FAIR Answers—back to home page
Doctrinal foundation of plural marriage |
|
Introduction of plural marriage |
|
|
|
|
|
Notable plural wives of Joseph Smith |
|
Plural marriage in Utah |
|
End of plural marriage |
|
Children of polygamous marriages
Children of Joseph Smith by polygamous marriages
Jump to details:
- REDIRECT Question: What is known about possible children through Joseph Smith's polygamous marriages?
See also Brian Hales' discussion
|
Some wonder if sexual relations were included in Joseph Smith’s plural marriages. The answer is yes or no, depending upon the type of plural marriage. Those marriages, often called “sealings,” were of two types. Some were for this life and the next (called “time-and-eternity”) and could include sexuality on earth. Others were limited to the next life (called “eternity-only”) and did not allow intimacy in mortality. Overall, evidence indicates that less than half of Joseph Smith’s polygamous unions were consummated and sexual relations in the others occurred infrequently.
|
|
It appears the Prophet experienced sexual relations with less than half of the women sealed to him. There is no credible evidence that Joseph had sex with three subgroups of his plural wives: (1) fourteen-year-old wives, (2) non-wives (or women to whom he was not married), and (3) legally married women who were experiencing conjugal relations with their civil husbands.
|
|
No children are known to have been born to Joseph and his plural wives.
|
Source(s) of the criticism:
Critical sources |
- Fawn M. Brodie, No Man Knows My History: The Life of Joseph Smith (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1945), Chapter 24. ( Index of claims )
- Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson, Mormonism 101. Examining the Religion of the Latter-day Saints (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 2000), Chapter 17. ( Index of claims )
- Jerald and Sandra Tanner, The Changing World of Mormonism (Moody Press, 1979), 231.( Index of claims )
- Richard S. Van Wagoner, Mormon Polygamy: A History (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1989), 49. (Source: Brodie)
- Wikipedia article "Joseph Smith, Jr."–Primary editor: COgden, with additional contributions by multiple editors. ( FAIR's Analysis of this Wikipedia article)
|
Notes