In this episode, Dave talks about some of the controversy surrounding Joseph Smith’s 14-year-old bride, Helen Mar Kimball.
Joseph Smith is considered the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (otherwise known as the Mormon Church). During his time as the prophet of the church in the mid-1800s, Joseph Smith received revelation from God on the practice of polygamy. For more episodes about polygamy, search our channel for our episodes with expert scholar Brian Hales.
From JosephSmithsPolygamy.com (Brian Hales): bit.ly/3hWRHCD / bit.ly/35ndUVk
“A Subject That Can Bear Investigation,” by J. Spencer Fluhman (BYU): bit.ly/2LsJJ8m
“Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo” (essay on Church’s website): bit.ly/2MITdwO
“The Prophet Joseph Smith and His Plural Wives,” by R. L. Anderson and S. H. Faulring: bit.ly/35kg6wN
Additional info/responses to criticisms: bit.ly/3ntqY1z
“Lending Clarity to Confusion,” by Brian and Laura Hales: bit.ly/35xWiGx
A short book on plural marriage written by Helen in 1884: bit.ly/3bmsfoS
Some info from ThirdHour on Helen: bit.ly/35kahPU
Notes
-- For additional information suggesting that the relationship between Joseph and Helen was likely not sexual, check out the information about the Temple Lot trial in this link: bit.ly/3hWRHCD
--One controversial quote that we didn’t get around to addressing in the video comes from a woman named Catherin Lewis, who, after leaving the Church, published an exposé in which she said: “The Twelve took Joseph’s wives after his death. Kimball and Young took most of them; the daughter of Kimball was one of Joseph’s wives. I heard her say to her mother, ‘I will never be sealed to my father, (meaning as a wife) and I would never have been sealed (married) to Joseph, had I known it was any thing more than ceremony. I was young, and they deceived me, by saying the salvation of our whole family depended on it. I say again, I will never be sealed to my Father; no I will sooner be damned and go to hell, if I must[.] Neither will I be sealed to Brigham Young.’” -"Narrative of Some of the Proceedings of the Mormons; Giving an Account of their Iniquities" by Catherine Lewis, 1848, pg. 19.
If this second-hand late hostile source is to be trusted (and that is a huge “IF”), we have a few questions to grapple with. For example,
---What did Helen mean by, “I would never have been sealed to Joseph, had I known it was any thing more than ceremony.” People interpret this statement in a few different ways. Some interpret it as evidence suggesting that Helen’s relationship with Joseph was sexual. Others believe it to be an allusion to the fact that her social life was disrupted by the marriage. But in the context of the surrounding text, it appears to me that she is saying something along the lines of, “had I know I’d have to be sealed to Brigham or Heber after Joseph’s death, I never would have married Joseph in the first place.”
---Another question would be: Was there an expectation that Helen would have to marry her own father after Joseph’s death? I haven’t seen any indication of this anywhere other than Lewis’ work. Obviously, in all reality Helen was not required to marry her father (or Brigham), and the idea of marrying her own father would have run contrary to the idea that these marriages were for the purpose of connecting families together (since Heber was already her family).
---Another question would be: Was Helen tricked into the marriage with Joseph via a promise of unconditional exaltation? This idea is addressed in the video. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that there was some misunderstanding on Helen’s part, or perhaps inadequate teaching on the part of Heber and/or Joseph.
-Sometimes Latter-day Saints will defend Joseph Smith in this case by bringing up the argument of “Presentism.” Marriage at 14 at the time was certainly legal, however, a 14-year-old marrying a 37-year old man would have certainly still been exceptionally rare. That said, clearly this was an unconventional marriage relationship, and the age gap loses much of its scandalousness when we consider that their relationship was likely not sexual, and, frankly, not romantic.
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6 сен 2024
