Does the Lord condone polygamy?

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I was thinking last night so many things point to the LDS church being a “breeding church,” God having s*x with Mary, on earth polygamy and now after life polygamy, making babies for eternity with many wives - it reminds me of bunny rabbits and how they mate and mate and mate and have babies and babies and babies. Is that what Joseph Smith is - the Bunny Rabbit God? I think so!
 
TikiTokiguy said:
I think the Church believes Smith is already exulted eternally making babies with all his women.
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He’s the celestial ticket-taker and approves only the worthy men and women entry to whatever heaven they’re headed to. This has been taught as fact.
 
If the Old Testament if for people before Christ came, New Testament is for people when Christ walked the earth, and the Book of Mormon is for are current time. If this is all true, as I was told in the Gospel Principles class, then it would seem the New Testament outweighs the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon outweighs the New Testament. So why is polygamy OK if the New Testament does not support it and even Jesus said their is no marriage in the afterlife? Plus the Book of Mormon does not promote it if I recall correctly.
So are the LDS saying the Old Testament is most important or are they just picking and choosing to satisfy their own desires?
 
TikiTokiguy said:
So are the LDS saying the Old Testament is most important or are they just picking and choosing to satisfy their own desires?
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I follow your logic and agree that seems to be the case, but really, it’s all a matter of cherry picking through the different books to find something that supports whatever position the church is taking on any given thing. And remember that’s also fluid at the same time; Mormon thought is malleable and indistinct and changes when challenged.
 
I was browsing The Changing World of Mormonism book:

*Apostle Orson Pratt added these resolute comments about polygamy:

God has told us Latter-day Saints that we shall be condemned if we do not enter into that principle; and yet I have heard now and then … a brother or sister say, “I am a Latter-day Saint, but I do not believe in polygamy.” Oh, what an absurd expression! What an absurd idea! A person might as well say, "I am a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, but I do not believe in him.*

Wow. That’s bad.

*President Brigham Young was very emphatic in proclaiming that the church could never give up polygamy:

Now if any of you will deny the plurality of wives and continue to do so, I promise that you will be damned; … take this revelation, … and deny it in your feelings, and I promise that you will be damned (Deseret News, November 14, 1855).*

Their university is named after this guy. So if I deny polygamy I don’t believe in Jesus and will be damed too.

I have a question - if I get married in this life will Brigham Young take her from me? Why do I get the feeling the answer is yes?

*Apostle Orson Pratt added these resolute comments about polygamy:

Now I want to prophecy a little… I want to prophecy that all men and women who oppose the revelation which God has given in relation to polygamy will find themselves in darkness; the Spirit of God will withdraw from them the very moment of their opposition to that principle, until they will finally go down to hell and be damned, if they do not repent … if you want to get into darkness, brethren and sisters, begin to oppose this revelation. Sisters, you begin to say before your husbands, or husbands you begin to say before your wives, “I do not believe in the principle of polygamy, and I intend to instruct my children against it.” Oppose it in this way, and teach your children to do the same, and if you do not become as dark as midnight there is no truth in Mormonism (Journal of Discourses, vol. 17, pp. 224-25).*

So is Pratt saying those who give up polygamy will become as dark as midnight? Hmm, I don’t remember hearing any stories on Saints becoming as dark as midnight. So by his test Mormonism is false.
 
TikiTokiguy:

Regarding polygamy, you have to look at what side of the Manifesto of 1890 you’re on as well. Joseph Smith always publicly denied polygamy even while he privately preached it. How extensive was it? We don’t know but D&C 132 makes it clear that it was for all men. Since it was published in 1878, we basically have 12 years during which the church publicly practiced and preached polygamy.

But from 1835 to 1876, we have the old D&C 101 which denounced polygamy. The church used that as ‘proof’ that the claims against them were wrong. When section 132 was added, 101 was dropped.

Fast forward to 1890. The Federal Government has made it clear that it can and will (and did) seize property and imprison polygamous Mormons. President Wilford Woodruff was in an unenviable position: hold true to the church’s teachings and have the government seize the temples or renounce it and live to fight another day. Obviously, he chose the latter. Even so, the church continued to practice polygamy in secret, even on occasion sending Mormons into the middle of the Rio Grande River to perform their plural marriage ceremonies.

Since publicly renouncing polygamy, statehood quickly followed in 1896.

