s ▁Press ▁publishing ▁the ▁Joseph ▁Smith ▁Pap ers , ▁J ensen ▁offered ▁instruction ▁on ▁how ▁to ▁approach ▁church ▁history . ▁He ▁asked ▁for ▁L DS ▁histor ians ▁to ▁" not ▁be ▁in ▁an ▁apolog etic ▁mode , ▁but ▁to ▁be ▁as ▁open , ▁candid ▁and ▁fair ▁about ▁our ▁own ▁history ▁as ▁we ▁can ". ▁They ▁should ▁fost er ▁a ▁culture ▁of ▁mut ual ▁open ness ▁with ▁the ▁general ▁historical ▁community . ▁J ensen ▁observed ▁" gre ater ▁dialog ue ▁coming ▁about , ▁less ▁susp icion ▁and ▁a ▁greater ▁open ness ▁that ▁is ▁coming ▁to ▁pass ". ▁ ▁F L DS ▁pol yg amy ▁On ▁May ▁ 5 , ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁J ensen ▁officially ▁respond ed ▁to ▁Tim othy ▁E gan ' s ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁op - ed ▁piece ▁which ▁claimed ▁that ▁F L DS ▁pol yg amy ▁" is ▁a ▁look ▁back ▁at ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁behavior ▁of ▁M orm on ism ' s ▁found ing ▁f athers ". ▁J ensen ▁strongly ▁disag re ed ▁and ▁pointed ▁out ▁that ▁by ▁ 1 9 th - century ▁norm s ▁a ▁ 1 5 - year - old ▁b ride ▁was ▁not ▁unusual ▁nor ▁considered ▁ab used ▁and ▁the ▁" common - law ▁marriage ▁age ▁for ▁women ▁was ▁ 1 2 ". ▁Pl ural ▁mar ri ages ▁were ▁" not ▁controlled ▁by ▁the ▁authority ▁of ▁one ▁individual " ▁and ▁" the ▁consent ▁of ▁individual ▁women ▁was ▁always ▁hon ored ▁in ▁any ▁marriage ▁proposal ". ▁In ▁addition , ▁many ▁ 1