Category: Polygamy

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Polygamy

Mormon Polygamy: A Comprehensive Guide

A depiction of Joseph and Emma Smith discussing polygamy, by Latter-day Saint artist Anthony Sweat.

Mormon polygamy (or “plural marriage”) was a 19th-century religious practice introduced by Joseph Smith and further embraced by leaders like Brigham Young. It played an important role in shaping the history and culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While the Church officially ended the practice through the 1890 Manifesto (and polygamy is strictly prohibited today), it took years to bring it to a complete stop, and the topic remains controversial today. This guide provides an overview of Latter-day Saint polygamy, including answers to common questions and resources for further reading.

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Latter-day Saint History Polygamy

Insights From Andrew Kimball on Heber C. Kimball’s Life and Family

Portraits of Heber C. Kimball, his daughter Helen Mar Kimball, and grandson Orson F. Whitney, key figures in early Latter-day Saint history, illustrating Heber C. Kimball biography and family legacy.

Heber C. Kimball was a central figure in early Latter-day Saint history, serving as Brigham Young’s first counselor and helping shape the church’s westward migration. He led a complex family life with 43 wives and 64 children, balancing loyalty, faith, and leadership amid the challenges of polygamy and frontier life. His daughter, Helen Mar Kimball, navigated personal tragedy while leaving a rich record of her experiences, and her son, Orson F. Whitney, carried forward the Kimball legacy through poetry, preaching, and church leadership. In this interview, biographer Andrew Kimball explores the lives, struggles, and enduring influence of the multi-generational Heber C. Kimball family.

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Doctrine and Covenants Polygamy

D&C 132: What Is the Plural Marriage Revelation?

Doctrine and Covenants 132 is the revelation on plural marriage dictated by Joseph Smith in 1843. Shared in secret during his lifetime and later canonized in 1879, it became one of the most consequential and controversial texts in Latter-day Saint history. The revelation introduced the sealing of marriages for eternity, provided the theological foundation for polygamy, and continues to influence Church teachings about family and exaltation today. In this interview, scholar William V. Smith explores D&C 132’s origins and lasting impact.

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Polygamy

Why Don’t Polygamy Skeptics Think Joseph Smith Practiced Plural Marriage?

A collage of two paintings, one of Joseph Smith and the other of his wife, Emma Smith, facing each other, suggesting the emotional turmoil of polygamy.

Polygamy skeptics reject the idea that Joseph Smith practiced plural marriage, pointing to his public denials, lack of children with wives other than Emma, and doubts about documents like William Clayton’s journals and D&C 132. Once championed by the Reorganized Church, this “Monogamy Model” has gained renewed interest among modern believers who see Brigham Young as the true originator of plural marriage. In this interview, attorney and historian Mark Tensmeyer examines their central arguments and the historical roots behind the resurgence of polygamy skepticism.

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Latter-day Saint History Polygamy

Who Was Fanny Alger?

Fanny Alger may have been the first polygamous wife of Joseph Smith. Historians debate many details, but the historical record suggests that she had a secret sexual—and possibly marital—relationship with the Prophet. New research suggests that the relationship between Joseph and Fanny may have begun as a father-daughter adoptive sealing. In this interview, Christopher C. Smith discusses the evidence and implications of the new theory.

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Joseph Smith Polygamy

In Sacred Loneliness: The Documents of Joseph Smith’s Wives

The book cover of In Sacred Loneliness, by Todd Compton, a historian of Joseph Smith's wives.

The plural wives of Joseph Smith are the focus of Todd Compton’s book, In Sacred Loneliness: The Documents. As a sequel to his 1997 volume, The Documents provides the primary sources Compton used in his book about Joseph Smith’s polygamous marriages. In this interview, Todd Compton discusses his new publication, shares thoughts about reactions to his research, and provides highlights from his book.

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Latter-day Saint History Polygamy

Imperial Zions: An Interview with Amanda Hendrix-Komoto

Joseph F. Smith with a group of Latter-day Saint leaders in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Nineteenth century Latter-day Saint missionaries preached to many different cultures, including Europeans, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders. At the same time, their home lives were complicated by the practice of polygamy and the long absences of the men as they served missions abroad. In this interview, Imperial Zions author Amanda Hendrix-Komoto discusses the complicated intersections of race, family, respectability, and settlement that Latter-day Saints experienced in Utah and abroad in service of their religion.

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19th Century Brigham Young Joseph Smith Latter-day Saint History Polygamy

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich and ‘A House Full of Females’

The cover art for A House Full of Females by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich depicture a family living plural marriage

After attending a Relief Society meeting in 1857, Wilford Woodruff recorded in his journal that “the house was full of females.” As someone who practiced plural marriage instituted by the Prophet Joseph Smith, the comment could have applied to Woodruff’s home life. In this interview, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich discusses how early Latter-day Saint sources shed light on female authority and plural marriage.

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Joseph Smith Latter-day Saint History Polygamy

The Remarkable Legacy of Emma Smith

Emma Smith was the wife of the Prophet Joseph Smith

Emma Hale Smith is sometimes viewed only as “Joseph Smith’s wife, Emma.” Stories are told of her wrestles with polygamy or her decision to remain in Nauvoo. There’s even a new argument that she may have possessed a Joseph Smith daguerreotype. But Emma is more than a story. In this interview, Jenny Reeder shares insights from her Emma Smith biography, First: The Life and Faith of Emma Smith.

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19th Century 20th Century Latter-day Saint History Polygamy

See How the Church Changed in Remarkable ‘Saints 3’

A painting of the Switzerland temple from the cover of Saints 3.

Saints 3 is the third volume in the new official history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Scott Hales (General Editor and lead writer) and Jed Woodworth (General Editor and lead historian) discuss the Saints book and tease Saints Volume 4.

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