Fast forward another seven years. The Reed Smoot hearings, in which the US Senate was considering seating apostle Reed Smoot, turned to polygamy and ultimately resulted in the president of the church, Joseph F. Smith, (Hyrum Smith’s son) being charged and subsequently pleading guilty to violating Utah’s anti-polygamy laws. Why? Because Smith father 11 children with his polygamous wives after the manifesto of 1890. This prompted Smith to issue a ‘Second Manifesto’ and for the church to take the ban on polygamy seriously.

So now you know the church’s dirty secrets; if the Word of God doesn’t apply to the prophets, who does it apply to?
 
*Brigham Young declares monogamy a system established by robbers:

“Monogamy, or restrictions by law to ONE WIFE, IS NO PART OF THE ECONOMY OF HEAVEN AMONG MEN. Such a system was commenced by the founders of the Roman empire…Rome became the mistress of the world, and introduced this order of monogamy wherever her sway was acknowledged. Thus this MONOGAMIC ORDER OF MARRIAGE, so esteemed by modern Christians as a HOLY SACRAMENT and DIVINE INSTITUTION, is nothing but a system established by a SET OF ROBBERS…
“Why do we believe in and practice polygamy? Because the Lord introduced it to his servants in a revelation given to Joseph Smith, and the Lord’s servants have always practised it. ‘And IS THAT RELIGION POPULAR IN HEAVEN?’ IT IS THE ONLY POPULAR RELIGION THERE,…” (The Deseret News, August 6, 1862)*

He goes after the Roman empire too. I wonder if they ever praised Islam back then. I had one LDS friend tell me there are lots of similarities between Islam and LDS. I would guess polygamy being one of the big similarities. I can see the need for polygamy back in the Roman empire days and such, but in 1830’s to 1900? Not really.
 
why_me said:
From the readings of june 13th:

FIRST READING: 2 Samuel 12: 7 - 10, 13
7 Nathan said to David, "You are the man. Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, `I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul;
8 and I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if this were too little, I would add to you as much more.
9 Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight? You have smitten Uri’ah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites.
10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uri’ah the Hittite to be your wife.’
13 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.

It seems that the lord does condone polygamy or should there be a different interpretation of these verses?
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That is not necessary the word of God. That is the written expression of the writer as inspired by God. What God meant was as Saul was dead, David was required to take care all the family of Saul as he died. There is a custom in Jewish family that if a man died, his younger brother took care the widow of his older brother. God is just. God would not leave the family of Saul thrown away. They did not have the bear Saul’s mistake. David took God’s word too literally when he took the wife of Uri’ah illegally. God is also forgiving for the one who return to His way. So, when David repented, God forgave him. God even make Batsyeba as the mother of Salomon, and finally Jesus. When God said “I will add you much more” look at the sentence. What God was giving to David was the house of Judah and Israel, and much more shall be added (that should be house of ____, and house of _____, etc). God did not mean to be more wives.
 
swariffin said:
That is not necessary the word of God. That is the written expression of the writer as inspired by God. What God meant was as Saul was dead, David was required to take care all the family of Saul as he died. There is a custom in Jewish family that if a man died, his younger brother took care the widow of his older brother. God is just. God would not leave the family of Saul thrown away. They did not have the bear Saul’s mistake. David took God’s word too literally when he took the wife of Uri’ah illegally. God is also forgiving for the one who return to His way. So, when David repented, God forgave him. God even make Batsyeba as the mother of Salomon, and finally Jesus. When God said “I will add you much more” look at the sentence. What God was giving to David was the house of Judah and Israel, and much more shall be added (that should be house of ____, and house of _____, etc). God did not mean to be more wives.
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In Mormon literature, however, we find David and Solomon both condoned and condemned for their polygamy.
 
I chatted online with a missionary. I asked if polygamy is practiced in the next life and he said, nope. Either he’s informed or told me something false. Why did he say nope?

Welcome to Mormon.org chat.
A representative will be with you shortly.
Agent [Bryan] is ready to assist you.
Me: I’m interested in the LDS church.
Me: Have a few questions.
Bryan: Ok great
Bryan: What interests you in our church?
Me: The Book of Mormon. Do you all worship Joseph Smith?
Bryan: No we do not
Me: ok.
Me: what about that polygam issue? Is that still practiced?
Me: polygamy?
Bryan: No it hasn’t been practiced for over 120 years
Me: Cool.
Me: Must all men go on a mission?
Bryan: No but we are strongly encouraged
Me: Right.
Me: I heard there is polygamy in the next life. Is that true or not?
Bryan: Nope
Me: Do members have to visit Utah after they join?
Bryan: Nope
Me: Ok, cool. Ok, that’s all my questions.
Me: Book of Mormon is pretty cool.
Me: Thanks.
Me: Have a good day.
 
