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The Polygamy Conspiracies How the Latter Day Saints Were Betrayed by Men Nearest the Prophet by Elder Richard Price Member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints have believed for more than a century that the Prophet Joseph Smith, Jr., the Church's first president, did not teach nor practice polygamy. Hence, it comes as a surprise to many of them to discover that the Church's historian, Richard P. Howard, has published a sixteen page position paper which advances "a new theory" that Joseph Smith had been responsible for the introduction of polygamy into the Church at Nauvoo, previous to his death in 1844. The Church historian published his polygamy paper, entitled "The Changing RLDS Response to Mormon Polygamy: A Preliminary Analysis," in The John Whitmer Historical Association Journal, Volume Three, which appeared in September, 1983, (Copies of the Journal containing Richard P. Howard's article may be obtained by sending $5.00 to Betty Winholtz, Executive Secretary, JWHA, Graceland College, Lamoni, Iowa 50140. It would be well for all the saints to obtain their own copies for careful study, for this paper marks a significant change in the beliefs of the Church's present leaders in regard to Joseph Smith and the polygamy issue.) Mr. Howard's paper came to the attention of the general membership of the Church when Lisa Wade, religion editor of the Independence Examiner, published a review of it in that newspaper on October 8, 1983. Her article brought the new belief on polygamy into the homes of thousands of the saints. It is published here in full because it gives a faithful summary of Howard's polygamy position paper. The Dividing Line Finding definitive answers to current questions on polygamy may be impossible, report says. by Lisa Wade of The Examiner Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints officials are continuing their analysis of the denomination's historical beliefs concerning polygamy (having more than one wife). Richard Howard, RLDS church historian, recently raised the issue when he presented a paper addressing the topic - which is viewed by many as the primary dividing line between the RLDS and the LDS churches. In his paper, Howard quotes several articles written by former RLDS officials that suggest the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr. did, at one time, believe in polygamy. In an 1852 article in the Saturday Evening Post, Isaac Sheen, a leader in the reorganization, says: "The Salt Lake apostles also excuse themselves by saying that Joseph Smith taught the spiritual-wife doctrine, but this excuse is as weak as their excuse concerning the ancient kings and patriarchs. Joseph Smith repented of his connection with this doctrine and said that it was of the devil." A year later, William Marks, also a leader in the reorganization, says: "Joseph, however, became convinced before his death that he had done wrong; for about three weeks before his death, I met him one morning in the street, and he said to me, 'Brother Marks . . we are a ruined people. This doctrine of polygamy, or spiritual-wife system that has been taught and practiced among us will prove our destruction and overthrow. I have been deceived, in reference to its practice; it is wrong; it is a curse to mankind, and we shall have to leave the United States soon, unless it can be put down, and its practice stopped in the church.'" In his paper, Howard concludes that Sheen and Marks "agree in their view that Joseph Smith was somehow involved in the inception of the spiritual-wife doctrine that led to polygamy at Nauvoo, but that he renounced the doctrine as a mistake before his death." In documented statements, however, Smith's son, Joseph Smith III, denies his father believed in polygamy. In his 1860 inaugural address at Amboy, Joseph III says: "There is but one principle taught by the leaders of any faction of this people that I hold in utter abhorrence; that is a principle taught by Brigham Young and those believing in him. "I have been told that my father taught such doctrines," Joseph adds in his speech. "I have never believed it and never can believe it . . . I believe my father was a good man, and a good man never could have promulgated such doctrines." Throughout his career, Joseph III attempted to disassociate his father's name with the inception of polygamy beliefs in the church, Howard says in the paper. But Joseph III's brother, David, was not as certain as to his fathers innocence. In 1872 David wrote: "It is an unpleasant subject to me ... I know my mother believes just as we do in faith, repentance, baptism, and all of the saving doctrines in the books of the church and all, but I do not wish to ask her in regard to polygamy, for dear brother God forgive me if I am wrong ... I believe there was something wrong. I don't know it but the testimony is too