Joseph Smith's Polygamy Toward a Better Understanding - Brian and Laura Hales

Thank you for posting this video. No Hysteria, just fair explanation.

Thank you!

If you put ALL the pieces together without any bias, the picture is very clear as to what the truth is regarding polygamy.

Great

What I read in Saints pioneer journals is that women needed a mans name in order to go to school to further their education. They didn’t live with men they married, they were only taking on his name.

How do we know that polygamy was only commanded for a specific time? The government forced the Church to stop doing it. The President of the Church at the time didn't say polygamy was wrong, he just said he told the members to stop because if he didn't the government would eventually shut down the church. It feels like this idea has been invented recently to placate people uncomfortable with polygamy. (Admittedly I think most Mormons are uncomfortable with it.) But why can't we just admit we were forced to stop it and move on.

To Mrs. Hales comment about Helen Kimball's quote "Life and everything here is uncertain" . . . Mrs. Hale claims she does not share that view of life in the 21st century because she can control what she does day by day. This is a false comparison. Kimball's quote referenced life's uncertainty, not her ability or inability to make daily personal choices. Does Mrs. Hale contend that LIFE today no longer holds uncertainty?

She goes on to claim that she has "plenty of time to work on perfecting" herself. 2 related questions: 1) How does she know she has plenty of time, given life's uncertainty? and, 2) How's the quest for perfection going? And for every other good mormon for that matter.  

Mormon doctrine defines perfection as requiring Christ's grace, yet grace only comes "after all they can do". What??? Mormon "prophets" make declaration that ONLY after denying yourself of all ungodliness, will his grace be sufficient for you. This is "in part" what many refer to as the LDS "Impossible Gospel". Can't be perfect without grace. Can't receive grace without being perfect. At what point can the faithful mormon be assured of his or her salvation?

Does God our Heavenly Father ever do anything in secret?

Should read the church book saints volume 1

Keep in mind some people in the celestial kingdom will not be married at all, but will be angels in that kingdom.

These people will literally say anything to generate plausible deniability. Just look at it on its face. Research Fannie Alger. This affair took place before the polygamy revelation. The polygamy revelation was created to justify adulterous behavior. Joseph Smith had been sealed to over 20 women before Emma. He went to great lengths to keep it a secret from her including a fake wedding to someone he had already been sealed to. WTF?? Let's talk about that Hales. Let's talk about the manipulative language he used to get people to marry him. . Let's talk about marrying girls as young as 14 years old! Let's talk about sending guys on missions and then marrying their wives. It's messed up!! The Hales should be ashamed of themselves for trying to defend this behavior. This is not the behavior of someone who should be the best example of someone following God's commandments. Call a spade a spade. Take responsibility!

Is it possible yo write a book about the years when in 1880 the marriages were stopped. What happened to the second wives and children from their point of view. I have asked others in salt lake and was told no one was doing this. I think it is missing in our history. Especially since the federal government mistreated the women as well as the men.

I think polygamy will be brought back after the second coming.. multiple and replenish the earth. And I believe once we are all crowned with godliness, and dwell with God, where the Devil can no tempt us, I think we all will welcome the birth of a new soul. And honestly, if you look at it, you are trying to bring down our brothers and sisters so they can have a body. It is extremely unselfish. Now don’t get me wrong, I do not want to participate in the doctrine, but I understand why it exists.

"Just remember that if Joseph were doing any of the outlandish things that sometimes they accuse him of, these individuals never would have stuck with him and they did stay with him and did believe in this doctrine and in him as a prophet."

What about one of his closest friends and associates, Oliver Cowdery, the major scribe for the Book of Mormon, who did exactly that when he found Smith with Fanny Alger and called it a "filthy, nasty, dirty affair"?

Did women have plural husbands ?

Their "enhanced sense of urgency" was due largely because they practiced polygamy and were thus persecuted, polygamy did not arise from this sense of urgency except as it was taught by Joseph Smith to his followers.

