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Difference between revisions of "Question: If the only purpose of polygamy was to "raise up seed," then why did Joseph not have children by his plural wives?"
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Among Joseph's plural marriages and/or sealings, between eight to eleven of them were to women who were already married. Of the eight well-documented cases, five of the husbands were Latter-day Saints, and the other three were either not active in or not associated with the Church. In all cases, these women continued to live with their husbands, most of them doing so until their husbands died. These eternal marriages appear to have had little effect upon the lives of the women involved, with the exception that they would be sealed to Joseph in the afterlife rather than to their earthly husbands. No children from these marriages have ever been identified. These were sealings which would only affect Joseph's association with these women in the afterlife. | Among Joseph's plural marriages and/or sealings, between eight to eleven of them were to women who were already married. Of the eight well-documented cases, five of the husbands were Latter-day Saints, and the other three were either not active in or not associated with the Church. In all cases, these women continued to live with their husbands, most of them doing so until their husbands died. These eternal marriages appear to have had little effect upon the lives of the women involved, with the exception that they would be sealed to Joseph in the afterlife rather than to their earthly husbands. No children from these marriages have ever been identified. These were sealings which would only affect Joseph's association with these women in the afterlife. | ||
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| + | {{HalesSite | ||
| + | |subject1=Common Inaccurate Explanations for Joseph Smith’s Polygamy | ||
| + | |link1=http://josephsmithspolygamy.org/theology/explanation_for_mormon_polygamy/ | ||
| + | |summary1=Both modern and 19th century members of the Church have proposed a variety of explanations for the practice of plural marriage. Not all of these suggestions can be supported by the available data. | ||
| + | |subject2=Doctrinal summary | ||
| + | |link2=http://josephsmithspolygamy.org/theology-2/doctrinal-summary/ | ||
| + | |summary2=Joseph identified four reasons for the restoration of plural marriage. | ||
| + | |subject4=Joseph Smith’s Personal Polygamy | ||
| + | |link4=http://josephsmithspolygamy.org/beginnings-mormon-polygamy/ | ||
| + | |summary4=Many are quick to declare that Joseph's polygamy sprang from religious extremism and/or sexual desire. This article explores the difficulties that Joseph had with plural marriage, and evidence for what truly motivated his acts. | ||
| + | |subject5=The Faith of the Nauvoo Polygamists | ||
| + | |link5=http://josephsmithspolygamy.org/stories-faith-polygamists/ | ||
| + | |summary5=Why did early members of the Church practice polygamy? Were they all dupes? Easily manipulated? Religious fanatics who believed Joseph could do no wrong? This article explores the initial reactions and eventual decisions made by the first generation of polygamists in Nauvoo.}} | ||
{{endnotes sources}} | {{endnotes sources}} | ||
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Revision as of 20:34, 5 May 2024
Question: If the only purpose of polygamy was to "raise up seed," then why did Joseph not have children by his plural wives?
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- Polygamy was not permitted only for the purpose of procreation
- Joseph was also sealed for eternity to some women who were already married, but these women continued to have children by their current husbands
Question: If the only purpose of polygamy was to "raise up seed," then why did Joseph not have children by his plural wives?
Polygamy was not permitted only for the purpose of procreation
If the only purpose of polygamy, at least in Joseph Smith's case, was to "raise up seed," then why did Joseph not have children by his plural wives? He was certainly capable of having children, as demonstrated by those that he had by Emma, many of whom died. Yet, there is no conclusive evidence to date of Joseph having had children by any of his plural wives, and DNA testing has ruled out most of those who were suspected of being such.
Joseph was commanded to restore the practice of polygamy as part of the "restoration of all things." It was obviously not intended that Joseph use the practice to produce progeny.
Joseph was also sealed for eternity to some women who were already married, but these women continued to have children by their current husbands
Among Joseph's plural marriages and/or sealings, between eight to eleven of them were to women who were already married. Of the eight well-documented cases, five of the husbands were Latter-day Saints, and the other three were either not active in or not associated with the Church. In all cases, these women continued to live with their husbands, most of them doing so until their husbands died. These eternal marriages appear to have had little effect upon the lives of the women involved, with the exception that they would be sealed to Joseph in the afterlife rather than to their earthly husbands. No children from these marriages have ever been identified. These were sealings which would only affect Joseph's association with these women in the afterlife.