great for me to deny. "If my father sinned I cannot help it," David continues in his letter. "He must suffer for his sin. I do not know that he did, and if I had not received such a convincing testimony of the gospel, my faith might fail, but it does not even though he did sin ... Even if he did wrong, he repented and told the saints that polygamy was a false and wicked doctrine." Although Joseph III continued fighting for his father's innocence, his task wasn't easy. "There was a rather unsettling element in RLDS circles potentially threatening RLDS efforts to clear the Smith family name from the polygamous stigma," Howard says in his article. "The prime symbol of that element was Zenas H. Gurley Jr., a member of the RLDS Council of Twelve since 1874." Gurley urged Joseph III to air both sides of the issue through the RLDS press. And in 1879 he wrote a letter to Joseph saying: "I have felt somewhat sore and chagrined at the attempts made the the Herald (church paper) to establish the innocence of your father touching polygamy, as thought the work of God depended in any sense upon his innocence or guilt, and I may say here that many others in the church have expressed similar feeling to me, but have and do feel too delicate to speak with you upon the matter because it's your father. "I believe firmly in your father's guilt," Gurley adds, "and think it susceptible of proof, and have for years." In the article, Howard also tries to trace the origins of Mormon polygamy. He says, however, "as Joseph Smith contended, a final, comprehensive answer cannot be had on the basis of the evidences extant." Despite his lack of evidence, Howard concludes: "Polygamy began at Nauvoo as a consequence of Mormon history filled with:
Additional conclusions Howard makes concerning the church's historical views on polygamy include:
Although church officials say Howard's article could "represent a viewpoint which may seem to be new to some persons, and worthy of their consideration, the facts on which he bases his theory have been known, for the most part, since the early days of the reorganization." In a press release issued this week, RLDS officials said: "The First Presidency would encourage faithful students to continue their scholarly inquiry into this period of our early history. "The Church Historian, Richard P. Howard, is recognized as a reputable and qualified historian," the release says, "As such, his writings stand on their own merits. The strength of our testimony concerning the divine origins of the church is enhanced by the insight which scholarship has provided us over the years. Additional research can only enrich our testimony and our heritage ..." (Independence Examiner, October 8, 1983, page 4C) Miss Wade summarized her article by placing the following statement beside Joseph's picture: "...RLDS Church historian Richard Howard, in a recent paper, suggests church prophet Joseph Smith Jr. at one time believed in polygamy. However, he says Smith repented with [of] his connection with the doctrine of spiritual-wife[ry] and said it was of the devil." The Results of Publishing Wade's Article. When this article appeared in the paper a shock went through the Church, for thousands of the saints read the Examiner, and many of them sent copies of the article to friends in distant places. The saints were stunned, for though they had always known that Joseph was innocent of polygamy, they never supposed that the official Church historian would publish such a document. Historian Howard did not say in his own words that Joseph was a polygamist; however, he strongly implied it by quoting sources which implicated the prophet. Mr. Howard did suggest that Joseph started polygamy indirectly as an outgrowth of Nauvoo Temple ordinances. The historian also intimated that the RLDS Church's former position (that Joseph was innocent of instigating polygamy) would now change to accepting the position that Joseph did institute it but afterwards repented of his connection with it. This is apparently to be the new position of Mr. Howard and other RLDS leaders. This new approach can be called the "guilt-repentance theory," as opposed to the "innocence theory." The Price Article After Lisa Wade's article appeared in the Examiner, Elder Richard Price published a full-page paid statement in the Examiner on October 22, 1983. It was written as an answer to Historian Howard's polygamy paper in the Whitmer Journal. The ad, which cost $812, was financed by concerned saints who believed Joseph Smith was innocent. That article is reproduced here with some rearrangement: Polygamy How the Latter Day Saints Were Betrayed By Men Nearest the Prophet by Richard Price "...Lisa Wade reported in her article that RLDS leaders has said in a press release, "The First Presidency would encourage faithful students to continue their scholarly inquiry into this period of our early history." Therefore, since