How many wives Joseph Smith had?

In an essay posted without fanfare to its website in late October, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said for the first time that Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon church, had as many as 40 wives. Some of those women were also married to friends of his. And one was only 14 when she became Smith's wife.


How many children did Joseph Smith have with his plural wives?

See Hales, Joseph Smith's Polygamy, 2:277–302. Despite claims that Joseph Smith fathered children within plural marriage, genetic testing has so far been negative, though it is possible he fathered two or three children with plural wives.

When did Joseph Smith have multiple wives?

The Prophet slowly introduced plural marriage to select members beginning in late 1840. Joseph Smith's first polygamous marriage in Nauvoo occurred on April 5, 1841. During the next seventeen months, Joseph was sealed to more than a dozen plural wives.


Did Joseph Smith have a 15 year old wife?

One essay acknowledges LDS Church founder Joseph Smith practiced polygamy, and married a girl who was just shy of her 15th birthday. “Most of those sealed to Joseph Smith were between 20 and 40 years of age at the time of their sealing to him. The oldest, Fanny Young, was 56 years old.

Which Mormon had the most wives?

Brigham Young (1801–1877), second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), was perhaps the most famous polygamist of the early Latter Day Saint movement, marrying a total of fifty-six wives during his lifetime.


Did Joseph Smith send men on missions and then marry their wives?



How old was Joseph Smith when he married his 14 year old wife?

Helen was sealed to Smith in May 1843 when she was 14 and he was 37. The marriage was kept secret, and Helen continued to live with her parents (Anderson & Faulring 1998).

How many wives can a Mormon marry?

The standard doctrine of the Church is monogamy, as it always has been, as indicated in the Book of Mormon (Jacob chapter 2): “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. …

Do Mormons still practice polygamy?

The LDS Church publicly renounced the practice of polygamy in 1890, but it has never renounced polygamy as doctrine, as evidenced in LDS scriptures. It has always permitted and continues to permit men to be married in Mormon temples “for the eternities” to more than one wife.


How old was Brigham Young's youngest wife when he married her?

On the advice of her family, Ann Eliza married Brigham Young, the second president of the LDS Church, when he was 67 years old and she was a 24-year-old divorcee. They were married on April 7, 1869. The ceremony was presided over by LDS Church leader Heber C. Kimball.

How many wives can a Mormon have in Utah?

Mormon men can lawfully have one wife. The practice of polygamy (polygyny or plural marriage), the marriage of more than one woman to the same man, was practiced by Church members from the 1830s to the early 1900s.

When did Mormons stop polygamy?

On September 24, 1890, faced with the imminent destruction of their church and way of life, religious leaders reluctantly issue the “Mormon Manifesto” in which they command all Latter-day Saints to uphold the anti-polygamy laws of the nation.


Why did Mormons practice polygamy?

Why did some early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints practice polygamy? Some leaders and members of the Church practiced polygamy during the mid 1800s because they were commanded by God to do so. So marriage then between one man to several women was according to God's will.

Can Mormons use birth control?

In keeping with the Mormon belief that heaven is full of millions of spirits awaiting an earthly body, birth control and abortion are also forbidden.

Can Mormons marry siblings?

Marriage to a direct relative (a daughter, brother or sister, or niece) would be incest. However, marrying a wife's relative would not. The relation of first cousins represents the fourth degree of consanguinity and was allowed by Utah law, though forbidden by the traditional standard of Anglican canonical law.


How many wives can Amish have?

Although the various Amish settlements may interpret certain rules slightly differently, there is no deviation from this law. The Amish believe in traditional marriage between one man and one woman.

How many biological children did Joseph Smith have?

They married January 18, 1827, in South Bainbridge, New York. They were the parents of 11 children, listed here in order of birth. Joseph was martyred on June 27, 1844, in Carthage, Illinois.

What color were Joseph Smith's eyes?

A neighbor to the Smith family knew Joseph when he was a teenager. The neighbor wrote, “He was a big-bodied, flaxen-haired youth, with small hands for his size, large feet, … a heavy growth of very light hair, and striking blue eyes, half hidden by long light lashes.


Why did LDS stop polygamy?

The Manifesto

In 1890, church president Wilford Woodruff, fearful that the continuation of the practice of plural marriage would lead to the destruction of all Mormon temples, announced an end to official support for polygamy.

What were Joseph Smith's last words?

Trying to go out the window to deflect attention from the two survivors inside, Joseph Smith was hit in the chest and collarbone with two shots from the open doorway and two more from outside the window. His final words as he fell to the ground outside the jail were, "O Lord, my God!" (HC 6:618).

Who was Brigham Young's favorite wife?

Harriet Amelia Folsom was Wife No. 25 and had the reputation of being his true love, much to the chagrin and mortification of the youthful Ann Eliza Webb Dee Young, No. 27 on the list.


What do Mormons wear under their clothes?

Mormon underwear, formally known as a temple garment, is a type of undergarment worn by Mormons. The undergarments resemble a white t-shirt tucked into long white shorts and are meant to be worn underneath one's clothes at all times.

What states allow polygamy?

Polygamy is illegal and criminalized in every country in North and South America, including all 50 U.S. states.

Can Mormons marry non Mormons?

Not anyone can actually marry in the temple, but only men and women who are faithful members of the Church. Marrying a non-member is allowed, however, the marriage ceremony cannot be done in the temple.