The Origins of Mormon Polygamy: A Deep Dive into Joseph Smith's Early Practices
The Origins of Mormon Polygamy: A Deep Dive into Joseph Smith's Early Practices
Mormon polygamy, one of the most controversial aspects of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), traces its origins to the early 1830s with its founder, Joseph Smith. The practice, which Joseph Smith claimed to be a divine command, was shrouded in secrecy, manipulation, and deceit. This article delves into the origins of Mormon polygamy, revealing the harmful and dishonest practices that laid the foundation for what would become a defining feature of early Mormonism.
The Fanny Alger Affair: The First Polygamous Relationship
The story of Fanny Alger is often cited as the beginning of Joseph Smith’s polygamous practices. Fanny was a 16-year-old girl who lived with the Smith family in Kirtland, Ohio, around 1833. She worked closely with Emma Smith, Joseph’s wife, as a housekeeper and babysitter. According to historical accounts, Emma loved Fanny as if she were her own daughter, which makes the betrayal all the more profound.
Multiple sources confirm that Joseph Smith engaged in a secret relationship with Fanny Alger, long before he claimed to have received the "sealing power" that would later be used to justify his polygamous affairs. According to FamilySearch.org Joseph and Fanny were not sealed until April 4th 1899.
There are no records of any legal or spiritual marriage between Joseph and Fanny during their lifetime, leading many members as well as those outside of the faith to conclude that this was not a marriage at all, but rather an adulterous affair. On the LDS church’s own website under the polygamy gospel topics essay they admit that very little is known about this so-called marriage.
Oliver Cowdery, one of Joseph Smith’s closest associates, referred to the relationship between Joseph and Fanny as a “dirty, nasty, filthy affair” in a letter to his brother, Warren A. Cowdery, dated January 21, 1838. This description underscores the scandalous nature of the relationship, which was further evidenced when Emma Smith discovered Joseph and Fanny together in a barn, reportedly witnessing them “in the very act” through a crack in the wall.
Fanny Alger left the Smith household in disgrace. According to the LDS website article on Fanny Alger the ‘Marriage’ was of short duration and Fanny left Ohio with her parents in 1836. She married Solomon Custer in 1836 only THREE MONTHS later. There is no record of any divorce from Joseph Smith, further complicating the narrative that this was a legitimate marriage rather than an affair.
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/fanny-alger?lang=eng
The Questionable "Sealing Power"
Joseph Smith’s justification for polygamy came later, in 1836, when he claimed to have received the "sealing power" during a vision of Elijah in the Kirtland Temple. This power, according to Smith, allowed him and other high ranking LDS men to marry multiple women for eternity. However, a close examination of the records from that time reveals no mention of marriage or sealing powers are ever mentioned in the account of this vision. The vision, as recorded in the Joseph Smith Papers, simply states that Joseph received “the keys of this dispensation,” a vague phrase that could be interpreted in many ways.
It wasn’t until 1843, seven years after the alleged vision, that Joseph Smith formally introduced the doctrine of eternal marriage and polygamy in Section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants. This section declares that a man must marry multiple women to achieve the highest level of salvation, but the introduction of this doctrine raises questions about its timing and the true motivations behind it. Joseph’s earlier relationships with women like Fanny Alger suggest that his practice of polygamy was rooted more in personal desire than divine command.
From ‘The Life of Joseph Smith,’ “He taught brother and sister Johnson and a few close friends about the ‘new and everlasting covenant of marriage.’ He explained that this covenant was the ‘order of the priesthood’ necessary to obtain the highest degree of the celestial kingdom. He also taught that unless a man and a woman enter into the covenant of eternal marriage, ‘they will cease to increase when they die.’
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/chapter-42?lang=eng
What is the new and everlasting covenant? Polygamy!
Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 11, p. 269:
"The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy. Others attain unto a glory and may even be permitted to come into the presence of the Father, but they cannot reign as kings in glory, because they had blessings offered unto them, and they refused to accept them. The new and everlasting covenant is marriage, and including a plurality of wives."
