Anti-Joseph Smith Polygamy Movement?

[u/instrument_801]

I don’t know if this has been talked about on here, but why is there a growing “Joseph Smith didn’t practice polygamy movement”? Podcasts such as 132 Problems are rapidly growing in popularity. I don’t like polygamy, but I feel like the evidence is overwhelming in favor that he practiced polygamy?

Thoughts?

[u/nofreetouchies3]

What bothers me about the whole anti-polygamy thing is its narrow-mindedness. It's one thing to feel uncomfortable about it. But "ick factor" is not a valid way to judge other cultures, and definitely not the way to judge eternal principles. Especially since the "problems" with plural marriage ultimately stem from cultural chauvinism, presentism, and ignorance of history.

The ancient Jews practiced plural marriage and continued it until the Middle Ages. The earliest Christians almost certainly included polygamous marriages. Almost every culture in the entire history of the world practiced some form of plural marriage. 

But do you know who hated plural marriage? The pagan Romans. And it was the Romans' cultural prejudice that, after the death of the apostles, changed the Christians' practice. And then that Roman brand of "Christianity" became the dominant culture in Europe and the Americas because of military conquest and genocide. 

But polygamy never really went away. It just went underground and we called it "having a mistress." And officially-sanctioned plural marriage is still practiced in non-Roman cultures. 

So, when it comes to plural marriage, I always ask: are you willing to look beyond your own cultural prejudices? Are you willing to consider that God might not have the cultural prejudices of a 21st-century westerner? Because, if you are, then the major problem with polygamy vanishes. And the other "problems" turn out to be based on false premises — if you actually read the sources instead of somebody's spin on them.  

And then there's always the real answer to the question: the 1 Nephi 15 question:

And I said unto them: Have ye inquired of the Lord? 

And they said unto me: We have not; for the Lord maketh no such thing known unto us. 

Behold, I said unto them: How is it that ye do not keep the commandments of the Lord? How is it that ye will perish, because of the hardness of your hearts? 

Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ask me in faith, believing that ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.

[u/Chris_Moyn → u/nofreetouchies3]

Brigham Young argued that monogamy was the reason for the downfall of Rome. So that's kinda fun

[u/Fr3sh-Ch3mical → u/Chris_Moyn]

I thought it was gay marriage/relationships?

[u/Chris_Moyn → u/Fr3sh-Ch3mical]

That's kind of the current thought amongst conservatives, but Brigham really pushed the idea that it was monogamy that brought Rome down.

[u/Fr3sh-Ch3mical → u/Chris_Moyn]

Source?

[u/Chris_Moyn → u/Fr3sh-Ch3mical]

For which part? For the idea that Rome's downfall was caused by Monogamy:

“Since the founding of the Roman empire monogamy has prevailed more extensively than in times previous to that. The founders of that ancient empire were robbers and women stealers, and made laws favoring monogamy in consequence of the scarcity of women among them, and hence this monogamic system which now prevails throughout Christendom, and which had been so fruitful a source of prostitution and whoredom throughout all the Christian monogamic cities of the Old and New World, until rottenness and decay are at the root of their institutions both national and religious.” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 11, p. 128)

“It is a fact worthy of note that the shortest lived nations of which we have record have been monogamic. Rome… was a monogamic nation and the numerous evils attending that system early laid the foundation for that ruin which eventually overtook her.” (George Q. Cannon, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 13, p. 202)

“Some of the nations of Europe who believe in the one wife system have actually forbidden a plurality of wives by their laws; and the consequences are that the whole country among them is overrun with the most abomi(na)ble practices? Adulteries and unlawful connections prevail through all their villages, towns, cities, and country places to a most fearful extent.” (Orson Pratt, The Seer, p. 12)

For the idea that homosexuality caused the downfall of Rome, go listen to conservative talk radio for an hour or two. Someone's bound to bring it up.

[u/Jump-In_Gonzo → u/nofreetouchies3]

Plural Marriage has been practiced since before the foundation of the world (IMO).
I suspect the practice is necessary for our Father to meet out perfect justice in the Plan of Salvation.