Aug 11, 2011 listed as a smith plural wife by joseph f. Learn more about the life, writings, and legacy of joseph smith. This is an interesting book for both mormon and non mormon women. However, behind the controversy, lies the untold history and inspiring stories of real women with their personal experiences, successes, failures, trials, and legacies. Joseph smiths first wife was emma hale 180479 the daughter of isaac and elizabeth lewis hale. Mormon founder joseph smith took his first plural wife, fanny alger, in the mid1830s. The majority of smith s wives 11 out of the 33 documented by compton were between the ages of 14 and 20 when they wed the prophet.
Joseph smith s toleration of homoeroticism in the mormon churchs highest leadership circles and charges against smith of committing immoral acts with men the first known instance of homoerotic behavior in the mormon church first presidency involved john c. Book of mormon north american geography joseph smith foundation. Joseph smithpolygamychildren of polygamous marriagesdid he. Joseph smith and plural marriage church of jesus christ. Two of my greatgreat grandmothers were polygamist wives and they knew joseph smith. One of the most controversial facets of latterday saint history is joseph smith s practice of plural marriage. Joseph smith recovery from mormonism the mormon church. Do you know of any joseph smith documents that we might not have heard about. Mormon origins is created to make available historical information andor documents relating to the beginnings of mormonism in america. The history of joseph smith as told by his wives and their journalized views. December 23, 1805 june 27, 1844 was an american religious leader and founder of mormonism and the latter day saint movement. Unfortunately, later book of mormon peoples saw the rise of wicked kings such as noah, the son of zeniff, who did not keep the commandments of god by taking many wives and concubines mosiah 11. Joseph s place and influence in the tapestry of american and world history is undeniably significant, and his story is certainly one worth sharing on the screen. Telling the story of joseph smith on film has been the ambition of many artists for a long time.
Smith was born in vermont in 1805, and his family moved to new york in 1817. Apr 26, 2010 josephs place and influence in the tapestry of american and world history is undeniably significant, and his story is certainly one worth sharing on the screen. Resolving a 150yearold paternity case in mormon history using dtc autosomal dna testing of distant relatives. It has left a remarkable impression on all those who have participated in it, from church leaders to the crew to the actors themselves.
Young and beaman had five children together, all of whom predeceased beaman, who died at age 35. For a summary article of these women after the death of joseph smith, read joseph smiths plural wives after the martyrdom. However, this is not the first time that the church has admitted. Citing the book of mormon, smith ended his pamphlet emphasizing that the book of mormon, while generally proscribing biblicaltype polygamy, does include the caveat, for if i will, saith the lord of hosts, raise up a seed unto me, i will command my people emphasis is smith s. List of joseph smiths wives jump to navigation jump to search. Book of mormon, 1837, page 7 the joseph smith papers. My greatgreatgrandmother, emma hale smith, ensign, aug. After smiths death, beaman remarried, becoming the ninth wife of brigham young.
By the time of his death, 14 years later, he had attracted tens of thousands of followers and founded a religion that continues to the present. He is a direct descendant of asael and mary duty smith, the prophet joseph smith s grandparents, and other lds church history figures. Born on december 23, 1805, in sharon, vermont, to joseph and lucy mack smith, joseph smith jr. To the inside front cover are affixed four clippings of descriptions of different versions of first edition copies of the book of mormon and of an 1854 edition of the doctrine and covenants, along with a clipping describing the origin of the text of the book of mormon and a bookplate of the shepard book company of salt lake city, utah. How can joseph smith be a man of god when he had 40 wives. Joseph smithpolygamychildren of polygamous marriages did.
I have always loved the book of mormon, says jackson. The 1831 transcript of a revelation by joseph smith approving marriages between church members and native americans, stating for it is my will, that in time, ye should take unto you wives of the lamanites and nephites, that their posterity may become white, delightsome and just, for even now their females are more virtuous than the gentiles. Plural marriage in kirtland and nauvoo, gospel topics, the. The mormon religion is based upon the story and religious teachings of joseph smith. After the book of mormon was published, mormonism began to spread and grow rapidly. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he had attracted tens of thousands of followers and founded a religion that continues to the present with millions of global adherents. He was one of the eight witnesses of the book of mormon s golden plates and was the first presiding patriarch of the early latter day. Joseph smithpolygamyhiding the practice from emma joseph smith. Jun 25, 2008 the lds church lies by 1 not educating the common mormon people about the nature of joseph smith s polygyny and polyandry, and 2 allowing gigantic faithpromoting rumors concerning polygamy to. Regarded by the church of jesus christ of latterday saints as holy scripture detailing gods revelation to joseph smith. The battle to control the public memory of joseph smith. She wrote for him during the initial translation of the book of mormon.
