Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are Commanded to Have "One Wife"

[FFH]

Here is the complete address given to the LDS Church commanding them to stop the practice of polygamy, which previously and temporarily had been commanded of them to do, in order that they might "raise up seed" unto the Lord, as the Book of Mormon states, which is the only time the Lord commands his people take more than one wife, and in no other time in Biblical or current history has it been allowed, only for the purposes of raising up "seed" unto the Lord, as was in the case of Abraham having a child by Hagar, his Egyptian handmaid, and was also the case with his grandson Jacob, otherwise there would be no 12 tribes of Israel.

OFFICIAL DECLARATION—1 (October 6, 1890)

Also in an earlier revelation given to Joseph Smith this was stated.

Doctrine and Covenants 49 (May 1831) ((LDS scripture/doctrin)
16 Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation;

Doctrine and Covenants 132 (July 1843) (LDS scripture/doctrine)
34 God commanded Abraham, and Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham to wife. And why did she do it? Because this was the law; and from Hagar sprang many people. This, therefore, was fulfilling, among other things, the promises

Doctrine and Covenants 132 (July 1843) (LDS scripture/doctrine)
1 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—
• • •
38 David also received many wives and concubines, and also Solomon and Moses my servants, as also many others of my servants, from the beginning of creation until this time; and in nothing did they sin save in those things which they received not of me.

Jacob 2: 27 (Book of Mormon)
Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none;

Jacob 3: 5 (Book of Mormon)
Behold, the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye hate because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins, are more righteous than you; for they have not forgotten the commandment of the Lord, which was given unto our father—that they should have save it were one wife, and concubines they should have none, and there should not be whoredoms committed among them.


Polygamy is allowed, IF THE LORD COMMANDS IT, as in the case of Abraham and Jacob, and in the earlier years of the LDS faith.

In 1890 THE LORD REVOKED THE COMMANDMENT, AND WE ARE NO LONGER ALLOWED TO PRACTICE POLYGAMY, in the LDS faith, and those who refused to obey the commandment, to have "save it be one wife," broke away from the LDS church and started their own religion (Mormon Fundamentalism) who are a completely seperate religion altogether, completely seperate for the LDS faith. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Mormon.org - Home.

Jacob 2 (Book of Mormon)
26 Wherefore, I the Lord God will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old.

27 Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be onewife; and concubines he shall have none;

28 For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts.

29 Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lord of Hosts, or cursed be the land for their sakes.

30 ~ For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things.

This last verse means/states that if the Lord needs to raise up "seed" (a people) "unto" himself, he will "command" his "people" to take more than one wife, otherwise they are to "harken" unto his words and take "save it be one wife".

Currently, In the LDS faith, this is the commandment we are to live under.

Mormon.org - Home
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
www.LDS.org/scriptures

 

[tennis_hero]

[i am by no means an expert of the church of latter day saints, and please correct me where i am wrong]

wivesofjosephsmith[dot]org

did Yahweh command Joseph Smith to marry 33 women?

2 of whom were 14 years of age?

Helen mar Kimball [married at 14]
"[After the marriage] I felt quite sore over it … and thought myself an abused child, and that it was pardonable if I did murmur"

What i find strange is that some of the marriage actually happened when the women were already married to other men... and apparently in certain cases, the husbands were not made aware?

was there any reason for this to happen?

If true that the Lord insisted the prophet Smith married many women, and that Smith himself hated his polygamy , then certainly, Smith's life must have been a complete torment upon him to be burdened with so many wives

 

[ChristineES]

From what I heard, the reason that the FLDS separated from the LDS is because they the FLDS wanted to keep having multiple wives. In Peter's Epistle, he also said that a man should have only one wife.

 

[ChristineES]

I have to make a correction, the verse about having one wife is actually in the Book of Titus. I apologize for my mistake.