Do you want to know the truth about what happened, I'll tell you the truth. In Joseph Smith mother journal she said that Joseph Smith at a young boy was always in the woods reading the Bible. Joseph Smith said in his own journal writings that he had already came to the conclusion from reading the Bible that none of the churchs were true, this opinion he formed was even before he said he went into the woods and prayed about it. Joseph Smith was a child prodigy and was a genius, Part of his genius was learning how to deceive or trick people from a young age and how to use the rock in a hat trick and I believe he took great pleasure and joy as a child and perhaps even laughter at how good he was and gullible people were to believe and also the power of the subconscious mind is when it comes to trickery or descriptions and he became one of the best Masters in the whole country side at it and was even payed money and put on trial for doing it. Regarding polygamy plain and simple Joseph read about it in the Bible and decided if it was in the Bible it needs to be in his church and so reluctantly he proceeded to experiment with it in all extremes and that is exactly what it was an experiment gone wrong or perhaps learned from But the genius of the man, the guts, the lies etc. Joseph Smith in his own journal said "Polygamy works as long as the first wife doesn't know about it". This proves my theory that in Joseph Smith mind it was an experiment.. If you look at Joseph Smith inventing the church, making it up as he goes from his knowledge he has from reading the Bible, you begin to see through the truth genius of the man. The Tesla of religion. Who went to whatever lengths he had too, in order to obtain his objective..

"We Accept the Reality of the World With Which We are Presented" And that includes supposed "scholars" LDS or otherwise. Instead of believing their restoration prophet, the LDS church and its "scholars" have sided with the group who revised the history soon after Joseph was killed and built the mecca now known as the Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. What is it they say about history?! It's written by the victor. That doesn't mean it's true! Sadly, the branch has overcome the roots and the fable of polygamy's origin is so interwoven in current church culture and history that the truth may never be told - no matter what the best primary source evidence suggests. D&C 132 - seriously sketchy provenance. No biological evidence, including this presenters claims of Josephine Lyon Fisher. Everyone claiming Joseph's participation in polygamy had serious ulterior motives that destroy their credibility and on an on. Why would the church not come clean about Joseph actually telling the truth and not being a polygamist?! Not hard to figure that one out thanks the mess created by the sowers of deception that planted the seedling of the hollow tree that now dominates the landscape. But just like any deception, I believe it will be exposed and the decaying building without foundation will crumble under the weight of its massive rot. Zion will be redeemed just as Christ prophesied in D&C 101.

You are teaching alot of "I believes" sir.

Joseph sealed women AND MEN to him, so you think Joseph was bisexual and sleeping with his MANY HUSBANDS???

Joseph AND HYRUM...BOTH...condemned those who practiced polygamy...up until a month before Brigham had Joseph murdered them by John Taylor and Willard Richards...oh, did I just say that?

He probably knew Brigham was having sexual encounters in the UK, on his last mission late 1838-39 to 1842.

A commandment given by God (Mormons think their prophets are God...look how they worship Nelson today) to end polygamy at 1890.

This talk is so horrible...this guy makes sooooo manyyyyy assumptions. Does he know he is making an ass out of himself? I can't believe how many things he is speaking of ("I believes") as truth...

You are SICK teaching these lies out Joseph and therefore Hyrum.

YOU ARE SICK!

I am just happy to be celibate and chaste....no women complaints, no aggravation.

Jesus Christ affirmed 1 man 1 woman united till death do part. Jesus also stated there is no marriage among Angels nor among the saints in heaven. Jesus Christ's authority is Gods.
Joseph Smith convinced feeble minded ignorant Christians that he was a Prophet and so they followed a man , contrary to Gods word.. the fundamental proof of a false Prophet

Bottom line is no one knows till you get there so why would anyone know now and who cares and what difference does it actually make. It’s as if the entire human race was in jeopardy without polygamy. I just shake my head.

