Mormon Polygamy—The Truth Revealed! Appendix 2Supporting Free Agency
Joseph could not keep the men and women from entering into relationships of
their own choosing. According to the code of humanity (gospel of Christ) sanctioned by
our human creators, whatever a man and woman chose to do that did not impede on the
free will of another—as long as the action brought all parties happiness—was okay with
our creators. This attitude gave carte blanche to Joseph’s followers to follow their hearts
and, in the case of the men, their lusts. Although he counseled the men to fight their flesh
and submit to the gentle nature that is expected of a caring husband and father, his
counsel went unheeded for many years. Men were taking “spiritual wives” on a whim,
whenever they could convince the woman to accept them.
It is impossible to list the number of men who took women as “spiritual wives” and
then made them “physical” ones in early Mormon history, despite the pleas of restraint
from Joseph. However, the situation culminated in 1842, when two prominent leaders of the
Church (Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball) were caught in adulterous affairs, which
will be discussed below.
With the justification of exercising free will as long as no one else’s free will was
affected, Mormon men began flattering and courting non-Mormon women anywhere they
would encounter them. It didn’t matter if they were married or not. Mormon men were
telling women that God did not ordain their marriages because, according them, “only we
have the power and authority of the priesthood to administer an eternal marriage that will
last.” The men outside of Mormonism witnessed the way that the Mormons were treating
their non-Mormon women. Lust-driven, though very much confused with what they
actually believed was “the spirit” guiding them, Mormon men were courting non-
Mormon women and treating them better than their own non-Mormon men and husbands
were. Naturally and according to their common sense, the non-Mormon men did not
believe that Mormons received any special “revelation” from God. Rather, it appeared to
them that the reason for the extra kindness and attention was to entice their women into
Mormon beds. As a result, there arose a general sense of jealousy and protectionism,
which led to more distrust and persecutions from non-Mormon locals.
Joseph’s First Intervention
Joseph did not disagree with the men outside of the Church. He knew what his
followers were doing and he tried futilely to get the Mormon men to stop their behavior so
that they could live in peace with their neighbors in Ohio. When the men spurned his
personal counsel, Joseph did what he was often forced to do when people doubted him as a
man: he spoke as a prophet of God. He issued the following revelation in December of 1833:^12
VERILY I say unto you, concerning your brethren who have been afflicted,
and persecuted, and cast out from the land of their inheritance—I, the Lord,
have suffered the affliction to come upon them, wherewith they have been
afflicted, in consequence of their transgressions; ...For all those who will not
endure chastening, but deny me, cannot be sanctified. Behold, I say unto you,
there were jarrings, and contentions, and envyings, and strifes, and lustful
and covetous desires among them; therefore by these things they polluted
their inheritances. They were slow to hearken unto the voice of the Lord their