the RLDS Presidency is asking people to study the question of polygamy, I wish to provide them with the following information which should prove to be helpful. I received a bachelor's degree in history from Central Missouri State University, and my wife Pamela and I have made an exhaustive study of this subject since the early 1950's. In 1956, the Prophet Israel A. Smith wrote to Pamela and encouraged her to make a serious study of Joseph Smith and the polygamy issue. Our research has led us to many libraries .... The Proof of Joseph's Innocence Before going further, let it be said that it is a very simple matter to determine that Joseph was not a polygamist: He fathered no children by plural wives, even though his wife, Emma, bore him nine. It would have been impossible for Joseph to have had at least twenty-seven wives, as the Mormon Church in Utah claims, without having fathered at least one child by a polygamous wife - especially when the only purpose of polygamy (according to its advocates) was to have children born of polygamous parents. And yet Joseph fathered not one such child! This fact alone proves that he did not practice that doctrine. In the center of his full-page article in the Examiner, the following statement was quoted from a sermon preached by Joseph Smith one month before he was martyred: "I had not been married scarcely five minutes, and made one proclamation of the Gospel, before it was reported that I had seven wives .... This spiritual wifeism! Why, a man dares not speak or wink, for fear of being accused of this ... William Law ... swears that I have committed adultery. I wish the grand jury would tell me who they [the alleged polygamous wives] are .... "A man asked me whether the commandment [revelation] was given that a man may have seven wives ... I am innocent of all these charges, and you can bear witness of my innocence, for you know me yourselves.... What a thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only find one. I am the same man, and as innocent as I was fourteen years ago [when the Church was organized]; and I can prove them all perjurers..." (Joseph Smith, History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints [Utah], 6:410-41, May 26, 1844). The truth is that Joseph Smith was "framed" - that is, the doctrine of polygamy which found its way into the Church came in through the Cochranite influence (which will be explained hereafter). It also came through three different groups of men who falsely claimed that Joseph was its author in order to justify their own evil activities. The Prophet Israel A. Smith understood this "framing" of his grandfather and wrote, "Joseph Smith was the greatest victim of fraud and conspiracy of the last 500 years. Nothing like it in recorded history. He was simply lied about when something had to be done to justify the filth and rottenness of Utah Mormon Polygamy" (letter to Mrs. Richard Price, September 17, 1956.) Historian Howard's Sources Are Questionable In building his case for making the new theological change to the belief that Joseph was guilty of polygamy, Historian Howard quotes in his paper a number of people as sources who were not primary witnesses, or are otherwise unreliable. He quotes a letter from David H. Smith who was not even born until after his father's death. While doing missionary work in Utah, advocates of polygamy put extra pressure upon David because he was the dead Prophet's son, and his health broke. It was during this illness that David wrote the letter which Mr. Howard quotes. David's health continued to decline until he was permanently hospitalized. Historian Howard quotes Zenas H. Gurley, Jr., who was only two years old at the time of Joseph Smith's death (he should not be confused with his father, Zenas H. Gurley, Sr., who assisted in the reorganization of the Church). Mr. Howard also refers to Isaac Sheen who did not reside at Nauvoo during the last years of Joseph's life, and to Charles Derry, a native of England, who was not baptized until three years after Joseph's death. The Church historian quotes three passages from the writings of Nauvoo Stake President William Marks in an attempt to prove Joseph was implicated in polygamy. But a careful reading of these shows that Joseph did not say the he had taught or practiced it. Why didn't the historian quote a fourth statement of Brother Marks, made at a later time, in order to clarify the three statements that Mr. Howard quoted? Church Historian Charles A. Davies (Mr. Howard's predecessor) explains this in the Saints Herald for December 15, 1962, page 20, in which he brings Apostle Edmund C. Briggs' interview with Brother Marks. Brother Briggs questioned Brother Marks thus: "'Did you, when you had that conversation with Brother Joseph, think he had been in any way mixed up in polygamy, or had favored it?' He [Marks] replied, 'No. I had more confidence in him at that time than