Brigham Young (Second President of the LDS Church):
"The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy. Others attain unto a glory and may even be permitted to come into the presence of the Father, but they cannot reign as kings in glory, because they had blessings offered unto them, and they refused to accept them. The new and everlasting covenant is marriage, and including a plurality of wives."
(Journal of Discourses, Vol. 11, p. 269)
Joseph F. Smith (Sixth President of the LDS Church):
"Some people have supposed that the doctrine of plural marriage was a sort of superfluity or non-essential to the salvation or exaltation of mankind... I want here to enter my solemn protest against this idea, for I know it is false. Whoever has imagined that he could obtain a fullness of the blessings pertaining to the new and everlasting covenant, without embracing the doctrine of plural marriage, has imagined that which is contrary to the mind and will of God."
(Journal of Discourses, Vol. 20, p. 28)
Orson Pratt (Apostle):
"The principle of plurality of wives never will be done away... If plural marriage is not true, or, in other words, if it is not in accordance with the mind and will of God, then I am deceived, and have been from the beginning. But I know that it is true, and am willing to testify before all mankind... If we do not embrace that principle soon, the keys will be turned against us, for if we do not embrace that principle, we cannot stand as a people; for God will destroy us."
(Journal of Discourses, Vol. 17, p. 225)
Heber C. Kimball (First Counselor to Brigham Young):
"You might as well deny 'Mormonism,' and turn away from it, as to oppose the plurality of wives. Let the Presidency of this Church, and the Twelve Apostles, and all the authorities unite and say with one voice that they will oppose that doctrine, and the whole of them would be damned."
(Journal of Discourses, Vol. 5, p. 203)
Wilford Woodruff (Fourth President of the LDS Church):
"... Wo unto that Nation or house or people who seek to hinder my People from obeying the Patriarchal Law of Abraham [polygamy] which leadeth to a Celestial Glory… for whosoever doeth those things shall be damned Saith the Lord."
(Wilford Woodruff's Journal, January 26, 1880, v. 7, p. 546)
I think this makes it abundantly clear that the New and Everlasting Covenant is not merely being ‘Sealed’ it is Polygamy!
Either the New and Everlasting Covenant is polygamy or none of these men were prophets and apostles of God. You can’t have it both ways.
Doctrine and Covenants 132:4, 19-20:
"For behold, I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory."
If the new and everlasting covenant is just simply for a husband and wife to be sealed for time and all eternity why does God have to threaten damnation if you don’t do it?
Joseph Smith’s Adulterous Proclivities
Joseph Smith’s polygamous practices were not limited to Fanny Alger. Over the course of his life, Joseph was sealed to at least 34 women, seven of whom were under the age of 18. This includes Helen Mar Kimball, who was only 14 years old when Joseph married her. The marriage of such a young girl, under pressure from her father and with promises of eternal salvation, highlights the manipulative and coercive nature of Joseph Smith’s polygamy.
Despite his numerous marriages, Joseph Smith was never sealed to any of his own children or his own parents during his lifetime. In fact, the sealing of his children did not occur until decades after his death, raising questions about the sincerity of his commitment to the doctrine of eternal family unity.
Why is he marrying other peoples underage children when he is not even sealed to his own children?
The apologetic claim that these were merely dynastic sealings from families who wanted to be connected to their prophet in the afterlife falls completely flat when you realize that Joseph was not even sealed to his own children. Shouldn’t it be his first priority to seal himself to his own family before sealing himself to other people's children?
Emma Smith’s Struggle and Brigham Young’s Accusation
Emma Smith, Joseph’s first and only legal wife, struggled deeply with her husband’s polygamous practices. Her resistance to polygamy is well-documented, and her pain is evident in the stories that have been passed down through history. One such story, often cited by LDS Church leader Brigham Young, alleges that Emma once tried to poison Joseph’s coffee, a claim that highlights the intense strain that polygamy placed on their marriage.
Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, p. 77:
"To my certain knowledge Emma Smith is one of the damnedest liars I know of on the earth. Yet she would be so far beneath my contempt were she not associated with Joseph, and the ‘damned bitch’ tried to kill him. What was that you [Emma] tried to poison him [Joseph] with? Strychnine? No, arsenic, not much of it either. Emma was a very good hand at mixing up poisonous drugs."
Here is a direct reference from Brigham Young to the reality that Emma was so upset by Joseph’s lies, deceit and adulterous affairs that she tried to poison Joseph. The rosy picture the LDS church tries to paint of Emma being Joseph ‘beloved’ wife could not be further from the truth. Emma was NOT the first wife to be sealed to Joseph. He was FAR more concerned with being sealed to underage girls and other men’s wives than he was with being sealed to his ‘beloved’ Emma.
Emma and Joseph were Sealed May, 28 1843
Louisa Beaman sealed to Joseph April 5 1841
Zina Huntington Oct. 27 1841
Presendia Huntington Dec. 11 1841
Agnes Coolbrith Jan 6 1842
Sylvia Sessions Feb 8 1842
Patty Bartlett Sessions March 9 1842
Eliza Snow June 29 1842
Sarah Whitney July 27 1842
Emily Partridge March 4 1843
Eliza Partridge March 8 1843
Lucy Walker May 1 1843
It is not clear how many women were sealed to Joseph prior to Emma but according to Family Search there were at least 11 women sealed to him prior to Emma. www.familysearch.org
Married women Sealed to Joseph PRIOR to Emma
Zina Huntington
Presendia Huntington
Sylvia Sessions
Patty Sessions
Sisters Sealed to Joseph PRIOR to Emma
Presendia & Zina
Emily & Eliza Partridge
Underage Girls Sealed to Joseph PRIOR to Emma
Fanny Alger 16 or 17
Sarah Ann Whitney 16
Lucy Walker 16
The Legacy of Deceit
The origins of Mormon polygamy are rooted in deception, manipulation, and harm. Joseph Smith’s relationships with young women, his secrecy, and his misuse of religious authority to justify his actions have left a legacy that continues to haunt women in the LDS faith. The lack of transparency, the exploitation of vulnerable individuals, and the profound impact on the families involved make it clear that the origins of Mormon polygamy are far from divine.
In Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling, historian Richard Bushman discusses Joseph's attempts to conceal his plural marriages from Emma. He writes:
“In the summer of 1843, Joseph married several young women without Emma’s knowledge or approval. The most famous of these was 16-year-old Fanny Alger, whom Joseph likely married in 1833. Emma only learned of the marriage after the fact and was deeply hurt.”
Emily Partridge testified in a later court case that Joseph had married her secretly:
“...the Prophet Joseph Smith was very cautious, and, although he taught the principle of plural marriage to many, only a few were initiated into the actual practice, and fewer still knew the Prophet himself was a participant."
(Temple Lot Case Testimony, 1892)
In the Times and Seasons (the LDS Church's official publication at the time), Joseph Smith publicly denied practicing polygamy:
“I had not been married scarcely five minutes, and made one proclamation of the Gospel, before it was reported that I had seven wives...I wish the Grand Jury would tell me who they are.”
(Times and Seasons, Vol. 5, No. 6, March 15, 1844)
Joseph Smith’s Speech to the Nauvoo Legion (May 26, 1844):
Just a few weeks before his death, Joseph Smith publicly declared:
“What a thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only find one. I am the same man, and as innocent as I was fourteen years ago; and I can prove them all perjurers.”
(History of the Church, Vol. 6, p. 411)
Doctrine and Covenants Section 132 (1843):
Joseph Smith introduced polygamy through a revelation now canonized as Doctrine and Covenants Section 132, but this practice was illegal under U.S. law at the time. The section includes:
“And let mine handmaid, Emma Smith, receive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph...and those who are not pure, and have said they were pure, shall be destroyed, saith the Lord God.”