 

[FFH]

tennis hero,

Joseph Smith was commanded by the Lord to take more than one wife, but only as a test of his, and his wive's, faithfulness.

Joseph Smith was not required, by the Lord, to have any physical contact with those women who were sealed (married) to him.

He was sealed to many women, but never had any physical relationships with them whatsoever. Those women were free to come and go as they pleased, IN THEIR OWN HOMES. They chose to be sealed to him of their own free will.

The Lord would never require something of someone they are not freely willing to do.

Many of Brigham Youngs wives that were sealed to him lived in their own homes, never having had any physical relationships with him whatsoever.

Joseph Smith never forced ANYONE into being sealed to him, they were sealed to him by their own free will and never had any physical contact with him. They were sealed/married, that's it and lived in their own homes.

The Lord will never push ANYONE into ANYTHING.

This section deals with Joseph and Emma Smith's struggle with this particular commandment.

As Abraham was asked to slay Isaac his son, so Joseph Smith was asked to take upon himself more than one wife, only to find out later that he wasn't required to actually have physical relations with them, just be sealed to them, that's all.

Just as Abraham was releived that he didn't actually have to slay his son Isaac, so was Joseph Smith relieved when he found out that he was not actually required to have any physical contact with those he was sealed to.

This is my understanding of this scripture and what Joseph Smith and Emma went through, thinking they actually had to go through with this, which any man would have a hard time with if they had a tight and loving relationship with their wife.

Just as Abraham loved his son, so Joseph Smith loved his wife Emma, and didn't want to hurt her in any way, by bringing into their marrieage multiple wives.

Imagine the struggle they went through to accept this commandment.

Doctrine and Covenants 132

50 Behold, I have seen your sacrifices, and will forgive all your sins; I have seen your sacrifices in obedience to that which I have told you. Go, therefore, and I make a way for your escape, as I accepted the offering of Abraham of his son Isaac.

51 Verily, I say unto you: A commandment I give unto mine handmaid, Emma Smith, your wife, whom I have given unto you, that she stay herself and partake not of that which I commanded you to offer unto her; for I did it, saith the Lord, to prove you all, as I did Abraham, and that I might require an offering at your hand, by covenant and sacrifice.

52 And let mine handmaid, Emma Smith, receive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before me; and those who are not pure, and have said they were pure, shall be destroyed, saith the Lord God.

53 For I am the Lord thy God, and ye shall obey my voice; and I give unto my servant Joseph that he shall be made ruler over many things; for he hath been faithful over a few things, and from henceforth I will strengthen him.

54 And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and cleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not in my law.

55 But if she will not abide this commandment, then shall my servant Joseph do all things for her, even as he hath said; and I will bless him and multiply him and give unto him an hundredfold in this world, of fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, houses and lands, wives and children, and crowns of eternal lives in the eternal worlds.

56 And again, verily I say, let mine handmaid forgive my servant Joseph his trespasses; and then shall she be forgiven her trespasses, wherein she has trespassed against me; and I, the Lord thy God, will bless her, and multiply her, and make her heart to rejoice.

Emma Smith My Story Trailer

 

[DOTE]

Tennis hero,

The Lord would never require something of someone they are not freely willing to do.

Wait, are you saying that the Lord won't require something that they don't want to do.
Or are you saying that God will not force them into a commandment. Also i have a question about the girls married to Joseph Smith, did they come to him with the proposition of being sealed or did he ask them. Because they weren't given to much freedom in a choice.

They had the obvious freedom to seal or not but consider their perspective. A teenage girl is asked by the prophet of her church to be sealed to him in eternal marriage. First if she said no, what would her family think, her friends, how would her value in the church change.

She would either be without a family because of her conversion or she would be influenced because of her family.

 

[FFH]

Wait, are you saying that the Lord won't require something that they don't want to do.
Or are you saying that God will not force them into a commandment. Also i have a question about the girls married to Joseph Smith, did they come to him with the proposition of being sealed or did he ask them. Because they weren't given to much freedom in a choice.