I ever had in all my life before, and was satisfied that he was pure from that gross crime. I had been troubled over the condition of the church for some time, and been fearful that Joseph did not bring the pressure against some men in the church that he should have done. You see from John C. Bennett's time there had been so many rumors going the rounds, I was fearful that there might be something in the stories afloat that might implicate Joseph. But Joseph was so free and positive in his denunciation of polygamy in every form, that I took courage; and I could see Joseph was in earnest and felt just as I did about it ...'" (Saints Herald 50:363-364, April 22, 1903) Historian Davies continued this account by saying, "William Marks, it is said, indicated that Joseph Smith 'had been deceived.' E.C. Briggs gives Marks' explanation of this reference in these words, 'But I thought he [Joseph] had been deceived in some of the men and elders of the church, and had too much confidence in some of them.' This later comment by Marks himself disposes of any contention that Joseph Smith confessed to being deceived in receiving a revelation of the nature of which he has been accused." This shows that Joseph Smith was deceived in regard to conspiring apostles - as will be shown later - and not deceived about polygamy being a true doctrine. Mr. Howard also quotes Sidney Rigdon as saying that Joseph originated polygamy. Sidney invalidated his own testimony by stating under oath shortly before Joseph's death that he had been too ill to personally know about any polygamous activities (Times and Seasons 5:539, May 15, 1844). But after Joseph's death, he suddenly became an authority on the subject with the help of William Law, who was Joseph's enemy at the time (Messenger and Advocate 1:145, March 15, 1845.) Strangely, Historian Howard questions Emma Smith's firm declaration that Joseph never taught or received a revelation on polygamy or spiritual wifery, on the grounds that her son Joseph III did not publish her testimony until several months after she was interviewed. And yet Mr. Howard failed to list similar firm declarations by Emma which she made to President Jason Briggs, Apostle Edmund Briggs, President W.W. Blair, Apostle Mark Forscutt, H.S. Stebbins, J.C. Chrestinsen, and others. Mr. Howard gives much credence to the affidavits of William and Jane Law and Austin Cowles, which declared that Joseph did give a polygamous revelation. He failed to explain though that Joseph said these affidavits were lies, and that the Laws and Cowles were bitter enemies of Joseph - and that their affidavits were written and published as part of their conspiracy to take the Prophet's life. Evidently he accepts at face value the affidavits of Joseph's enemies, but not the testimony of Joseph's wife. The Document of 1843 Historian Howard treats the subject of a "revelation on marriage" which Joseph was purported to have given. Since it was read to the Standing High Council on July 12, 1843, it is sometimes called the Document of 1843. It was never printed and the original is not extant, so it is not known what its contents were. Space does not permit a proper treatment of this subject, but some of the conflicting statements about it may be mentioned: Dr. Law's conspirators claimed in the Expositor that it taught that men must practice polygamy. Joseph answered in the Nauvoo Neighbor for June 18, 1844, that they had lied about this matter and that it did not teach polygamy. Brigham Young said that Emma Smith "burnt" the original, but Emma repeatedly declared that there was no revelation which taught polygamy or spiritual wifery. And Emma must have been correct, for the Utah Mormon authorities took the original, or a copy of it, to Salt Lake - and later destroyed it. This is seen in Joseph Smith III's account of testimonies which he obtained while on a fact-finding mission in Utah. Willard Richards' son, Heber John Richards (who was also a secretary to high Mormon authorities) came to Joseph Smith III and assured him that his claim of his father's innocence could never be disproven. Joseph III reported, "Heber John Richards, son of Doctor Willard Richards, ... wished me to know that in the past he had been secretary in certain church councils and had come into possession of considerable valuable information. He followed this statement by saying, ... that we [the RLDS Church] need never fear that we would be confronted by any boasted documents or records that would prove our position wrong, 'for I assure you, Brother Joseph, they [Utah church officials] destroyed the records upon which their claim is based. They did not wish to have that sort of material evidence about, for sharp controversy over it had arisen, grown very bitter, and to end it the records were destroyed" (Saints' Herald, May 15, 1937, p. 626; May 22, 1937, p. 655). Joseph III declared, "Many of the things he [Heber John Richards] told me in that conversation confirmed certain things said by Samuel W. Richards ... (of the same Richards family - Ibid.) And what was the main "record" which the Utah leaders destroyed? The Document of July 1843, of course! And why did they destroy it? For only one reason: it did not teach polygamy or celestial marriage! If it had taught either one, it would have been the most highly-prized document in Utah today. Polygamy Began With Cochranism - Not Temple Ordinances. The next problem with Historian Howard's paper is that he draws the conclusion that "... Mormon polygamy's inception came during the Nauvoo era, and was an outgrowth of the emerging system of temple rituals at Nauvoo from 1840 to 1844." It is difficult to understand how he came to the conclusion that polygamy came from Nauvoo Temple ordinances, when Church history records polygamy problems as far back as the early days in Kirtland, Ohio. Research into the subject shows that polygamy in the Restoration movement had its beginning with the members who were converted from the Cochranite denomination as early as 1832. About 1816 a man named Jacob Cochran started a small denomination which later centered at Saco, Maine. This denomination became known as the Cochranites and is best known for its practice of polygamy. By the early 1830's this group had developed a theology and some ritualism to enhance its practice, calling it "spiritual wifery" (Cochranism Delineated, by A. Watchman - Ephriam Stinchfield). In 1832, the Church's missionaries, including Orson Hyde and Brigham Young, began converting these people. A number of them moved to Kirtland, bringing their polygamous theology with them. This is why Joseph Smith and the committee which published the Doctrine and Covenants at Kirtland in 1835 included the "Article on Marriage," which said, "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 ..." (Doctrine and Covenants 111:4). Two years later the Quorums of Seventy at Kirtland also published a statement against polygamy in an effort to put down the Cochranite influence within the Church. The Seventies adopted a resolution which stated, "That we have no fellowship whatever with any elder belonging to the quorums of the Seventies who is guilty of polygamy ..." (Messenger and Advocate 3:511, May, 1837). The First Polygamy Conspiracy - Bennett and His Followers The first organized effort of a group of men which tried to implicate Joseph in polygamy to cover their own evil deeds was headed by Dr. John C. Bennett who came to Nauvoo in 1841. Dr. Bennett, who was mayor of Nauvoo and an assistant to the First Presidency, seduced several women by teaching them the Cochranite plural wife doctrines. He did so by convincing them "that Joseph had such revelations and commandments, and that they were of God" (The Wasp, July 27, 1842). Dr. Bennett taught several men to practice this false doctrine (polygamy) also, including Chauncey and Francis M. Higbee, sons of the Church's historian. When their seductions came to light, Joseph labored with the men and expelled Dr. Bennett. Joseph also sued Lawyer Chauncey Higbee for teaching that Joseph was the author of polygamy. On May 24, 1842, he signed an affidavit to tke Chauncey into the court in Carthage (the county seat). Joseph's affidavit declared, "... That at sundry times, in the City of Nauvoo, county aforesaid, one Chancy [sic] L. Higbee has slandered and defamed the character of the said Joseph Smith, and also the character of Emma Smith, his wife, in using their names, the more readily to accomplish his purpose in seducing certain females ..." (The People Versus C.L. Higbee, Hancock County Courthouse Archives). If Joseph had been the author of polygamy, he certainly would not have sued a lawyer in a non-member court, for fear that he would be exposed, rather than Chauncey! The Second Conspiracy - Dr. Law's Group When Dr. Bennett was expelled from the Church in 1842 he left Nauvoo, but the youthful Higbee brothers remained. Soon others joined them - men who were angry with Joseph for various economic and political reasons and because Joseph had disciplined some of them in Church courts for adultery, thievery, and other crimes. Dr. William Law, a member of the First Presidency, joined this group and became the head of it. Animosity developed between this group and Joseph. A conspiracy was formed and they tried to kill him. In a court case in which one of the conspirators sued Joseph Smith, A.B. Williams gave affidavit saying, "Joseph H. Jackson said that Doctor [Robert] Foster, Chauncy Higbee and the Laws were red-hot for a conspiracy, and he should not be surprised if in two weeks there should be not one of the Smith family left in Nauvoo" (Times and Seasons 5:541, May 15, 1844). Dr. Law tried to depose Joseph and replace him as the head of the Church. He declared himself the head of the "Reformed Mormon Church," called