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Chapter Ten
HOW DID JOSEPH TRANSGRESS TO BRING AGAIN THE LEVITICAL
LAW?
Joseph Smith inquired about everything, even perhaps that
which he should not have. In the 132nd Section of the
Doctrine and Covenants Verse 1 informs us as follows:
"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 concubines
2 Behold, and lo, I am the Lord thy God, and will answer
thee as touching this matter. "
The foregoing is unlikely. Nobody comes under the category
of having "many" wives and concubines except David and
Solomon and Joseph could not be inquiring about their
justification since he had revised the bible as follows:
RB, I Kings 3:1 "And THE LORD WAS NOT PLEASED
WITH Solomon for he made affinity with Pharaoh,
king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter to wife, and
brought her into the house of David until he had made an end
of building his own house, and the house of the Lord, and
the wall of Jerusalem round about. AND THE LORD
BLESSED SOLOMON FOR THE PEOPLES SAKE ONLY ."
The additions are in capital letters that Joseph Smith
added when he revised the Bible so he was
fully aware of how the Lord felt about the doings of
Solomon.
Also RB, I Kings 3:14 "And if thou (Solomon) wilt walk in my
ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, then I will
lengthen thy days, AND THOU SHALT NOT WALK IN
UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. AS DID THY FATHER DAVID ."
In the foregoing, that which is capitalized was
added in the Bible's revision so Joseph
knew the status of David where the Lord was concerned.
Now let us go to the Book of Mormon:
Jacob 1:15 "And now it came to pass that the people of
Nephi, under the reign of the second king, began to grow
hard in their hearts, and indulge themselves somewhat
in WICKED PRACTICES! such as like unto David of old
desiring many wives and concubines, and also Solomon, his
son ."
Jacob 2:23 "But the word of God burdens me because of your
grosser crimes. For behold, thus saith the Lord: This people
begin to wax in iniquity; they understand not the
scriptures, for they seek to excuse themselves in committing
whoredoms, because of the things which were written
concerning David, and Solomon his son.
24 Behold, David and Solomon truly had
many wives and concubines. which thing was ABOMINABLE before
me, saith the Lord ."
Since Joseph, through transcribing the plates into what
became the Book of Mormon, received the foregoing
information on David and Solomon he could never have been
inquiring from God
about justification for their sexual appetites. In Verse 41
of the 132nd Section of the Doctrine and Covenants it states
that Joseph was inquiring concerning adultery. What, then,
could he have been inquiring about concerning adultery?
In the early days of the church there was a Spiritual Wives
Doctrine talked about.
1. Spiritual Wives Doctrine
ln a study made on the great religious revival that had
taken place in America and other parts of the world in the
early part of the Nineteenth Century, it was interesting to
learn that an important part of this revival was a Spiritual
Wivery Doctrine. This doctrine belonged to the New Pauline
Church (known as the Perfect Church) in America with two
great branches in New York and Connecticutt. A book was
published on this movement under the title
"Spiritual Wives " by J. B. Lippincott
& Co. The author (not a Mormon) has this to say on Page
62:
"Sydney Rigdon, at the time of his conversion by Parley
Pratt, was the pastor of a church at Kirtland, in Ohio. He
had already changed his religion more than once. He had been
a loud ranter, a hot revivalist; and after his conversion to
the Mormon faith, he labored in his district among the more
exalted members of the most exalted sects. He knew the
writing of Mahan, Gates, and Boyle - WRITING IN
WHICH LOVE AND MARRIAGE ARE CONSIDERED IN RELATION TO GOSPEL
LIBER TY AND A FUTURE LIFE. It is all but
certain that he was acquainted with the ideas of Hiram
Sheldon and Father Noyes. the two most active founders of
the Perfect church . All the Perfect churches,
being based on the great dogma of the saints having to live
a life on earth free from sin, professed to believe that
marriage, in its old and carnal shape, would pass away, and
be replaced in time by a new, a holier, and more lasting
state. Oberlin, one of the chief centres of this Perfect
creed, is in Ohio, a few miles only from Kirtland, where
Rigdon preached and dwelt."
Note the bolded, "writing in which love
and marriage are considered in relation to gospel liberty
and a future life ." Doesn't this sound very
similar to the concept that men are at liberty (through
divine sanction) to marry more than one woman and claim
ownership in a future life (through sealings).
The above quote states that "it is all but certain" that he
(Sydney Rigdon) was acquainted with a knowledge of the
"spiritual wivery" part of the revival and the following
will show that Sydney Rigdon was also blamed for a Spiritual
Wifery Doctrine by members of the LDS Church after
Joseph Smith's death:
(October 1, 1844) Trial of Sydney Rigdon - T & S, Vol.
5, Page 661 "There are many who seem to be in
difficulty concerning Sidney Rigdon's standing in the church
during the time he has been wallowing in his filth and
corruption for four or five years past . I know how
he has stood, but I rather some one else would tell it, I
shall therefore leave the subject."
