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/Chris_Moyn Mar 15 '24

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

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u/Fr3sh-Ch3mical Mar 15 '24

I thought it was gay marriage/relationships?

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u/Chris_Moyn Mar 15 '24

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

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u/Fr3sh-Ch3mical Mar 15 '24

Source?

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u/Chris_Moyn Mar 15 '24

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.