Francis Higbee and others to be apostles, and called for the elders to come and have their licenses renewed under him. This group published the Nauvoo Expositor, which claimed that Joseph was a polygamist. After their paper was destroyed, they went to Carthage and raised the mob that killed Joseph and Hyrum. This group constituted the second conspiracy which accused Joseph of polygamy in order to further their own selfish aims. Their aims were different than Dr. Bennett's, however, in that they wanted to remove Joseph - not to institute polygamy. The Third Conspiracy - The Apostles A third group which tried to link Joseph's name with polygamy was headed by several apostles, who had spent considerable time between 1837 and 1844 ministering in England without their wives. During this time, polygamy was a common topic of discussion, both in England and in America. Under these circumstances some of the apostles had "Manifestations" about polygamy being of divine origin. As an example, Brigham Young said, "While we were in England (in 1839 and 1840, I think) the Lord manifested to me by vision and His Spirit, things [about polygamy] that I did not then understand. I never opened my mouth to anyone concerning them, until I returned to Nauvoo; Joseph had never mentioned this; there had never been a thought of it in the church that I ever know anything about at that time; - but I had this for myself and kept it for myself .." (Deseret News, July 1, 1874.) Another who had polygamy "revealed" to him in England was Lorenzo Snow (Deseret Semi-Weekly News, June 6, 1899). In addition to having these adulterous conceptions, some of these men preached among the Cochranites, including Orson Hyde and Brigham Young. Brigham returned from England and sat as a judge on Dr. Bennett's case when he was tried and expelled in 1842. There Brigham learned more about the workings of polygamy and took his first plural wife one month later. In 1843 he preached in the Boston area among the Cochranites and returned to Nauvoo that fall. He brought with him Augusta Adams Cobb, a married woman, who had been baptized amid the Cocranites (Journal of Orson Hyde, pp. 16-17; American Heritage, Feb. 1965, pp. 50-55). Before Joseph's death Brigham had secretly married four polygamous wives, including Augusta. Several other prominent men, including apostles, also had taken plural wives by this time. As these men began practicing polygamy, it became necessary to find some theological cover for their sins - and of course it was easy to take the same route that Dr. Bennett had done - to use the Cochranite, and perhaps other polygamous theologies, under Joseph's name. Of course, they had to denounce Bennettism and had to make it appear that Joseph was the author of the system. This was a big undertaking, but they had some advantages - Brigham Young was president of the Quorum of Twelve, Apostle Willard Richards was of the secretaries for the Church, the Church historian, and a clerk of the Nauvoo Municipal Court. John Taylor was editor of the Church paper, Times and Seasons and also the city's only newspaper, the Nauvoo Neighbor. Joseph's brother, Apostle William Smith, who saw through the conspiracy of this group of apostles, was in Nauvoo in April to June 844. He later wrote to Joseph Smith III explaining, "The Church was robbed of her prophet and patriarch, by a most hellish plot that had been in vogue for not only months, but years previous to the time of their deaths." He further explained that "... I wish to here name the fact that the principal instigators in getting up that ordinance [to have the Nauvoo Expositor destroyed] were men who feared the revelations that this organ (the Expositor) was about to make of their secret and ungodly doings to the world. The persons who were most conspicuous in this work ... were no other than John Taylor and Willard Richards, who by constant importunities prevailed upon your father to sign his own death warrant ... . Thus these men ... ensnared the prophet from off his watch tower, and led him like a lamb to the slaughter ..." (Saints Herald, April 15, 1879, p. 117). In the same letter, Apostle William stated that the apostles were secretly teaching polygamy among the saints at that time. He explained that he "took breakfast" with Joseph and Emma, at which time Emma said that "some complaint had been made to her by females whom she had visited, that John Taylor, Willard Richards, and Brigham Young, had been teaching some doctrines among the Saints privately that was going to ruin the Church ... ." Joseph's answer was that "he would attend to the matter as soon as he got through with his trouble with the Laws and Fosters." It must be remembered that this happened immediately following the publication of the Expositor's first and only issue. But Joseph did not wait until he settled the Law conspiracy to start on the apostles' conspiracy - for as