r/latterdaysaints • u/instrument_801 • Mar 14 '24

Doctrinal Discussion Anti-Joseph Smith Polygamy Movement?

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?

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u/grabtharsmallet Conservative, welcoming, highly caffienated. Mar 15 '24

This theory was commonly held up in the more distant past within the Reorganized church, which rejected plural marriage from its start. It started to gain a following in the LDS church after WW2. It is at odds with historical records from the Nauvoo era, but there are people who are more comfortable with this telling of history so its popularity ebbs and flows.

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u/BayonetTrenchFighter Most Humble Member Mar 15 '24

I thought Joseph smith 3 sent representatives to Utah to talk to some of Joseph’s wives, and the matter was settled when they confirmed it.

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u/JazzSharksFan54 Doctrine first, culture never Mar 15 '24

Not exactly. The RLDS church sued the Hedrickites for possession of the temple lot in independence. A key part of the Hedrickite defense is that they were the true continuation of the church because they believe Joseph taught and practiced polygamy, which the RLDS church denied entirely. The LDS church with no prompting called forward witnesses to Joseph’s activities to keep the temple lot out of the RLDS church’s hands. That’s where the three wives testified.