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Polygamist Mormon Captured

Warren Jeffs, the charismatic leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was finally captured on Monday 28 August in Las Vegas with his brother and one of his many wives. Jeffs had been on the run since May 2006 after being charged with sexual misconduct for allegedly arranging marriages between minors and older men. Details can be read on the BBC News web site. For details of the pursuit and arrest see the Salt Lake Tribune.

The 10,000 strong FLDS Church is more than a hundred years old and broke away from the Salt Lake Mormon Church when the latter gave up the practice of polygamy officially in 1890. Jeffs is said to have as many as 70 wives, although no one seems really sure of the number. He would claim that his church is being true to "the principle" of polygamy as taught and practised by early Mormon leaders from Joseph Smith, Mormonism's founder through to Heber J Grant, Mormonism's seventh president. Today the Salt Lake Church distances itself from polygamy and its attending problems, typically making statements such as the following from Gordon B Hinckley, current Mormon president:

"People mistakenly assume that this church has something to do with it (polygamy). It has nothing whatever to do with it. It has had nothing to do with it for a very long time. It's outside the realm of our responsibility. These people are not members. Any man or woman who becomes involved in it is excommunicated from the church." (Larry King Live, Sept. 8 1998)

The truth is that it has everything to do with the Mormon Church and Hinckley is being disingenuous, conveniently overlooking the fact that early Mormon leaders, from Joseph Smith in the 1830s through post-1890 Declaration leaders, routinely broke the law to practice polygamy and lied to hide it. Hinckley's public response also fails to address the fact that official Mormon Scripture describes polygamy as an eternal principle. The Mormon Church portrays it as a temporary practice that God commands from time-to-time, when in reality it is 'officially' essential to all that would enter the highest degree of glory.

Polygamy

In the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants we read:

"Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband, except in the case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again" (Doctrine and Covenants, section 101:4 1835 ed.)

This is in conformity with Book of Mormon teaching on the subject:

"Behold David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord...Wherefore my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife" (Jacob 2:24,27)

It is notable that the revelation was given because, "this church...has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy". It is no wonder that such reproach was brought to bear because there is evidence that as soon as "the early or mid-1830's." Joseph Smith may have entered into plural marriage with one "Nancy Johnson." (John J. Stewart, Brigham Young and His Wives, p.31)

On 12 July, 1843 Joseph Smith was given a revelation which was to become Doctrine and Covenants Section 132. Perhaps the most controversial of all his teachings. A revelation of such importance, however, that those who disobeyed it would be damned:

"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..."

Obedience, on the other hand, would bring nothing less than godhood:

"And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant,...they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation...

"Then shall they be gods,...

"The nature of the covenant is that; -if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then he is justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else.

"And if he have ten virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given unto him; therefore is he justified. Although this revelation was given in 1843 it was not added to the Doctrine and Covenants until 1876. It was at that time that the original revelation, Doctrine and Covenants 101:4, was removed. This means that between 1843 and 1876 church leaders entered into polygamy in spite of the fact that until 1876 their own published scriptures forbade it.

"When it is realised that, by the church's own admission, Joseph Smith was probably married to at least 27 women prior to the 1843 revelation one begins to realise the possible reason for the change in official doctrine. And, as though to confirm our worst suspicions, we read in the same revelation:

"And let mine handmaid, Emma Smith, receive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before me; and those who are not pure, and have said they were pure, shall be destroyed, saith the Lord God...

"And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and cleave unto my servant Joseph,...But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord;..." (D&C 132:4,19,20,61,62,52,54)

The old has gone, the new has come. The order has been changed by means of a, "new and everlasting covenant". But what about the Book of Mormon? The Mormon Church, we have said, started in conformity with its teachings viz:

"Behold David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord...Wherefore my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife.

"To this day these verses stand unaltered in the record of the Nephites. In the Doctrine and Covenants however there is an altogether different account of events: David also received many wives and concubines, and also Solomon and Moses my servants,... and in nothing did they sin save in those things which they received not of me.