(November 15, 1844) T & S, Vol. 5, page 715 "The saints
of the last days have witnessed the outgoings and incomings
of so many apostates that nothing but truth has any effect
upon them. In the present instance. after the sham
quotations of Sydney and his clique! from the Bible. Book of
Mormon. and Doctrine and Covenants. to skulk off. under the
"dreadful splender" of spiritual wifery which is brought
into the account as graciously as if the law of the land
allowed a man a plurality of wives. is fiendish. and like
the rest of Sidney's revelation , ...."
In a letter to William Smith from W. W. Phelps, Sydney is
blamed for the sin of Lamech (son of Cain who according to
Old Testament Scripture was a polygamist) as follows:
(January 1, 1844) (1845) T & S, Vol. 5, Page 757: "Talk
about holiness, morality, temperance, humanity, brotherly
kindness and charity among the refined polite nations of the
world; why, ever since Cain built a city for the
ungodly to revel in, for the polygamy of a Lameck :
..........the majority of mankind, have made money their
faith; popularity their works, and persecution their
sincerest devotion of moral greatness... "
Continuing on Page 761 he ends the letter: " .... shall we,
who have tasted of the good word of God, and seen the
mysteries of the world to come, shall we turn to the
beggarly elements of the world, to work our passage back to
popularity and hell, for a "mess of pottage, " like Hinkle,
Bennett , Law, Rigdon and Co.?"
Note , I have bolded the name
"Bennett " who was accused of a Spiritual
Wife system before Joseph's death:
(April l, 1844) T & S, Vol. 5, Page 490 & 491, TO
THE ELDERS ABROAD "We very frequently receive letters from
elders and individuals abroad, inquiring of us whether
certain statements that they hear, and have written to them,
are true: some pertaining to John C. Bennett's
Spiritual Wife System ; other in regard to immoral
conduct, practiced by individuals, and sanctioned by the
church; and as it is impossible for us to answer all of
them, we take this opportuniy of answering them all, once
for all.
In the f~rst place, we cannot but express our surprise that
any elder or priest who has been in Nauvoo, and has had an
opportunity of hearing the principles of truth advanced,
should for one moment give credence to the idea that
anything like iniquity is practised, much less taught
or sanctioned, by the authorities of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints..........We have in our midst
corrupt men, (and let no man be astonished at this for "the
net shall gather in of every kind, good and bad;") these
corrupt men circulate corrupt principles, for a corrupt tree
cannot bring forth good fruit; these spread their pernicious
influence abroad,........There are other men who are
corrupt and sensual. and who teach corrupt principles for
the sake of gratifying their sensual appetities. at the
expense and ruin of virtue and innocence . Such men
ought to be avoided as pests to society, and be frowned down
upon with contempt by every virtuous man and
woman..........Follow after purity, virtue, holiness,
integrity, Godliness, and everything that has a tendency to
exalt and ennoble the human mind; and shun every man who
teaches any other principles."
Also: A statement made by the Prophet's wife, Emma, in
Sanders: "Succession in the Presidency ,"
Page 204 (This is a requote from Edward Tullidge, Pages
789-795 Feb. 1, 1879):
"There was no revelation of either polygamy, or spiritual
wives. There were some rumors of something of the sort, of
which I asked my husband. He assured me that all there was
of it, was that in a chat about PLURAL WIVES
he had said: "Well, such a system might
be. if everybody was agreed to it. and would behave as they
should but they would not: and besides. IT WAS CONTRARY TO
THE WILL OF HEAVEN . No such thing as polygamy, or
spiritual wifery, was taught publicly or privately before my
husband's death, that I have now, or ever had any knowledge
of......."
"At one time my husband came to me and asked me if I had
heard certain rumors about SPIRITUAL MARRIAGES. OR
ANYTHING OF THE KIND: AND ASSURED ME THAT IF I HAD. THAT
THEY WERE WITHOUT FOUNDATION: THAT THERE WAS NO SUCH
DOCTRINE AND NEVER SHOULD BE WITH HIS KNOWLEDGE OR
CONSENT ."
Emma's statement is consistent with this conference
talk:
Diaries, Page 469 "Conference of the Twelve April 8, 1844 15
4 P.M. A large collection of Elders assembled at the stand.
Addressed by Patriarch Hyrum Smith on Spiritual wife
system . The first one we heard reporting such
stories we will report him in the Time and Seasons to come
and give up his license. He was decided against it
IN EVERY FORM and spoke at length. President Rigdon
Concurred in his remarks following Hyrum ."
Spiritual marriages "IN EVERY FORM " are
cancelled out by Pres. Hyrum Smith in the foregoing. And if
Sydney Rigdon were the one who had Joseph inquire about such
a doctrine it sounds as if he had the record straight at
that time which was two months before the Prophet's
martyrdom. Anything, that I have found, that gave spiritual
marriage credence or made plural marriage a celestial law
was in the form of "additions" to original diaries or that
which was published after Joseph Smith's death.
In the book "Blood Atonement and the Origin of
Plural Marriage " which is a discussion between the
late Pres. Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr. and the Reorganized L.
