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== Polygamy ==

== Polygamy ==

The Book of Mormon forbids [[polygamy]] without exception. Later "revelations" to Joseph Smith about polygamy came after he was caught in the act of adultery. The Book of Mormon says the following concerning plural marriage:

The Book of Mormon forbids [[polygamy]] without exception, as shown in the following quotes:

By their advocacy of the doctrine that the Book of Mormon is inspired by God and hence authoritative, the LDS Church is under the divine command to recognize anyone who practices polygamy must be labeled an apostate from the true faith. Polygamy, which is so degrading to women, is “abominable before me, saith the Lord.” The plain meaning of these verses was accepted without question in 1835 (the Book of Mormon was published in 1830), as shown by this entry in the first edition of the "Doctrine and Covenants": <blockquote>Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband, except in the case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again.<ref>"Doctrine and Covenants", section 101, verse 4.</ref></blockquote> This condemnation of polygamy was printed in every edition of the "Doctrine and Covenants" until 1876, at which time polygamy was authorized and the section condemning it was completely removed. There was, however, no attempt to change the text in the Book of Mormon, because too many copies had already been circulated.

How the change in doctrine to the acceptance of polygamy came about is explained by a letter written by Oliver Cowdery and dated January 21, 1838. Cowdery, one of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon, wrote the following about an conversation he had with Joseph Smith sometime in the early or mid-1830s:<blockquote>When he [Joseph Smith] was there we had some conversation in which in every instance I did not fail to affirm that what I had said was strictly true. A dirty, nasty, filthy affair of his and Fanny Alger’s was talked over in which I strictly declared that I had never deviated from the truth in the matter, and as I supposed was admitted by himself.<ref>Letter written by Oliver Cowdery and recorded by his brother Warren Cowdery; see photograph in Jerald and Sandra Tanner, "The Mormon Kingdom" (Salt Lake City: Utah Lighthouse Ministry, 1968), vol. 1 p. 27.</ref></blockquote>

''"Wherefore, my bretheren, 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 [[concubine]]s he shall have none... 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."'' (Jacob 2:27,30).

Having been caught in adultery, Smith’s eventual recourse was, not to repent, but to declare that God gave him the extra wives. This explanation was formalized in a “revelation” supposedly given on July 12, 1843, by which time Smith had acquired many plural wives. He probably did not realize that, in justifying his actions by declaring a divine revelation, he was following in the footsteps of Muhammad, the great false prophet of Islam. In surah (chapter) 4, verse 3 of the Qur’an, a man is allowed to have up to four wives and no more. For Muhammad, however, this eventually became too restrictive, and so he received a new revelation that he, as a prophet (but no one else) was allowed to have as many wives as he wanted (surah 33:50). The original revelation was countermanded or “abrogated” by the later revelation. Since this revoking and replacing happened so many times with Muhammad’s prophecies, the dogma of abrogation, where Allah contradicts and replaces what he said previously, has become an important doctrine of Muslim theology.  

The alleged revelation that authorized the practice of polygamy among Latter-day Saints during the 19th Century is recorded in the [[Doctrine and Covenants]], section 132.

The same principle (abrogation) became operative in the LDS Church and continues to this day, so that the President of the Church, who supposedly has the authority of a prophet, seer, and revelator, can change any doctrine and the faithful are obliged to accept his authority to do so without question and without pointing out the inconsistencies with past doctrine. Thus polygamy, declared against the will of God in the Book of Mormon, became not only accepted but a virtue in the LDS church. The “revelation” that authorized the practice of polygamy among Latter-day Saints during the 19th Century is recorded in the [[Doctrine and Covenants]], section 132. John Taylor, third President of the Mormon Church, declared:<blockquote>We are not ashamed here in this great metropolis of America * * * to declare that we are polygamists. We are not ashamed to proclaim to this great nation, to rulers and people, to the president, senators, legislators, judges; to high and low, rich and poor, priests and people, that we are firm, conscientious believers in polygamy, and that it is part and parcel of our religious creed.<ref>[http://www.gutenberg.org/files/45303/45303-h/45303-h.htm#imgpg236jos ''The Life of John Taylor, Third President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints''] by B.H. Roberts (Salt Lake City, 1892), 355.</ref></blockquote> Instead of a sin against God (Book of Mormon), polygamy became an essential virtue. Brigham Young, Second President of the LDS Church, declared “The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy."<ref>''Journal of Discourses'' Vol. 2, p. 269.</ref> And, in the ''Millennial Star'': "The order of plurality of wives is an everlasting and ceaseless order, designed to exalt the choicest men and women to the most superlative excellence, dominion, and glory.”<ref>''Millennial Star'', Vol. 15, p. 226.</ref> Joseph Smith’s revelation about polygamy declared “For behold, I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant, and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory . . .”<ref>''Doctrines and Covenants'', section 132.</ref> Sin had become a virtue, and virtue a sin.

 

 

==Notes and references==

==Notes and references==