LDS and Polygamy

2007-5-30 06:14:00

Larry writes:

"I ran across an interesting website which claims that Joseph Smith did not institute polygamy as practiced by Brigham Young and others after Joseph Smith was murdered. According to this Brigham Young was influenced by a group called the Cochranites who had a form of polygamy. Here is the url to the main page of the site:

'Joseph Smith Fought Polygamy': http://restorationbookstore.org/jsfp-index.htm"

JJ:

I've also come across this site recently and downloaded all the writings and read them. Even though I have studied many Mormon materials over the years this is the first credible argument I have seen that Joseph Smith did not promote polygamy.

Their argument is that plural marriage existed as a conspiracy among members of the twelve apostles led by Brigham Young and the purported testimonies that Joseph practiced and authorized polygamy never even surfaced until years later when they were securely settled in Utah.

Joseph was killed in 1844, but polygamy was not officially introduced to the church until 1852, eight years after his death. The writings purport that the authorities felt they needed the sanction of Joseph Smith to make polygamy credible among the faithful so they used their powerful authority to convince many people to write affidavits to the effect that Joseph had many secret wives and taught the doctrine.

One thing that has always made me question the orthodox history is that it cannot be proven that Joseph fathered even one child to any of his thirty plus wives, except his first. I believe Emma gave birth about nine times so they were both quite fertile.

One incident that is in the books that bothered me more than any other was that Joseph was supposed to have attempted to make Sarah Pratt a spiritual wife while her husband Orson was on a mission to England.

Consequently, I found this story by Joseph's son Joseph III to be very interesting:

"Joseph Smith III, son of the Martyr, interviewed Sarah Pratt on one of his visits to Salt Lake City. That interview was published in two issues of the Saints' Herald. Joseph III reported:

I was visiting in the home of a retired physician named Benedict.... In conversation with him and his wife, I mentioned Elder Orson Pratt, then deceased, and asked them if they knew the woman who was his wife when he lived in Nauvoo, and whether or not she were still living.

They said, "Why, yes; she lives with some sons of hers only about two blocks from here, and we know her well."

For certain reasons which I believed to be good, I was desirous of having a talk with Mrs. Pratt, whom I had known at Nauvoo. So I asked Doctor Benedict if he would go with me to call upon her. He consented to do so, and after lunch we repaired to the house and I was presented to the lady.... The latter part of my conversation with her revolved around the matters I had had particularly in mind when I sought the interview. I asked her, "Sister Pratt, will you allow me to ask you some rather personal and delicate questions?"

"You may ask me any questions proper for a lady to hear and answer," she replied.

I assured her I would use no language a lady should not hear and did not wish to ask any improper question or one she might not answer in the presence of Dr. Benedict who was with me. But I told her I felt there were some which referred to my father and herself which only she could answer. I asked her to consider the circumstances in which I was placed. I was the son of the Prophet; had been baptized by him; was a member, though a young one, at the time of his death, and thought that I had understood, in part at least, the principles the church taught and believed. But following his death certain things were said about him, his teaching and practice, which were at variance with what I had known and believed about him and about the doctrines he presented. Naturally I wanted to know the truth about these matters, for I assured her I would much rather meet here in this life whatever of truth might be revealed about those things, even though it were adverse to what I believed to be his character, than to wait until after I had passed to the other side and there be confronted with it and compelled to alter my position should such revealment prove I had been in error. She told me to proceed and the following conversation took place.

"Did you know my father in Nauvoo?"

"Yes, I knew him well."

"Were you acquainted with his general deportment in society, especially towards women?"

"Yes."

"Did you ever know him to be guilty of any inpropriety in speech or conduct towards women in society or elsewhere?"

"No, sir, never. Your father was always a gentleman, and I never heard any language from him or saw any conduct of his that was not proper and respectful."

"Did he ever visit you or at your house?"

"He did."

"Did he ever at such times or at any other time or place make improper overtures to you, or proposals of an improper nature-begging your pardon for the apparent indelicacy of this question?"

To this Mrs. Pratt replied, quietly but firmly, "No, Joseph; your father never said an improper word to me in his life. He knew better."

"Sister Pratt, it has been frequently told that he behaved improperly in your presence, and I have been told that I dare not come to you and and ask you about your relations with him, for fear you would tell me things which would be unwelcome to me."

"You need have no such fear," she repeated. "Your father was never guilty of an action or proposal of an improper nature in my house, towards me, or in my presence, at any time or place. There is no truth in the reports that have been circulated about him in this regard. He was always the Christian gentleman, and a noble man."