The lds church now officially admits that joseph smith had over 30 wives, that he had sex with some of them, and that some of his wives had legal husbands. Joseph smith was a conartist, impostor, necromancer. Kirby heyborne is an lds actor best known for his role as elder calhoun in. With joseph smith there were only four or five that even claimed to have had a physical relationship with. Media related to wives of joseph smith at wikimedia commons. Joseph smith was a sexual predator issues facing the mormon. What do latterday saint churches believe and teach about polygamy today 3. Smith s first known sexual affair was with a teenager named fannie alger, who was living with smith and his first wife emma in their kirtland, ohio, home. And it came to pass that coriantum took to wife, in his old age, a young maid, and begat sons and daughters. Smith, who noted 1869 affidavit of beamans brotherinlaw joseph b. Peterson with a portrait of joseph smiths first wife, emma, at a display of her paintings of his 34 wives in provo, utah, last month. Church admits for the first time how many wives founder joseph smith had. Noble, stating he officiated at the wedding, william clayton said smith told him in february 1843 that beaman was one of his plural wives.
The founder of the mormon church, joseph smith, wed as many as 40 wives, including one as young as 14 years old, the church. About 55 percent were single at the time of marriage and were not allowed to enter civil marriages until joseph smith s death. Misrepresenting polygamy, especially that of joseph. Brief background of my life as a mormon leaving mormonism and some experiences as a mormon history of joseph smith book of mormon book of abraham the temple church members. Church leaders, cast and crew express excitement for. Did joseph smith have sexual relations with wives other than emma. Lds church history documents that their mormon founder, joseph smith, lied to a large group of people about his having multiple wives. Kieth merrill discusses north american setting for book of mormon and mistake made in filming of the testaments. Nov 11, 2014 mormon church finally admits founder had 40 wives as young as 14 some of whom were already married to his friends.
Emma wouldnt let joseph into the garden because people would gather just to be around him and would trample the plants. However, if joseph smith was legally married to helen he. Biographies of josephs plural wives joseph smiths polygamy. The refiners fire john brooke examines joseph smith s environment to try and discover why joseph smith accomplished what he did. Nov 11, 2014 the founder of the mormon church, joseph smith, wed as many as 40 wives, including one as young as 14 years old, the church acknowledged. May showing examples of book of mormon armor and battle mound. How joseph smith and the early mormons challenged american democracy. Her son joseph smith iii became president of the reorganized church at its founding in 1860, with his brother alexander hale smith as his counselor. Smith was the founding prophet and first president of the church. Book of mormon armor and battle mounds joseph smith foundation. The first mormon, was born in salt lake city, earned a masters degree in library science at columbia university, worked at the new york public library, and became an assistant professor and head of the teachers central laboratory at hunter college library, new york. Mormon leader joseph smiths 34 wives inspire utah artist the.
The prophet once taught that complainers cannot be exalted. God declared in the book of mormon that monogamy was the standard. This was originally written as a letter to a friend, a mormon, who wanted to know why i left mormonism. He was the son of former church president joseph f. The book of joseph is an untranslated text identified by joseph smith after analyzing egyptian papyri that came into his possession in 1835. Garth norman posted by permission of ancient america foundation and the author. The lds church addresses joseph smiths polygamy mormons. At the age of 24, he married lucy mack in tunbridge, vermont on january 24, 1795. Joseph smith, the founder and leader of the mormon religion, is murdered along with his brother hyrum when an anti mormon mob breaks into a jail.
