Brian C. Hales
Few American religious figures have stirred more passion among adherents and antagonists than Joseph Smith. Born in 1805 and silenced thirty-nine years later by assassinsâ€™ bullets, he dictated more than one-hundred revelations, published books of new scripture, built a temple, organized several new cities, and became the proclaimed prophet to tens of thousands during his abbreviated life.,Among his many novel teachings and practices, none is more controversial than plural marriage, a restoration of the Old Testament practice that he accepted as part of his divinely appointed mission. Joseph Smith taught his polygamy doctrines only in secret and dictated a revelation in July 1843 authorizing its practice (now LDS D&C 132) that was never published during his lifetime. Although rumors and exposÃ©s multiplied, it was not until 1852 that Mormons in Brigham Youngâ€™s Utah took a public stand. By then, thousands of Mormons were engaged in the practice that was seen as essential to salvation.,Victorian America saw plural marriage as immoral and Joseph Smith as acting on libido. However, the private writings of Nauvoo participants and other polygamy insiders tell another, more complex and nuanced story. Many of these accounts have never been published. Others have been printed sporadically in unrelated publications. Drawing on every known historical account, whether by supporters or opponents, Volumes 1 and 2 take a fresh look at the chronology and development of Mormon polygamy, including the difficult conundrums of the Fannie Alger relationship, polyandry, the â€œangel with a swordâ€ accounts, Emma Smithâ€™s poignant response, and the possibility of Joseph Smith offspring by his plural wives. Among the most intriguing are the newly available Andrew Jenson papers containing not only the often-quoted statements by surviving plural wives but also Jensonâ€™s own private research, conducted in the late nineteenth century. ,Telling the story of Joseph Smithâ€™s polygamy from the records of those who knew him best, augmented by those who observed him from a distance, may have produced the most useful view of all.,Praise for Joseph Smith's Polygamy:,"Brian Hales wants to face up to every question, every problem, every fear about plural marriage. His answers may not satisfy everyone, but he gives readers the relevant sources where answers, if they exist, are to be found. There has never been a more thorough examination of the polygamy idea." â€”Richard L. Bushman, Claremont Graduate University, author of Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling,â€œJoseph Smithâ€™s Polygamy, the first thorough treatment of Joseph Smithâ€™s plural marriages written by a conservative Mormon scholar, is a landmark in the historiography of Mormon polygamy. While I disagree with some of Halesâ€™s conclusions, I admire his willingness to confront difficult topics and the depth of his research. This impressive work furthers the ongoing dialogue in the Mormon historical community on a fascinating and challenging aspect of the life and teachings of Mormonismâ€™s founding prophet.â€ â€”Todd M. Compton, author of In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith,â€œHalesâ€™s massive and well documented three volume examination of the history and theology of Mormon plural marriage, as introduced and practiced during the life of Joseph Smith, will now be the standard against which all other treatments of this important subject will be measured.â€ â€”Danel W. Bachman, author of â€œA Study of the Mormon Practice of Plural Marriage before the Death of Joseph Smithâ€,â€œBrian Hales is an exceptionally thorough, meticulous, and evenhanded researcher and assessor of Joseph Smithâ€™s complex and controversial polygamous practices and the theological rationale that supported them. His path-breaking and indispensable three-volume study provides the most comprehensive documentation and assessment yet available of the extant evidence on the topic, even though Halesâ€™s fellow scholars of Joseph Smithâ€™s polygamy may not always find persuasive the ways in which he interprets and contextualizes his evidence.â€ â€”Lawrence Foster, author of Religion and Sexuality
History,Religion,Christianity,Lds,Lds,Mormonism
Joseph Smith's Polygamy, Volume 1: History