TikiTokiguy said:
I chatted online with a missionary. I asked if polygamy is practiced in the next life and he said, nope. Either he’s informed or told me something false. Why did he say nope?

Welcome to Mormon.org chat.
A representative will be with you shortly.
Agent [Bryan] is ready to assist you.
Me: I’m interested in the LDS church.
Me: Have a few questions.
Bryan: Ok great
Bryan: What interests you in our church?
Me: The Book of Mormon. Do you all worship Joseph Smith?
Bryan: No we do not
Me: ok.
Me: what about that polygam issue? Is that still practiced?
Me: polygamy?
Bryan: No it hasn’t been practiced for over 120 years
Me: Cool.
Me: Must all men go on a mission?
Bryan: No but we are strongly encouraged
Me: Right.
Me: I heard there is polygamy in the next life. Is that true or not?
Bryan: Nope
Me: Do members have to visit Utah after they join?
Bryan: Nope
Me: Ok, cool. Ok, that’s all my questions.
Me: Book of Mormon is pretty cool.
Me: Thanks.
Me: Have a good day.
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Polygamy was only taken from the Earth. It is still the practice in the “Celestial Kingdom”. So I submit that this person was either uninformed or deliberately deceptive. It’s very possible that it is the former, but you cannot rule out the latter.
 
I just discovered something worth mentioning: in 1911, apostle John W. Taylor was excommunicated from the church for being a polygamist. The church’s public stance versus its literature clearly didn’t jibe with an apostle, who, if closer to God than the members below him, should’ve known better.
 
MelanieAnne said:
Polygamy was only taken from the Earth. It is still the practice in the “Celestial Kingdom”. So I submit that this person was either uninformed or deliberately deceptive. It’s very possible that it is the former, but you cannot rule out the latter.
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Polygamy is something that’s not really discussed much in the church’s current literature that I can find. The notion of celestial polygamy is something that, while probably a position the church holds, has no basis in its own scripture.
 
Returning_Home said:
Polygamy is something that’s not really discussed much in the church’s current literature that I can find. The notion of celestial polygamy is something that, while probably a position the church holds, has no basis in its own scripture.
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Perhaps. I’m not familiar with current Mormon literature. But Celestial Polygamy certainly has been taught as doctrine in the past, as I have heard it myself from a teacher, the father of a childhood friend of mine who eventually became a Mormon Bishop.
 
TikiTokiguy said:
I chatted online with a missionary. I asked if polygamy is practiced in the next life and he said, nope. Either he’s informed or told me something false. Why did he say nope?

Welcome to Mormon.org chat.
A representative will be with you shortly.
Agent [Bryan] is ready to assist you.
Me: I’m interested in the LDS church.
Me: Have a few questions.
Bryan: Ok great
Bryan: What interests you in our church?
Me: The Book of Mormon. Do you all worship Joseph Smith?
Bryan: No we do not
Me: ok.
Me: what about that polygam issue? Is that still practiced?
Me: polygamy?
Bryan: No it hasn’t been practiced for over 120 years
Me: Cool.
Me: Must all men go on a mission?
Bryan: No but we are strongly encouraged
Me: Right.
Me: I heard there is polygamy in the next life. Is that true or not?
Bryan: Nope
Me: Do members have to visit Utah after they join?
Bryan: Nope
Me: Ok, cool. Ok, that’s all my questions.
Me: Book of Mormon is pretty cool.
Me: Thanks.
Me: Have a good day.
Click to expand...
There are also the good old stand-by’s. This person was “mistranslated”, “misquoted”, or “misinterpreted”…😃
 
twopekinguys said:
There are also the good old stand-by’s. This person was “mistranslated”, “misquoted”, or “misinterpreted”…😃
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Don’t forget that the apologists often tell us dissenters that no matter what we read or quote from their own works, we just misunderstand the faith.
 
I was reading the ex-Mormon forums and some one did what I did - chat online with the missionaries. He asked a tough question and the missionaries used “nope” to answer. Is that their way not really answering the question? NOPE?
 
TikiTokiguy said:
I was reading the ex-Mormon forums and some one did what I did - chat online with the missionaries. He asked a tough question and the missionaries used “nope” to answer. Is that their way not really answering the question? NOPE?
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I had a nice discussion with the a couple of online missionaries, and as soon as I asked a question about the Journal of Discourses, they couldn’t end the conversation quick enough.
 
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