Why Did Mormons Practice Polygamy?

Objective and factual information about Joseph Smith, Fanny Alger and Polygamy.
This video goes over the questions
00:01 Why did Joseph Smith Practice Polygamy?
01:33 When was Plural Marriage Revealed to Joseph Smith?
Mormonism Explained is a team made up of researchers consults experts and primary sources to present factual information on a variety of topics relevant to the Mormon Church.
For more information on additional topics relating to Mormonism including 'Mormon Temple Garments' and 'Blacks and the Priesthood', visit mormonismexplained.org.

[@Razl07]

Why would God command us not to commit adultery and then command someone to commit adultery?

[@z3rocodes]

False prophet. Galatians 1:8-9 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.

[@_inveterate]

🙄

[@phadrus]

@@z3rocodeswe may have to look past JS on this one and see what other early church leaders were doing in his name.

[@Mormonismexplained]

God has authorized polygamy in various time periods. He authorized Abraham, Jacob, David, and others to marry multiple wives, which is called polygamy, not adultery. Mormons believe that He commanded Joseph Smith and other members of the Mormon Church to practice polygamy for a period of time, which ended in 1890. Thanks for the question!

[@phadrus]

@@Mormonismexplained not all “Mormons” believe that, check yourself

[@cornercanyon6th39]

Love these videos, but do you have to use the word "Mormon"? Could you use the church's official/preferred name, instead? Thanks again for making these videos!

[@weldenjon]

I took time to read through the various comments below. I know this topic stirs up a lot of emotions. But that is only because it is so very little understood. Add to the fact that it has been completely denounced by the LDS Church it is no wonder that people are advocating that Joseph Smith never taught it let alone lived it I am not going to argue that here. But I ask you believers in this idea why then does the Church keep section 132 in the D&C and why in the heading keep the claim that Joseph Smith was indeed the originator of said section? It seems to me this is contradictory. This means the LDS Church is actively perpetuating the lie. How can you that believe the 'not Joseph started this' continue to reconcile your belief in this Church when clearly its leadership is continuing to support the contrary?

[@TommyBarlow-q1w]

I really like the object take your channel takes on these videos. -I just came across this video while searching for content to share with my son who has been struggling with some early church history issues, like this. Will you be making more videos on other "hard" topics?

[@Flintlock1776]

Your son is smarter than you are. The entire LDS church is a perpetual scam that he's soon to discover. He'll likely ditch the scam at the earliest opportunity.

[@SAASQUATCH4X4]

I love the objective take on this challenging subject. Well done.

[@musicalme7504]

I completely agree with your statement that the Bible must be interpreted correctly, and since we both believe in the Bible I think that we can agree to leave this to rest peacefully. If you do read my other comment, it does detail several reasons that the early ‘Mormon’ church practiced Polygamy with reference to a few Old Testament incidents. I agree that Hagar being told to return to Sarah, and not Abraham, thank you that was my bad, is at least in part due to His looking out for her safety. However, I don’t think he has only one reason for anything, and regardless of the actual order, returning to Sarah means returning to Abraham. I myself still have my questions about polygamy and the Church’s practice of it, but that’s the cool thing about faith: it lets me trust that God had a reason and, knowing that God is ultimate morality and defines what is good, let’s me know that there were good reasons for that period in His church’s history. (Not trying to imply that you’re wrong by saying ‘Mormonism’ is His church, but that is what I believe) Thank you for replying to me. If you have other questions or objections feel free to say them

[@jasonhart9880]

There are a few guys in my highschool who practice polygamy. As long as everyone is ok with it, you're good.

[@jerry_phillips]

As a true believer I struggle as do most with the concept of plural marriage. Usually the deeper I dive into the details of church history the closer I come to an understanding and peace about troubling topics. Not so with this one. The deeper I dive the more troubling it becomes. I know Joseph was fiercely obedient to the revelations he received but its so hard to grapple with the fact that he had to keep if from Emma. I don't have the capacity to deceive my sweet wife and can't imagine doing so. I want to understand and will continue to study this out until I can come to some sort of closure on the matter. I don't need a complete understanding, just confidence that Jospeh was indeed acting on a divine commandment.

[@Flintlock1776]

What is more likely, that a known con artist, who claimed to read from a magic rock in his hat, had a divine revelation or that this same con man, drunk on his own power as an accepted "prophet," wanted to bang young girls and marry other men's wives so he conjured up a revelation to justify his actions?

