I have done church history research on plural marriage from church approved resources and the source material from which they gathered their data. I have verified source documents and discovered errors in what is passed on to the general public. As I’ve stated before, I believe Joseph Smith Jr. was an honest and faithful man and practiced what he taught, monogamy and complete fidelity to one wife. The history of the church has been changed to create a narrative that Joseph introduced plural marriage and practiced it himself.
In your quest to know the truth, this research below may help you. I came across this about a month ago and found the presenter discovered many of the same source documents I had been led to and many more. He was very thorough in his presentation. I appreciated how he was able to show Joseph’s writings and how they were changed to make it look like he endorsed plural marriage.
Hopefully this may be of benefit to you as you verify the sources of what are used and then go to where the Lord leads you and to the holy scriptures. In the end, by the power of the Holy Ghost we will know the truth of all things (Moroni 10:5). Jesus taught in regard to knowing the truth and avoiding deception, “whoso treasureth up my word, shall not be deceived...” (JS—Matthew 1:37).
I share these things to aid you in your study and with the hope that you will share those things you’ve discovered, whether in agreement or disagreement with the presented materials. The Lord reasons with us and encourages faithful questions. Faithful questions are questions to the Lord that are from a sincere heart, with real intent, and having faith in Christ (see Moroni 10:3-4). It involves individual work. It’s easy to trust in another and let them do the work, but like anything in life worth receiving, it takes a great deal of effort to individually ask, seek and find. As the old adage goes, “no pain, no gain.”
I appreciate Joseph Smith’s heart in seeking truth. He said, “my object in going to enquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join” (JSH 1:18). We can know we are in a humble, receptive state, if we are willing to act on the answer no matter what it is, even if it contradicts our previous understanding. That is a hard state to get to. Sometimes we read or listen with the intent to disprove. That never creates an open mind and heart. It is described in scripture as a hard heart and a mind that is blinded.
I pray for all of us as we seek the truth and to act on it.
Here is the link to this man’s research he is sharing:
Thank you so much for posting this! I've been seeking answers about this topic and the Lord led me to you through Eric Smith's YouTube interview with you. It's what I've suspected but didn't know where to begin to verify what's in my heart.
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