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First, here’s the video for those who don’t know what we’re talking about: youtube.com/watch?v=9lsBFlcjE-8
Second, Hinckley says that it was a ‘limited practice.’ D&C 132 in no way, shape, or form, takes such a position. True, this was Smith’s justification to his wife about his dalliances with other women disguised as a ‘revelation,’ but there’s ample evidence that those who read it took it seriously: “The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy…” (Brigham Young, 6 Aug, 1866, JOD 11:269)
To any Mormon male who heard this, it was most certainly appealing. After all, who wouldn’t want to be a god? D&C 132:4 clearly says that celestial marriage, which was then defined as both temple marriage and polygamy, two sides of the same coin, was a ‘new and everlasting covenant.’
Not only that, but my wife’s family tree has not one, not two, but three Mormon polygamists. Are you going to tell me that three backward migrant Irish miners in Wyoming are in any way, shape, or form special? No, they were simply following what the prophet of God, Brigham Young told them. In fact, two of their many children were named Brigham Young ______ and another David Nephi ______ so it’s pretty obvious that they took it seriously.
Hinckley seems to have forgotten to mention that Mormons were practicing polygamy long before they ‘came west.’ Smith’s first polygamous marriage was to Fanny Alger in 1833 and then another 27 wives before D&C 132 was even committed to paper in July of 1843 and then another 10 before he was murdered.
Third, Hinckley stated that the church ceased polygamy in 1890. What he didn’t bother to say was that the church continued to practice it anyway as proven by the fact that the prophet Joseph F. Smith plead guilty of violating his own state’s anti-polygamy laws, having fathered 11 children with his wives after the Manifesto of 1890.
And fourth, he said that the time came for the church to stop the practice but he neglected to mention the fact that the ‘revelation’ is still considered scripture, whether it’s practiced or not.
It’s odd to note that the church gave up the practice on the eve of the Federal Government seizing both temples. Why didn’t your god see this one coming? And why does he value man’s law more than his own?
Are you aware that the church was practicing polygamy while it denied it even before the Manifesto? That’s not exactly what I would call ‘exhaustively researched and reported upon’ because the only way Mormons learn this fact is from us critics.
I’m not talking about deflecting, I’m talking about the outright, blatant lying and omission of facts about polygamy. The ‘same old nonsense’ you cited won’t ever go away. Would you like to know why? Because the church does not, nor has it ever addressed these concerns. It just tells the congregation to not read anything that isn’t ‘faith building.’
Unfortunately, Hinckley was wholly deceptive and evasive in his answers, hoping that people who don’t know nearly as much as some of us would take him at his word.
I believe the term for a person like that is ‘liar.’