That I thanked Mrs. Pratt very warmly for her testimony in these matters my readers may be very sure. I had constantly heard it charged that my father had been guilty of improper conduct toward Elder Pratt's wife, and I had long before made up my mind that if I ever had an opportunity I would find out the truth from her.

The result [of this interview] was very gratifying to me, especially as she had made her short, clear-cut statements freely, just as I have recorded, in the presence of Dr. Benedict.

It may be added that mingled with my pleasure was a degree of astonishment that such stories as had been told about her and her relations with Father should have gotten out and been so widely circulated and yet never met with a public refutation from her. However, I expressed my appreciation of her kind reception and her statements, and at the close of our interview, which lasted about an hour and a half, left her with good wishes.

Doctor Benedict and I passed from her presence into the street in a silence which was not broken until we had gone some distance. Then suddenly he stopped, pulled off his hat, looked all around carefully, and raising his hand emphatically, said:

"My God! What damned liars these people are! Here for years I have been told that your father had Mrs. Pratt for one of his spiritual wives and was guilty of improper relations with her. Now I hear from her own lips, in unmistakable language, that it was not true. What liars! What liars!"

...I was glad that before she died I had her testimony, and that it had proved, as had been proved many times before, that such charges made against my father were untrue.

...I have conscientiously traced statements made by various individuals inculpating my father in this wrongdoing, and in every instance I have failed to find evidence worthy to be called proof. It strikes me now, as it has for many, many years, that honorable men and women should absolve me from blame for pursuing the course I have taken, in steadfastly refusing to believe, simply because persons entangled in the evil meshes [of polygamy] wished to involve him in their wrongdoing, that my father was a bad man and responsible for doctrines which he himself pronounced to be 'false and corrupt.'"
(Saints' Herald, January 15, 1935, 80; January 22, 1935, 109-110)

Global Warming Enlightenment:

Recent news stories that make even faithful global warming believers question:

Denver Post - 05/29/2007

Hail remains on the sidewalks after a fierce storm struck downtown Denver on Tuesday afternoon, May 29, 2007. (Glenn Asakawa | The Denver Post)

A sudden storm dropped heavy rain and up to 4 inches of hail on the metro area, enough to turn streets white.

The hail piled up 4 inches deep at Elitch Gardens amusement park in downtown Denver, a spokeswoman said.

23 May 07 -
Up to eight inches of snow forecast in Colorado mountains ... And it's almost Memorial Day!

KFYR TV - Late Snow Falls In Western North Dakota

Kevin Gribble
5/26/2007

It`s May 26th, Memorial Day weekend. Normally, there`d be kids playing on this playground right about now, but instead it`s windy, cold, and there`s snow on the ground.

Calgary Sun - Fri, May 25, 2007

Spring snowfall sets city record

Trees downed, cars damaged in wintry overnight blast

Homes were left without power, downed trees damaged dozens of cars and school was cancelled for thousands of kids as a blast of record snow slammed many parts of southern Alberta yesterday.

The wintry blast topped the previous snowfall mark of 5.1 cm for May 24, set in 1911, with communities on the city's northwestern edge among the hardest hit.

The Sun - UK
May 28, 2007

BRITAIN looks set to be hit by Bank Holiday SNOW today.

Heavy rain is forecast for almost everywhere, but areas as far apart as northern Scotland and East Anglia could turn white... Reader Comment: OMG!! Global cooling!! Quick! If you've got a 4x4 get out & drive it as much as possible before its too late...

Snowiest Spring on Pikes Peak in more than a decade - 24 May 07 - This is the snowiest spring on Pikes Peak in more than a decade. Barr Camp recorded 231 inches of snow this winter. (It saw only 50 inches in 2006.)

May 28th Record Lows:

Redmond, OR - 26 degrees

Alturas, OR - 28 degrees

Bonners Ferry, ID - 30 degrees

May 22

Eleven Inches of Snow in Montana - Heavy, wet snow fell across elevations as low as 4,000 feet in the northern Rockies and Northwest Monday. As of 11 p.m. Monday, Georgetown, MT., had received 11 inches with more continuing on the way, while ten inches of snow blanketed Philipsburg. In Philipsburg, the water-loaded snow made many roads impassable and downed small tree limbs. Earlier in the morning, up to eight inches of snow whitened Badger Mountain, five miles north-northeast of Wenatchee, WA.

Coldest April in Pennsylvania in 32 years. Third coldest on record.

3 May 07 - It was the coldest April since 1975 and the 13th coldest on record (since 1914). The average monthly temperature was 49 degrees, nearly 3 degrees colder than normal.