[@soothingstories]

At about 11:40 President Hinckley explains that there is no doctrine to support what the fundamentalists are doing and that Latter Day Saints who start on it are excommunicated. Maybe, it was an old fashioned "fertility treatment", or a less inspired time. Latter Day Saints treated "drinking and smoking" more the way they do caffeine until the time of the repeal of prohibition when they made questions about drinking and smoking part of the temple recommend questions. Why did the Lord let them drink, smoke, and chew tobacco for so long when he knew better? If you want to get a Mormon to do something tell them Joseph Smith did it and was inspired to do so. Interesting that Joseph Smith did not authorize the release of Section 132, someone else did almost a year after his death. What do the scholars without polygamist heritage, who understand how long it took to deliver letters, ride on horse back, and exist in the late 1800s say about the Joseph Smith "records"? Does all the handwriting and timelines match up? Do we know the mental health state of the people claiming to have been married to him? Think of the "fans of famous people" today who imagine being married to them etc. They write letters to them, and in Joseph Smith's case they were part of his flock and he would respond. And now, people who want us to think like the FLDS (who have shown us polygamy is a mess and not inspired) are trying to "prepare us for polygamy" when it makes no sense and how can they be so sure it is the way things will be in heaven, etc. Their reasoning leaves out all the other souls on other planets, that we have eternity to get things done, that more male babies die than female babies, that each person is judged individually - so some "philandering men" might actually have a "broken brain" , and we are finding women cheat at close to the same rate (which answers the mystery of how the cheating men were doing it -without using only prostitutes).

[@nostoppingit7243]

The first answer is - HE DIDN'T 2nd answer is - there is no contemporaneous evidence to support your claim or that of Don Bradley. God doesn't send angels to force people into obedience. Force is a satan tactic Joseph knew Isaac wasn't a polygamist and would not have listed him as one in D&C 132 The BOM he translated, or some argue he wrote, already condemned David and Solomon so he, or God, wouldn't have contradicted that in D&C 132. Joseph preached against polygamy, condemned polygamy, excommunicated those practicing or preaching polygamy and repeatedly stated, between during the time he is accused of practicing polygamy, that monogamy was the only acceptable form of marriage in the church. Joseph was not a polygamist. Mormons practiced polygamy because Brigham and Heber Kimball introduced it to them.

[@phadrus]

Good luck getting this crowd to be objective

[@Mormonismexplained]

Both Mormon and non-Mormon scholars alike agree that the evidence is too plentiful to say that Joseph Smith did not practice plural marriage. Joseph Smith nor any of His plural wives were forced to practice plural marriage. In fact, there is evidence that Joseph Smith proposed plural marriage to at least seven women, who chose not to enter into the practice, including Sarah Granger Kimball and Cordelia C. Morley. The Book of Mormon states that God allows polygamy for a one exception-to raise up righteous seed (Jacob 2:30). D&C 132, does indeed mention Isaac, a man whose father and son both practiced polygamy. You, of course, are entitled to your own opinion, however, at Mormonism Explained, we seek to share scholarship.

[@phadrus]

@@Mormonismexplained there is loads of garbage evidence, and a lot of indpendent researchers who are LDS who disagree with the supposed majority, so you can’t say “Mormons believe” without misrepresenting actual Mormons and being dishonest. Say “some Mormons believe or I believe”. Also go do some research into the opposing view points you may find they are just as valid.

[@Commenter2121]

@@Mormonismexplained These are very valid questions above, Smith would not have inquired about David and Solomon’s polygamy and he also would not have named Isaac as a polygamist. You named Don Bradley in this video, I would encourage you to seek out what he has recently said about the meaning of Jacob 2:30, this verse is not an exception for polygamy. If you are going to put out content, I hope you are willing to take the time to understand the counter narrative. Even if you conclude that Smith was involved to some degree, you will find that there are some gaping holes in the church’s current polygamy history.