(Doctrine and Covenants 132:52)
The Nauvoo Expositor, a newspaper published by former LDS Church leaders, accused Joseph Smith of practicing polygamy and deceiving the public:
“Joseph Smith, the Mayor of the city, has introduced false and damnable doctrines into the Church such as... the plurality of wives, for which we declare ourselves opposed.”
(Nauvoo Expositor, June 7, 1844)
Admission under Oath of Sexual Relations with Joseph Smith
The Temple Lot Case, formally known as The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints v. The Church of Christ, was a court case in the 1890s where several women testified about their marriages to Joseph Smith, including whether those marriages involved sexual relations. Here are the key quotes and references from that case:
Emily Dow Partridge
Testimony from the Temple Lot Case:
"Q: Did you ever have carnal intercourse with Joseph Smith?
A: Yes sir."
(Temple Lot Case, Part 3, p. 367)
Emily was only 19 years old at the time of her ‘marriage’ to Joseph Smith and Emma originally did not know about this marriage.
Another Statement from Emily:
"Q: Where did you live at the time you were married to Joseph Smith?
A: I was living at his house.
Q: Were you married to him at his house?
A: Yes sir.
Q: Were you married to him by the ceremony of laying on of hands?
A: Yes sir."
(Temple Lot Case, Part 3, p. 357)
Lucy Walker
Testimony from the Temple Lot Case:
"Q: Had you roomed with him?
A: Yes sir.
Q: In the Mansion House at Nauvoo?
A: Yes sir."
(Temple Lot Case, Part 3, p. 474)
Further Statement:
"Q: Did you have carnal intercourse with Joseph Smith?
A: Yes sir."
(Temple Lot Case, Part 3, p. 475)
Lucy Walker was only 16 years old at the time of their so-called marriage! Her mother had just recently passed away and her father had been sent on a mission when Joseph approached her with a proposal for marriage. We will detail the tragic story of Lucy Walker in another blog post.
Melissa Lott
Testimony from the Temple Lot Case:
"Q: State what you know about your marriage to Joseph Smith.
A: I was married to Joseph Smith as a plural wife by Hyrum Smith.
Q: Where did you live after that?
A: In the Mansion House.
Q: Did you ever room with Joseph Smith as his wife?
A: Yes sir."
(Temple Lot Case, Part 3, p. 95)
Further Statement:
"Q: Did you ever have carnal intercourse with Joseph Smith?
A: Yes sir."
(Temple Lot Case, Part 3, p. 98)
Melissa was also only 19 years old when she was ‘married’ to Joseph Smith.
Maria Jane Woodward (Lawrence)
Testimony from the Temple Lot Case:
"Q: You say you roomed with him as his wife?
A: Yes sir."
(Temple Lot Case, Part 3, p. 431)
Further Statement:
"Q: Did you have carnal intercourse with him?
A: Yes sir."
(Temple Lot Case, Part 3, p. 432)
Maria Lawrence was 19 years old at the time of her ‘marriage’ to Joseph. It is also important to note that Sarah Lawrence, her sister, was also married to Joseph and they BOTH admit to having sexual relations with him under oath in the temple lot case!
Sarah Lawrence
Testimony from the Temple Lot Case:
"Q: Were you married to Joseph Smith?
A: Yes sir."
(Temple Lot Case, Part 3, p. 91)
Further Statement:
"Q: Did you ever live with him as his wife?
A: Yes sir."
(Temple Lot Case, Part 3, p. 92)
These quotes from the Temple Lot Case provide strong evidence that several women testified under oath that they were married to Joseph Smith and had sexual relations with him. The testimonies were given in the context of the late 19th century when the RLDS Church, which did not practice polygamy, was trying to distance itself from these practices, making these admissions even more significant.
In conclusion, the early practice of polygamy in Mormonism was not a divine revelation but rather a series of manipulative and deceitful actions by Joseph Smith. The harm caused by these practices is evident in the stories of those who lived through it, and the legacy of this practice continues to be a point of controversy and pain for many within the LDS community.