Mormon Polygamy Timeline of Events
A chronological overview of all significant events leading up to, during and following the polygamy scandal of the LDS church. This Mormon polygamy timeline of events also includes all of the source material around monogamy, for comparison. It is designed and published to help sincere seekers of truth to find the facts about Mormon polygamy and sources organized in a way that’s digestible and comprehensible.
Monogamy & polygamy timeline in the LDS Mormon church
Teachings & actions supporting monogamy | Teachings & actions supporting polygamy | Contextual events | Marriages, sealings or sexual relations | Legal matters | Cautions | Edited information
1822 | 1824 | 1827 | 1829 | 1830 | 1831 | 1832 | 1833 | 1834 | 1835 | 1836 | 1837 | 1838 | 1839 | 1840 | 1841 | 1842 | 1843 | 1844 | 1845 | 1846 | 1847 | 1848 | 1849 | 1850 | 1851 | 1852 | 1853 | 1854 | 1855 | 1856 | 1857 | 1858 | 1859 | 1860 | 1862 | 1863 | 1867 | 1868 | 1869 | 1870 | 1871 | 1872 | 1874 | 1876 | 1877 | 1878 | 1879 | 1881 | 1882 | 1883 | 1884 | 1885 | 1886 | 1887 | 1888 | 1890 | 1891 | 1892 | 1893 | 1894 | 1904 | 1905 | 1906 | 1907 | 1920 | 1925 | 1943 | 1978 | 1998 | 2007 | 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | 2020
1822 | 1824 | 1827 | 1829 | 1830 | 1831 | 1832 | 1833 | 1834 | 1835 | 1836 | 1837 | 1838 | 1839 | 1840 | 1841 | 1842 | 1843 | 1844 | 1845 | 1846 | 1847 | 1848 | 1849 | 1850 | 1851 | 1852 | 1853 | 1854 | 1855 | 1856 | 1857 | 1858 | 1859 | 1860 | 1862 | 1863 | 1867 | 1868 | 1869 | 1870 | 1871 | 1872 | 1874 | 1876 | 1877 | 1878 | 1879 | 1881 | 1882 | 1883 | 1884 | 1885 | 1886 | 1887 | 1888 | 1890 | 1891 | 1892 | 1893 | 1894 | 1904 | 1905 | 1906 | 1907 | 1920 | 1925 | 1943 | 1978 | 1998 | 2007 | 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | 2020
| 1822↑ | November 22 – Heber C. Kimball lawfully marries Vilate Murray, who bore him 10 children (source) |
| 1824↑ | October 8 – Brigham Young lawfully marries Miriam Angeline Works, who bore him 2 children (she died in 1832) (source) |
| 1827↑ | January 18 – Joseph Smith Jr. lawfully marries Emma Hale in South Bainbridge, New York. She bore him 9 children (source) September 22 – Joseph Smith Jr. takes possession of the gold plates, which would be later translated as The Book of Mormon |
| 1829↑ | Summer – Joseph Smith Jr. receives the Lord’s law via revelation “And again, I command thee that thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.” (D&C 19:25, RLDS DC 18:3A) |
| 1830↑ | March – Joseph Smith Jr. publishes The Book of Mormon, which strongly condemns polygamy (
Jacob 1:15, Jacob 2:23-35, Jacob 3:5-7, Mosiah 11:1-2,4,14, Ether 10:5) and declares monogamy as the means by which the Lord used to “raised up seed” unto himself (1 Nephi 7:1, 1 Nephi 16:7-8 and Jacob 2:25). This passage is later interpreted as “if God needs to raise up seed, he’ll command polygamy” despite there being zero historical precedent for that strategy, including in the cases where raising up seed was never more urgent: Adam & Eve, Noah, Noah’s sons, Lehi, Lehi’s sons, Joseph Smith (who only bore children through Emma according to DNA tests) etc. April 6 – Joseph Smith Jr. organizes the “Church of Christ” in Fayette, New York |
| 1831↑ | January 2 – Joseph Smith Jr. receives a revelation warning of “a mystery, a thing which is had in secret chambers, to bring to pass even your destruction in process of time, and ye knew it not” (LDS D&C 38:13) February 9 – Joseph Smith Jr. receives commandment and revelation “Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else. And he that looketh upon a woman to lust after her shall deny the faith, and shall not have the Spirit; and if he repents not he shall be cast out. Thou shalt not commit adultery; and he that committeth adultery and repenteth not, shall be cast out.” (LDS D&C 42:22–23; RLDS DC 42:7d) May 7 – Joseph Smith Jr. receives a revelation stating “marriage is ordained of God unto man. Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation.” (LDS D&C 49:15–16; RLDS DC 49:3a–b) Unknown – Joseph Smith, Jr. receives first teachings of polygamy, according to Orson Pratt 47 years later (September 1878), who heard it from Lyman Johnson (2nd hand), who says he heard it from Joseph Smith (3rd hand) July 17 – William W. Phelps writes a letter to Brigham Young 30 years later (1861) regarding a memory that Joseph Smith received declaring that some missionaries were to marry Native American women in the “same manner that Abraham took Hagar.” Phelps remembered: “About three years after this was given, I asked brother Joseph privately, how ‘we,’ that were mentioned in the revelation could take wives from the ‘natives’—as we were all married men? He replied instantly ‘In th[e] same manner that Abraham took Hagar and Katurah [Keturah]; and Jacob took Rachel Bilhah and Zilpah: by revelation—the saints of the Lord are always directed by revelation.” (source) August 30 – Adulterers identified among the church in a revelation that states “I give commandments, and many have turned away from my commandments and have not kept them. There were among you adulterers and adulteresses; some of whom have turned away from you, and others remain with you that hereafter shall be revealed. Let such beware and repent speedily, lest judgment shall come upon them as a snare, and their folly shall be made manifest, and their works shall follow them in the eyes of the people.” (LDS D&C 63:13-15) August 30 – The Lord reiterates faithfulness to lawful marriage in word, thought and deed via revelation to Joseph Smith: “verily I say unto you, as I have said before, he that looketh on a woman to lust after her, or if any shall commit adultery in their hearts, they shall not have the Spirit, but shall deny the faith and shall fear” (LDS D&C 63:16) Fall – Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner tells BYU students 74 years later (1905) that at this time “He preached polygamy and he not only preached it, but he practiced it. I am a living witness to it. It was given to him before he gave it to the Church. An angel came to him and the last time he came with a drawn sword in his hand and told Joseph if he did not go into that principle, he would slay him. Joseph said he talked to him soberly about it, and told him it was an abomination and quoted scripture to him. He said in the Book of Mormon it was an abomination in the eyes of the Lord, and they were to adhere to these things except the Lord speak. I am the first being that the revelation was given to him for and I was one thousand miles away in Missouri, for we went up to Jackson County in 1841… In 1834 he was commanded to take me for a Wife, I was a thousand miles from him, he got afraid… I had been dreaming for a number of years I was his wife. I thought I was a great sinner. I prayed to God to take it from me for I felt it was a sin” (source) |
| 1832↑ | February 1 – Samuel Smith Jr. & Orson Hyde sent on a mission to the “eastern countries” (including ME, MA, NY, NH) and begin documenting in both of their journals frequent meetings with Cochranite members and congregations (source) Unknown – John Taylor (not the apostle) states 60 years later under oath: “During the time that I was a teacher from 1832 up to 1844, there was no rule or law of the original church that permitted the practice or principle of polygamy… The church was governed entirely as a monogamy church from 1832, at the time I became connected with it, up to the time of Joseph Smith’s death” (source) June 29 – Orson Hyde & Samuel Smith’s missionary journals record that several converts (including Augusta Adams Cobb, Brigham Young’s future first polygamous wife) join the church from predominantly Cochranite neighborhoods and some begin to gather in Kirtland, Ohio (source, source) September 23 – Joseph Smith receives a revelation rebuking the Elders and placing the whole church under condemnation for breaking commandments already received from God “because you have treated lightly the things you have received— Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written.” The occaision was that many “elders had begun to return from their missions in the eastern states and to make reports of their labors.” Some of the missionaries were found to have had extramarital sex on their missions. (LDS D&C 84:54-57) November – William McLellin writes a letter to Joseph Smith III in 1872 (34 years later) describing an event on this day that a colleague of his told him in 1838 (6 years after) that he heard that Joseph Smith at this time had a sexual affair with a woman named “Fanny Hill” and admitted it to Emma Smith. In this letter to Joseph Smith III, he mixed up the name Fanny Alger with “Fanny Hill,” likely the fictional erotic character from John Cleland’s popular 1748 pornographic book “Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure“ (source) December – William McLellin is excommunicated for having sex with “a certain harlot” while on a mission. 14 months earlier, while preparing for his mission, he was warned by Joseph Smith in a revelation (D&C 66:10): “Commit not adultery—a temptation with which thou hast been troubled.” (source) |
| 1833↑ | February 12 – Illinois state law regarding polygamy is revised and enacted: “Bigamy consists in the having of two wives or two husbands at one and the same time, knowing that the former husband or wife is still alive. If any person or persons within the State, being married, or who shall hereafter marry, do at any time marry any person or persons, the former husband or wife being alive, the person so offended shall, on conviction thereof, be punished by a fine, not exceeding one thousand dollars, and imprisoned in the penitentiary, not exceeding two years” (source) July – Joseph Smith Jr. slows translation of the KJV bible, having immersed himself in the Bible for several years. He corrected several Old Testament passages about David and Solomon’s polygamy, and reversing the meaning behind several misconceptions that David and Solomon were righteous in their efforts to “multiply wives unto themselves,” which was expressly forbidden for Kings of Israel to do according to the law set forth in Deuteronomy 17:15-17 (see JST versions of 2 Samuel 12:13, 1 Kings 3:14, 1 Kings 11:4). Additionally, Joseph Smith didn’t correct or restore any additional insights or instructions regarding polygamy, and left all New Testament references to monogamy unchanged (see Matthew 19:3-9, 1 Corinthians 7:2, 1 Timothy 3:2,12, and Titus 1:6) |
| 1834↑ | February 20 – Brigham Young requests permission to travel alone as a missionary to New England, instead of 2-by-2 as commanded in scripture (LDS D&C 52:10,60:8,61:35,75:30–36; RLDS DC 52:3c,60:3a,61:6b,75:5c–d) at High Council meeting: “The council also decided that Elder Brigham Young should travel alone it being his own choice” (source) March 31 – Brigham Young lawfully marries Mary Ann Angell after his first wife Miriam Angeline Works had died 2 years prior in 1832. Mary bore him 6 children (source) June 13 – First of 3 Church conferences held in Saco, Maine, an area known for its large number of Cochranite believers and converts. Records state “a numerous concourse had assembled” (source) Unknown – Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner states 68 years later (1902) that in this year Joseph Smith “was commanded to take me for a wife. I was a thousand miles from him. He got afraid. The angel came to him three times, the last time with a drawn sword and threatened his life” and admits that she had been lusting and fantasizing about Joseph and her being married since 1832: “I had been dreaming for a number of years I was his wife. I thought I was a great sinner. I prayed to God to take it from me for I felt it was a sin” (source) |
| 1835↑ | Unknown – Benjamin F. Johnson reports a rumor that he hears from his sister’s husband (3rd hand) 68 years later that Joseph Smith Jr. was in love with fourteen year old Fanny Alger, stating “a very nice and comely young woman about my own age, toward whom not only myself, but every one, seemed partial, for the amiability of her character; and it was whispered even then that Joseph loved her.” (source) Unknown – Lyman R. Sherman tells Benjamin F. Johnson that he heard from Joseph Smith Jr. “that the ancient order of Plural Marriage was again to be practiced by the Church” as remembered and reported by Johnson 68 years later in a private letter to George Gibbs (source) August (estimated) – Church publishes the “Article on Marriage” in the 1835 edition of the Doctrine & Covenants, which states “Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband, except in case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again” (D&C 101 [1835 ed.] and 109 [1844 ed.]) August (estimated) – The newly published “Article on Marriage” states that all marriages are to be done openly and publically (never secretly) and according to laws and customs of the land in which they are performed. It also states that marriages should be approved only “if there be no legal objections” (polygamy was illegal in Ohio and Illinois). It reads: “According to the custom of all civilized nations, marriage is regulated by laws and ceremonies: therefore we believe, that all marriages in this church of Christ of Latter Day Saints, should be solemnized in a public meeting, or feast, prepared for that purpose” (D&C 101 [1835 ed.] and 109 [1844 ed.]) August 21 – Second of 3 church conferences held in Saco, Maine with 9 of the newly called Twelve Apostles attending. (Messenger and Advocate 2 [October 1835]: 204207; RLDS History of the Church 1:583) |