[@weldenjon]

Replying to the comment below: This is not correct but if wish to not believe that Joseph Smith received any revelation concerning plural marriage it is of course your agency to do so. I personally prayed many years ago to know the truth and finally was given a dream where I was visited by Joseph Smith himself. At first he didn't seem to me in my dream anything like I expected. He wasn't at all serious acting and was very much prone to laughter and jovial behavior. I didn't at all think this was prophet like. However, during our time discussing trivial things with Joseph intermittently breaking out into laughter from time to time he all the sudden became quite serious. He then proceeded to tell me he was given permission to answer one question from me. This also took me off guard but it also made me think what question should I ask if I only had one? I immediately thought of unexplained controversial things like Bigfoot or the loch Ness monster or even aliens. Were any of them actually real? I could ask about that I thought? But no sooner had these thoughts came in my mind that they were replaced with one thought. That though was whether or not Joseph Smith was a true prophet? Now I had questioned this and part of the reason for this was because of the doctrine of plural marriage. My wife didn't believe in it at the time but still believed God used Joseph Smith to translate TBoM. She thought if he did practice polygamy then it came from him to satisfy his own sexual desires and absolutely was not from God. So this is what I asked. Did Joseph Smith receive his revelations from Jesus? The answer was a simple yes. Then my dream ended. I have not shared this ever before on the Internet. It has been very personal to me. But perhaps now is the time. I know I received an answer. Which to be honest is quite an accomplishment because truth be told I honesty know very few things. But I know Joseph Smith was and still is a true prophet. So you might be thinking how does this prove he was the true source of this doctrine? Well there is one key detail I have left out. I didn't just meet and socialize with Joseph Smith in my dream. He brought with him his wife who he introduced to me and my wife at the beginning and to my surprise it was not Emma.

[@_inveterate]

I’m surprised you’re sharing this on the internet…

[@soothingstories]

So if he received his revelations from Jesus, why is it section 132 was published after his death? Maybe, because he knew it was not from Jesus and should not be published. So maybe your dream was correct, but you are interpreting how you want to and to mess with the bond with your wife. So many Mormon women don't completely bond to their husband because of the "invisible women" in the relationship. They can't ever have a really genuinely best marriage with a man who is deep down a kinky poly - waiting for his kinky poly heaven to happen. We just endure to the end, stuck married to a man we are ready to discard for a man who will love just us. It also seems the kinky poly men are more likely to get divorced or excommunicated, it is sort of a flag of other things.

[@Mormonismexplained]

Thank you for sharing your experience. The facts seem to show that Joseph Smith definitely practiced polygamy, albeit reluctantly. Regardless, we appreciate your comment, sharing your experience and your watching.

[@weldenjon]

@@soothingstories if you read the section heading to the 132nd section you will notice that there is evidence that Joseph Smith received this revelation many years prior to it being officially recorded on July 12, 1843. This is according to official Church History. Listen you can believe or disbelieve whatever you want. It is I that had the dream and not you so I understand your skepticism. However, I want you to know I received more than what I shared here. I only shared what I felt I was permitted. I have learned that everyone is entitled to personal revelation and even revelation that has not been presented to the Church as a whole. I also know this is not my calling to present this. That is apparently for others or perhaps later. I just asked a question and for reasons I can't even fully explain I got an answer. That answer was extremely very much undeniably an answer to prayers. But there is more and if you knew what I knew you wouldn't use the wording you did in your reply to me. I can only tell you the answer is nothing you have ever heard before. I know this because I have searched the Internet for every possible explanation presented as to why God could justify plural marriage? It is not there as far as I have searched. I will give you a hint though hoping I am not revealing too much. The key is in the word PLURAL. It is there where the truth resides. I am sorry. I wish I could tell you more but I think it's best I don't. The thing is...this is something that probably only gets revealed through extreme diligence to know and having an open mind that can accept whatever God will reveal. There are so many things we don't understand in this world. Mainly because our scriptures we have are like having 3:or 4 books in a library full of 1000s of books on the SAME subject. I was fortunate to catch a glimpse of that. I may know more than most on this subject but in the grand scheme of things I still know squat. Nevertheless, looking forward to what I get to learn next. Hope you are too! 😊🙏

[@weldenjon]

@@_inveterate Yeah me too!

[@mrdayyumyum3712]

please don't lean forward while video taping.

[@soothingstories]

Makes no sense, if we live for eternity, why are we in a rush to have babies in heaven? Jacob Chapter 2 says it is only to raise up seed, rare, and seems to only be an earthly old fashioned way to solve fertility issues. Jesus came and said we don't do the Old Testament anymore, especially things that were "low empathy" like eye for an eye or treating woman like chattel. Polygamy feels wrong because it is wrong, when someone abused your religion and tells you to "go pray about it more, until you accept the KoolAid" something is wrong and you have to listen to your feelings. Satan loves polygamy and it makes sense to all of those low empathy folks who see people as tools.

