Emma Smith's reaction to Joseph Smith's plural marriages

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Articles about Plural marriage

Doctrinal foundation of plural marriage	Purpose of plural marriage Plural marriage as a requirement for exaltation Plural marriage in early Christianity Plural marriage in the Book of Mormon Plural marriage and the Bible
Introduction of plural marriage	Initiation of the practice of plural marriage 1835 Doctrine and Covenants denies polygamy Fanny Alger was Joseph Smith's first plural wife Joseph Smith hid polygamy from the general Church membership Divine manifestations to plural wives and families Plural marriage and the law
Questions about Joseph Smith and plural marriage	Initiation of the practice of plural marriage Fanny Alger was Joseph Smith's first plural wife Joseph Smith hid polygamy from the general Church membership Joseph Smith's marriages to young women Did Joseph Smith coerce women to marry him? Mormon women refusing offers of plural marriage Polyandry Joseph Smith and children through plural marriage Marrying other men's wives? Joseph Smith hiding plural marriages from his first wife, Emma Emma Smith's reaction to Joseph Smith's plural marriages Emma Smith in Doctrine and Covenants 132 Did Joseph have lustful motives for practicing polygamy? Did Joseph Smith send men on missions in order to steal their wives? Did Joseph Smith practice polygamy for the purpose of monetary gain?
John C. Bennett and Nauvoo polygamy	Bennett before Nauvoo Bennett and Prostitution Brothel at Nauvoo Rise and Fall of Bennett Sarah Pratt Nancy Rigdon Sidney Rigdon
Plural wives of Joseph Smith	Divine manifestations to plural wives and families Emma Smith Fanny Alger Louisa Beaman Prescindia Lathrop Huntington Buell Sarah Kingsley Howe Cleveland Agnes Moulton Coolbrith Elizabeth Davis Goldsmith Brackenbury Durfee Esther Dutcher Hannah S. Ells Olive Grey Frost Desdemona Catlin Wadsworth Fulmmer Lucinda Pendleton Morgan Harris Clarissa Reed Hancock Elvira Annie Cowles Holmes Sarah Maryetta Kingsley Howe Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde Vienna Jacques Zina Diantha Huntington Jacobs Almera Johnson Helen Mar Kimball Maria Lawrence Sarah Lawrence Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner Malissa Lott Sylvia Sessions Lyon Martha McBride Eliza Partridge Emily Partridge Rhoda Richards Ruth Vose Sayers Patty Bartlett Sessions Delcena Diadamia Johnson Sherman "Miss Smith" Mary Heron Snider Eliza R. Snow Lucy Walker Sarah Ann Whitney Nancy Maria Winchester Flora Ann Woodworth Fanny Young
Plural marriage in Utah	Difficulties with plural marriage Brigham Young's statements regarding plural marriage John Taylor's 1886 revelation Latter-day Saints and divorce in the nineteenth century Prevalence of plural marriage in Utah
End of plural marriage	The First Manifesto Official Declaration Number 1 Plural marriage practiced after the First Manifesto The Church of Jesus Christ and plural marriage today

Emma Smith's reaction to Joseph Smith's plural marriages

Jump to details:

• Question How did Emma Hale Smith react to Joseph's practice of plural marriage?
• Question: Was Emma was promised "annihilation" if she didn't accept plural marriage?
• Question: Was a pregnant Eliza R. Snow pushed down the stairs by a furious Emma, resulting in a miscarriage?
• Question: If the story of Emma pushing Eliza Snow down the stairs is true, why did Eliza not make use of it?
• Question: Under what circumstances was Doctrine and Covenants Section 132 committed to writing?
• Question: Since first wives were generally to grant permission for sealings to subsequent wives, did Joseph's later sealing to Emma mean that Emma no longer held the role of "first wife"?
• Question: Did Joseph Smith offer to trade Jane Law for Emma Smith in a wife swap with William Law?

Emma Smith's reaction to Joseph Smith's plural marriages

Jump to details:

• Question How did Emma Hale Smith react to Joseph's practice of plural marriage?
• Question: Was Emma was promised "annihilation" if she didn't accept plural marriage?
• Question: Was a pregnant Eliza R. Snow pushed down the stairs by a furious Emma, resulting in a miscarriage?
• Question: If the story of Emma pushing Eliza Snow down the stairs is true, why did Eliza not make use of it?
• Question: Under what circumstances was Doctrine and Covenants Section 132 committed to writing?
• Question: Since first wives were generally to grant permission for sealings to subsequent wives, did Joseph's later sealing to Emma mean that Emma no longer held the role of "first wife"?
• Question: Did Joseph Smith offer to trade Jane Law for Emma Smith in a wife swap with William Law?

19th century attitudes about plural marriage

Jump to details:

• Question: Did Brigham Young and Joseph Smith say that polygamists were allowed to go beyond normal bounds of social interaction?