| 1836↑ | March 27 – During the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple, Joseph Smith Jr. acknowledges false statements being rumored about him and his people and pleads that “no weapon formed against them shall prosper; that he who diggeth a pit for them shall fall into the same himself; That no combination of wickedness shall have power to rise up and prevail over thy people… We ask thee, Holy Father, to confound, and astonish, and to bring to shame and confusion, all those who have spread living reports abroad, over the world, against thy servant or servants… And that all their works may be brought to naught, and be swept away by the hail, and by the judgments which thou wilt send upon them in thine anger, that there may be an end to lyings and slanders against thy people. For thou knowest, O Lord, that thy servants have been innocent before thee in bearing record of thy name, for which they have suffered these things. Therefore we plead before thee for a full and complete deliverance from under this yoke; Break it off, O Lord; break it off from the necks of thy servants, by thy power, that we may rise up in the midst of this generation and do thy work” (LDS Doctrine & Covenants 109:27,29-33) August 12-14 – Third church conference in Saco, Maine area, where 52 members of the Saco branch attended, along with Brigham Young and several members of the Twelve September – Fanny Alger moves away from Kirtland with her family, having still remained under the custody, support and legal guardianship of her parents (source) November 16 – Fanny Alger marries Solomon Custer, a non-Mormon and produces 9 children with him, but failing to bear any children to Joseph “to raise up seed.” She is engaged within 6 weeks of saying goodbye to the Smiths (source) |
| 1837↑ |
April 13 – Wilford Woodruff lawfully marries Phebe Carter as his first wife. She bore him 9 children. (source) May – Quorums of Seventy issue and publish a joint resolution to counter the growing number of saints seeking to continue in (converts) or start new polygamous traditions, stating: “we will have no fellowship whatever with any Elder belonging to the quorums of the Seventies who is guilty of polygamy or any offence of the kind, and who does not in all things conform to the laws of the church” (source) May 29 – Joseph Smith Jr. charged with “lying and misrepresentation—also for extortion—and for speaking disrespectfully, against his brethren behind their backs” by Orson Pratt & Lyman Johnson November ? – Quorum of Elders charged Elder Solomon Freeman with the crime of polygamy, after he admitted to abandoning his wife in Massachusetts and remarrying another woman in Kirtland without seeking a divorce |
| 1838↑ | January 21 – Oliver Cowdery writes a letter to his brother Warren A. Cowdery 3 years later, describing a Joseph Smith Jr. encounter with Fannie Alger as “a dirty, nasty, filthy scrape”. No original letter exists, but only a copy of the letter, written by Warren F. Cowdery, Oliver’s nephew. (“scrape” was changed to “affair” by his nephew Warren F. Cowdery later, as shown in the edited letter here) April 12 – Oliver Cowdery excommunicated after he failed to appear at a hearing on his membership and sent a letter resigning from the church instead “circa” 1838 – Joseph Smith guessed to have married Lucinda Pendleton Morgan Harris who bore him no children, never mentioned it, never took the Smith name and continued to live with her pre-existing husband George until 1853. Date estimated by modern historian Todd Compton (born 1952) based on an “antagonistic, third-hand, and late” account by Sarah Pratt, as well as it being in Andrew Jensen’s 1887 list of wives. “Evidences” used to support this claim are a sealing record of her being sealed to Joseph Smith dated April 4, 1899, under the direction of President Lorenzo Snow and Willard Richard’s journal comment on January 17, 1842: “dined at Sister Agness. with Joseph & Sister Harris” (source, source) June – November – Joseph writes his history, confessing the nature of his sins to which he had been prone to up to that point: “Owing to the many reports which have been put in circulation by evil-disposed and designing persons… to militate against its character as a Church and its progress in the world—I have been induced to write this history, to disabuse the public mind, and put all inquirers after truth in possession of the facts, as they have transpired, in relation both to myself and the Church, so far as I have such facts in my possession… I was left to all kinds of temptations; and, mingling with all kinds of society, I frequently fell into many foolish errors, and displayed the weakness of youth, and the foibles of human nature; which, I am sorry to say, led me into divers temptations, offensive in the sight of God. In making this confession, no one need suppose me guilty of any great or malignant sins. A disposition to commit such was never in my nature. But I was guilty of levity, and sometimes associated with jovial company, etc., not consistent with that character which ought to be maintained by one who was called of God as I had been.” (Joseph Smith – History 1:1,28) July – Joseph Smith Jr. publishes an answer to the question “Do the Mormons believe in having more wives than one?” with “No, not at the same time. But they believe, that if their companion dies, they have a right to marry again” in the Elder’s Journal. (source) September 24 – Willard Richards marries his first lawful wife Jennetta Richards (maiden name also Richards) while a missionary in England. Upon coming to the US, Willard left Jenetta and their son Heber in Massachussetts to be cared for by his siblings October – John Taylor states 39 years later that prior to expulsion from MO, there were no allegations of polygamy. “What for? Because of polygamy? No, there was no such thing then alleged” (source) October 27 – Lilburn Boggs (Missouri governor) issues “Missouri Executive Order 44” stating “the Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the State if necessary for the public peace—their outrages are beyond all description” (source) December – Joseph Smith declares “we find that there has been frauds and secret abominations and evil works of darkness going on leading the minds of the weak and unwary into confusion and distraction, and palming it all the time upon the presidency while mean time the presidency were ignorant as well as innocent of these things, which were practicing in the church in our name.” (Joseph Smith, Dec 1838, published in Times and Seasons, Vol. 1, No. 6, April 1840) |
| 1839↑ | September 1 – Cyrus Wheelock recounts under oath 48 years later “The law of the church when I became a member (September 1, 1839) did not teach polygamy. It was that one man should have but one wife, and one woman but one husband… Anybody was liable to be excommunicated or disfellowshipped from the church who attempted to teach the doctrine of plural marriage at that time, up to the death of Joseph Smith” (source) October – Brigham Young recollects 35 years later “While we were in England, (in 1839 and 40), I think the Lord manifested to me by vision and his Spirit” the principles of polygamy, saying “Joseph had never mentioned this; there had never been a thought of it in the Church that I ever knew anything about at that time but I had this for myself, and I kept it to myself.” (source) December 16 – Joseph Smith Jr. writes a public letter to the church in Caldwell County stating “Some have reported that we not only dedicated our property, but likewise our families to the Lord, and Satan taking advantage it of this has transfigured it into lasciviousness, a community of wives, which things are an abomination in the sight of God…if any person, has represented any thing otherwise than what we now write they have willfully misrepresented us” (source) |
| 1840↑ | April – Joseph Smith Jr. publishes in the Times and Seasons a prior letter (originally written December 16, 1839) condemning “lasciviousness, a community of wives, which things are an abomination in the sight of God” (source) June 6 – First batch of English converts depart from England to join the saints in Nauvoo August – John C. Bennett moves to Nauvoo area, after abandoning his wife and 4 kids. Bishop George Miller would later write to Joseph Smith Jr.: “I have made inquiries into the history of John Cook Bennett…. It was soon manifest that he was a superficial character, always uneasy, and moved from place to place… it is not presumed that less than twenty towns has been his place of residence at different times; he has the vanity to believe he is the smartest man in the nation; and if he cannot at once be placed at the head of the heap, he soon seeks a situation; he is always ready to fall in with whatever is popular; by the use of his recommendations he has been able to push himself into places and situations entirely beyond his abilities; he has been a prominent personage in and about colleges and universities, but had soon vanished; and the next thing his friends hear of him he is off in some other direction” (George Miller, letter to Joseph Smith March 2, 1841, Times and Seasons 3 [July 1, 1842], 842) September – John C. Bennett exposed for committing adultery and teaching immorality in the name of the Lord 20 months later after confessing to Joseph Smith Jr. and others of going “to a lady in the city and began to teach her that promiscuous intercourse between the sexes was lawful and no harm in it” (source) October 6 – John C. Bennett and Sarah Pratt (Orson Pratt’s wife) reported by 2 witnesses (who lived with Sarah Pratt at the time, while Orson was on a foreign mission) 21 months later to have indulged in inappropriate extramarital physical relations “from the first night, until the last, with the exception of one night, it being nearly a month” (source) |
| 1841↑ | March 2 – John C. Bennett’s marital status reported to Joseph Smith Jr. via letter written on this date by Bishop George Miller (who was sent by Joseph Smith Jr. to Ohio to investigate his suspicions of adultery). Miller writes “his poor, but confiding wife, followed him from place to place, with no suspicion of his unfaithfulness to her; at length however, he became so bold in his departures, that it was evident to all around that he was a sore offender, and his wife left him under satisfactory evidence of his adulterous connections” (George Miller, letter to Joseph Smith March 2, 1841, published in Times and Seasons 3 [July 1, 1842], 842) April 5 – Joseph Smith Jr. “married or sealed” to Louisa Beaman (who was not baptized until 2 years, 5 weeks later on May 11, 1843) by Joseph Bates Noble, based on an affidavit he wrote 28 years later. (source) April 20 – Brigham Young and six other members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles return from their missions in the British Isles to Nauvoo, Illinois. May – John C. Bennett seduces Catherine Fuller “after visiting twice and on the third time he proposed unlawful intercourse being about one week after first acquaintance… he assured me there was others in higher standing than I was who would conduct in that way and there was no harm in it. He said there should be no sin upon me if there was any sin[,] it should come upon himself” (Catherine Fuller, May 25, 1842 sworn testimony to Nauvoo High Council) June 15 – John C. Bennett acknowledges the contents of a letter written to Joseph Smith Jr. on this date, regarding his marital status: “This letter was dated June 15th, and contained the particulars of a conversation betwixt them and a respectable gentleman from the neighborhood where Bennett’s wife and children resided. He stated to them that it was a fact that Bennett had a wife and children living, and that she had left him because of his ill-treatment towards her. This