LDS, Mormon and Joseph Smith's polygamy and the wife giving their consent?
Joseph's revelation on polygamy specifies that a man's first wife must consent before he can take another woman....
"And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood?if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and THE FIRST GIVE HER CONSENT, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, THEN IS HE JUSTIFIED; he cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belonged unto him and to no one else."
(Doctrine and Covenants 132:61)
Emily Dow Partridge testified that she and her sister were married to Joseph without Emma's consent, and that is was to be kept a secret.
Then why was Smith's polygamy hidden from Emma for some time? She was even very mad about it when she found out and burnt the "revelation"
Smith even denied it publicly after that also. SO how could he have had Emma consent?
Phrog, sure you have your side, and I have my view. If you weight the pros's and the CON'S the con's are still present within Smith's life...
Victory, I totally agree. The reasoning from Smith is wrong! The differences in the polygamy in Biblical times and in Early Mormonism it staggering!
Emily Dow partridge actually said.............
"I was married to him on the 11Th of May, 1843, by Elder James Adams. Emma was present. She gave her free and full consent."
it is also a fact that Emma was @TIMES supportive of her husband's other wives and helped select them.
and @74 (39 years after JS's death) she said of Joseph, "I believe he was everything he professed to be."
edit: "pros and cons" are present in every body's life.....so what does that mean? neither you nor I have to agree with polygamy.....we have that choice - and so did Emma. I am thankful that I do not have to face those trials that she did. I may not have fared so well - and I most certainly can understand her anger and frustrations with polygamy. however, the fact remains that she DID give her consent - and that she did have tantrums about it - and that she DID believe until her death that JS was "everything he claimed to be".
edit@ V's comments........the bible does not condemn polygamy. in fact Deuteronomy 21:15 and exodus 21:10 BOTH provide rule for those who HAVE plural wives --- some of those rules being (referenced in your previous answer) warnings against being led astray by plural spouses, or entering relationships not sanctioned by God's authority. you place yourself in the precarious position of interpreting God's intentions and condemning His prophets. He made it clear that He loved Abraham and scripture makes it clear that He sanctioned and provided guidelines for abraham's (and others) relationships. and He chastised them when they broke His rules.....even those He set forth concerning polygamy.
Emily frequently attacked Emma in later years, and though her accusations were shot down by those who knew Emma (and so knew better), one of the accusations was that Emma basically tried to make her look bad in front of Joseph.
I found an excerpt from her autobiography on line (I have a copy, but this was easier). In it, Emily wrote, "I was married to him on the 11Th of May, 1843, by Elder James Adams. Emma was present. She gave her free and full consent. She had always up to this time, been very kind to me and my sister Eliza, who was also married to the Prophet Joseph Smith with Emma's consent; but ever after she was our enemy. She used every means in her power to injure us in the eyes of her husband, and before strangers, and in consequence of her abuse we were obliged to leave the city to gratify her, but things were overruled otherwise, and we remained in Nauvoo."
...so exactly when did she say that Emma didn't know? I would appreciate a source.
What strikes the most is all the comments in "pro", that none is backed by the Holy Scriptures, to wit, The Bible, the one and only true word of God, the source of information on how one is to live ones life currently.
To all in "pro", please read or re read my comments, biblical, based on polygamy: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjwU9IXfXSsJK_9N3ztAXGzsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid =20100719140130AA647xp&show=7#profile-info-TwKStcu6aa
Joseph violated D&C 132 in two principal ways. As you point out, he did not have the consent of his first wife or any other wife for that matter.
It's interesting that section 132 made it's way into the D&C in the late 1800's, 1872 I believe while the part of the section that declared monogamy was ripped out. How little respect the LDS/Mormons have for their own scriptures and for that matter, their integrity.
And second, he married 11 women who already had living husbands. Any honest Mormon cannot explain why Joseph Smith would do this. Of course, my explanation is lust that had license through religious power.
A great article of the lies of LDS prophets highlights 120, 60 of which are around polygamy. Lies usually flourish around darkness and polygamy certainly fits. Here's a good one http://packham.n4m.org/lying.htm, but my favorite is http://www.mormonthink.com/lying.htm from a former Bishop and CES leader.
LDS, Mormon and Joseph Smith's polygamy and the wife giving their consent?
