one. I don't know how it could be verified though

[Chronos]

This thread has no purpose but to speculate on alleged salacious private lives of prophets for entertainment.

 

~Chronos