letter was read to Bennett, which he did not attempt to deny; but candidly acknowledged the fact.” (Times and Seasons 3 [July 1, 1842]: 839–840; RLDS History of the Church 2:585–587) Unknown – Joseph Lee Robinson writes 12 years later that in 1841 “The Lord instead of releasing [Joseph Smith Jr.] from that burden, he sent an holy angel with a drawn sword unto him, saying unto him, Joseph, un-less you go to and immediately teach that principle (namely polygamy or plural marriage) and put the same in practice, that he, Joseph, should be slain for thus saith the Lord, that the time has now come that I will raise up seed unto me as I spoke by my servant Jacob as is recorded in the Book of Mormon, therefore, I command my people” (source) Unknown – John Taylor (not the apostle) says 51 years later under oath that “It was our duty in case we found anybody with more wives than one to report them to the President of the Teachers’ Quorum. That was the instruction that Brother Hyrum Smith gave in the quorum. It was about that time that John C. Bennett’s secret wife system came to be heard of, and it was talked around that there was such a thing as that; and that was the reason that the instructions were given us, for [we] were told to search it out and find what there was to it if we could… During the time that I was a teacher from 1832 up to 1844, there was no rule or law of the original church that permitted the practice or principle of polygamy… Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith never taught polygamy, and there was no revelation on polygamy or celestial marriage, or anything of the kind. The church was governed entirely as a monogamy church from 1832, at the time I became connected with it, up to the time of Joseph Smith’s death” (source) July 1 (estimated) – Francis Higbee is ill and calls for Joseph Smith Jr. to administer to him, because his friend and military superior John C. Bennett’s initial medical treatments didn’t work. Joseph discovers that Francis has a venereal disease, contracted from illicit sexual activity with various women. At this time, Francis was known to have been seriously courting Nancy Rigdon (Sidney Rigdon’s daughter). (source) July 4 (estimated) – Francis Higbee tried before the Nauvoo High Council for sexual immorality with “six or seven” women, and discovered to be just one of several men actively seducing women with identical strategies that John C. Bennett used. Joseph Smith Jr., H.J. Sherwood and Joel S. Miles each testified of his sexual episodes (see Joseph Smith Fought Polygamy 1:11 for testimonies). John Taylor (editor) would later sensor the trial’s graphic testimonies: “[Here follows testimony which is too indelicate for the public eye or ear; and we would here remark, that so revolting, corrupt, and disgusting has been the conduct of most of this clique, that we feel to dread having any thing to do with the publication of their trials; we will not however offend the public eye or ear with a repetition of the foulness of their crimes any more.]” (Times and Seasons 5 [May 15, 1844]: p.538–539) July “2nd week” – Orson Pratt returns home to Nauvoo after his mission to England, and major controversy ensues regarding Sarah Pratt’s ongoing sexual relations with John C. Bennett and her accusations of Joseph Smith Jr.’s marriage proposals July 19 – Lyman Johnson (excommunicated former Apostle) joins a Q12 meeting. “Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, John Taylor, Orson Pratt, and George A. Smith met at Elder Young’s house, conversing with Lyman E. Johnson, who formerly belonged to the quorum. President Rigdon and myself [Joseph] were with them part of the time” (LDS History of the Church 4:389) Summer – John C. Bennett accuses Joseph Smith Jr. 16 months later of soliciting his help in securing Nancy Rigdon as a spiritual wife. He quotes verbatim Joseph Smith as saying: “If you will assist me in procuring Nancy as one of my spiritual wives, I will give you five hundred dollars, or the best lot on Main Street… the Lord has given her to me to wife. I have the blessings of Jacob, (meaning thereby a plurality of wives,) and there is no wickedness in it. It would be wicked to approach her, unless I had permission of the Lord; but, as it is, it is as correct as to have a legal wife, in a moral point of view” (source) September – Martha Brotherton migrates to Nauvoo area from Manchester, England October 15 – Brigham Young and the Twelve write “An Epistle of the Twelve” in the Times & Seasons listing all of Joseph’s property as “his old Charley horse, given him in Kirtland; two pet deer; two old turkeys, and four young ones; the old cow given him by a brother in Missouri, his old Major, dog; his wife [singular], children, and a little household furniture” (source) October 15 – John Taylor publishes in Times and Seasons an account of his friend who recently visited Nauvoo: “He believes—just as we do—that they have been grossly misunderstood and shamefully libeled…. it is a faith which they say encourages no vice, nor immorality, nor departure from established laws and usages; neither polygamy, nor promiscuous intercourse, nor community of property” (source) October 27 – Joseph Smith is “married or sealed” to Zina Diantha Huntington Jacobs, who bore him 0 children. Zina declared this 27 years later with an affidavit that listed her brother Dimick as the one who performed the ceremony. On this date, Zina was already married to Henry Bailey Jacobs, who she continued to live with and bear children to. 5 years later, after the death of Joseph Smith, she went on to marry Brigham Young while her husband Henry was on a mission to England (source) November 15 – John C. Bennett exposed publicly for trying to protect and preserve a brothel from destruction in Nauvoo. Robert D. Foster asks “why did he plead the cause of the house of ill fame in Nauvoo when he was Mayor and the City Council unanimously declared it a public nuisance?” (source) November 15 – The “house of ill fame” (brothel) near the Nauvoo temple is published to have been destroyed by the Nauvoo City Council who “very judiciously ordered the building removed as a neusance [nuisance].-Some opposition to the execution of this order was exhibited, and the authorities called out a few of the military and demolished the building” (source [see p.599–600]) Winter – J. B. Backenstos swears affidavit 6-9 months later that he “accused Doctor John C. Bennett, with having an illicit intercourse with Mrs. Orson Pratt, and some others, when said Bennett replied that she made a first rate go, and from personal observations I should have taken said Doctor Bennett and Mrs Pratt as man and wife, had I not known to the contrary” (“Affidavits & Certificates Disproving the Statements & Affidavits Contained in John C. Bennett’s Letters,” Aug 31, 1842) |
| 1842↑ | January 10 – John C. Bennett writes letter to Sidney Rigdon and Orson Pratt threatening Joseph Smith: “He [Joseph Smith] has awakened the wrong passenger… and must suffer” (Journal History, CHL, January 10, 1842; Editor’s note: Some believe 1843 is correct year) January-February – Willard Richards marries Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde (wife of Orson Hyde, who is on a mission and still legally her husband) as his 2nd living wife and 1st plural wife. Willard Richards’s wife and children were left in Massachussetts since April 1841 (last 10-11 months), and would not be brought to Nauvoo until November 21, 1842 (9-10 months from this date). (source; see April 1841 & November 21, 1842 entries) February 6 – Ebenezer Robinson sells the printing press (in the Times and Seasons office) to Willard Richards, which became owned and operated by the Twelve, who immediately replaced all existing employees with new ones: “On the 6th of Feb. I gave possession of the [printing] establishment, to Willard Richards the purchaser on the behalf of the Twelve; at which time my responsibility ceased as editor… the boy, together with other journeymen, had been discharged by the purchasers” (source) February 6 – Willard Richards moves into the Times & Seasons building that night with Nancy Marinda Hyde (legal wife of Orson Hyde, who was on a mission). Ebenezer Robinson stated 48 years later: “Just before night I notified Willard Richards that they would need to give me a little more time to find a place to move into. He replied, ‘you must get out to-night or I will put you in the street’… That evening Willard Richards nailed down the windows, and fired off his revolver in the street after dark, and commenced living with Mrs. Nancy Marinda Hyde, in the rooms we had vacated in the printing office building, where they lived through the winter. His family was residing at the time in Massachusetts, and Elder Orson Hyde was absent on his mission to Palestine” (source, p.346) February – Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner says 74 years later that Joseph Smith Jr. “was compelled to reveal it to me personally, by the Angel threatening him” (source) March 1 – Joseph Smith Jr. writes the “Wentworth Letter” to John Wentworth (editor and owner of the Chicago Democrat) stating “We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law” knowing that Bigamy was illegal in the state of Illinois. (source) March 31 – Joseph Smith Jr. writes a letter Emma Smith and the Relief Society warning them of “iniquitous characters… carrying their iniquity into effect…without principle… or the interest or welfare of men, or the virtue or innocence of women.” Joseph boldly declares “we don’t want any body to believe any thing as coming from us contrary to the old established morals & virtues & scriptural laws regulating the habits customs & conduct of Society” (source) April 6-7 – Joseph Smith Jr. & Hyrum Smith both publicly deny at General Conference Martha Brotherton’s story that Joseph locked her in a room to convince her to marry Brigham Young (source) Apr 8? – Joseph Smith Jr. dictates unsigned, undated “happiness letter” to be delivered to Nancy Rigdon. Letter was in Willard Richards’s handwriting and personally delivered by him. Original copy claimed to be had in John C. Bennett’s possession (delivered to him by Chauncey Higbee) at the time of the publishing his book in October 1842. (source) April 10 – Joseph Smith Jr. writes in his journal that he “pronounced a curse upon all adulterers and fornicators, and unvirtuous persons and those who have made use of my name to carry on their iniquitous designs” (source) April 15 – Joseph Smith Jr. & Hyrum Smith publish their denial of Martha Brotherton’s story (about Joseph Smith Jr. and Brigham Young trying to coerce her into polygamy) in the Times and Seasons newspaper (source) April 20 – Parley P. Pratt publishes in Millennial Star a letter by Martha Brotherton’s sister, “proving” that Martha’s accusations against Joseph and others are “falsehoods of the basest kind” (Millennial Star 3:73-74) May 4 – Brigham Young’s journal states: “I met with Joseph, Hyrum, Heber, Willard, Bishops Whitney and Miller, and General James Adams, in Joseph’s private office, where Joseph taught the ancient order of things for the first time in these last days, and received my washings, anointings and endowments.” This monumental historical moment has no other supporting records for this event. Joseph Smith’s journal is blank on this date and the 5th (Manuscript History of Brigham Young) May 6 – Lilburn W. Boggs (former governor of Missouri) is shot and injured at his house May 7 – John C. Bennett tries to execute a premeditated assassination on Joseph Smith Jr. during a sham battle in Nauvoo. Joseph said: “if General Bennett’s true feelings toward me are not made manifest to the world in a very short time, then it may be possible that the gentle breathings of that Spirit, which whispered to me on parade that there was mischief concealed in that sham battle, were false; a short time will determine the point. Let John C. Bennett answer at the day of judgment, ‘Why did you request me to command one of the cohorts, and also to take my position without my staff, during the sham battle, on the 7th of May, 1842, where my life might have been the forfeit, and no man have known who did the deed?’” (source) < May 11 – John C. Bennett tells William Law that Chauncey Higbee is “about to be tried… for the crime of adultery” and “go to the council and prevent [my] name from being brought forward” and seeks the help of William Law and Brigham Young to get Higbee’s charges remissed (source) May 11 – John C. Bennett excommunicated (disfellowshipped) for adultery despite Joseph Smith’s warnings, rebukes and pleadings for him to stop. “The subscribers, members of the First Presidency