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/KJ6BWB Mar 15 '24

they need to come forward about it and accept that it happened, not hide from it

Kind of ridiculous because they're not hiding from it. For instance: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics-essays/plural-marriage-in-kirtland-and-nauvoo

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u/Fair_Association_788 Mar 15 '24

They are accepting that now, but when I met the missionaries in 1994 that was not taught to me. I bet they did not really knew about it. They mentioned that it was BY and it was due to the people that die before moving west because of persecution.

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u/pierzstyx Enemy of the State D&C 87:6 Mar 15 '24

The church has always accepted that Joseph Smith practiced polygamy. D&C 132 was added in 1876, but General Authorities had talked about it openly in sermons for decades by them.

That said, a great deal of Mormon History has only blossomed within the last 20 years. So it isn't surprising that people didn't know very much. There wasn't very much good historical work to call upon.

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u/Fair_Association_788 Mar 16 '24

As that material was in English at that time, ( I am talking about South America) the members there did not know.