Episode 27

Joseph Smith's Plural Marriage Proposals Pt 2

Original Air Date: 2022-11-03

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This detailed summary covers the episode titled "Joseph Smith's Plural Marriage Proposals Pt. 2," featuring host John Dehlin, Mike from LDS Discussions, and guest Alicia (Faith Unraveled). The video analyzes historical accounts of Joseph Smith’s polygamy, specifically focusing on the Lawrence sisters, Helen Mar Kimball, and Sarah Ann Whitney, while critiquing the apologetic narratives found in the church's Gospel Topics Essays.

Common Patterns in Proposals

The hosts identify specific tactics Joseph Smith used to secure plural wives, arguing these behaviors constitute coercion and grooming 1, 2. Key patterns include:

  • Targeting Vulnerable Girls: Smith often proposed to young women living in his own home as foster daughters or domestic help, particularly those who had lost fathers or whose families were economically dependent on him 1.
  • Recruitment via Older Wives: Older plural wives were sometimes used to "groom" or recruit younger women 1.
  • Theological Threats and Promises: Smith promised "eternal salvation and exaltation" for the girl and her entire family if she accepted, while using the threat of the "angel with a drawn sword" (threatening Smith's destruction) to pressure hesitant parents and victims 3, 4.
  • Deception: A pervasive theme is the necessity of hiding these marriages from the public and specifically from Smith's first wife, Emma 5.

    • The Lawrence Sisters (Maria and Sarah)

    Joseph Smith became the legal guardian of Maria (19) and Sarah (16) Lawrence after their father died, taking control of their estate and moving them into his home 6, 7.

  • Fiduciary and Ethical Issues: The hosts highlight the "gross" nature of a legal guardian marrying his teenage wards 8. There is historical evidence suggesting Smith may have mishandled their inheritance (valued between $1,000 and $8,000), with accusations that he "put the gold in his pocket" 7.
  • Tragic Outcomes: Both sisters reportedly had miserable experiences; Maria died at 22, allegedly of a "broken heart," and Sarah eventually divorced her re-assigned husband (Heber C. Kimball) and severed ties with the church, denying her association with Smith later in life 9, 10.

    • Helen Mar Kimball

    The marriage to 14-year-old Helen Mar Kimball is described as perhaps the most famous and controversial due to her age 11.

  • The "Abrahamic Test": The video details a disturbing sequence where Smith told Helen's father, Heber C. Kimball, that God required Heber to give his wife to Smith. After Heber agonized for days and finally agreed, Smith claimed it was just a test, but then demanded Heber’s daughter, Helen, instead 12.
  • Critique of the LDS Essay: The hosts criticize the church's essay for using deceptive language (calling Helen "several months before her 15th birthday" rather than 14) and falsely claiming such marriages were legal or common in that era 13, 14.
  • Eternity vs. Sexuality: While apologists argue this was a sexless "eternity only" sealing, the hosts point out that Smith controlled Helen's social life, forbidding her from attending dances or dating boys, which devastated her 15. They argue the theological purpose was to "raise up seed," implying sexual intent, regardless of whether it was consummated 16.
  • Dynastic Consequences: Helen later married the man she loved, Horace Whitney, but because she was sealed to Smith, her children with Horace were considered Joseph Smith’s in the eternities. The hosts describe this doctrine as one that separates rather than unites families, as Horace effectively lost his eternal claim to his own children 17, 18.

    • Sarah Ann Whitney

    Smith married 17-year-old Sarah Ann Whitney after convincing her parents using the "angel with a drawn sword" story and promises of eternal life 4.

  • The Secret Letter: Smith wrote a letter to the Whitney family asking them to visit him only when Emma was not present, instructing them to burn the letter (which they failed to do) 19. The hosts argue this letter proves Smith was actively hiding his activities from Emma and implies a sexual nature to the visits 20, 21.
  • The Sham Marriage: To conceal his relationship with Sarah Ann from the public, Smith arranged a fake marriage between Sarah Ann and Joseph Kingsbury. Kingsbury agreed to play the role of her husband to "shield" Smith; in exchange, Smith promised Kingsbury he would be sealed to his own deceased wife in the afterlife 22, 23.

    • Emma Smith and the Relief Society

    The video highlights Emma Smith’s attempts to use the Relief Society to root out "spiritual wifery" and polygamy, unaware of the extent of her husband's involvement 24.

  • The Altered Statement: When reading a document written by Joseph condemning sexual sin, Emma omitted a clause he inserted that allowed for exceptions "by revelation," attempting to close the loophole Joseph relied on 25.
  • Betrayal: Emma later published a statement signed by the Relief Society leadership denying that polygamy existed in the church. The hosts note the tragedy that the women signing this denial (Eliza R. Snow, Elizabeth Ann Whitney) were actively Joseph’s plural wives or complicit mothers, meaning Emma was being deceived by her closest associates 26, 27.

    • Conclusion: Grooming and Unrighteous Dominion

    Mike concludes that Joseph Smith's behavior fits the modern definition of grooming: building trust with a family to lower inhibitions and access a child for sexual purposes 2. The episode ends by noting the irony of Doctrine and Covenants 121:39, suggesting that Smith himself exemplified the warning that almost all men exercise "unrighteous dominion" once they gain a little authority 28.

    Analogy:The hosts describe the situation with the "sham marriage" of Sarah Ann Whitney to Joseph Kingsbury as a form of elaborate theater or a "cover-up." Imagine a CEO who is secretly embezzling funds (polygamy) and, to hide it from the auditors (the public/Emma), he hires an actor (Kingsbury) to pretend to be the accountant in charge of those funds. The CEO pays the actor not with money, but with a promise of a future promotion that the CEO has no real authority to grant (sealing to a deceased wife). The entire arrangement is a staged performance designed solely to protect the person in power from the consequences of their actions.

    Episode Info

    Guests: Mike (LDS Discussions), Elisha

    Related Article: LDS Discussions