of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, withdraw the hand of fellowship from General John C. Bennett, as a christian, be having been labored with from time to time, to persuade him to amend his conduct, apparently to no good effect” and is signed by the following: Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, William Law, Brigham Young, William Smith, Wilford Woodruff, Heber C. Kimball, John E. Page, George A. Smith, Lyman Wight, John Taylor, Willard Richards, Newel K. Whitney. Vinson Knight, George Miller (Times and Seasons 3:830) May 12 – large Relief Society meeting held with “the house being filled to overflowing” with Joseph Smith in attendance (source) May 12 – Joseph Smith Jr. writes in his journal “Dictated a letter to Elder Rigdon concerning certain difficulties, or surmises which existed and attended the meeting of the Female Relief Society” likely detailing Nancy Rigdon’s relationship with Francis Higbee, and his connections to John C. Bennett’s system of seduction using Joseph Smith’s name as justification (source) May 13 – Joseph Smith Jr. records that he “Received a letter from Sidney Rigdon in reply to mine of yesterday” (source) May 13 – Joseph Smith Jr. and Sidney Rigdon have a face-to-face conversation “concerning certain evil reports put in circulation by Francis M. Higbee, about some of Elder Rigdon’s family, and others; much apparent satisfaction was manifested at the conversation, by Elder Rigdon” (source) May 14 – Joseph Smith Jr. “advocated strongly the necessity of some active measures being taken to suppress houses and acts of infamy in the city; for the protection of the innocent and virtuous, and the good of public morals; showing clearly that there were certain characters in the place, who were disposed to corrupt the morals and chastity of our citizens, and that houses of infamy did exist, upon which a city ordinance concerning brothels and disorderly characters was passed, to prohibit such things” (source) May 17 – John C. Bennett and Chauncey Higbee each sign affidavits before many witnesses, saying they “never was taught anything in the least contrary to the strictest principles of the gospel or of virtue, of the laws of God or of man, under any circumstances or upon any occasion, either directly or indirectly, in word or deed by Joseph Smith, and that he never knew said Smith to countenance any improper conduct whatever, either in public or in private, and that he never did teach me in private or public that an illicit intercourse with females was under any circumstances justifiable and that he never knew him so to teach others” (sources: Chauncey Higbee, John C. Bennett) May 17 – Hyrum Smith swears an affidavit stating that William Law & Brigham Young worked to protect John C. Bennett against prosecution for his sexual crimes and slander, and sought to dissuade Hyrum of taking him to trial: “On becoming acquainted with these facts, I was determined to prosecute him, and bring him to justice.– Some person knowing my determintion [determination], having informed him of it, he sent to me Wm. [William] Law and Brigham Young, to request an interview with me and to see if their [there] could not be a reconciliation made. I told them I thought there could not be, his crimes were so henious” (source) May 19 – John C. Bennett resigns from Mayor of Nauvoo, Joseph Smith Jr. becomes Nauvoo’s 2nd mayor May 19 – John C. Bennett swears a public affidavit before 14 witnesses: “I have no difficulty with the heads of the church. I publicly avow that any one who has said that I have stated that General Joseph Smith has given me authority to hold illicit intercourse with women is a liar in the face of God, those who have said it are damned liars; they are infernal liars. He never, either in public or private, gave me any such authority or license, and any person who states it is a scoundrel and a liar.” Witnesses and signatures included George A. Smith, Newel K. Whitney, Wilson Law, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Heber C. Kimball, Wilford Woodruff, Willard Richards and 4 other men. (source) May 21 – Nauvoo High Council investigation. Joseph Smith Jr. states “I spent the day with the High Council of Nauvoo, investigating the case of Robert D. Foster, Chauncey L. Higbee and others” (source) May 21 – Margaret J. Nyman testifies to Nauvoo High Council about Chauncey Higbee’s sexual seduction strategy: “During the evening’s interview, he, (as I have since learned,) with wicked lies proposed that I should yield to his desires, and indulge in sexual intercourse with him, stating that such intercourse might be freely indulged in, and was no sin: That any respectable female might indulge in sexual intercourse, and there was no sin in it, providing the person so indulging, keep the same to herself; for there could be no sin, where there was no accussor; ;—and most clendestinely, with wicked lies, persuaded me to yield by using the name of Joseph Smith: and, as I have since learned, totally false and unauthorised; and in consequence of those arguments, I was influenced to yield to my Seducer, Chauncey L. Higbee.” (source) May 21 – Margaret J. Nyman swears an affidavit that Chauncey L. Higbee “with wicked lies, persuaded me to yield by using the name of Joseph Smith: and, as I have since learned, totally false and unauthorised; and in consequence of those arguments, I was influenced to yield to my Seducer, Chauncey L. Higbee. I further state that I have no personal acquaintance with Joseph Smith, and never heard him teach such doctrines, as stated by Chauncey L. Higbee, either directly or indirectly.” (source) May 21 – Matilda J. Nyman (sister of Margaret) testifies to Nauvoo High Council that Chauncey Higbee “kept company with me from time to time, and, as I have since learned, wickedly deceitfully, and with lies in his mouth, urged me vehemently to yield to his desires; that there could be no wrong in having sexual intercourse with any female that could keep the same to herself;—most villianously and lyingly stating that he had been so instructed by Joseph Smith, and that there was no sin where there was no accuser; Also vowing he would marry me. Not succeeding, he, on one occasion, brought one, who affirmed that such intercourse was tolerated by the heads of the Church. I have since found him also to be a lying conspirator against female virtue and chastity, having never received such teachings from the heads of the church; but I was at the time partially influenced to believe in consequence of the source from whom I received it [John C. Bennett, counselor to Joseph Smith in the presidency]. I yielded and become subject to the will of my seducer, Chauncey L. Higbee” (source) May 21 – Matilda J. Nyman swears an affidavit stating “a number of wicked men have conspired to use the name of Joseph Smith, or the heads of the Church, falsely and wickedly to enable them to gratify their lusts, thereby destroying female innocence and virtue, I repent before God and my brethren and ask forgiveness. I further testify that I never had any personal acquaintance with Joseph Smith and never heard him teach such doctrines as Higbee, stated either directly or indirectly.” (source) May 22 – Joseph Smith Jr. discovers a bounty on his capture for the alleged assasination attempt on Lilburn Boggs, written in the Quincy Whig: “There are several rumors in circulation in regard to the horrid affair; one of which throws the crime upon the Mormons, from the fact, we suppose, that Mr. Boggs was governor at the time, and in no small degree instrumental in driving them from the state. Smith, too, the Mormon Prophet, as we understand, prophesied, a year or so ago, his death by violent means. Hence, there is plenty of foundation for rumor. The citizens of Independence had offered a reward of $500 for the murderer” (source) May 24 – Sarah Miller testifies before Nauvoo High Council about Chauncey Higbee’s seductions, by way of permission from Joseph Smith: “Chauncey [Chauncey L. Higbee] commenced joking me about my getting married, and wanted to know how long it had been since my husband died, and soon removed his seat near me; and began his seducing insinuations by saying it was no harm to have sexual intercourse with women if they would keep it to themselves, and continued to urge me to yield to his desires, and urged me vehemently, and said he and Joseph were good friends, and he [Joseph] teaches me this doctrine, and allows me such privileges, and there is no harm in it and Joseph Smith says so” (source) May 24 – Sarah Miller testifies before the Nauvoo High Council: “in consequence of brother Joseph Smith’s teachings to the singers [monogamy being God’s established law], I began to be alarmed concerning myself, and certain teachings which I had received from Chauncey L. Higbee, and questioned him (Higbee) about his teaching, for I was pretty well persuaded from Joseph’s public teachings that Chauncey had been telling falsehoods… I then become satisfied that all of Chauncey’s teaching had been false, and that he had never been authorized by any one in authority to make any such communication to me… I told him I did not believe it, and had heard no such teaching from Joseph, nor from the stand, but that it was wicked to commit adultery” (source) May 24 – Chauncey L. Higbee excommunicated and sued for slander against Joseph Smith “cut off from the Church by the High Council, for unchaste and unvirtuous conduct towards certain females, and for teaching it was right, if kept secret, &c. He was also put under $200 bonds to keep the peace, on my complaint against him for slander” (source) May 24 – Joseph Smith, Jr. opens a lawsuit against Chauncey Higbee for “Slander and Defamation of Character” (State of Illinois vs. Chancy L. Higbee) May 25 – Catharine Fuller Warren testifies “Chauncey Higbee, taught the same doctrine as was taught by J. C. Bennet, and that Joseph Smith, taught and practiced those things, but he [Chauncey] stated that he did not have it from Joseph, but he had his information from Dr. John C. Bennet. He, Chauncey L. Higbee, has gained his object about five or six times, Chauncey L. Higbee, also made propositions to keep me with food if I would submit to his desires” (source) June 14 – Brigham Young (age 41) marries Lucy Ann Decker (age 20) in secret as his 1st plural wife, 2nd living wive, who bore him 7 children (source) June 15 – John C. Bennett’s public notice of disfellowship published in Times and Seasons (Times and Seasons vol. 3, p.830) June 18 – Joseph Smith Jr. “arose and spoke his mind in great plainness concerning the iniquity, hypocrisy, wickedness and corruption of General John Cook Bennett” (LDS History of the Church 5:34–35) June 22 – John C. Bennett makes a deal with Simeon Francis (Sangamo Journal editor) in Springfield, IL to write a series of letters detailing alleged crimes of Joseph Smith, in return for a guarantee of publishing the letters in full (NY Herald, July 26, 1842, p.2) June 22 (estimated) – John C. Bennett discovered in Springfield, IL and reported hosting a meeting with Whig party leaders, making “arrangements…to make sundry awful disclosures about the Mormons” (Illinois State Register, July 8, 1842) June 23 – Joseph Smith Jr. writes an assessment concerning John C. Bennett’s behavior and character ““After I had done all in my power to persuade him to amend his conduct, and these facts were fully established, (not only by testimony, but by his own concessions,) he having acknowledged that they were true” (Times and Seasons 3 [August 1, 1842]: 841–842) June 25 – Joseph Smith Jr. publishes and condemns John C. Bennett’s crimes, sins and strategies in a lengthy and detailed article in Times and Seasons and the Wasp newspapers (Wasp 1 [June 25, 1842]; Times and Seasons 3 [July 1,1842]: 839–843) June 27 – John C. Bennett writes “Letter #1” to Sangamo Journal from Nauvoo, to be published in the Sangamo Journal on July 8 June 29 – Eliza R. Snow declares 37 years later in 1879 to have married Joseph Smith on this date, stating: “Some of the most important events of my life transpired within that brief term, in which I was married, and in which my husband, Joseph Smith, the prophet of God, sealed his testimony with his blood.” She bore him no children, but claimed to have been impregnated by Joseph Smith and then had a miscarriage when pushed down the stairs by Emma, despite her emphatic statement on May 30, 1877: “You ask, ‘Did he [Joseph Smith] authorize or practice spiritual wifery? Were you a spiritual wife?’ I certainly shall not acknowledge myself of having been a carnal one [wife].” (full quote; “The Women of Mormondom,” March 1877, p.294) June 30 – John C. Bennett writes affidavit 42 days later stating he was “under duress” and was threatened by Joseph Smith when he made the May 19 affidavit stating Joseph as having been “strictly virtuous” July 1 – Joseph Smith publicly exposes John C. Bennett’s hypocrisy and strategy in the Times & Seasons. Bennett, aware of the upcoming newspaper article, fled the city in embarrassment a few days prior. Joseph wrote of Bennett: “he went to some of the females in the city, who knew nothing of him but as an honorable man, & began to teach them that promiscuous intercourse between the sexes was a doctrine believed in by the Latter-Day Saints, and that there was no harm in it; but this failing, he had recourse to a more influential and desperately wicked course; and that was, to persuade them that myself and others of the authorities of the church not only sanctioned, but practiced the same wicked acts; and when asked why I publicly preached so much against it, said that it was because of the prejudice of the public, and that it would cause trouble in my own house [with Emma, Joseph’s wife].” (claim) July 1 – John C. Bennett arrives in Carthage, IL July 2 – John C. Bennett writes “Letter #2” to Sangamo Journal from Carthage, IL July 4 – John C. Bennett writes “Letter #3” to Sangamo Journal from Carthage, IL July 8 – William Allred (Orson Pratt’s brother-in-law) writes to John C. Bennett stating “Mr. [Orson] Pratt would write, but he is afraid to. He wishes to be perfectly still, until your second letter comes out – then you may hear” (John C. Bennett, “The History of the Saints” p.46) July 8 – John C. Bennett called out publicly of trying to sway upcoming election with his 6-letter exposé: “We have no objective whatever to see Mormonism and its leaders exposed to the world. Indeed we would encourage it, if attempted with a view to do justice and develop truth, but we have no confidence in this exposition, because it is purposely designed to affect the approaching gubernatorial election. As soon as Gov. Duncan entered the field as a candidate, he labored to secure the votes of the Mormons. Not being able to succeed, he saw the necessity of some desperate stratagem to gull the people.” (Illinois Register, July 15, 1842. Vol.3, No.50) July 13 – John C. Bennett meets Martha Brotherton in St. Louis to make an affidavit (by request of Bennett) 10 months after the event declaring that Joseph Smith Jr., Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball locked her in a room and tried to persuade her to become Brigham Young’s plural wife (source) July 13 – John C. Bennett meets with newspaper editors and seeks support in having Joseph Smith Jr. extradited to Missouri for a trial regarding Governor Lilburn Boggs’s attempted assassination (which Joseph Smith was being blamed for) July 14 – John C. Bennett’s letters of accusation against Joseph Smith Jr. are printed and widely distributed: “thousands of copies of Bennett’s letters have been struck off at the expense of Gov. Duncan, and distributed gratuitously everywhere” (Illinois Register, July 14, 1842) July 15 – John C. Bennett’s “Letter #2” published in Springville, IL, detailing the accusation involving Joseph Smith Jr. attempting to coerce Sarah Pratt into becoming his plural wife July 15 – Orson Pratt runs away from home and is suspected to have committed suicide. Joseph Smith’s journal entry states “It was reported early in the morning that Elder Orson Pratt was missing. I caused the Temple hands and the principal men of the city to make search for him” (source) July 15 – Joseph Smith calls a meeting after the search party for Orson Pratt, explaining “a meeting was called at the Grove, and I gave the public a general outline of John C. Bennett’s conduct” no doubt giving some important context to the community regarding the cause for Orson’s depression and his sexual affair with Sarah Pratt (Orson’s wife) (source) July 15 – John C. Bennett publishes “Letter #3” in Sangamo Journal declaring details about Joseph Smith’s bankruptcy, “seduction of several Master Masons’ wives and sisters and daughters” and stating his intentions to get Joseph Smith incarcerated “I am now going over to Missouri to have Joe [Joseph Smith] taken to justice“ July 15 – John C. Bennett writes “Letter #4” to Sangamo Journal from St. Louis, MO July 16 – Martha Brotherton’s affidavit containing her story of Brigham Young locking her in a room and pushing a secret polygamous marriage published in the St. Louis American Bulletin July – Brigham Young writes a detailed letter to Parley P. Pratt documenting the situation in Nauvoo with John C. Bennett, Sarah Pratt, Orson Pratt and Joseph Smith. Lorenzo Snow would later claim to first hear about “doctrine of plural marriage was being taught” from a report he saw while a missionary companion with Parley P. Pratt while in England. (source) July 20 – 13 members of the Nauvoo City Council swear an affidavid that John C. Bennett wrote his affidavid voluntarily, not under duress and was free to leave at any time July 22 – Orson Pratt debates Joseph Smith in a public meeting in the Grove (called by Joseph Smith) to publicly examine the charges of polygamy and spiritual wifery before thousands of saints (source) July 22 – “About a thousand men” publicly vote Joseph Smith Jr. innocent of John C. Bennett’s charges of teaching, practicing or trying to induce women to practice polygamy while “two or three, voted in the negative” despite Orson Pratt’s persuasive attempts to convict him. (source) July 23 – John C. Bennett writes “Letter #5” on the river steamer “Importer” July 27 – John C. Bennett’s “Letter #5” published in The Louisville Daily Journal stating “Joe Smith designs to abolish all human laws, and establish a Theocracy” and “Under the new order of things, all the property of the Saints, with their wives and little ones, is to be consecrated to Joe, to subserve his purposes and gratify his passions!“ July 27 – Joseph Smith marries Sarah Ann Whitney, according to a 4th-hand typed document produced 70 years later by Newel K. Whitney’s grandson Orson F. Whitney, who “thinks” it was originally from Newel K. Whitney: “These are the words which you [Newel K. Whitney] shall pronounce upon my servant Joseph and your daughter S. A. [Sarah Ann] Whitney: They shall take each other by the hand, and you shall say, You both mutually agree (calling them by name) to be each other’s companion so long as you both shall live, preserving yourselves for each other and from all others, and also throughout eternity, reserving only those rights which have been given to my servant Joseph by revelation and commandment and by legal authority in times past. If you both agree to covenant and to do this, I then give you, S. A. Whitney, my daughter, to Joseph Smith, to be his wife, to observe all the rights between you both that belong to that condition” (source) July 27 – Heber C. Kimball secretly marries Sarah Ann Whitney (17) in Nauvoo as 2nd living wife and 1st plural wife. This is disputed, but the assumption is based on geneological records that record their marriage at this date (source, source, source) July 30 – Lorenzo D. Wasson (Emma Smith’s nephew) writes a letter to Joseph Smith Jr. recollecting that one year ago he remembered “yourself and Bennett came into the lower room, and I heard you give J. C. Bennett a tremendous flagellation for practicing iniquity under the base pretence of authority from the heads of the church” (Times and Seasons 3 [August 15, 1842]: 892) August 1 – Parley P. Pratt publicly refutes (Millennial Star) Martha Brotherton’s story about Joseph Smith Jr. and Brigham Young trying to coerce her into polygamy, stating “for the information of those who may be assailed by those foolish tales about the two wives, we would say that no such principle ever existed among the Latter-day Saints, and never will: This is well known to all who are acquainted with our books and actions, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants: and also all our periodicals are very strict and explicit on that subject, indeed far more so than the bible” (source) August 1 – Justice Daniel Wells publicly refutes (Times and Seasons) John C. Bennett’s claim that he was under duress and coerced into signing the affidavit declaring Joseph Smith’s innocence, stating “the door of the room was open and free for all or any person to pass or repass… During all this time if he was under duress, or fear, he must have had a good faculty for concealing it, for he was at liberty to go and come when and where he pleased… I know that I saw him in different parts of the city, even after he had made these statements, transacting business as usual” (source p.873-874) August 1 – Hyrum Smith publishes John C. Bennett’s threats of murder against the saints of Nauvoo: “he was conspiring against the peace and safety of the citizens of this state—after learning these facts we exposed him to the public; he then immediately left the place abruptly; threatening to drink the hearts blood of many citizens of this place” (source p.872) August 2 – John C. Bennett writes “Letter #6” to Sangamo Journal aboard a boat, containing a supposed letter from Joseph Smith to Nancy Rigdon (referred to as the “happiness letter“) August 8 – Joseph Smith arrested for “being an accessory… to an assault with intent to kill made by one Orrin P. Rockwell on Lilburn W. Boggs” but avoided extradition and stayed in Nauvoo due to a writ of habeus corpus August 8 – Joseph Smith goes into hiding to avoid extradition to MO for the alleged assasination plot against former Governor Boggs. Remains in hiding until January 1843 August 10 – Joseph’s journal states “The Deputy Sheriff returned but could not find Joseph. He endeavoured to alarm sister Emma & the Brethren by his threats, but could not do it they understanding the nature of the Law in that case” (source) August 11 – Joseph Smith Jr. meets with Emma Smith and Hyrum Smith and a few other church leaders on an island in the Mississippi river to discuss church and civil affairs, while in exile August 14 – Eliza R. Snow moves in with the Smith family at the homestead (6 weeks after the reported date of the sealing to Joseph) August 17 – Emma Smith visits Joseph and notifies him that his current hiding place had been compromised, due to rumors around town. Joseph moves to Carlos Granger’s home (source) August 18 – Joseph Smith writes letter to Newel K. and Elizabeth Ann Whitney, addressed to “Dear, and Beloved, Brother and Sister, Whitney, and &c.” (The “etcetera” mark is said to refer to Sarah Ann Whitney). This letter is interpreted to contain an invitation for three people (including both of Sarah’s parents) to come and arrange for sexual intercourse between Joseph and Sarah, despite no particular mention of Sarah or sex in the letter: “if you three would come and see me in this my lonely retreat, it would afford me great relief, of mind, if those with whom I am alied, do love me, now is the time to afford me succour, in the days of exile… all three of you come can come and see me in the fore part of the night, let Brother Whitney come a little a head, and nock at the south East corner of the house at the window; it is next to the cornfield; I have a room intirely by myself, the whole matter can be attended to with most perfect safety, I know it is the will of God that you should comfort [me] now in this time of affliction… one thing I want to see you for is [to] get the fulness of my blessings sealed upon our heads, &c. You will pardon me for my earnestness on [this subject] when you consider how lonesome I must be, your good feelings know how to [make] every allowance for me, I close my letter, I think Emma wont come to night if she dont dont fail to come to night, I subscribe myself your most obedient, [and] affectionate, companion, and friend” Questionable motives are pinpointed in Joseph’s cautions to “find out when Emma comes then you cannot be safe, but when she is not here, there is the most perfect safty” and “burn this letter as soon as you read it, keep all locked up in your breasts, my life depends upon it“. William Clayton’s handwritten date is on the letter, which was unknown until 1869 when it was presented to the church historian at the time Sarah Ann Kimball and Elizabeth Ann Smith (Sarah’s mother) were called to make affidavits (full text, source) August 19 – John C. Bennett’s “letter #6” is published in the Sangamo Journal, titled “Joe Smith’s Letter to Miss Rigdon, in defense of the spiritual wife doctrine“ August 20 – Orson Pratt excommunicated for “insubordination” along with his wife Sarah Pratt for “adultery” August 26 – Joseph Smith tells the Twelve to prepare all affidavits for publishing and to organize a conference (Aug 29th) for the purpose of