They had the obvious freedom to seal or not but consider their perspective. A teenage girl is asked by the prophet of her church to be sealed to him in eternal marriage. First if she said no, what would her family think, her friends, how would her value in the church change.

She would either be without a family because of her conversion or she would be influenced because of her family.

God will never force anyone into obeying his commandments, is what I was trying to get across. It's not about force, it's about free will and our choice to excercise that free will. What we choose will determine where we spend eternity. No one is forced into heaven, that's not the Lord's way.

No one forced the women into obeying any commandment, they obeyed out of their own free will. How they were chosen I don't know. I think it was more about THEM choosing Joseph, than JOSEPH choosing them, but I'm sure it went both ways. He could either refuse or accept THEIR proposals and the women could refuse or accept JOSEPH SMITH"S proposals, if that were the case. I'm sure it went both ways, depending on the person.

 

[ayani]

FHH ~

based upon Christ's own words in the Biblical Gospels, and based upon the apostolic epistles, do you find that the NT says anything spcific about marriage and monogamy / polygamy?

 

[cardero]

FFH writes: Joseph Smith was commanded by the Lord to take more than one wife, but only as a test of his, and his wive's, faithfulness.

Now see, those are the kind of tests that I could pass. I’d even help organize the study groups.

 

[FFH]

FHH ~

based upon Christ's own words in the Biblical Gospels, and based upon the apostolic epistles, do you find that the NT says anything spcific about marriage and monogamy / polygamy?

Matthew 19
4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

 

[ayani]

thank you. what about the epistles, and Christian marriage?

 

[Smoke]

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are Commanded To Take "One Wife"

My lesbian friends will be surprised and pleased to hear that.

 

[FFH]

thank you. what about the epistles, and Christian marriage?

According to Paul, it's not absolutley necessary to marry in this life, but according to LDS doctrine, if we have the chance, we are required to be sealed (married) in an LDS temple for time and all eternity, to a spouse of our choice. There is a special marriage covenant we enter into allowing us to be exalted with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 7
8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

 

[Berachiah Ben Yisrael]

I know I said in another thread that I didn’t care what LDS believed and didn’t need to come to this thread but when I see disinformation on the true word of Yah being displayed as fact I can’t help myself.

Here is the complete address given to the LDS Church commanding them to stop the practice of polygamy,

So it is true that it was o.k. and practiced that a married man would and could marry another married woman whose husband was still alive and you say this was by a command of your god? I have read that Joseph Smith, Jr. married, married women. I forget out of the what, 34 wives, just how many where already married.

which previously and temporarily had been commanded of them to do, in order that they might "raise up seed" unto the Lord, as the Book of Mormon states, which is the only time the Lord commands his people take more than one wife, and in no other time in Biblical or current history has it been allowed, only for the purposes of raising up "seed" unto the Lord, as was in the case of Abraham having a child by Hagar, his Egyptian handmaid,

Now I won’t argue the intricacies of the BoM because for me there is no need for I am a disbeliever in it but where it raises its deceptive demeanor toward the true word of Yah I must diligently question and refute it.

Gen 16:2 Sarai said to Abram, "See now, YAH has restrained me from bearing. Please go in to my handmaid. It may be that I will obtain children by her." Abram listened to the voice of Sarai.
Gen 16:3 Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Kena`an, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife.
Gen 16:4 He went in to Hagar, and she conceived. When she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

