The Problem with the Sealing Power: A Critical Examination of Joseph Smith’s Claims

 

The doctrine of the sealing power—the authority to bind families together for eternity through temple ordinances—is a central tenet of the LDS faith, with origins traced back to Joseph Smith’s prophetic claims. However, a closer look at the historical records, including Joseph Smith Papers and early Mormon writings, reveals that the supposed granting of the sealing power is highly questionable. This article critically examines the origins of the sealing power, the inconsistencies in the historical accounts, and Joseph Smith's motivations for introducing this doctrine.

 

The Supposed Origin of the Sealing Power: April 3, 1836 Vision

According to LDS teachings, Joseph Smith received the sealing power during a vision on April 3, 1836, in the Kirtland Temple, where Elijah the prophet appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. This vision is recorded in Doctrine and Covenants Section 110, and it is often cited as the moment when Elijah conferred the power to seal families for eternity. However, a closer examination of the text reveals that there is no explicit mention of the sealing power being granted in this vision.

 

The vision simply states that Elijah appeared and said:

"Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers" (D&C 110:14-15).

This statement is a reference to Malachi 4:5-6, which discusses turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, but it does not mention the power to seal families or marriages for eternity. Nowhere in Doctrine and Covenants 110 is there any specific mention of the sealing power. The text only references the fulfillment of prophecy about Elijah’s return, with no details about what “keys” or authority were actually bestowed.

 

Lack of Evidence in Joseph Smith Papers and Journals

The absence of any concrete reference to the sealing power in the Joseph Smith Papers is another critical issue. While Joseph and other church leaders later claimed that the sealing power was bestowed during this 1836 vision, there is no documented evidence from the time that mentions sealing ordinances or any specific revelation regarding marriages and eternal families. The first clear mention of the sealing power comes much later, in the 1840s, when Joseph began to justify his practice of polygamy.

 

In fact, the sealing power was retroactively applied to many of Joseph’s earlier actions, particularly his controversial polygamous relationships. This has led to the accusation that Joseph introduced the sealing doctrine as a way to legitimize his inappropriate advances toward young women, many of whom were already married to other men. Historians, including those within the LDS Church, have noted that the sealing doctrine evolved over time and was not part of the early revelations Joseph received.

 

Sealing Power: A Doctrine of Convenience?

Joseph’s claim to possess the sealing power coincides with his practice of polygamy, which began in secret in the early 1830s. Oliver Cowdery, one of Joseph’s closest associates, described Joseph’s relationship with Fanny Alger, a young girl who lived with Joseph and Emma, as a “dirty, nasty, filthy affair” in a letter dated January 21, 1838. This was before any public mention of the sealing power, and there is no evidence that Joseph attempted to justify his relationship with Fanny through the sealing power at that time​.

 

In fact, many of Joseph’s early polygamous marriages, including his relationships with girls as young as 14-year-old Helen Mar Kimball, took place without any reference to the sealing power. These marriages were later justified using the sealing doctrine, but there is no contemporary evidence from the 1830s or early 1840s that Joseph had received any authority to perform such ordinances​.

 

Journal of Discourses and LDS Leaders on Sealing Power

The Journal of Discourses, a collection of sermons from early LDS leaders, provides further insight into the ambiguous nature of the sealing power. In Volume 4, Brigham Young spoke about the keys of Elijah but made no direct mention of the sealing power in relation to marriages or eternal families. He emphasized the importance of the priesthood and the gathering of Israel, but like the Doctrine and Covenants, there is no explicit reference to the sealing of marriages until much later​.

Orson Pratt, in a sermon in Volume 12 of the Journal of Discourses, also discussed the power of Elijah but failed to mention any concrete details about the sealing power as it is understood today. This absence of direct references in early Mormon writings suggests that the sealing power may have been a later development in Mormon doctrine, introduced to justify polygamy and provide a theological framework for Joseph’s marital practices.

 

Accusations of Inappropriate Advances and the Role of Sealing Power

The sealing power, or the lack of any documented revelation surrounding it, becomes even more problematic when examined alongside accusations of Joseph Smith’s inappropriate advances toward young women. According to historian Todd Compton, Joseph made advances toward young girls as early as 1828, long before the official introduction of polygamy or the sealing power. Compton’s research in "In Sacred Loneliness" details how Joseph pursued relationships with young women, often using his prophetic authority as a means of persuasion​.

The earliest accusations of sexual impropriety against Joseph Smith began very early in their marriage, in Harmony Pennsylvania in 1828-1829.  

 Emma’s cousin, Levi Lewis quoted Martin Harris who accused Joseph of attempting “to seduce Eliza Winters,” a young girl who Emma knew well. 

Lewis further said that he was well “acquainted with Joseph Smith Jr. and Martin Harris, and that he has heard them both say, [that] adultery was no crime. Harris said he did not blame Smith for his attempt to seduce Eliza Winters.”

  Elizabeth [Eliza] Winter was born in 1812, making her sixteen years old at the time.  This falls right in line with Joseph’s M.O. when it came to his later implementation of God sanctioned adultery, claiming to spiritually marry 11 underage girls. 

She “was often at Smith’s home and much in Mrs. Smith’s company. The young women were on very intimate terms,” said Harmony resident, Mrs. Rhamanthus M. Stocker.  Joseph and Emma’s abrupt May 1829 departure from Harmony, may have been precipitated in part by Levi Lewis’s accusations that Joseph had acted improperly toward sixteen year old Eliza Winters. 

Fifty years later, Levi’s brother, Hiel Lewis, repeated these same sexual accusations against Smith in the Amboy [IL.] Journal

. Early Mormon Documents 4+ vols. ed., Dan Vogel (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1996-), 4:346. 5. Hiel Lewis, “That Mormon History – Reply to Elder Cadwell,” Amboy [IL.] Journal, 5 Aug. 1879, 1. 

 

These advances became more frequent in the 1830s and 1840s, with Joseph marrying several young women, including Fanny Alger, Helen Mar Kimball, and Lucy Walker, without any formal revelation about sealing. Many of these marriages were conducted secretly, and Joseph often sent the husbands of these women on missions to remove them from the picture. The fact that these relationships were kept hidden and only justified through sealing much later raises serious ethical questions about Joseph’s motivations​(Joseph Smith Polygamy).

 

Conclusion: A Doctrine Lacking Evidence

The doctrine of the sealing power is one of the most significant and controversial aspects of Joseph Smith’s religious teachings. While the LDS Church claims that Joseph received the sealing power from Elijah in 1836, the Joseph Smith Papers, Doctrine and Covenants, and other early Mormon writings contain no direct reference to this event. Instead, the sealing power appears to have been a doctrine of convenience, introduced later to justify Joseph’s polygamous marriages and his pursuit of young women.

 

Without documented evidence of a revelation regarding the sealing power, and with historical records suggesting that Joseph’s early relationships were conducted without any theological justification, the legitimacy of this doctrine is highly questionable. Joseph’s claims of sealing authority, combined with the secrecy surrounding his polygamous practices, raise serious concerns about the ethical and spiritual foundations of this doctrine.

 

References:

Doctrine & Covenants Section 110, LDS Scriptures.

Joseph Smith Papers: Kirtland Temple Vision, April 3, 1836.

Journal of Discourses, Volumes 4 and 12.

Compton, Todd. In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith. Signature Books, 1997.

Cowdery, Oliver, Letter to Warren Cowdery, January 21, 1838.

Eliza R. Snow, Journal Entry.

Helen Mar Kimball, Autobiography, A Woman's View.