Emma Smith's reaction to Joseph Smith's plural marriages

Jump to details:

• Question How did Emma Hale Smith react to Joseph's practice of plural marriage?
• Question: Was Emma was promised "annihilation" if she didn't accept plural marriage?
• Question: Was a pregnant Eliza R. Snow pushed down the stairs by a furious Emma, resulting in a miscarriage?
• Question: If the story of Emma pushing Eliza Snow down the stairs is true, why did Eliza not make use of it?
• Question: Under what circumstances was Doctrine and Covenants Section 132 committed to writing?
• Question: Since first wives were generally to grant permission for sealings to subsequent wives, did Joseph's later sealing to Emma mean that Emma no longer held the role of "first wife"?
• Question: Did Joseph Smith offer to trade Jane Law for Emma Smith in a wife swap with William Law?

Emma Smith's reaction to Joseph Smith's plural marriages

Jump to details:

• Question How did Emma Hale Smith react to Joseph's practice of plural marriage?
• Question: Was Emma was promised "annihilation" if she didn't accept plural marriage?
• Question: Was a pregnant Eliza R. Snow pushed down the stairs by a furious Emma, resulting in a miscarriage?
• Question: If the story of Emma pushing Eliza Snow down the stairs is true, why did Eliza not make use of it?
• Question: Under what circumstances was Doctrine and Covenants Section 132 committed to writing?
• Question: Since first wives were generally to grant permission for sealings to subsequent wives, did Joseph's later sealing to Emma mean that Emma no longer held the role of "first wife"?
• Question: Did Joseph Smith offer to trade Jane Law for Emma Smith in a wife swap with William Law?

Emma Smith's reaction to Joseph Smith's plural marriages

Jump to details:

• Question How did Emma Hale Smith react to Joseph's practice of plural marriage?
• Question: Was Emma was promised "annihilation" if she didn't accept plural marriage?
• Question: Was a pregnant Eliza R. Snow pushed down the stairs by a furious Emma, resulting in a miscarriage?
• Question: If the story of Emma pushing Eliza Snow down the stairs is true, why did Eliza not make use of it?
• Question: Under what circumstances was Doctrine and Covenants Section 132 committed to writing?
• Question: Since first wives were generally to grant permission for sealings to subsequent wives, did Joseph's later sealing to Emma mean that Emma no longer held the role of "first wife"?
• Question: Did Joseph Smith offer to trade Jane Law for Emma Smith in a wife swap with William Law?

Emma Smith's reaction to Joseph Smith's plural marriages

Jump to details:

• Question How did Emma Hale Smith react to Joseph's practice of plural marriage?
• Question: Was Emma was promised "annihilation" if she didn't accept plural marriage?
• Question: Was a pregnant Eliza R. Snow pushed down the stairs by a furious Emma, resulting in a miscarriage?
• Question: If the story of Emma pushing Eliza Snow down the stairs is true, why did Eliza not make use of it?
• Question: Under what circumstances was Doctrine and Covenants Section 132 committed to writing?
• Question: Since first wives were generally to grant permission for sealings to subsequent wives, did Joseph's later sealing to Emma mean that Emma no longer held the role of "first wife"?
• Question: Did Joseph Smith offer to trade Jane Law for Emma Smith in a wife swap with William Law?

Emma Smith's reaction to Joseph Smith's plural marriages

Jump to details:

• Question How did Emma Hale Smith react to Joseph's practice of plural marriage?
• Question: Was Emma was promised "annihilation" if she didn't accept plural marriage?
• Question: Was a pregnant Eliza R. Snow pushed down the stairs by a furious Emma, resulting in a miscarriage?
• Question: If the story of Emma pushing Eliza Snow down the stairs is true, why did Eliza not make use of it?
• Question: Under what circumstances was Doctrine and Covenants Section 132 committed to writing?
• Question: Since first wives were generally to grant permission for sealings to subsequent wives, did Joseph's later sealing to Emma mean that Emma no longer held the role of "first wife"?
• Question: Did Joseph Smith offer to trade Jane Law for Emma Smith in a wife swap with William Law?

See also Brian Hales' discussion

Emma's path through plural marriage	Sometime in 1840 Joseph Smith first broached the topic of plural marriage privately to trusted friends. Most of the apostles were in England and thus were unavailable for an introduction to the practice.
Emma and Fanny Alger	Joseph's first foray into plural marriage was deeply painful for Emma, his first wife.
When did Emma learn?	It is impossible to definitively determine when Emma learned of Joseph’s plural marriages. However, many historical clues help to create a possible timeline.
Emma Accepts Plural Marriage and Participates in Four of Joseph’s Plural Sealings	The earliest documentable date for Emma’s awareness of time-and-eternity plural marriage is May of 1843, when she participated in four of her husband’s polygamous sealings.
Emma’s Resistance Prompts recording of D&C 132	Emma’s resistance to plural marriage prompted Hyrum to encourage Joseph to dictate a written revelation on the subject.
Joseph and Emma: Conflict and Agreement	Rather than generating Emma’s active support, the revelation [D&C 132] appears to have brought a smoldering crisis to flame. She and Joseph took serious counsel together with some sort of agreement being negotiated.

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Source(s) of the criticism

Critical sources

Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson, Mormonism 101. Examining the Religion of the Latter-day Saints (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2000), Chapter 17. ( Index of claims ) MormonThink.com website (as of 28 April 2012). Page: http://mormonthink.com/joseph-smith-polygamy.htm Richard S. Van Wagoner, Mormon Polygamy: A History (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1989), Chapter 5.

Notes