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I’m trying not to fly off the handle. I’m thinking maybe a second pair of eyes will see something I didn’t. I went to lds.org –> Resources –> (General)/Church History –> Explore –> Joseph Smith. I don’t see ANY mention of plural wives. Am I missing it? And, if not, I don’t have words for how done I am with the church on this subject. It’s divine, it’s doctrine – and you’re telling us it is – but there isn’t the integrity – the guts – to be honest with members and investigators about it? I don’t understand. Yup, it’s sad. Having said that, I love the following quote – and it’s interesting to read between the lines of the last part of it:
Quote:“What transports of joy swelled my bosom, when I took by the hand on that night, my beloved Emma . . . even
the wife of my youth: and the choice of my heart.” The wording of those two final statements is beautiful, but it also is . . . interesting.
However, just to be fair, there are quite a few references about polygamy at lds.org that state openly that Joseph instituted plural marriage – but it still is sad that it was omitted in that section.
LDS.org does mention Joseph practicing plig, just not on the page you mentioned. This page is an oversimplification of the facts and I agree that the biographies are inadequate.
Quote:
After God revealed the doctrine of plural marriage to Joseph Smith in 1831 and commanded him to live it, the Prophet, over a period of years, cautiously taught the doctrine to some close associates. Eventually, he and a small number of Church leaders entered into plural marriages in the early years of the Church. Those who practiced plural marriage at that time, both male and female, experienced a significant trial of their faith. The practice was so foreign to them that they needed and received personal inspiration from God to help them obey the commandment.When the Saints moved west under the direction of Brigham Young, more Latter-day Saints entered into plural marriages.
http://www.lds.org/topics/polygamy-plural-marriage?lang=eng When I go for a job interview do I tell them I have punctuality issues and often miss deadlines? Is the church doing the same thing? Presenting their best face. Does that make it ok? I’m not sure.
Well into the Google age, post-Rough Stone Rolling and In Sacred Loneliness, after defensive “The Church does not hide its history!” from FAIR-type people, after Mattsson publicity and snarky comments from members about members who were in the dark about Joseph’s polygamy (lazy, dumb, or both) – the decision is to put out the most bland and misleading representation possible of Joseph and Emma’s marriage? And, in the process, throw under the bus thirty other women who were supposedly making epic sacrifices for righteousness? The church maintains that polygamy was commanded by God Himself, you’d think there would be a little respect paid to plural wives. People will go elsewhere for information.It’s just too easy to find, and the sense that we’re being, okay, I’ll say it – lied to – is strong. Old-Timer wrote:Yup, it’s sad.
Having said that, I love the following quote – and it’s interesting to read between the lines of the last part of it:
Quote:“What transports of joy swelled my bosom, when I took by the hand on that night, my beloved Emma . . . even
the wife of my youth: and the choice of my heart.” The wording of those two final statements is beautiful, but it also is . . . interesting.
However, just to be fair, there are quite a few references about polygamy at lds.org that state openly that Joseph instituted plural marriage – but it still is sad that it was omitted in that section.
What do you read into that quote?
mackay11 wrote:When I go for a job interview do I tell them I have punctuality issues and often miss deadlines? Is the church doing the same thing? Presenting their best face. Does that make it ok? I’m not sure.
We’re ALL guilty of that. I understand that it’s human nature. But this is a big church. Have some chutzpah. The church is leaving too much dirty work for parents, particularly mothers. They’re the ones who are most likely to have those conversations with their girls. “Mom, is it true? Joseph Smith had 33 wives? How old? How many involving sex? What happened to them? What happened if they said no? Did Emma give permission?” And then mothers have the lovely task of making sure their sweet, trusting, capable, earnest, intelligent daughters actually READ Section 132, so that they’re not alone in a seminary class, or a dorm away from home, when they really read it for the first time – latter-day scripture from a church they’ve devoted their lives to talking about virgins being moved around in this life and the next like pawn pieces.
Quote:Ann wrote:particularly mothers. They’re the ones who are most likely to have those conversations with their girls. “Mom, is it true? Joseph Smith had 33 wives? How old? How many involving sex? What happened to them? What happened if they said no? Did Emma give permission?” And then mothers have the lovely task of making sure their sweet, trusting, capable, earnest, intelligent daughters actually READ Section 132, so that they’re not alone in a seminary class, or a dorm away from home, when they really read it for the first time – latter-day scripture from a church they’ve devoted their lives to talking about virgins being moved around in this life and the next like pawn pieces.
Ann, mothers passing church doctrine /rules down to daughters is how many many things about women are controlled and taught to the next generation of women. Polygamy is simply perhaps the hardest pill to swallow. It is because daughters trust their mothers that it was even possible to pass it down to the next generation of girls. Even today, women tell other women that God will remove the pain of polygamy and their selfishness in the next life. Great lets keep telling women they just need to be more righteous and polygamy won’t bother them. Mothers teaching church culture/rules to daughters has the greatest influence on girls which the church is well aware. Hence why garments have not changed ( “mom doesn’t complain about her yeast infections or having to wear 4 layers of clothes I must need to just pray harder and endure,”) how modesty is monitored and enforced etc.. Pretty much anything the church needs to control, if it can get the moms on board the next generation of women/moms will teach and enforce it with their daughters.
“ The wife of my youth” – as compared to the sealings of his non-youth? “
The choice of my heart” – as compared to the arrangements made through a different connection than his heart? (I’m leaving that wide open, so it can include whatever other motivation anyone wants to ascribe to it, even as I repeat my personal belief that nearly all of the other sealings weren’t about sex, primarily or at all – especially after the first handful.)
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