A chapter from the dvd book of mormon archaeology in north america by wayne n. First understand the difference between what was considered a spiritual wife verses a wife who you have a physical relationship. Oct 24, 2014 joseph smith, who wrote the book of mormon and established the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, is thought to have married as many as 50 women, but for years the senior church. The lds church and joseph smith s polygamy doug fabrizios interview of assistant lds church historian richard turley and scholars patrick q. Dna rules out joseph smith has descendants from polygamist. Joseph smith taught that the text contains the writings of the ancient biblical patriarch joseph. Dna rules out joseph smith has descendants from polygamist wives. What is known about possible children through joseph smith s polygamous marriages. You will have a solid foundation of the early mormon church and its charismatic leader, joseph smith, after reading this book. Heres a behindthescenes look at the filming of the book. Book of mormon, 1830, page 5 the joseph smith papers. What do we know about mormon leader joseph smiths wives. The book of mormon, along with his revelations, then became fundamental tenets of the mormon church.
The book of mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the bible, used by latter day saints. Joseph smith characterized the book of mormon as the keystone of mormonism, and claimed that it was the most correct of any book on earth. Concerning this record, the prophet joseph smith, who translated it by the gift and power of god, said, i told the brethren that the book of mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to god by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book see the introduction at the. Fanny was also smith s first confirmed plural wife. Pdf version of remembering the wives of joseph smith. Further, thomas bullock, who inserted the happiness essay into their history to be published became a. Although emma remained estranged from brigham young and the latterday saints in utah, she maintained her belief in joseph smith s prophetic role and in the divine truth of the book of mormon. The book, which included an appendix of smith s 48 wives she wrote that there were probably more, resulted in brodies excommunication for apostasy by the lds church after its release. An account of lehi and his wife sariah, and his four sons, being called, beginning at the eldest, laman.
He has also played roles in other widely distributed lds church productions. She participated in sacred ordinances, and knew joseph and his calling in an intimate way that few if any others did, and continued to insist to her death that he had been a prophet. Joseph smith was 14 when he saw god and jesus christ. They went through all the beginning years of the mormon church and suffered the consequences. At age 20, smithdescribed in court records as joseph the glasslookerfaced his first criminal charge, a misdemeanor count of being a disorderly person. One of these tenets was polygamy, which his contemporaries said came as a result of smith having been commanded by an angel to marry plural wives. The plural wives of joseph smith from the publisher. He and others made charges about joseph smith s spiritual wifeism. In conclusion, though it is possible that joseph had some marriages in which there were no sexual relations, there is no explicit or convincing evidence for this except, perhaps, in the cases of the older wives, judging from later mormon. Beginning in the 1830s, at least thirtythree women married joseph smith, the founder of mormonism. Franklyn richard rick macy born october 18, 1953 is a latterday saint actor who has played the role of joseph smith. Please note that supportive evidence for each of these sealings varies, with some being highly reliable and others based upon a single attestation or sources of lesser credibility. Joseph smith came of age during the second great awakening. Each filmmaker who undertakes telling his story by dramatic medium is faced with the challenge of finding a suitable actor to play the.
This was one factor which did cause his people to commit sin, and do that which was abominable in the sight of the lord. She has been called the first plural wife of the prophet joseph smith. They were married on january 18, 1827 in south bainbridge, chenango county, new york. Dec 26, 2016 for information addressing specific claims made by detractors of the prophet, please see the resources at the end of this article. Devoted members of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints honor its founder, joseph smith, with saintlike reverence. Smith and the greatnephew of lds church founder joseph smith. Aug 31, 2016 joseph smith was a sexual predator joseph smith, the mormon predator prophet has produced a legacy of abuse that continues to this day. For joseph smiths wife emma, it was an excruciating ordeal.
His path to the formation of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints was influenced by this time period, while also becoming a. In fact, joseph can be proven to be a liar when it comes to monogamy, the book of abraham, and polytheism. Mormon church finally admits founder joseph smith had 40 wives. Members of the church call him a prophet because, according to the traditional role of prophets recorded in the old and new testaments in the bible, he relied on revelation from god for teaching the people, and not on his own wisdom or learning. The founder of the mormon church, joseph smith, wed as many as 40 wives, including one as young as 14 years old, the church acknowledged. An account written by the hand of mormon, upon plates taken from the plates of nephi. July 19, 1876 july 2, 1972 was an american religious leader and writer who served as the tenth president of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints lds church from 1970 until his death in 1972.
