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Polygamy and Mormonism
Answering Protestants ^ | 10 October 2013 | Matthew Olson

Posted on 10/10/2013 3:15:56 PM PDT by matthewrobertolson

In defiance of Deuteronomy 17:17, Matthew 19:4-6, and other Biblical passages, the founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith, endorsed the practice of polygamy. However, the largest Mormon church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), later outlawed the practice. This presents a problem for LDS theology.

In verses 61-63 of Section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants, Joseph Smith reveals a "revelation" about polygamy supposedly given to him by God. The verses teach that a man "cannot commit adultery" -- even if "he have ten virgins given unto him by this law" of polygamy -- as long as his women are "vowed to no other man".

So, polygamy was allowed in the first 47 years of Mormonism. But in 1890, due to Official Declaration 1 -- which is "authoritative and binding" -- polygamy was banned by the LDS church.

While the Declaration says that the church never "inculcate[d] or encourage[d]" the practice, it at least never claims that it did not allow or officiate it.

In the "Excerpts" section at the bottom of the online Declaration, it quotes LDS President Wilford Woodruff as saying that it would have been unwise "to continue to attempt to practice plural marriage," because "adherence to this principle" of polygamy resulted in "suffering" for the church's members, due to strong U.S. federal laws against it. Woodruff bluntly said that it was time to "cease the practice and submit to the law".

All of this, taken together, shows that the church did accept polygamy, and it only backed down on the issue so that it could continue to exist and thrive. Basically, it changed its religious teachings to suit the secular laws of the government, which would obviously go against Biblical teachings, because God's laws are not subject to the State. In the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), one verse reads: "Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven."

What makes this all even more interesting is that even the Book of Mormon seems to oppose polygamy. Jacob 2:27 reads: "Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none.."

This all leads to the big question: Do you think that an organization could be so wishy-washy with its teachings if it were really "The Church of Jesus Christ"? I do not think so, and I must therefore conclude that this Mormon magisterium is invalid.

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Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of Mormonism.


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; Charismatic Christian; Evangelical Christian; General Discusssion; Theology
KEYWORDS: christian; lds; mormon; mormonism; polyamory; polygamy; polygyny
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To: Ransomed

Good point.

Grace and peace to you.


41 posted on 10/10/2013 6:51:29 PM PDT by matthewrobertolson
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To: ansel12

Wow, where is your sense of humor???

Geez!


42 posted on 10/10/2013 7:05:42 PM PDT by jodyel
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To: matthewrobertolson

I’ll be the odd man out and say I actually do not mind Matthew joining in the fight against the LDS, which is always looked down upon by FR’s resident heretics/lukewarm Christians. Though, it would be very obnoxious if he claimed that Protestants and Mormons are actually the same thing. In which case, thems fighting words.


43 posted on 10/10/2013 8:02:49 PM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (If anyone tells you it's a cookbook, don't believe them.)
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To: jodyel

I don’t know why you are personalizing this, if you disagree with one of my points related to the thread topic why not just focus on that and lay off the personal stuff?


44 posted on 10/10/2013 8:10:35 PM PDT by ansel12
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To: Ransomed
A similar situation exists with the LDS apologizing for baptizing the dead when groups complain about it. If they believe that it is helping the deceased somehow, why would they apologize or agree to quit doing it (it never seems to stop in any case) when the living complain about the practice?

They aren't similar at all to the government forbidding the practice of the Christian religion in the church.

That is why the Mormon religion has agreed to stop baptizing Jews for instance.

45 posted on 10/10/2013 8:16:00 PM PDT by ansel12
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To: matthewrobertolson

Your post’s truth?

You seem too confused and confusing to have people trying to figure out your blogging.

Mormonism isn’t Christian so you really took off in the wrong direction.


46 posted on 10/10/2013 8:25:46 PM PDT by ansel12
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To: ansel12

I didn’t personalize a darn thing.

What are you moaning on and on about?

Is everyone on this entire forum totally devoid of a sense of humor??


47 posted on 10/10/2013 8:26:41 PM PDT by jodyel
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To: ansel12; jodyel

Keep in mind we’re all brothers and sisters in Christ and are mutual allies in the fight against all cults and enemies of the truth. You both should just shake hands and get it over with.


48 posted on 10/10/2013 8:30:03 PM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (If anyone tells you it's a cookbook, don't believe them.)
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To: jodyel

We are...


49 posted on 10/10/2013 8:30:19 PM PDT by WVKayaker ("The only place that the left hasn't placed the blame is on their agenda..." -Sarah Palin)
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To: jodyel

You started posting to me and I guess you want the last post to make yet another personal attack as well.

I do wish you would just focus on the thread topic and any disagreement with me that you have on that.


50 posted on 10/10/2013 9:11:29 PM PDT by ansel12
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To: ansel12; jodyel

Yes, forget about the personal remarks on this thread and just resume discussing the issues raised by the article.


51 posted on 10/10/2013 9:13:48 PM PDT by Religion Moderator
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To: Greetings_Puny_Humans

I can’t see what I did wrong....just commented on the sentence and made some advice which I thought was humorous.

Not sure why people are so thin-skinned around here.

No fun at all. Why is that?

I certainly would have laughed at myself if someone had done the same with me in jest.


52 posted on 10/11/2013 2:23:23 AM PDT by jodyel
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To: WVKayaker

How cool!!!


53 posted on 10/11/2013 2:23:43 AM PDT by jodyel
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To: ansel12

Where is your sense of humor?

Do you not know jest when you see it?

Why so thin-skinned?

Doesn’t anyone ever have any fun or joke around in this place?

Geez, you’d think it was the end of the world.


54 posted on 10/11/2013 2:29:14 AM PDT by jodyel
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To: Religion Moderator

My gosh, mod, what is wrong with these people?

Where has all the humor and jest gone in this place?

I am appalled that one cannot even make light of something without it being called a personal attack.

These people really need to lighten up.


55 posted on 10/11/2013 2:30:52 AM PDT by jodyel
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To: jodyel
When the subject is one's deeply held religious beliefs, tempers are easily riled - therefore we have special guidelines on the Religion Forum to avoid ad hominems altogether.

In the end, we cannot change the other guy, we can only change ourselves.

56 posted on 10/11/2013 8:52:31 AM PDT by Religion Moderator
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To: jodyel

You didn’t do anything wrong, honestly. Though sometimes its best to apologize even for imagined wrongs.


57 posted on 10/11/2013 9:02:07 AM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (If anyone tells you it's a cookbook, don't believe them.)
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To: jodyel; Religion Moderator

Really? Even the moderator can’t get you to drop the personal stuff?


58 posted on 10/11/2013 10:10:45 AM PDT by ansel12
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To: Religion Moderator; jodyel
Yes, forget about the personal remarks on this thread and just resume discussing the issues raised by the article.

Thank you.

59 posted on 10/11/2013 10:12:32 AM PDT by ansel12
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To: Religion Moderator

Understood, and thanks as always.


60 posted on 10/11/2013 11:09:45 AM PDT by jodyel
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