D. S. Church, Pres. Smith uses a statement from a
Reorganized Church publication to prove to them that Joseph
Smith was the author of plural marriage. The statement
is:
First Volume of the "True L. D. S. Herald," page 27 "He
(Joseph Smith) caused the Revelation to be burned and when
he voluntarily came to Nauvoo and resigned himself into the
arms of his enemies, he said that he was going to Carthage
to die. At that time he also said that if it had not been
for the accursed Spiritual Wife Doctrine. HE WOULD
NOT HAVE COME TO THAT ."
Joseph Smith (if this statement is true) is very upset with
the "accursed Spiritual Wife Doctrine " Could he have
inquired about something that he should not have been
inquiring about "50 - a doctrine belonging
to another denomination to satisfy the inquisitiveness of
Sydney Rigdon?
To add even more to this confusion why was Sydney Rigdon
blamed for this doctrine, mistrusted, condemned and later
excommunicated and then little by little this same doctrine
Spiritual Wives - began to be preached in the Church after
Joseph Smith's death:
50 D ~ C 88:64 "Whatsoever ye ask the
Father in my name it shall be given unto you, that is
expedient for you;
65 And if ye ask anything that is not expedient for you. IT
SHALL TURN UNTO YOUR CONDEMNATION.
T & S, Vol. 6, Page 955, April 6, 1845 (Brigham Young
speaking): He begins by saying "JOSEPH IN HIS LIFE
TIME DID NOT RECEIVE EVERY THING CONNECTED WITH THE DOCTRINE
OF REDEMPTION, but he has left the key with those who under
stand how to obtain and teach to this great people all that
is necessary for their salvation and exaltation the
celestial kingdom of our God .........I would now
call your attention to some of the sayings of the apostle
Paul. I hope you will not stumble at them. Paul says,
"nevertheless, neither is the man without the woman, neither
the woman without the man, in the Lord, for as the woman is
of the man, even so is the man also by the women, but all
things of God. " The same Apostle also says, "The woman is
the glory of the man." Now brethren, these are
Paul's sayings, NOT JOSEPH SMITH'S SPIRITUAL WIFE SYSTEM
SAYINGS.
And I would say, as no man can be perfect without
the woman, so no woman can be perfect without a man
to lead her , I tell you the truth as it is in the
bosom of eternity; and I say so to every man upon the face
of the earth: if he wishes to be saved he cannot be saved
without a woman by his side. This is spiritual
wifeism that is, the doctrine of spiritual wives."
The foregoing is an admission by Brigham
Young that Joseph did not restore marriage as a part of the
doctrine of redemption but refers us to the Apostle
Paul for verification of the fact which informs us that the
marriage concept in the Church does not come from Joseph
Smith but from Brigham Young who, impossible as it may seem,
then (in the same speech) began to associate the Spiritual
Wife System of marriage with Joseph Smith which is the
ultimate of contradictions. Also, while spiritual wives in
Brigham Young's address was associated with monogamy it had
previously blossomed into a plurality of wives for as early
as September 4, 1844, less than three months after the
martyrdom (and while Rigdon was being accused of this
doctrine) the following was published in
the Warsaw Signal:
".... Brigham Young preached in Nauvoo last Sunday, and in
the course of his sermon avowed his belief in the spiritual
wife doctrine, and said that he wished that he had one
hundred spiritual wives. Thus it appears, that what seceders
said in relation to this matter, is now openly admitted.
"
And this belief followed them to the Salt Lake
Basin:
William Hepworth Dixon, author of the book
"Spiritual Wives " interviewed Brigham
Young in Salt Lake City. On page 61, the following is
recorded:
"A few words dropt by Brigham Young, in the course of a long
reply to questions of mine on another point, told me that
the Mormon Pope knew more than could be found in books about
that doctrine of the Spiritual Wife."
Also quoting Heber C. Kimball, Deseret News, Nov. 7, 1855:
"If you oppose what is called the 'Spiritual Wife Doctrine,'
that patriarchal order, which is of God, that course will
corrode you with a spirit of apostacy, and you will go
overboard;...."
Those in this day and age who still practice plural marriage
and firmly believe it to be a celestial law must have
exhausted every means available to find in the diaries of
Joseph Smith legal proof of his direct involvement with the
principle.
This is recorded in their own publication:
The Most Holy Principle , Vol. 3,
Introduction Page iv "Note - It is interesting to note
that
the earliest journals of Joseph Smith which are readily
available, contain no contemporary
entries which would confirm dates of plural marriages or the
fact that a plural wife was taken on a given date, or of
other events concerning this principle, and often no entry
at all, and the testimony upon which we are dependent, to
establish those early facts and dates, is given, by those
involved or personally acquainted with them, MANY
YEARS after the event. Thus WE ARE,
ENTIRELY DEPENDENT UPON THE INTEGRITY OF THE WORDS AND
RECOLLECTIONS OF THE INDIVIDUALS GIVING THEIR
TESTIMONY ."
The only conclusion I can come to is that a reason for
plural marriage was erroneously formed and took root and
when the proof could not be found, to substantiate the
claim, validation was "added" to Joseph's diaries. Since
nothing AUTHENTIC appears in the record on
spiritual marriages in Joseph's lifetime we will discuss the
status of marriage next.
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