By 1817, he had moved with his family to the burnedover district of western new york. A theory of evolutionary development for the structure of the book of mormon find out how the book of mormon narrative evolved in joseph smith s mind during its creation. Joseph smith and the criminal justice system wikipedia. The book was written by ancient prophets through the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Is it possible that joseph smith fathered children with some of his plural wives, and that he covered up the evidence of pregnancies. This conviction was four years before he published the book of mormon.
Did joseph smith have intimate relations with other mens wives to whom he had been sealed, and did any children result from. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints yes, joseph smith peered into a hat as he translated parts of the book of mormon. William law was a member of the first presidency from 1841 through 1844. Did joseph smith send men on missions in order to steal their wives.
Joseph smithpolygamysent husbands on missions to steal wives. Joseph smith, american prophet and founder of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints. The church has previously sought to portray smith as loyal to his first wife emma. Joseph smith was an american religious leader and the founder of mormonism.
Much can be known about the coming forth of the english text. An actor portrays the prophet joseph smith in the churchs 2005 movie, joseph smith. Kimball to join the mormon church, but get them to leave their families more than once travel to england and convert thousands to the fact that joseph smith was a prophet and that the book of mormon was true. Lds scripture instructs that joseph smith, the prophet and seer of the lord, has done more, save jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in. The church of jesus christ of latterday saints praises the balanced analysis in the book. Additional articles answering the tough questions dealing with joseph smith and magic will be published by lds answers in the near future. Mormon church admits founder joseph smith was a polygamist. See smith came to knowher in kirtland during early 1833 when she, at the age of 16, stayed at his home as a housemaid. Bennett, some have charged that joseph would send men on missions in order to marry their wives. This article examines how the mormon church is defending joseph s polygamy. The first mormon prophet, joseph smith, was arrested and convicted in new york and was found guilty of being a conartist, an impostorhe was a necromancer and a charlatan.
Nov 12, 2014 the mormon church says for the first time that its founder joseph smith took up to 40 wives, including a 14yearold and others who were already married. Liliana corona plays king lamonis wife in the book of mormon videos. Willard richards took charge of writing joseph smiths history in 1845 and remained in that work until his death in 1854 see dean c. Interracial marriage and the church of jesus christ of. This principle was among the most challenging aspects of the restoration. It is a record of gods dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the americas. During the translation of the book of mormon, joseph and oliver cowdery translated about 12 pages a day. Polygamy wasnt a theological debate for early mormon. According to smith, an angel named moroni directed him to a buried book of golden plates hidden at the hill cumorah and as per the instruction of the angel he translated the book and published it as the book of mormon. Macy is married to marsha, and has three children with her. The plural wives of joseph smith compton, signature books, salt lake city, 1997 doctrine and covenants the church of jesus christ of latterday saints, salt lake city available at the deseret book special order desk. What a thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when i can only. How joseph smith and the early mormons challenged american.
From the same papyri collection, smith produced the first part of the book of abraham, but was killed before any known part of the book of joseph was translated. A well written book about a shameful period of history. Smith published the book of mormon in 1830 and shortly thereafter organized a small church of his first followers. When he was 24, smith published the book of mormon. Chart of joseph smiths plural wives mormons in transition. Jessee, the writing of joseph smiths history sandy, utah. During this period, smith briefly attended methodist meetings with his wife, until a cousin of hers objected to. In recent years, the church acknowledged that joseph smith wed as many as 40 wives. In nauvoo, illinois, smith established a theocracy, ran for president, and tested the limits of religious freedom. After receiving a revelation commanding him to practice plural marriage, joseph smith married multiple wives and introduced the practice to close associates. Ever since the prophet joseph died as a martyr in carthage, illinois, some latterday saints have felt disappointment that joseph s wife emma did not go with the church in the westward exodus of the saints in 184647. Each filmmaker who undertakes telling his story by dramatic medium is faced with the challenge of finding a suitable actor to play the part of the prophet. The plural wives of joseph smith, is a calmly crafted work designed to bring truth and understanding to this segment of latterday saint history which too often has been characterized by either deliberate obfuscation or shameless sensationalism. He later married many additional women including young teens and some who already were wed to other men and introduced the practice of polygamy to select members in the 1840s.
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