WHY DID JOSEPH SMITH PRACTICE POLYGAMY?
In his 1943 book, “Evidences and Reconciliations,
Apostle John A. Widtsoe explained:
“Plural marriage has been a subject of wide and frequent
comment. Members of the Church unfamiliar with its history, and
many non-members, have set up fallacious reasons for the origin of this
system of marriage among the Latter-day Saints.
The most common of these conjectures is that the Church, through
plural marriage, sought to provide husbands for its large surplus of
female members. The implied assumption in this theory, that there
have been more female than male members in the Church, is not supported
by existing evidence. On the contrary, there seem always to have
been more males than females in the Church...
The United States census records from 1850 to 1940, and all available
Church records, uniformly show a preponderance of males in Utah, and in
the Church. Indeed, the excess in Utah has usually been larger than
for the whole United States, as would be expected in a pioneer state.
The births within the Church obey the usual population law - a slight excess
The theory that plural marriage was a consequence of a surplus
of female Church members fails from lack of evidence...
Another conjecture is that the people were few in number and that
the Church, desiring greater numbers, permitted the practice so that a
phenomenal increase in population could be attained. This is not
defensible, since there was no surplus of women...”
Elder Widtsoe goes on to explain the reason he believes polygamy
was practiced: “The principle of plural marriage came by
revelation from the Lord. That is the reason why the Church practiced
it.” (Widtsoe, John A., “Evidences And Reconciliation”, pgs
307 – 310, The Bookcraft Company, 1943, Salt Lake City, Utah)
An example from the U.S. Census
records, which Elder Widtsoe referred to, indicates that in 1840 there
were 5169 males and 4762 females in Hancock County, Illinois (Nauvoo being
the primary population center). Counting just those persons between
the ages of 15 and 40, there were 2067 men and 1828 women. 1850
Census information for Utah records 6020 males and 5310 females.
A common reason given for polygamy, among polygamists both historical
and modern, from Joseph Smith to Warren
Jeffs, is the idea that God commanded them to take additional wives.
Joseph's Brother, Hyrum, and several of Joseph's wives said that
Joseph told them God would send an angel with a sword to "slay" him if
he did not marry additional wives.
Today, an increasing number of LDS church members are uncomfortable with
the idea that God commanded polygamy, and are adopting a different view.
To them, Joseph Smith’s behavior seems inappropriate or manipulative – perhaps
even abusive. The idea that Joseph pressured young teenagers into marriage,
or that he married women who already had loving, honorable husbands, does
not mesh with treasured principles such as agency when choosing a partner
and fidelity to ones cherished spouse. All this seems foreign to the
God they worship and the principles they honor and love.
These LDS church members take the view that, like David of the Old Testament,
it’s possible for accomplished and respected men to occasionally make a
mistake. They hope for the day when the LDS church will no longer
defend Joseph Smith’s behavior in polygamy as appropriate. Although
sometimes difficult, these members kindly and gently stand for their principles.
One member tells how during a discussion of Joseph Smith’s polygamy, she
expressed her feelings by simply saying, “I don’t want to make a big deal
of this, but I just want you to know that I don’t think this was appropriate,
or of God”.