Joseph Smith’s Nauvoo journals include brief references to the revelation about plural marriage that tried his faith and the faith of the Saints.
How can we make sense of plural marriage or explain it to others? One place to begin is the introduction to Joseph Smith’s Nauvoo journals found on the Joseph Smith Papers website.
Kept by Joseph’s personal secretary and close friend, Willard Richards, the journals contain only sparse references to the sensitive topic. The introduction indicates, “Given the sensitivity of the topic, it is no surprise that clear references to plural marriage are virtually absent from Joseph Smith’s Nauvoo journals.” However, the Nauvoo journals help put some of the events into perspective.
Although it is difficult to fully understand plural marriage, we can conclude that Joseph and the Saints followed revelation from God and that through their obedience, the work of the Lord moved forward in His way. Often we do not understand why the Lord commands us to do hard things. But the Lord blesses us and enlightens our understanding as we walk by faith as Joseph did.
Question and answers about the practice of plural marriage.
Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo.
Plural Marriage and Families in Early Utah.
The Manifesto and the End of Plural Marriage.
Read the Introduction to the Nauvoo Journals, December 1841–April 1843.
Tagged Joseph Smith, Joseph Smith Papers, marriage, plural marriage, Polygamy, The Joseph Smith Papers.
This article was very well researched, and It made me want to find more on the subject, which you supplied so easily. I learned so much about plural MARRIAGE from just this brief review. I really liked how it mentioned the different perspectives that people had on plural marriage. I think that opened my eyes a lot to the subject matter and helped me even feel more peace about it. Well done! and thank you for pointing me to a place to find out more information on this subject matter!
I didn’t know a lost of what’s in this article, and the information was helpful. This is such a hard topic to understand, but it’s faith-promoting to remember that they did something that was extremely difficult because they knew it was directed by the Lord.