[@nostoppingit7243]

Not only does Satan love polygamy but one of his worshippers, Lamech, was the first to introduce polygamy. Source says all I need to know. God never deviated from his design for marriage in the Garden. We have no record of him commanding anyone to practice polygamy. And Jacob 2 does not say God will use polygamy to raise up seed. He proved over and over he doesn't need polygamy to raise up seed (Adam, Noah, Lehi, etc.) He said "For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things (these things refers to polygamy). He's saying he has to give commandments, and the commandment is Jacob 2 is monogamy, to raise up seed unto himself because if he doesn't command his people they will harken unto the things Jacob was speaking against. It's really rather silly to believe God needs polygamy to raise up seed when he repeatedly proved he does not. Even the animals on the ark only had one mate.

[@Mormonismexplained]

Characterizing all women who practiced polygamy as gullible and chattel is unfair. Many were strong, independent-thinking women who testified that God answered their prayers in many circumstances, including concerning the practice of polygamy. Lucy Walker recounted that she asked Joseph Smith if women would be coerced into plural marriages, to which he replied, “A woman would have her choice, this was a privilege that could not be denied her.” In fact, Joseph Smith was turned down by at least seven women, including Sarah Granger Kimball and Cordelia C. Morley. To say that the women who agreed to become Joseph Smith’s plural wives only did so after repeatedly demanded a singular answer from God is not how the records of these women described their prayers. In fact, Eliza R. Snow states quite simply that “When first plural marriage was suggested to me, … I would not listen to the matter. But I was told it was God’s command, and I went to God and asked God to enlighten me, and he did.” Additionally, Jesus Christ did not address the topic of polygamy while introducing the higher law in Matthew 5-7, nor did He abolish every aspect of Old Testament law when he invited His followers to practice a higher law, i.e. the moral code of the Ten Commandments. It might interesting to you that the Old Testament law of “eye for an eye” was not a part of the law prior to the Israelite rejection of the higher law in Moses’ day, while polygamy was practiced both before and after the Israelites received the lower law, meaning it was a practice authorized by God in multiple dispensations. Thanks for watching!

[@soothingstories]

@@Mormonismexplained Do we have the journals that they knew no one who could give them grief if they were read? When people with polygamist heritage do the "tales of how wonderful and happy it all was" - it reminds me of how southerners used to tell tales of slavery. Yes, some personality disorders love poly situations where they can be more manipulative, maybe some saw that the whole thing was nuts and found a way to "do their best", others went off and were "only on paper part of it", and then of course those with gender issues probably found it to be a good place to hide at the time. Do we really know what these women were experiencing?

[@soothingstories]

@@nostoppingit7243 Yes, and if we believe in eternity and souls on other planets, and in repentance, why would we stop and drink the "Not enough men in heaven" Koolaid? I appreciate your response a lot. The polygamists have pushed so much FLDS thinking into what was supposed to be the "Mainstream LDS church". It also seems so many of them never really left, since the FLDS did not have room for more men. Just looking how poly relationships work in this modern world where women have even more options - shows us they have to be "Messed with" or mentally ill to go along with it. The FLDS women who have broken free are these amazing strong women ready to thrive and do good in the world, it is hard to undo programming since birth, but yet somehow the truth of things is speaking to them and they are finding better lives. The ones who have some disability or are deeply brainwashed are stuck

[@blank557]

@@nostoppingit7243 So explain how Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and Moses. You can't call them God's holy prophets, and yet condemn them for having multiple wives. God had to approve of them, and the Hebrew nation that came from them, otherwise, He could have just wiped them out, and started afresh with someone else. We owe the Bible to them. We owe that Abraham was told he would be the father of many nations, like the sand of the sea. We owe that Mary was a descendant of these plural unions, judged as coming from a royal heritage that was covenanted with God. Why would her and her husband's genealogy was included in the Gospels if their heritage was tainted by plural marriage making them illegitimate heirs to the covenant?

[@curtisgeiger9134]

Please take the time to read DC 132. If you can find God in this, Then you worship a different God than me.

[@gospellearning3069]

This is a great, objective video. Thank you for posting.