"David's wives and concubines were given unto him of me, by the hand of Nathan, my servant, and other prophets who had the keys of this power; and in none of these things did he sin against me save in the case of Uriah and his wife;..." (D&C 132:38,39)

When challenged to reconcile these statements Apostle Legrand Richards, author of "A Marvelous Work and A Wonder", said:

"I am afraid I can't adequately reconcile these two statements. If the one in the Doctrine and Covenants had omitted the names of David and Solomon, then I think I could reconcile the two statements" (Letter from Legrand Richards to Morris L Reynolds, July 14, 1966. Source:Mormonism, Shadow or Reality,1982,p.205)

The Manifesto

The church suffered intense persecution as a direct result of their polygamy doctrine. They stuck to their convictions however, suffering great privations and loss rather than give up the "order of heaven". But there was a further development in 1890 when Church President Wilford Woodruff issued a "Manifesto" putting a stop to the practice. Pressure from the outside world had become unbearable and the President of the church realised that the Mormons stood to lose everything if they continued to defy, not only public opinion, but the law of the land. The official church line is that it "suspended the general practice of it in the Church, while still retaining it as a doctrine." (John J. Stewart, Brigham Young and His Wives,pp.29-30)

This is a remarkable turn around in light of the essential nature, not only of the doctrine, but also of the practice of polygamy to the salvation of Mormons. Consider that it has been said:

"When that principle [of plural marriage] was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith...an Angel of God, with a drawn sword, stood before him and commanded that he should enter into the practice of that principle or he should be utterly destroyed..." ( Joseph F. Smith, Journal of Discourses,vol.20pp.28-31

Heber C. Kimball was once told by Joseph Smith that if he did not practice polygamy "he would lose his apostleship and be damned" (Life of Heber C. Kimball,p.336)

Heber C. Kimball went on to state that:

"You might as well deny 'Mormonism' and turn away from it, as to oppose the plurality of wives... I speak of the plurality of wives as one of the most holy principles that God ever revealed to man, and all who exercise an influence against it, unto whom it is taught...will be damned...the curse of God will be upon them". (Journal of Discourses, vol. 5, p.203 Journal of Discourses vol. 11, p.211)

And Brigham Young clearly taught that:

"The only men who become Gods, even Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy" (Journal of Discourses, vol. 11, p.269)

Now the order had changed back again as President Woodruff, in a statement now known as Official Declaration 1, declared:

"There is nothing in my teachings to the Church or in those of my associates...which can be reasonably construed to inculcate or encourage polygamy; and when any Elder of the Church has used language which appeared to convey any such teaching, he has been promptly reproved. And I now publicly declare that my advice to the Latter-day Saints is to refrain from contracting any marriage forbidden by the law of the land" (Official Declaration-1, D&C, 1982, pp.291-2)

The first seven Presidents of the Mormon Church practised polygamy, the last being Heber J. Grant who served as President from 1918 until 1945. He was convicted in 1899 of unlawful co-habitation, nine years after the Manifesto, and in 1903 fled the country to avoid arrest. In 1906 President Joseph F. Smith was convicted of the same offence and fined $300. This was sixteen years after the Manifesto (Tanner 284)

Today the Mormon Church struggles to persuade tens of thousands of Mormon fundamentalists in Utah to comply with church doctrine and the law of the land. In face of such hypocrisy amongst leaders of an earlier generation the struggle seems doomed to failure.

The Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie has said:

"Any who pretend or assume to engage in plural marriage in this day...are guilty of gross wickedness. They are living in adultery, have already sold their souls to Satan and...they will be damned in eternity" (Bruce R. Mcconkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1958, pp.522-23)

Early church leaders clearly taught that those who opposed polygamy would be damned. Todays leaders teach the exact opposite. It seems you're damned if you do and damned if you don't!

Early Church leaders taught that polygamy was essential to exaltation. Today's leaders say: "Plural Marriage is not essential to salvation or exaltation." (Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 1958, p. 523)

Polygamy is a doctrine they can neither embrace nor reject. To do the former would be to go against the teachings of the Prophet who brought them the word of God through the Manifesto. To follow the latter course they would have to reject the Prophet who taught them polygamy, the founder of their faith, and cast doubt on everything else he ever did. The result either way would be catastrophic. It remains, therefore, a "principle" of the gospel whilst its practice continues to be frowned upon.

Conclusion

When FLDS Mormons practice polygamy they are doing what their official Mormon forebears have done and practising what these leaders deemed an eternal principle.

When FLDS Mormons defy and break the law to practice polygamy they are doing what their official Mormon forebears did, from Joseph Smith to Heber J Grant, to hide their practices.

When FLDS Mormon leaders go on the run from the law they are doing what their official Mormon forebears did and when they lie to authorities to protect themselves and their own they are following the examples of early Mormon leaders.

This does not make them right in what they do or excuse their lifestyle. It does explain the true root of that lifestyle, from taking plural wives through lying about what they do and breaking the law in doing it. It's a Mormon thing make no mistake and the Mormon Church has yet to take responsibility for what it has practised and modelled to its followers, and what it yet expects to practise in eternity.

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