combatting false charges of polygamy and murder August 27 – William Smith publishes in Wasp: “The sixth letter is what purposes to be a copy of a letter from Joseph Smith to Miss Nancy Rigdon… Joseph Smith is not the author” (source) August 27 – Thomas Bullock renames “Joe Smith’s Letter to Miss Rigdon” as “Happiness” and inserts it 13 years later (1855) into Joseph Smith’s journal as an entry, despite it being published in a newspaper 8 days before he claimed Joseph Smith dictated it (Dean C. Jessee, “The Writing of Joseph Smith’s History” p.16-20) August 27 – John C. Bennett writes to Joseph Boggs (brother of Lilburn) urging military involvement in extraditing Joseph Smith Jr., stating “Nothing short of an excision of the cancer of Mormonism will effect a cure of that absorbing delusion, and the strong arm of military power must perform the operation at the edge of the sword, point of the bayonet, and mouth of the cannon” (source p.151) August 27 – Two of Martha Brotherton’s sisters (Elizabeth Brotherton and Mary McIlwrick) and her brother-in-law (John Mcllwrick) swear an affidavit calling Martha “a deliberate liar, and also a wilful inventor of lies” (source) August 29 – 380 men volunteer to distribute 2-page leaflets of affidavits correcting John C. Bennett’s widely-circulated claims. Hyrum Smith (presiding over the conference) stated “every elder who can, should go forth to every part of the United States, and take proper documents… humbly setting forth the truth as it is, in God, and our persecutions, by which the tide of public opinion will be turned…. Every one is wanted to be ready in two or three days.” Joseph Smith, who had been in exile for several weeks, makes a surprise appearance at the end of the conference (source) August 31 – Joseph Smith publishes 2-sided single-page leaflet called “Affidavits and Certificates Disproving Statements and Affidavits Contained in John C. Bennett’s Letters” for elders to distribute abroad (source) September 1 – John C. Bennett lectures in New York City, with a discourse supposedly called “Mormonism, with all its absurdities exposed” and charges $0.25 admission. Robert D. Foster attends, publicly confronts Bennett, calling him a liar then writes a letter from New York discussing the contents of John C. Bennett’s expose of the Mormons (source) September 1 – Joseph Smith writes a letter “To All the Saints in Nauvoo” telling the Saints that he is innocent of all charges against him (including polygamy and accomplice in Boggs’s murder attempt): “the Lord has revealed unto me that my enemies, both in Missouri and this State, were again in the pursuit of me; and inasmuch as they pursue me without a cause, and have not the least shadow or coloring of justice or right on their side in the getting up of their prosecutions against me” (source) September 1 – Joseph Smith publishes a restatement of the Article on Marriage in the Times and Seasons emphasizing that monogamy is the only law of marriage in the church: “The extract is from the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and is the only rule allowed by the church… Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband” (source) September 2 – John C. Bennett advertises in New York City “to deliver a lecture to gentlemen only on Friday evening, too infamous and obscene for ladies; he says this will be a full exposition of secret wife and Jo Smithism” Robert Foster reports. “I shall show the people here how he has lied and tried to father all his own iniquity upon Joseph Smith” (source) September 3 – Sidney Rigdon’s defense of Joseph Smith Jr. as author of the “happiness letter” published in The Wasp: “the letter which has appeared in the Sangamo Journal, making part of General Bennett’s letters to said paper, purporting to have been written by Mr. Joseph Smith to her, was unauthorized by her, and that she never said to Gen. Bennett or any other person, that said letter was written by said Mr. Smith, nor in his hand writing, but by another person, and in another person’s hand writing… I would further state that Mr, [Joseph] Smith denied to me the authorship of that letter” (source) September 8 – Joseph Smith Jr. debunks the late-developed theory that he was hiding polygamy due to being afraid of repercussions: “as to my having any fears of the influence that he [John C. Bennett] or any other man or set of men may have against me—I will say this is most foreign from my heart; for I never knew what it was, as yet, to fear the face of clay, or the influence of man. My fear, sir, is before God. I fear to offend Him, and strive to keep His commandments” (source) September 14 – Joseph Smith files affidavit with Hancock County clerk and sues Chauncey Higbee and Francis Higbee for “a charge of slander and defamation against the character of Joseph Smith” in a case known as “The People vs. Chauncey L. Higbee” with a trial date set for October 3, 1842. Bond posted same day (source) September 24 – Robert D. Foster publishes in The Wasp a list of women in John C. Bennett’s sex clique and states that Bennett “tried to father all his own iniquity upon Joseph Smith.” “These are the ladies to whom he refers his hearers to substantiate his assertions: Mrs. [Emmeline] White, Mrs. [Sarah] Pratt, [Margaret and Matilda Nyman] Niemans, [Sarah] Miller, [Martha] Brotherton, and others” (source) October 1 – Eliza R. Snow [Young] and 18 other prominent Relief Society women in Nauvoo write an official declaration stating monogamy is the only system of marriage being practiced in the church, despiter her claiming that she was married to Joseph Smith as a polygamous wife 93 days earlier (see June 29, 1842). Other names include Emma Smith, Elizabeth Ann Whitney (wife of Newel K. Whitney), Mary C. Miller (wife of bishop George Miller), Thirza Cahoon (wife of Reynolds Cahoon), Ann Hunter (wife of bishop Edward Hunter), Jane Law (wife of William Law), Rosannah Marks (wife of William Marks), Sophia Marks (daughter of William Marks), Abigail Works (mother of Miriam Works, Brigham Young’s first “wife of his youth”), Sarah Higbee (wife of Elias Higbee and mother of Chauncey and Francis), Phebe Woodruff (wife of Wilford Woodruff), Leonora Taylor (wife of John Taylor), Angeline Robinson (wife of Ebenezer Robinson) and others (source) October 1 – Joseph Smith Jr. (editor) republishes the 1835 “Article on Marriage” in Times & Seasons, emphasizing “Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband, except in case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again… We have given the above rule of marriage as the only one practiced in this church” (source p.939) October 2 – News arrives at 10:00 am that Governor Carlin (IL) has offered $200 each for Joseph Smith and Orrin P. Rockwell for attempted murder of former Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs. Joseph Smith goes into hiding until January 1, 1843 (source) October 3 – “People of Illinois vs. Chauncey L. Higbee” case at Carthage gets “disposed of” due to Joseph Smith being forced into hiding on charges of conspiracy to kill Governor Lilburn Boggs (source) October 6 – Sidney Rigdon “had ascertained that Carlin had intentionally issued an illegal writ, expecting thereby to draw President Joseph to Carthage to get acquitted by habeas corpus before Douglas, and having men there waiting with a legal writ to serve on Joseph as soon as he was released under the other one, and bear him away to Missouri, without further ceremony” (source) October 27 – John C. Bennett publishes “History of the Saints; or, an Exposé of Joe Smith and Mormonism.” Announcemnt published in NY Herald October 21, 1842, p.2 November – Joseph Smith & Hyrum Smith write an “Address from the First Presidency” to the missionaries and saints in England, condemning those who leave their spouse and children to come to Zion as evil November 21 – Willard Richards retrieves his wife and children, who were left in Massachussetts since April 1841 (for 19 months), and brings them to Nauvoo. While he was away from his wife and kids, he had secretly married Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde (wife of Orson Hyde, who was a missionary at the time) and lived with her for 9 months in the Times & Seasons office (source and “January-February” 1842 entry) “Winter” – John D. Lee writes a 2nd hand recollection 35 years later stating that at this time Joseph Smith commissioned Udney Jacobs to publish the pamphlet called “The Peace Maker” to test the saints’ willingness to accept polygamy: “During the winter, Joseph, the Prophet, set a man by the name of Sidney [Udney] Hay Jacobs, to select from the Old Bible such scriptures as pertained to polygamy, or celestial marriage, and to write it in pamphlet form, and to advocate that doctrine. This he did as a feeler among the people, to pave the way for celestial marriage. This like all other notions, met with opposition, while a few favored it. The excitement among the people became so great that the subject was laid before the Prophet. No one was more opposed to it than was his brother Hyrum, who denounced it as from beneath. Joseph saw that it would break up the Church, should he sanction it, so he denounced the pamphlet through the Wasp [the Times and Seasons], a newspaper published at Nauvoo, by E. Robinson, as a bundle of nonsense and trash. He said if he had known its contents he would never have permitted it to be published, while at the same time other confidential men were advocating it on their own responsibility” (source) December 1 – Joseph Smith Jr. publicly denounces the unauthorized publication by Udney H. Jacobs’s work “The Peace Maker” (supportive of the doctine of polygamy as God’s will). Joseph stated “There was a book printed at my office, a short time since, written by Udney H. Jacobs, on marriage, without my knowledge; and had I been apprised of it, I should not have printed it; not that I am opposed to any man enjoying his privileges; but I do not wish to have my name associated with the authors, in such an unmeaning rigmarole of nonsence, folly, and trash” (source) |
| 1843↑ | January 1 – Joseph Smith returns to public from hiding January 20 – Orson Pratt and Sarah Pratt rebaptized and confirmed into the church by Joseph Smith, who also ordained Orson Pratt to his former position as a member of the Twelve (source) January 18 (or 25) – Willard Richards marries Sarah Longstroth (16) as his 2nd plural wife (technically his 3rd, including the temporary secret marriage to Nancy Hyde), who bore him 8 children. He married her on the same day that he also married her younger sister Nanny (source 1, source 2) January 18 (or 25) – Willard Richards marries Nanny Longstroth (14) as his 3rd plural wife (technically his 4th, including the temporary secret marriage to Nancy Hyde), who bore him 3 children. He married her on the same day that he also married her older sister Sarah (source 1, source 2) February 11 – Eliza R. Snow moves out of the Smith Homestead and into Jonathan Holmes’s home, after living with Joseph and Emma almost 6 months. Joseph Smith’s mother (Lucy Mack Smith) moves in to the Smith homestead and replaces Eliza (source) March 11 (or May 11) – Emily Dow Partridge (Brigham Young’s 5th plural wife) states 49 years later under oath that she was married to Joseph Smith on this day: “I was not married to Joseph Smith under the revelation on sealing, but I was married to him under the revelation on plural marriage. I was married March, 1843; on the 11th day of March, I think it was. I know I was married to him under the revelation of plural marriage. I was married to him on the 11th day of May, 1843.” The cross examiner then asked her “I would like for you to explain how you were married to Joseph Smith under the plural marriage revelation when the church you belong to claims that revelation was not given until July, 1843; just tell how you could be married under a revelation in March that was not given until July.” Emily Partridge then responded with “Well, I do not know anything about that” (source, p.364) April 3-4 – Benjamin F. Johnson recalls 60 years later that “the Prophet proceeded at once to open to me the subject of plural and eternal marriage and he said that years ago in Kirtland the Lord had revealed to him the ancient order of plural marriage, and the necessity for its practice, and did command him then to take another wife” (source) April 5-7 – Benjamin F. Johnson recalls 60 years later that Hyrum Smith told him “Now Benjamin, you must not be afraid of this new doctrine, for it is all right. You know Brother Hyrum don’t get carried away by worldly things, and he fought this principle until the Lord showed him it was true. I know that Joseph was commanded to take more wives, and he waited until an angel with a drawn sword stood before him and declared that if he longer delayed fulfilling that command he would slay him” (source) May 16 – Joseph Smith reported in History of the Church as giving William Clayton a blessing at Benjamin F. Johnson’s house that pioneers the doctrine that one can commit any sin (except the unpardonable sin of “shedding innocent blood”) and still remain sealed up to eternal life and Celestial glory, as long as they don’t deny the Holy Ghost. It also associated [plural] marriage with exaltation for the first time: “In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; and in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [originally referring to the fullness of the Melchizedek priesthood;], and if he does not, he cannot obtain it. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom: he cannot have an increase” This was later edited by order of Brigham Young to include the parenthetical statement “[meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage;]” when Doctrine & Covenants 131:1-3 was cannonized 33 years later in the 1876 edition (source) June 6 – Lorenzo Snow returns from England mission and claims 56 years later that he learned about (and gained a testimony of) polygamy while in England before ever hearing anything from Joseph Smith. He states: “There is no man that lives that had a more perfect knowledge of the principle of plural marriage, its holiness and divinity, than what I had. It was revealed to me before the Prophet Joseph Smith explained it to me. I had been on a mission to England between two and three years, and before I left England I was perfectly satisfied in regard to something connected with plural marriage.” Lorenzo Snow was under the leadership of Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball and Parley P. Pratt while a missionary in England (source, source) June 14 – Brigham Young marries Lucy Ann Decker Seeley in secret as his 1st plural wife. She was still married to her husband William Seeley at the time. She bore him 7 children (source) June – Joseph Smith kidnapped by Jackson County Sheriff Joseph H. Reynolds and Carthage Constable Harmon T. Wilson, disguised as “Mormon elders” and narrowly avoids being extradited to Missouri (source p.242) July 12 – Brigham Young declares 9 years later that Joseph Smith received a revelation authorizing polygamy (canonized 33 year later as D&C 132 in 1876) on this date, which came to light by an announcement to the saints on August 29, 1852 during general conference (source) July 21 – Eliza R. Snow moves 25 miles south of Nauvoo to live with her sister Leonora at the Morley settlement, after having been living with Jonathan Holmes’s family since February 11 July 24 – Parley P. Pratt is married to Elizabeth Brotherton (26) as his 1st plural wife (2nd living wife) in a secret ceremony that took place at Brigham Young’s home. Elizabeth stated 26 years later in an affidavit that she “was married or sealed to Parley P. Pratt for time and all eternity, by Patriarch Hyrum Smith in the presence of Mary Ann Young, and Mary Ann Pratt, Mary Ann Pratt being sealed at the same time.” Mary Ann [Frost Srearns] Pratt was already Parley Pratt’s wife (source) July 24 – Parley P. Pratt is sealed to his spouse Mary Ann Frost (married May 14, 1837 in Kirtland) at Brigham Young’s home at the same time as being “married or sealed” to Elizabeth Brotherton, his 1st plural wife (source) August 11 – Mercy Rachel Fielding Thompson reports 56 years later being “married or sealed… for time” to Hyrum Smith on this date, adding that polygamy “had been accepted by the church in 1843” (source) August 31 – Joseph Smith moves into the Mansion House with his immediate family, and is forced to charge people room and board as a hotel, starting Sep 15 September 18 – Elder Samuel Downes republishes “The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs, the Sons of Jacob” in Manchester, England. It becomes distributed and sold from the Millennial Star office in England, which was managed by the England mission presidency, led by Brigham Young (source) October 5 – Joseph Smith’s original journal entry reads “Walked up and down the street with Scribe and gave instructions to try those who were preaching, teaching, or practicing the doctrine of plurality of wives on this Law. Joseph forbids it and the practice thereof. No man shall have but one wife.” This journal entry was later revised twice by Willard Richards and his team of historians to condone polygamy (see all 3 versions compared) November 2 – Brigham Young marries Augusta Adams Cobb in secret as his 2nd plural wife (while she was still married to Henry Cobb). Brigham Young had previously met Augusta during one of his several recurring missions to New England, one of which he requested to travel alone (source p.1023), instead of “two-by-two” as commanded. Augusta abandoned her husband (who didn’t file a divorce decree until 1847) and 5 children (source) and buried a 5-month old infant named Brigham shortly after arriving in Nauvoo, who had died on the journey (Nauvoo Neighbor November 8, 1843). He later would marry her son’s ex-wife Mary Van Cott (23) in 1868 when he was 66 years old (source) November 2 – Brigham Young marries Harriet Elizabeth Cook (19) as his 3rd plural wife, who bore him 1 child (source) November 2 – Joseph Smith “married or sealed” to Fanny Murray, according to Augusta Adams Cobb Young’s recollection 26 years later. On this day she “witnessed the marrying or Sealing of Fanny Murray to President Joseph Smith, by President Brigham Young.” Brigham Young could not have performed the ceremony, according to D&C 132:7 which states “I have appointed unto my servant Joseph to hold this power in the last days, and there is never but one on the earth at a time on whom this power and the keys of this priesthood are conferred” (source p.52) Fall – Ebenezer Robinson and Angeline Robinson sign a joint affidavit 30 years later recollecting: “in the fall of 1843 Hyrum Smith, brother of Joseph Smith, came to our house in Nauvoo, Illinois, and taught us the doctrine of polygamy. And I, the said Ebenezer Robinson, hereby further state that he gave me special instructions how I could manage the matter so as not to have it known to the public. He also told us that while he had heretofore opposed the doctrine, he was wrong and his brother Joseph was right; referring to his teaching it” (source) December (or late November) – Ebenezer Robinson signs another affidavit 42 years later stating: “Hyrum Smith… came to my house in Nauvoo, Illinois, and taught me the doctrine of spiritual wives or polygamy. He said he heard the voice of the Lord give the revelation on spiritual wifery (polygamy) to his brother Joseph, and that while he had heretofore opposed the doctrine, he was wrong, and his brother Joseph was right all the time” (source) December 7 – John C. Bennett published that Joseph Smith is only married to Emma (as of this date) and that he was unfamiliar with the concept of “eternal marriage” while he was in Nauvoo, “but is an entirely new doctrine established by special revelation” (source) December 12 – John Taylor marries Elizabeth Kaighin in secret as his 1st plural wife and 2nd living wife (source) |
| 1844↑ | January 21 – Wilford Woodruff records in his journal: “I met with the quorum in the evening had an interestin time many good exhortation were given by the brethren concerning the things of God. P.P.P. received his 2d Anointing. Joseph said Concerning Parley P Pratt that He had no wife sealed to him for Eternity and asked if their was any harm for him to have another wife for time & Eternity as He would want a wife in the Resurrection or els his glory would be Cliped. Many arguments He used upon this subject which were rational & consistant. Br Joseph said now what will we do with Elder P P Pratt? He has no wife sealed to him for Eternity. He has one living wife but she had a former Husband and did not wish to be sealed to Parly for Eternity. Now is it not right for Parley to have another wife that can [end of entry]” The last few sentences of this record have a large “X” drawn through it, as signifying the section as crossed out (source) January 21 – Willard Richards writes that Joseph Smith was not present in the evening’s quorum meeting: “Preached in front of Dr Fosters Mammoth Hotel to several thousand people.— although the weather was somewhat unple[as]ant. on sealing the hearts of the fathers to the chidrn & the heart of the childrn to the fathers,… [6 lines removed]… Prayer Meeting over Store. Patley [Parley] P. Pratt. presnt Joseph not there.” This account states that Joseph was not present, in contrast with Wilford Woodruff’s account (above, same date) that states that Joseph was present, and told Parley P. Pratt to take on another wife (source) January 25 – Wilford Woodruff writes in journal: “Met with the quorum of the Twelve at president Young’s house had a good prayer meeting. Br. Orson Hyde was present had not met with us for sometime Orson received his 2d Anointing” (source) January 26 – Wilford Woodruff writes in journal: “I met with the Twelve this evening also at Br. B. Youngs time was spent in exhortation mostly O.P. spoke & we were edified. Elder O. Pratt received 2d Anointing” (source) January 27 – Wilford Woodruff writes in journal: “The quorum met for a meeting in the evening at Joseph’s store had a number of prayer + exhortations upon the subject of holiness of hart [?]. W.R. [Willard Richards] + J.R. [Janetta Richards] Br + sister Richards were present… were able to attend meeting this evening + seemed to enjoy themselves well, they received blessings by the prayer of faith. Willard + Janetta Richards received their 2d Anointing” and sealing” (source) January 28 – Wilford Woodruff writes in journal: “Wilford + Phobe W. Woodruff received our 2d Anointing” and sealing” (source) January 29 – Wilford Woodruff writes in journal: “I met in the evening at Elder B. Young’s for a prayer meeting but few of us together” (source) January 30 – Wilford Woodruff writes in journal: “Met with the quorum at Elder Youngs for a meeting. J.T. [John Taylor] L.T. [Leonora Taylor] Br + sister John Taylor was with us. Br Taylor made some appropriate remarks unto edification. J. Taylor +Leonora Taylor received their 2d Anointing” and sealing” (source) January 31 – Wilford Woodruff writes in journal: “Their is quite a revival throughout Nauvoo. + enquiring after the things of Godby all the quorums + church in general. I met with the quorum of Twelve this evening at Elder Youngs + had a good time. G.A.S. [George A. Smith] B.S. [Bathsheba Smith] Br + sister + and received their 2d Anointing” and sealing G A Smith was present this evening they have been quite unwell” (source) February 1 – Hiram Brown excommunicated for “preaching polygamy, and other false and corrupt doctrines… he is cut off from the Church, for his iniquity” with a published notice in the Times and Seasons, signed by Joseph Smith & Hyrum Smith (source) February 25 – John Taylor marries Jane Ballantyne in secret as his 2nd plural wife (source) March 15 – Joseph Smith & Hyrum Smith publicly state in Times and Seasons that polygamy is “false doctrine, for there is no such doctrine taught here; neither is there any such thing practiced here” (source) April 8 – Hyrum Smith publicly denounces spiritual wifery, requiring all who teach it to forfeit their preaching licenses: “a large collection of Elders— assembld— at the stand.— addressed by patriarch Hyram Smth [Hyrum Smith] on Spiritual wife system.— The first one we heard repotig reporting such stories. we will report him in the times & seasons to come & give up his License.— he was decided against it in every form.