Now it is plainly read that Sarai herself said that Yah had restrained her from bearing children. Now it doesn’t go into detail as to why Yah did this but he does nothing without a reason so there must have been some reason behind Yah not wanting Sarai to have children at this point or any point before. It goes on to say that Abram listened to his wife Sarai to take Hagar. It does not state that Yah commanded Abram to do this but yet it clearly states that he listened to his wife. Kinda like Adam listening to Eve. And we all know where that got us. It goes on to say that Hagar despised Sarai once she saw that she was with child. See if Yah had of wanted her to have a child then he would have opened her womb to do so. This he did later but being so impatient and wanting a child right this instance, (sound familiar?) she made up her own mind, outside that of the will of Yah, and gave Abram her slave girl. Now there is no mention of a marriage covenant being between Abram and Hagar so I would say it be safe to bet that she was only a concubine. Any who, One can further read the hardship that was put on Abram for listening to his wife with all the complaining and quarreling that went on in his household. If only people would wait on Yah and his will and leave their own thoughts and feelings at the door.

and was also the case with his grandson Joseph, otherwise there would be no 12 tribes of Israel.

Yoseph obtained a wife in Mitsrayim named Asenath which bore him two son’s by the names of Menasheh and Efrayim.

OFFICIAL DECLARATION—1 (October 6, 1890)
Also in an earlier revelation given to Joseph Smith this was stated.
Doctrine and Covenants 49 (May 1831) ((LDS scripture/doctrin)
16 Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation;

Looks to me that it is commanded to have at least one wife but doesn’t say more than one is wrong.

Doctrine and Covenants 132 (July 1843) (LDS scripture/doctrine)
34 God commanded Abraham, and Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham to wife. And why did she do it? Because this was the law; and from Hagar sprang many people. This, therefore, was fulfilling, among other things, the promises

I have already at length disproved this way of thinking by using the true word of Yah. But you know, they will still be many that will continue to read into it what they want and not what it plainly states in its correct context.

 

[Berachiah Ben Yisrael]

Doctrine and Covenants 132 (July 1843) (LDS scripture/doctrine)
1 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—
• • •
38 David also received many wives and concubines, and also Solomon and Moses my servants, as also many others of my servants, from the beginning of creation until this time; and in nothing did they sin save in those things which they received not of me.

And this only says that they did not sin as long as they kept his commands.

Jacob 2: 27 (Book of Mormon)
Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none;
Jacob 3: 5 (Book of Mormon)
Behold, the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye hate because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins, are more righteous than you; for they have not forgotten the commandment of the Lord, which was given unto our father—that they should have save it were one wife, and concubines they should have none, and there should not be whoredoms committed among them.

Again, this looks like the command is to have at least one wife if not more but no concubines. I do wonder though, in its correct context, who is this being said to? Sounds like they didn’t want men to have a bunch of mistresses running around that were unmarried to them. They called it whoredom. It would be if these women were no chaste unto the man until he saw fit to release them. A concubine is bound unto the man until he releases her. She is not to sleep around. That’s adultery.

Polygamy is allowed, IF THE LORD COMMANDS IT, as in the case of Abraham and Jacob, and in the earlier years of the LDS faith.
In 1890 THE LORD REVOKED THE COMMANDMENT, AND WE ARE NO LONGER ALLOWED TO PRACTICE POLYGAMY, in the LDS faith, and those who refused to obey the commandment, to have "save it be one wife," broke away from the LDS church and started their own religion (Mormon Fundamentalism) who are a completely seperate religion altogether, completely seperate for the LDS faith. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Mormon.org - Home.

Which I find amazingly coincidental that all this conspired along the same time that the US government was seizing land and assets of the Mormons because of their beliefs in polygamy. For fear of them loosing everything and also trying to become a state their then president decided to fold and give in to the governments demands to save Mormonism as they knew it. I guess some would feel the wrath of the arm of the US government as being divine providence when making a decision such that he had to make. It was a command but not from above but rather the US government.

Jacob 2 (Book of Mormon)
26 Wherefore, I the Lord God will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old.
27 Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be onewife; and concubines he shall have none;
28 For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts.
29 Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lord of Hosts, or cursed be the land for their sakes.
30 ~ For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things.
This last verse means/states that if the Lord needs to raise up "seed" (a people) "unto" himself, he will "command" his "people" to take more than one wife, otherwise they are to "harken" unto his words and take "save it be one wife".
Currently, In the LDS faith, this is the commandment we are to live under.
Mormon.org - Home
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
www.LDS.org/scriptures[/quote]

Again and again this looks like a man is said to have at least one wife if not more but not to take on concubines unless commanded otherwise to raise up seed.

