-- During 1835
[Harris, Martin] Assisted in choosing twelve apostles in 1835. Five children: Martin Jr. , John, Julia, Solomon, and Ida Mae. (1)
[Higbee, Elias] Mission to Ohio 1835. (1)
[Higbee, Elias] Worked on Kirtland Temple 1835. (1)
[Knight, Vinson] Moved to Kirtland by 1835. Owned home and property in Kirtland. Druggist. (1)
[Phelps, William Wines] Assisted in compiling 1835 edition of Doctrine and Covenants. (1)
[Polygamy] The Article on Marriage is published. Among other information, it states, " 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." (History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 2:247.) (2)
[Polygamy] Aug 17
1835 Doctrine and Covenants Section 101 - Article on Marriage
"According to the custom of all civilized nations, marriage is regulated by laws and ceremonies; therefore we believe that all marriages in this Church of Christ of Latter-day Saints should be solemnized in a public meeting or feast prepared for that purpose, and that the solemnization should be performed by a Presiding High Priest, High Priest, Bishop, Elder or Priest, not even prohibiting those persons who are desirous to get married, of being married by other authority. We believe that it is not right to prohibit members of this Church from marrying out of the Church, ... The clerk of every church should keep a record of all marriages solemnized in his branch. All legal contracts of marriage made before a person is baptized into this Church should be held sacred and fulfilled. 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
case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again. (History of the Church, Vol.2, Ch.18, p.247).
Rumors of fornication and polygamy are what prompted this statement on marriage, an attempt to squash these rumors and innuendo. By this time, Joseph Smith either had a sexual relationship, or married, Fanny Alger. Joseph Smith was out of town when this section was sustained, but he started using this section as his marriage guide from September onward. The Article on Marriage was section 101 of the 1835 edition of the D&C. The Community of Christ (formerly RLDS church) has this section in their Doctrine and Covenants to this day. The LDS church kept it in the Nauvoo editions 1844, 1845 and 1846 and in four editions of the Doctrine and Covenants published in England from 1852 to 1869. This monogamy section of the D&C stayed as canonized scripture until 1876 Edition of the D&C, just before the death of Brigham Young, when section 132 was inserted. (3)
[Pratt, Parley Parker] Mission to Pennsylvania, New York, and New England 1835. (1)
[Richards, Willard] Learned of Book of Mormon 1835. (1)
[Richards, Willard] Practiced medicine in Massachusetts before 1835. (1)
[Statehood] August 17, Article on Marriage. "According to the custom of all civilized nations, marriage is regulated by laws and ceremonies; therefore we believe that all marriages in this Church of Christ of Latter-day Saints should be solemnized in a public meeting or feast prepared for that purpose, and that the solemnization should be performed by a Presiding High Priest, High Priest, Bishop, Elder or Priest, not even prohibiting those persons who are desirous to get married, of being married by other authority. We believe that it is not right to prohibit members of this Church from marrying out of the Church, ... The clerk of every church should keep a record of all marriages solemnized in his branch. All legal contracts of marriage made before a person is baptized into this Church should be held sacred and fulfilled. 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 w
ife, and one
woman but one husband, except in case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again. (History of the Church, Vol.2, Ch.18, p.247. Plural marriages, "Spiritual Wives" and rumors of such, including accusation about adultery mixed with secrete marriages, are what prompted the statement on marriage, in an attempt to squash rumors and innuendo. Joseph Smith was conveniently out of town, thus he could be seen as supporting the inclusion of that statement from outsiders, while continuing to spread plural marriage privately to select people for many years to come. The issue of preaching conflicting revelations was avoided by his absence. The Article on Marriage was section 101 of the 1835 edition of the D&C. The RLDS church has maintained this section to this day. The LDS church kept it in the Nauvoo editions 1844, 1845 and 1846. It was not removed until SLC 1876 Edition, just before the Death of Brigham Young, when section 132 was inserted.)
They accuse me of polygamy, and of being a false Prophet, and many other things which I do not now remember; but I am no false Prophet; I am no imposter; I have had no dark revelations; I have no revelations from the devil; I made no revelations; I have got nothing up of myself, The same God that has thus far dictated me and directed me and strengthened me in this work, gave me this revelation and commandment on celestial and plural marriage and the same God commanded me to obey it. He said to me that unless I accepted it and introduced it, and practiced it, I, together with my people, would be damned and cut off from this time hence forth.
And they say if I do so, they will kill me, 0, what shall I do? If I do not practice it, I shall be damned with my people. If I do teach it, and practice it, and urge it, they say they will kill me, and I know they will. But we have got to observe it. It is an eternal principle and was given by way of commandment and not byway of instruction, (Joseph Smith, Contributor 5:259) (4)
[Thayer, Ezra] Membership suspended 1835 for impropriety. Later restored to full fellowship. (1)
[West] Texas revolted against Mexico. (5)
Footnotes:
1 - Cook, Lyndon W., The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith: A Historical and Biographical Commentary of the Doctrine and Covenants, Seventy's Mission Bookstore, Provo UT, 1985
2 - Howick, E. Keith, Polygamy: The Mormon Enigma, http://www.polygamy-faq.com/chronology.php
3 - Tungate, Mel, Mormon Polygamy, http://www.tungate.com/polygamy.htm
4 - Porter, Perry, A Chronology of Federal Legislation on Polygamy, http://www.ldshistory.net/pc/chron.htm
5 - Hale, Van, Mormon Miscellaneous, Rocky Mountain Prophecy, http://www.mormonmiscellaneous.com/radioprogramblog/id8.html
LDS History Timeline / Chronology
About this site: http://mormon-church-history.blogspot.com/2008/12/welcome-to-mormon-church-history.html
No comments:
Post a Comment