Joseph Smith's Role in Introducing Plural Marriage to Early Mormonism

Joseph Smith, founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, introduced plural marriage—the practice of one man having multiple wives—to Mormonism between the early 1830s and 1843. He presented it as a restored biblical principle and divine commandment, not as a cultural innovation. Smith himself married an estimated 30 to 40 women during his lifetime, though the exact number remains debated by scholars. The practice remained largely secret within the church hierarchy for over a decade before becoming public knowledge, which created a profound rift between Smith's public statements denying polygamy and his private practice of it.

The Origins and Theological Justification

Smith began practicing plural marriage quietly around 1831–1832, according to historical records, though he did not publicly acknowledge or formally teach it until much later. He justified the practice by pointing to Old Testament patriarchs like Abraham, Jacob, and David, who had multiple wives. Smith claimed that God had revealed to him that plural marriage was not only permissible but necessary for salvation and the continuation of the faith. In his view, marrying multiple women—particularly young women and widows—would bind families together eternally and increase the Mormon population, strengthening the church's foothold in America.

Smith's theological framework centered on the concept of 'celestial marriage'—a sealing ordinance performed in the temple that he taught would bind couples and their families together not just in this life but for eternity. Plural marriage, in this theology, was an extension of that principle: a man sealed to multiple women would have multiple families in the afterlife. This differed sharply from mainstream Christian teaching and made polygamy a cornerstone of Mormon cosmology rather than merely a social arrangement.

The Secret Practice and Public Denial

One of the most contentious aspects of Smith's introduction of plural marriage was the secrecy surrounding it. For years, Smith denied practicing or endorsing polygamy, even as he was marrying additional women. The church's official public stance condemned plural marriage; the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants explicitly stated that the church believed in monogamy. Yet Smith and a small circle of trusted associates were actively practicing it. This contradiction created confusion and suspicion within the church and fueled opposition from outside critics.

Smith's wives were often chosen from among young women in the community, including some as young as their early teens, and from women already married to other men (in what were called 'spiritual' or 'polyandrous' unions). Some women consented knowingly; others were unaware they were being sealed to Smith in addition to their earthly husbands. This opacity and the power imbalance inherent in Smith's position as prophet and church leader made the practice deeply problematic, even by the standards of the time.

Formalization Through Doctrine and Covenants Section 132

In 1843, Smith dictated what became known as Doctrine and Covenants Section 132, a revelation that formally outlined the doctrine of plural marriage. This text established rules for celestial marriage, defined the conditions under which a man could take multiple wives, and promised exaltation (the highest degree of salvation) to those who practiced it. The revelation also stated that wives who accepted plural marriage without complaint would be blessed, while those who rejected it would be destroyed. Section 132 became the theological foundation for plural marriage in Mormonism and remains a core text for fundamentalist Mormon groups that continue the practice today.

Why This Matters and When It Became Public

Smith's introduction of plural marriage was transformative and divisive. It redefined Mormon theology around gender, family, and salvation in ways that separated Mormonism from mainstream Christianity and American culture. For believers, it was a restoration of ancient truth; for critics and many church members who eventually learned of it, it was a betrayal of Smith's earlier teachings and a moral violation. The practice became a lightning rod for persecution of Mormons, contributing to their expulsion from Missouri and later to violent conflicts in Illinois and Utah.

Plural marriage remained largely hidden until the mid-1840s, when disaffected church members and external observers began publicly exposing it. Smith's death in 1844 did not end the practice; his successor, Brigham Young, openly embraced and expanded it after the church moved to Utah Territory, where it became official Mormon policy for decades. The practice eventually became a flashpoint in the federal government's conflict with the LDS Church, leading to the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act of 1862 and intense pressure on the church to abandon it, which it officially did in 1890.

Sources

• Doctrine and Covenants Section 132 (LDS Church official scripture, dictated by Joseph Smith in 1843)
• Historical scholarship on Joseph Smith's plural marriages draws from church records, contemporary accounts, and academic studies by historians including Richard Bushman, Laurel Thorp, and others documented in the Joseph Smith Papers project