Though I do not profess to understand that which is not of the set-apart scriptures of the true word of Yah I do still have some intellect as to the wording and what things say. But as I have stated before, one will read into whatever to bring their agenda to light no matter how wrong and evil it might be.

For those who truly serve and obey, Shalom alekem

 

[Berachiah Ben Yisrael]

Joseph Smith was not required, by the Lord, to have any physical contact with those women who were sealed (married) to him.

He was sealed to many women, but never had any physical relationships with them whatsoever. Those women were free to come and go as they pleased, IN THEIR OWN HOMES. They chose to be sealed to him of their own free will.

The Lord would never require something of someone they are not freely willing to do.

Many of Brigham Youngs wives that were sealed to him lived in their own homes, never having had any physical relationships with him whatsoever.

What proof is there that these men didn't have sexual intercourse with these women? And I don't want to hear "Its according to what the word "is" is" either.

 

[Falvlun]

Joseph Smith was not required, by the Lord, to have any physical contact with those women who were sealed (married) to him.

Doesn't that conflict with the purpose of Mormon polygamy that you yourself stated? The purpose you gave was to "raise up more seed" for the Lord. In other words, make lots of babies that you can indoctrinate into the Mormon belief system. If he was taking all these wives, but not having sexual relations with them (which I find rather hard to believe), then he wasn't raising up a whole lot of seed.

 

[Berachiah Ben Yisrael]

Matthew 19
4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

Yes he made man and he made woman.

5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

This is what Adam said but yes a man is to leave his father and his mother and cleave to his wife. Now where is it commanded that this be the only wife? It is not. For each covenanted wife he takes shall be one flesh with him.

6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Yes, no man. That would be adultery or a man with a man. But this again does not limit the number of wives a man can have.

 

[Berachiah Ben Yisrael]

According to Paul, it's not absolutley necessary to marry in this life, but according to LDS doctrine, if we have the chance, we are required to be sealed (married) in an LDS temple for time and all eternity, to a spouse of our choice. There is a special marriage covenant we enter into allowing us to be exalted with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 7
8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.
9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

One cannot say that Saul said that it wasn't absolutely necessary to marry. He was only giving his own opinion. He stated himself that this message wasn't for everybody. Some couldn't hear it. He made the choice to be without but that is o.k. Not all of us want to make that choice. It doesn't make one more righteous than the next. Its just easier for him. He might have slept with prostitutes instead. He was a busy man moving all over the place. He could have used the same freedom as Yadah did at the crossroads. Better to marry than to burn? Burn with lust. Not fire as so many misunderstand.

 

[ayani]

B.B.Y.

i'd look at Jesus' words concerning "the two shall become one flesh". the two are now one-husband and wife. for another wife to be added, she would have to join the two, and the three would be made one flesh. Jesus mentions one man and one woman uniting in marriage (refering to Genesis), and He is quiet after the fact.

polygamy is mentioned and practiced in the Bible. allowances for polygamy are made in the Torah, as the Hebrews had taken up the practice, and God needed to say something on the issue(Exodus 21:10). in other places, God gives numerous women into men's hands when He causes them to come into power politically (2 Samuel 12:8). but no where do i see God commanding a man to marry more than one woman, or clearly giving the green light for the practice.

Lamech is the first man to practice polygamy (Genesis 4:19). the Bible notes the fact, but no where does God command, praise, bless Lamech's plural marriage. in many cases the Bible notes that certain men had more than one wife,and God acts in the lives of these men, and their wives- but where, Biblically, is polygamy commanded / encouraged by God?