God does strange things some times. Maybe he used creative, talented, genius Joseph Smith to start a great, successful church.
Was God (angel with sword) and Joseph so stupid to think that Joseph could marry a bunch of women and keep it a secret and get away with lying to the general public?
A new newspaper called Nauvoo Expositor told the people the truth about Joseph’s behaviour. The prophet destroyed the paper.. That made the people mad and he was killed. The only purpose, I can see, of God (angel with sword) and Joseph doing the polygamy thing is because Joseph was one horny, ladies man. Just about any woman in Nauvoo would want to go to bed with him. He could so he did.
Could he have left the paper alone and go to church and tell the people the newspaper was telling truth that he lied to them?
Was Joseph a dumb prophet that could not see the consequences of the women and the newspaper?

You are lying and you are BLIND to the TRUTH!!!

Josephine, a few years back, was proven not to be Jospeh’s daughter. 99.99% surety she is not his daughter.

Poor prophets...forced to have sex with children, have multiple sex partner ( 40 or more). I Pity the fools who believe Smith's sexual depravity and lust for power & money were commanded by God.

I am sorry that this delusion keeps on slandering Joseph and Emma. He did not have plural wives. Brigham brought that doctrine in. Just look at blacks and the priesthood to see what happened. Joseph gave the priesthood to blacks and Brigham took it away after Joseph was murdered, until the church allowed it over 100 years later. Brigham brought in blood oaths from his secret combinations. The church got rid of it after Brigham's death. Where are all the children from Joseph's other marriages? There are none because there were no other marriages. Joseph and Hyrum only preached monogamy. Emma told the truth and Brigham did not. I do not understand the need to protect Brigham by slandering Joseph and Hyrum. One day it will be shouted from the housetops that Joseph was exactly who he said he was and an honorable man and not a whoremonger that the exmos and apologists love to portray. So very sad.

Smith always attacks the girls and sad to see attacking still continues.
Smith was no Martyr but Satan's hate to God and people. All other churches are an abomination that condemns true Christians. His god is flesh while he condemns the true God which is Spirit. He hated the husband by marrying his wife secretly. He hated little girls to marry them. He pulled the BOM out of his hat like a rabbit with a hairy twist. He used a dead Priest burial papers and pulled out the so called Book of Abraham. He said his god said take the BOM to Canada would be copyrighted but that failed which proves his god is a liar. That Jesus is Satan's brother which calls Jesus a liar that He created Lucifer. The lies that people lived on Mars the size of Quakers while his god lived on a planet named Konob.
Today Mormon's work to make evil Smith look good and good true God look bad. Artist took Smith known with a seer stone in his hat to hide his lying face in with a created picture of Smith sitting at a table looking so professional creating a dog tick BOM on Gods Word.
Smith is burning in hell and all those who twist evil into good will be with him not ever found in Heaven. Tormented in Hell forever and forever. He tormented husbands by marrying their wives secretly and family's to heal their daughters from this sick lustful demonic maniac.
Smith was proven a liar and false prophet, a horny nut and more. TURN to the real Jesus or BURN with Satan that Smith calls Jesus. No places Smith said a battle was fought was never proved while the Battles in the Bible was found true.

Adam God, blacks and priesthood ban, blood atonement, and polygamy etc . all came from Brigham and have been stopped or disavowed completely. Joseph was no polygamist believe his words over the Brighamites made up hearsay, conjecture and lies. Brighams pro polygamist church having the Joseph record is like the fox guarding the hen house, thus the evidence of Doctored history. Rob Fotheringham check him out