[@soothingstories]

Mormonism Explained it would be interesting to see what your unbiased, not trying to promote polygamy "scholars" and "researchers" find about how polygamy helped increase the population of the Mormon Church and how "without polygamy" the church would not have grown so big and strong. Or do we find the church grew even better and stronger once we stopped doing this wrong thing Old Testament "Done Testament" practice that only came about because some abusers saw an opportunity to abuse such devote and entranced followers? Or something inbetween? If polygamy was so special and Celestial then why is the FLDS and such have not grown to be even bigger and stronger? Is it because all poly relationships end up revealing there is an abusive personality in the mix? Poly love stuff is usually a cluster b personality disorder enjoying "Messing with everyone" treating them as tools and breaking their ability to attach and trying to push everyone's boundaries to where they are so lost and confused that they just blindly follow the "leader". Do we really have handwriting matches for all of this evidence that polygamy was commanded by God after Joseph Smith's death and that he really had sex with other women and had time to communicate and travel and visit all of these women? Do people not realize what life was actually like to travel distances, send communication around, and how busy everyone was when for example you have to chop and dry wood to stay warm, etc. I think some of your scholars imagine Joseph Smith had a car, a cell phone, gas stations everywhere, the internet and a laptop.

[@Mormonismexplained]

Both Mormon and non-Mormon scholars alike agree that the evidence is too plentiful to deny that Joseph Smith practiced plural marriage. He did. It might also be worth noting that there were many parts of the law, prior to the Israelite rejection of the higher law in Moses’ day, that were practiced in multiple dispensations, including polygamy. Nor did Jesus abolish all parts of the law when He gave his Sermon on the Mount. The argument about the morality of the historical practice of polygamy comes down to a matter of faith, Mormons believe Joseph Smith was commanded by God to institute the practice of polygamy for a period of time, while many those outside the church don’t. Thanks for watching!

[@soothingstories]

@@Mormonismexplained I would like to see all of this evidence and do you really speak for all Mormons? It seems you guys are people with an agenda to promote polygamy amongst the mainstream LDS population - with the idea that if Joseph Smith did it was therefore something we should all do one day. Personally, it seems with your "made up all scholars agreeing" (which we know they don't) and all of your agenda you are actually harming the LDS church greatly. Instead of people thinking "Oh it must be so spiritual, because some people in the church want to push it and twist history to their agenda" - mass amounts of Latter Day Saints are leaving the church saying they are having a "truth crisis" because all of this feels SO WRONG and doesn't match up or make sense. You keep holding steady and the members just keep leaving. You will soon have the polygamist church you dream of and all of the money. It is quite clever, but Heavenly Father has a plan and is learning who you are. Close with your words, far in your hearts, with an agenda that is not His.

[@soothingstories]

@@Mormonismexplained You do not represent "ALL MORMONS" beliefs about incomplete history. You are actually "outside the church" in many of the things you are proclaiming. I guess if you spread it enough with "CONfidence" it slowly seeps into the belief system.

[@GeorgeDemetz]

You are not telling the truth about the priesthood ban! Joseph made inspired exceptions as well as other prophets up until as 1935, however, these were inspired exceptions such as Christ made for the Canaanite woman after initially refusing her as recorded in Matthew. However, Joseph KNEW about the ban! He translated the first chapter of Abraham which clearly teaches about the ban and also Moses 7:8 and 7:22 which teach about the curse of blackness! READ THEM! Joseph himself made this statement on April 7, 1836: "The curse is not yet taken off the sons of Canaan, neither will it be until it is affected by as great a power as caused it to come."!!!

[@Mormonismexplained]

This Joseph Smith quote is actually referring to slavery, not the priesthood ban. Check out "Letter to Oliver Cowdery, circa 9 April 1836" on the Joseph Smith Paper's Website. Thanks for the comment!

[@GeorgeDemetz]

@@Mormonismexplained No!/Its much more than that! He was obviously referring also to the priesthood ban God removing it! Let me give you more of the quote! "Trace the history of the world from this notable event (the curse of blackness and the ban!), and you will find the fulfillment of this singular prophecy. What could have been the design of the almighty in this wonderful occurrence (obviously more than slavery!) is not for me to say, but I can say that the curse is not yet taken off the sons if Canaan, neither will it be until it is affected by as great a power as caused it to come (revelation from God in 1978), and the people who interfere the least with the decrees and purposes of God in this matter (not Joseph Smith as he spoke against slavery and according to what you stated, that would be interfering!) will come under the least condemnation before Him, and those that are determined to pursue a course that shows an opposition (like Dr.Reveed and other ignorant ones who seem to have never read about the ban and curse as clearly spoken of in the first Chapter if Abraham, Moses 7:8, and Moses 7:22, which Joseph himself translated) and a feverish restlessness against the designs of the Lord, will learn, when perhaps it is too late for their own good, that God can do His own work without the aid of those who are not dictate by His counsel."!!!

