New LDS manual acknowledges Smith's teaching of polygamy

[Happy_LDS]

Finally! After so many years to ignore the topic on the RS and Priesthood manuals, there is a paragraph that deals with the fact that Joseph Smith taught Plural Marriage:

For the first time in recent memory, a new manual Mormons will use to study the writings of founder Joseph Smith acknowledges Smith's role in introducing the practice of polygamy.

    The acknowledgment may not seem groundbreaking to many Mormons or historians, nor will it likely satisfy most critics, but its inclusion in an official course of study is a departure from past practices and may signal a new openness about Mormon history.

    The change is "not a response to critics who think the church has not been straightforward about its involvement with plural marriage in the 19th century," said David Marsh, manager of curriculum development for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "It is included . . . to illustrate a few of the doctrines or principles that do not have application to our day and which are therefore not included in the book."

    Still, it is noteworthy.

    The church launched its church presidential writings course in 1998 with Brigham Young. In Sunday meetings, the all-male priesthood and the all-female Relief Society used the same manual to separately examine Young's thoughts on a particular topic. Critics quickly noted, though, that the book's biographical sketch of Young listed only one wife, not the more than 50 women he had married...

http://origin.sltrib.com/ci_8010181

[AlaskanLDS]

I went and read the article and some of the comments.  I think the important thing wasn't that all of a sudden the church is being open to its members but rather that it has included it for studying and gives the information to back it up in footnotes. 

I do have to say that my dad and I got into a disagreement over the fact that Joseph Smith not only taught pologamy but practiced it as well.  I think there are more than we think that are members of the church that are not aware of this, especially outside the United States.

[Happy_LDS]

I think the important thing wasn't that all of a sudden the church is being open to its members but rather that it has included it for studying and gives the information to back it up in footnotes.

Why now? I do think that after much criticism with the other manuals, the Church decided to include it.

[Zelph]

Why now? I do think that after much criticism with the other manuals, the Church decided to include it.

I can understand why they waited until they do it with the Prophet of the Restoration.  He is the one who introduced the doctrine of Polygamy as part of the New and Everlasting Covenant.

[Sariah_Gift]

In my opinion that's not the reason, it would be really silly not to include it when the whole world who are not lds know about plural marriage because of Joseph Smith so it seems to me it was a matter of they didnt have an option really.

[Fielding]

The plural marrige issue certainly has come back to haunt lds members lately, although the Church discontinued the practice more than an hundred years ago in order to obey the law of the land.

At the time the Mormons were driven from Nauvoo they set out to leave U.  S.  territory where they could be free to practice religion without government interference.   By the time they arrived in the Salt Lake Valley it was no longer outside the U. S.   Ironically, it was the Mormon Battalion who helped claim the territory for the United States.

It is also noteworthy that the early saints were not interested in plural marriage, it was the Lord who required it.   It makes no sense to question the Lord, he created the earth and he owns it.   In his infinite wisdom he has his purposes, many of which are difficult for we mortals to understand.

It is easy to understand why a non lds person would frown on lds plural marriage, they don't believe the Lord had anything to do with it, or even with the lds church for that matter.   They think it was lust, but it certainly was not.