Why did he leave off "concubines" after quoting part of verse one in D&C 132? It's rather important don't you think? Concubines are female slaves that the master has sex with. She has no choice of herself as even her womb is not her own. D&C 132 also totally contradicts Jacob 2 in the B of M where it says that David and Solomon were not justified in having many wives and concubines but the D&C says they were. Both cannot be true. I also question that Joseph Smith and Hyrum lied to their people over and over condemning polygamy while "secretly" living it? They stated they would excommunicate anyone they caught living it. If D&C 132 is not of God or Joseph Smith since it came out years after Joseph's death, then there is zero scriptural evidence to support polygamy. And lastly, believing polygamy is of God means that women are not much more than chattel to men, which cannot be true. Polygamy destroys loving marriages and contradicts Gods commandment for a man to cleave unto his wife and be "one flesh" with her. Marriage isn't about just having babies and it never has been. Adam didn't live it and neither did Noah. My question is , why does Brian Hales want to believe this is true? Has anyone noticed that Jacob 2 distinctly says that the main reason Lehi and his family were commanded to get out of Jerusalem and come to the Americas is because they were living the sin of polygamy? Read it carefully and it's in plain sight. I don't believe the Lord condemns it and says how abominable it is but then has one verse...30 that they believe essentially says, "unless I say it's okay to break the tender hearts of my daughter". Abraham lived it because it was the custom of his day; not commanded of God.

God said a marriage should be between a man and a woman most of the world have excepted gay marriage now by respecting the big mardigras etc but they should also respect all religions and stop anti mormon podcasts our article of faith said we allow all men to worship how where and what they may a lot of lies are told on antimormon podcasts even by non Christians I think a lot of non mormons don't want to hear the truth

GOD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS AND OUR FAITH AND OBEDIENCE IN HIM GET TESTED

Why would God/Jesus command Joseph to do something THAT WAS ILLEGAL according to laws of the State of Illinois???? Why would Jesus want His Church so drug down by the albatross of Polygamy going forward?? Even in 2024 the damage done by Polygamy to The Church all but proves it was COUNTER TO THE CLAIMED "Restoration".....damaging it....holding it back...down....causing damage permanently.

If one wants to look at a broader picture, then look

Having studied theology and Mormon for more than 60 years, I say that If one wants to see a broader picture of polygamy he needs to look at ALL if the statements regarding this from all of the available sources, including the journal of discources. To some up all of this briefly, Joseph received a revelation to practice polygamy, the highest law of marriage, the highest level if the celestial polygamy is for, those like Heavenly Father who have multiple wives that alk worthy women may be sble to have their own spirit children, and that polygamy will start prior to the millennium and continue through the millennium (see Isaiah 4: 1 which is referred to many times in the J of D), and that those wives will be brought to exaltation depending upon the worthiness of the ones involved!

Nevermind personal opinions, look at what all the prophets and apostles have taught as doctrine!

Joseph Smith was NOT a polygamist. In the early church, members often got sealed to a Priesthood leader. Wilford Woodruff changed that in a talk given on April 18 1894 in the Salt Lake City Tabernacle. In part of his talk in the Law of Adoption Sealings, Wilford Woodruff stated the following:

"...the duty that I want every man who presides over a Temple to see performed from this day henceforth and forever, unless the Lord Almighty commands otherwise, is, let every man be adopted to his father. When a man receives the endowment, adopt him to his father; [149] not to Wilford Woodruff, nor to any other man outside the lineage of his fathers. That is the will of God to this people. I want all men who preside over these temples in these mountains of Israel to bear this in mind."

So Joseph Smith and other leaders were sealed to other women and members as part of the Law of Adoption, which were sealings BUT NOT marriages! Joseph Smith was NOT a polygamist and thus John Dehlin spreads lies!

Brian Hales has cherry picked data to fit the currents narrative of the Church. In doing so, he is disparaging the great name of Joseph Smith. The only way polygamy can be justified is to drag down Joseph Smith to the level of Brigham Young and his associates. I would invite Brian Hales to explain in one of these videos the glories of polygamy. Why is he so convinced that this is a celestial doctrine? Does he have a personal witness, or is he just blindly following Brigham Young and his associates? If polygamy is an eternal principle, we should be proudly teaching it. In reality, the entire Church is ashamed and embarrassed. This includes Brian Hales.

Think of all the men in the church who became forced bachelors because of this doctrine.