Mr. Howard quoted in his article, Joseph went to William Marks and asked him to start prosecuting those who were practicing polygamy - the apostles and their friends. The true origin of polygamy becomes clear as the picture emerges of the influence of the Cochranites and other polygamous cults, and the betrayal of the Prophet by the groups of conspirators under Dr. Bennett, Dr. Law, and Brigham Young. With this background, it becomes evident that Joseph and Hyrum (who never had polygamous children) were innocent, while the real culprits were Brigham Young and others. Emma's Fight Against Polygamy In addition to the newspaper article written by Richard Price, the following testimonies concerning Emma Smith's fight against polygamy are also enlightening. Emma Opposed Spiritual Wifery When the false practice of spiritual wifery became publicly known, the women of Nauvoo, who were striving to make the city a Zionic community, were horrified. Emma Smith was the head of the Ladies' Relief Society, and she spearheaded the women's move to squelch Bennett's teachings. She called the women together in a mass meeting, where they unanimously adopted the following declaration: "We the undersigned members of the Ladies' Relief Society, and married females, do certify and declare that we know of no system of marriage being practiced in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints save the one contained in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants [RLDS Doctrine and Covenants 111]; and we give this certificate to the public to show that J.C. Bennett's 'secret wife system' is a disclosure of his own to make" (Times and Seasons 3:940; October 1, 1842). The statement was signed by Emma Smith as president, three other officers, and fifteen prominent women. The Prophet Joseph then published the statement in Times and Seasons, and it was widely distributed in order to show the Church's strong opposition to this false doctrine. Emma Opposed Adultery and Polygamy in 1844 Two years after the Bennett scandal several other prominent men were found to be in adultery, including Wilson Law and his brother, Dr. William Law, a member of the First Presidency. They had become close friends of Chauncey and Francis Higbee, who had followed Bennett's teachings and had practiced spiritual wifery. Expelled from the Church in 844, the Laws, Higbees, and others formed a group which determined to destroy Joseph Smith and take over the Church of Jesus Christ. By March of 1844 (three months before Joseph's death) several apostles and their friends were practicing polygamy in secret. For example, Brigham Young actually had four wives by then. His brother Lorenzo Dow Young had two wives; Apostle John Taylor had three; and Apostle Heber C. Kimball had two wives (Stewart, Brigham Young and His Wives, pages 85-86; Utah Historical Quarterly 14: 134, 171; Roberts, The Life of John Taylor, page 465; Carter, Heber C. Kimball - His Wives and Family, pages 12-13). As the deeds of the polygamists and adulterers came to light, once again Emma rose to the occasion by calling upon the Ladies' Relief Society to denounce the activities of these men in strongest terms. This time Emma called four mass meetings in the assembly room of Joseph's Brick Store - two on March 9 and two on March 16. The meeting Emma presented a document which denounced polygamy, bigamy, and such practices. Entitled "Voice of Innocence," this document was adopted unanimously at each meeting. It reads in part: "... We raise our
voices and hands against John C. Bennett's 'spiritual wife system,' as a scheme
of profligates to seduce women; and they that harp upon it, wish to make it
popular for the convenience of their own cupidity; wherefore, while the marriage
bed, undefiled is honorable, let polygamy, bigamy, fornication, adultery, and
prostitution, be frowned out of the hearts of honest men to drop in the gulf of
fallen nature, 'where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched!' and let
all the saints say, Amen! Joseph again supported Emma's activities and meetings by publishing this "Voice of Innocence" in the Nauvoo Neighbor in order to inform as many saints as possible of the continuing fight of the Church against adultery and polygamy. Emma's Fight After Joseph's Death At the time of Joseph's death Brigham Young and others were already practicing polygamy in Nauvoo, as previously noted. They continued the activity in secret by declaring, as Bennett had taught, that Joseph Smith had received a revelation authorizing the doctrine. Emma Smith remained at Nauvoo. It was not until those men moved to Utah, however, that they publicly acknowledged their practices, forcing the saints who had followed them to accept polygamy as a cardinal doctrine. Even then, in order to give it credence, they continued to claim that Joseph Smith had secretly taught and practiced polygamy. After Joseph's death, Emma