[@jodynalian373]

Section 143 was added years after Joseph"s death. Also section 101 was taken it and a new section 101 added by Brigham Young. Joseph Smith never practiced polygamy. In reading the scriptures you see that Jesus Christ says it's an abomination in his eyes.

[@phadrus]

There are two dozen quotes of JS denouncing polygamy and the Hyrum Smith talk denouncing it. Would be good for all these contradictions to be sorted out. Seems like early church leaders wanted polygamy and JS was fighting against it.

[@sertinduhm6378]

And yet we have a letter, written by Joseph's own hand, that pretty well shows Joseph was eithef having an affair, or the polygamy was true. take your pick, Joseph was at the very least sleeping around.

[@phadrus]

@@sertinduhm6378 you’re reading way too much into that letter, just an assumption

[@sertinduhm6378]

@@phadrus Contents of said letter. I'm lonely. Please come see me. Don't come if Emma is around, because it won't be safe. Burn the letter. How am I reading too much into it?

[@nostoppingit7243]

@@sertinduhm6378 You are reading too much into it. Of course he was lonely he was in hiding. He didn't want them coming when Emma was around for fear people were watching Emma and too many visitors would draw suspicion, this is proven in the communications Emma and Joseph had days prior to the Whitney letter. And Joseph had just moved locations out of fear of being found. He wanted them to burn the letter because it disclosed his location. So yes, you and others are reading into it what fits the narrative. No one invites the parents along for a rendezvous with their alleged wife.

[@d.s.4772]

Strategically, Smith's believers were destined to be hated and driven out of the United States, which they were. They managed to perform an unappreciated miracle of moving wagon trains of people to an unclaimed mountain dessert region and establish a significant self contained culture. Polygamy was a major contributing factor to the survival and flourishing of Smith's, and then Brigham Young's followers having highly populated the coming generations to the extent that they became self-determined, and a highly successful standalone culture in the American wilderness. This would not have been possible if not for the affects of their very large polygamist families. Eventually the practice was ended at a time when USA government were actively hunting down the fathers. Today the massive and international growing Mormon Church has in part its success due to about 70 years of carefully administered polygamy. A wise and prudent move from any anthropological play book. From what I have read multiple wives were featured in the lives of many Old Testament writers with the apparent approval of deity. Maybe after WW3 this will need to happen again :D.

[@nostoppingit7243]

I would encourage you to read what you wrote and then explain how Lehi's family did a similar thing without the help of polygamy. revision: Nothing has done more to stunt the growth of the church than polygamy. The church grew fine under Joseph without polygamy and many people have steered clear of the church, and left the church, because of polygamy. So I strongly disagree with your premise.

[@d.s.4772]

@@nostoppingit7243 The premise is irrelevant, the fact is Jo Smith was commanded to practice polygamy and he did initiate it even though there is no DNA evidence that any one other than Emma Smith ever gave birth to his posterity. That obviously means there was a greater divine strategy that was in play. In retrospect, now that the divinely commanded practice was withdrawn then the strategic benefit must have occurred and populating the wilderness is a solid outcome. Also, Lehi's family were not alone on the then isles of the sea. Consider, 100th part of the history of the BofM people is not recorded in that text does not mean that they did not interact. Example, you have to be very narrow minded to think that millions of Jaredite people did not have groups that escaped into other parts of the land and were not caught up in the final conflicts. German and Italians families moved to Australia during WW2 but is it part of the common narrative? No! Native North/Mesa/South American aboriginal histories both oral and written clearly record lots of moving tribal/family migrations for 000's of years. If you are practical, and obvious with less romantic imaginations would greatly help place a sober reality over all this history. Really think about it in terms of you and your community would they do any different.

[@bighornbasin]

Polygamy is not something I understand. That said, the world was a different place 200 years ago. It's hard to judge another time, people, and very different culture through the lens of today's modern society.

[@Mormonismexplained]

Thank you for your comment and for watching.

[@hc3203]

God allowed polygamy because he needs more soldiers to fight his holy war with the devil!

[@Flintlock1776]

Absurd.