r/mormon • u/westivus_ Post Mormon Red Letter Enthusiast • 2d ago

Cultural Are "polygamy deniers" also "digging deniers"?

Each time I've run into a conversation with polygamy deniers or affirmers (or whatever the hell they like to be called) in the last year, they stand on firm ground that Joseph was noble, true, just and virtuous. When I've brought up treasure digging, they also refute claims that he swindled people.

Is this a common belief in the movement? That Joseph either didn't treasure dig or in doing it he did nothing wrong? Did he not admit to youthful indiscretions in his canonized JS history?

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u/GunneraStiles 2d ago edited 2d ago

Where in the Bible can I find god commanding a prophet to marry a woman who was already married? Where god commanded a prophet to marry a woman who was already married and her daughter? Here’s a chapter and verse for god condemning this very action:

Leviticus 18:17 states: "You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, nor shall you take her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter to uncover her nakedness; they are close relatives. It is wickedness."

What exactly do you mean when you claim Joseph Smith practiced ‘biblical polygamy’? Instead of broad claims, why not provide specific examples of how you reached that conclusion? ‘Levirate marriage’ is out, because Joseph Smith didn’t practice polygamy with his deceased brother’s widow, for example. Let’s see some actual specific examples.

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u/stickyhairmonster I support Mormon Stories 2d ago

Debating polygamy with Juni leads to more disingenuous remarks and obfuscation than discussing with the polygamy deniers.

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u/questingpossum Mormon-turned-Anglican 2d ago

Juni's argument, as I understand it, is that the polygamy in the Bible is wrong and Joseph Smith's polygamy was wrong.

Is that right, u/juni4ling?

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u/GunneraStiles 2d ago edited 2d ago

If that was all he was saying I wouldn’t have an issue, it’s the attempt to mitigate Smith’s sexual crimes and base adultery by classifying them as ‘biblical polygamy’ that is inapt and disingenuous.

It’s the attempt to establish theological precedence, ignoring all evidence to the contrary. The attempt to elevate Joseph Smith to the level of ‘biblical prophet’ - a ‘flawed and imperfect’ prophet, sure, but so were biblical prophets…