refused to follow those who practiced polygamy to Utah. She married Lewis C. Bidamon, an ex-major, who finished part of the Nauvoo House for their home. Emma managed it as the "Riverside Hotel" for a number of years, where many came to ask her about Joseph and the subject of polygamy. Here are some of their reports: Forscutt's Testimony Concerning Emma Mark Forscutt was a secretary to Brigham Young in Utah, until Brigham insisted that he take a plural wife. Mark refused and was forced to escape from Utah to save his life. Later he became an apostle in the Reorganization - and still later he interviewed Emma to get her testimony concerning the polygamy question. He recorded in his diary: "Thru. Sep. 13/77 It gives concrete evidence that (1) polygamy was being practiced by the apostles in Nauvoo before and after Joseph's death, (2) Joseph Smith knew about Brigham's polygamy and had commanded him to stop it, (3) Joseph and Emma fought against its practice, and (4) Joseph predicted that if the saints allowed Brigham to control the Church that he would lead them to destruction. Apostle Jason Briggs' Interview "J.W. Briggs. - Mrs. Bidamon, have you seen the revelation on polygamy, published by Orson Pratt, in the Seer, in 1852 [Section 132 in the Utah Doctrine and Covenants]? "Mrs. B. - I have Dixon's Report An English author and traveler named William Hepworth Dixon visited Emma and wrote in 1869: "Emma, Joseph's wife and secretary, the partner of all his toils, of all his glories, cooly, firmly, permanently denies that her husband ever had any other wife than herself. She declares the story to be false, the revelation a fraud. She denounces polygamy as the invention of Young and Pratt - a work of the devil - brought in by them for the destruction of God's new church. On account of this doctrine, she has separated herself fro the Saints of Utah, and has taken up her dwelling with what she calls a remnant of the true church at Nauvoo" (New America, Chapter 30, 1869; Saints Herald 48: 165-166). Chrestensen's Interview In 1872, seven years before Emma's death, J.C. Chrestensen visited Emma at Nauvoo. Chrestensen questioned Emma about Joseph and polygamy: "Sister Emma, were you at one time
the wife of the prophet? Summary Emma's struggle against polygamy was long and difficult, but it was well worth all her labors - for it brought the truth of Joseph's innocence to her sons and to the saints for all time to come. In a day when the Utah faction and others were claiming that Joseph instituted polygamy, Emma's voice was first and foremost among the faithful remnant, the early Reorganization, which proclaimed his innocence. THE FOURTH CONSPIRACY - MODERN LIBERALISTS The newspaper article written by Richard Price concludes: The fourth group which is trying to prove Joseph Smith, Jr., to be a polygamist is the present day liberal element in the RLDS Church. Why are these people pushing the polygamy issue, now, even when they know it will cause many saints to stop paying tithing? The reason is because they are determined to take the RLDS Church into the National and World Council of Churches so it can be a part of the New Age Movement. In order to do this, they must discard the entire Restoration Movement, including the Prophet Joseph Smith. Dr. Tom Noffsinger stated that this was their purpose when he said at a meeting of the World Futurist Society (a New Age organization), "We feel driven to continue to upgrade and reinterpret our theological positions ... We are toward the end of a 25-year recycling, refocusing on our entire denomination ... We have made a major switch in the whole purpose of our organization ... Current issues that face us, that we think are critically important is the - the overwhelming issue is the New World view [the New Age movement]" (from a tape of Noffsinger's address on April 28, 1983) ... THE RESTORATION SHALL SURVIVE In spite of all this, the faith of the members of the RLDS Church must remain undiminished by this fourth conspiracy, for they know that Joseph Smith neither taught nor practiced polygamy and that the original doctrines of the Church are true. They must continue to believe that the Three Standard Books are divinely given and sanctioned. They must continue to draw spiritual strength from the Church's history and be proud of - and thankful for - the Restoration Movement and the fullness of the gospel which began in Palmyra's grove. With God's help they must arise with new strength knowing that "the works, and the designs, and the purposes of God, can not be frustrated, neither can they come to naught ... It is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men" (Doctrine and Covenants 2: 1-2). God's great New Testament Church restored shall triumph at last and build Zion. The saints shall remain undaunted Zion yet shall be! Published 1983 by Now available at
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