— and spoke at length” (source) April 8 – Hyrum Smith states publicly in general conference: “2 lines erased before this statement “I believe every good man should have one wife in this life, and I know if I had two I should not know what to do with them; they might quarrel about me, and I might get a whipping. One is enough, and I warn all of you not to attempt it.” This speech was heavily edited later and the draft was doctored, with 2 lines erased immediately prior to this particular statement. Only the revised and edited draft survived, making the full context to his statements uncertain (source, document) April 18 – William Law, Jane Law, Wilson Law, Robert D. Foster and Howard Smith are excommunicated May 3 – Dr. Richards wrote a letter, at President Brigham Young’s request to Reuben Hedlock (England) explaining William Law’s new church structure: “William and Wilson Law, Robert D. Foster, Chauncey L. and Francis Higbee, Father [Austin] Cowles, &c., have organized a new Church. (Laws and Fosters were first cut off). William Law is Prophet; James Blakesley [Blakeslee] and [Austin] Cowles, Counselors; [Francis] Higbee and [Robert] Foster of the Twelve. Cannot learn all particulars. Charles Ivins, Bishop; old Dr. Green and old John Scott, his counselors” (source) May 3 – Parley P. Pratt writes to Joseph Smith warning him of “a snake in the grass—a base traitor and hypocrite in your midst, of whom perhaps you may not be fully aware… Mr. Augustine Spencer, brother to Elder Orson Spencer, has written a letter from Nauvoo, which is now going the rounds in this neighborhood, and is fraught with the most infamous slander and lies concerning Joseph Smith and others, and which is calculated to embitter the minds of the people who read or hear it. It affirms that Joseph Smith is in the habit of drinking, swearing, carousing, dancing all night, &c., and that he keeps six or seven young females as wives, &c., and many other such like insinuations” (source) May 4 – William Law swears an affidavit to Robert D. Foster (later published in Nauvoo Expositor) testifying that 10 months earlier Hyrum Smith let him read a revelation from Joseph Smith that “authorized certain men to have more wives than one at a time, in this world and in the world to come. It said this was the law, and commanded Joseph to enter into the law.-And also that he should administer to others. Several other items were in the revelation, supporting the above doctrines.” (source) May 4 – Jane Law swears an affidavit to Robert D. Foster (later published in Nauvoo Expositor) testifying 10 months earlier that the revelation shown to her and her husband by Hyrum Smith “sustained in strong terms the doctrine of more wives that one at a time, in this world, and in the next, it authorized some to have to the number of ten, and set forth that those women who would not allow their husbands to have more wives than one should be under condemnation before God” (source) May 4 – Austin Cowles swears an affidavit to Robert D. Foster (later published in Nauvoo Expositor) testifying that 10 months earlier a revelation was read to the High Council by Hyrum Smith that “contained the following doctrines; lst the sealing up of persons to eternal life, against all sins, save that of sheding innocent blood or of consenting thereto; 2nd, the doctrine of a plurality of wives, or marrying virgins; that ‘David and Solomon had many wives, yet in this they sinned not save in the matter of Uriah.’ This revelation with other evidence, that the aforesaid heresies were taught and practiced in the Church” (source) May 8 – The Warsaw Signal publishes “A new Church has been organized and we understand that a press will soon be procured, and a paper started which will be devoted to the building up of the cause of the seceders, and to an exposition of Joe Smith’s enormities and malpractices.—The creed of the new Church, differs but little from the old—they acknowledge the authority, of the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, &c; the only essential difference being in relation to the inspiration of Joe Smith. The seceders believe that Joe was a prophet, but that he is now fallen from grace. They have a new prophet therefore, who is William Law” (source) May 8 – Joseph Smith and 8 others (Brigham Young, Sidney Rigdon, Hyrum Smith, Orrin Porter Rockwell, Cyrus H. Wheelock, Joel S. Miles, Henry G. Sherwood, Heber C. Kimball) testify against the character of Francis Higbee. Joseph Smith states “The only sin I ever committed was in exercising sympathy and covering up their [the Higbees’, Fosters’, Laws’ and Dr. Bennett’s] iniquities, on their solemn promise to reform, and of this I am ashamed, and will never do so again“(source) May 8 – Brigham Young marries Clarissa Caroline (15) in secret as his 4th plural wife, who bore him 5 children (source) May – Charles C. Rich (originator of story where Emma Smith pushed Eliza R. Snow down the stairwell) swears 25 years later “On the [blank] day of May A.D. 1844… Hyrum Smith, patriarch, taught him the principle of polygamy” (source p.54) May 15 – Nine affidavits published in Times and Seasons, detailing Francis Higbee’s character, history of sexual crimes, promiscuous victims and his intent behind slandering Joseph Smith (source) May 15 – Josiah Quincy and John Quincy Adams (former President of the United States) visit Joseph Smith and spend the day with him. Josiah’s record states: “Polygamy, it must be remembered, formed no part of the alleged revelations upon which the social life at Nauvoo was based; indeed, the recorded precepts of its prophet were utterly opposed to such a practice, and it is, at least, doubtful whether this barbarism was in any way sanctioned by Smith. Let a man who has so much to answer for be allowed the full benefit of the doubt” (source) May 18 – Francis M. Higbee, Austin Cowles, Charles Ivins and James Blakesley excommunicated from church by the high council for apostasy (source) May 23 – Joseph Smith states “My brother Hyrum called in the evening, and cautioned me against speaking so freely about my enemies, &c., in such a manner as to make it actionable. I told him that six months would not roll over his head before they would swear twelve as palpable lies about him as they had about me” (source) May 25 – Indictments arrive in Nauvoo against Joseph Smith (originated by William Law) for practicing polygamy. Joseph Smith states “At home, keeping out of the way of the expected writs from Carthage. Towards evening, Edward Hunter and William Marks, of the grand jury returned from Carthage; also Marshal John P. Greene and Almon W. Babbitt, who informed me there were two indictments found against me, one charging me with false swearing on the testimony of Joseph H. Jackson and Robert D. Foster, and one charging me with polygamy, or something else, on the testimony of William Law, that I had told him so!” (source) May 26 – Joseph Smith declares innocence of adultery, polygamy and spiritual wifery in front of 3,000+ people: “I had not been married scarcely five minutes, and made one proclamation of the Gospel, before it was reported that I had seven wives…. I am innocent of all these charges…. This new holy prophet [William Law] has gone to Carthage and swore that I had told him that I was guilty of adultery. This spiritual wifeism! Why, a man dares not speak or wink, for fear of being accused of this… What a thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only find one. I am the same man, and as innocent as I was fourteen years ago; and I can prove them all perjurers. I labored with these apostates myself until I was out of all manner of patience; and then I sent my brother Hyrum, whom they virtually kicked out of doors” (source p.410-411) May 27 – Joseph Smith voluntarily travels to Carthage to allow for his indictments of polygamy and false testimony to be publicly scrutinized, a course of action unthinkable for someone who was guilty. He stated: “I started on horseback with a few friends, went by the Temple, and purchased my course towards Carthage, thinking it best for me to meet my enemies before the Circuit Court, and have the indictments against me investigated” (source) May 27 – Joseph Smith learns of a plot to kill him on this day, as he went to Carthage: “It was afterwards reported to me by James Flack that Robert D. Foster, Charles A. Foster, Wm. B. Rollinson, and the Higbees were on the hill when I passed in the morning. They immediately gathered their pistols, mounted their horses, and were in Carthage before me, excepting Charles A. Foster. Also Mr. Powers was talking with Mr. Davies, a tailor, about my going to Carthage, and said they would attempt to kill Joseph Smith. Mr. Davies replied, ‘O no, I think not.’ Mr. Powers rejoined, ‘They will, by G—; and you know it, by G—‘” (source) May 29 – John Taylor publishes in the “The Nauvoo Neighbor” for the first time confidential testimonies against John C. Bennett, Chauncey Higbee and Francis Higbee from the May 1842 Nauvoo High Council trials stating: “We have abundance of like testimony on hand, which may be forth coming if we are compelled, at present the foregoing may suffice. Why have you not published this before?—We answer, on account of the humility and entreaties of [Chauncey] Higbee, at the time,—and on account of the feelings of his parents, who are highly respectable,—we have forborne until now. The character of C. L. Higbee, is so infamous, and his exertions such as to destroy every principle of righteousness, that fo[r]bearance is no longer a virtue” (source) June 1 – William Marks has a vision of the disorganization and reorganization of the church, which had become currupted due to apostasy, and publishes it 15 years later: “I had a very good opportunity to know the affairs of the church; and my convictions at that time were, that the church in a great measure had departed from the pure principles and doctrines of Jesus Christ. I felt much troubled in mind about the condition of the church. I prayed earnestly to my heavenly Father to show me something in regard to it, when I was wrapped in vision, and it was shown me by the Spirit that the top or branches had overcome the root, in sin and wickedness, and the only way to cleanse and purify it was to disorganize it and in due time the Lord would reorganize it again” (source) June 2 – Joseph Smith’s friend (aliased as “Horace”) writes a letter and warns Joseph “there is a project on foot here to visit Nauvoo with a body of from five to six hundred armed men… I, as a friend to your society, consider it my duty to make you aware of the danger you may be in, that you may be prepared to meet them. I think it best to keep my name from you, for were it known here that I had given notice of their proceedings, it would not be safe for me to remain. Do not think it a humbug, and treat it lightly; but prepare yourselves for the coming storm” (source) June 6 – Joseph Smith refutes accusations of privately teaching doctrines, including polygamy: “I am bold to declare I have taught all the strong doctrines publicly, and always teach stronger doctrines in public than in private.” (source) June 7 – Nauvoo Expositor published by William Law, Wilson Law, Charles Ivins, Francis Higbee, Chauncey Higbee, Robert Foster, Charles Foster, imploring saints to join the “Reformed Mormon Church” which was organized a month prior by William Law (source) June 8 – Nauvoo City Council reported to have met for 6 hours discussing the Nauvoo Expositor: “From 10 A.M. to 1 P.M. in City Council; also from 3 to 6:30 P.M. The subject the Nauvoo Expositor was taken under consideration. An ordinance was passed concerning the City Attorney and his duties” (source) June 8 – Joseph Smith quoted by Hyrum Smith in a Nauvoo City Council meeting: “they make a criminality for a man to have a wife on the earth while he has one in heaven— according to the keys of the holy pristhood, and read the statement of William Law in the Expositor. where the truth of God was transformd into a lie.— Read Statemets of Austin Cowles— & said he had never had any privite convesation with Austin Cowles on these subjcts, that he preahed on the stand from the bible showing the order in ancient days having nothing to do with the present time.” (source, source) June 8 – Hyrum Smith reads a revelation regarding marriage to the Nauvoo City Council: “Councillor, H. [Hyrum] Smith… referred to the revelation, read to the High Council of the Church, which has caused so much talk about a multiplicity of wives; that said revelation was in answer to a question concerning things which transpired in former days, and had no reference to the present time.” It was later suggested that it was the D&C 132 revelation from July 12, 1843 that was read to the council on this day, but that said revelation was indeed about the present time, so there are inconsistencies in this theory. (source) June 10 – Nauvoo City Council meets to duscuss Nauvoo Epositor: “I was in the City Council from 10 A.M., to 1:20 P.M., and from 2:20 P.M. to 6:30 P.M. investigating the merits of the Nauvoo Expositor, and also the conduct of the Laws, Higbees, Fosters, and others, who have formed a conspiracy for the purpose of destroying my life, and scattering the Saints or driving them from the state” (source) June 10 Witnesses testify that Wilson Law (married) was caught having sex with a 16 or 17 year old orphan. “Mayor— said certain women came to complain to his [Joseph’s] wife that they had caught Wilson Law with the girl on the floor— at Mr Hawes— in the night” (source) June 10 Hyrum Smith describes the nature of a revelation on marriage to the Nauvoo City Council, disproving Austin Cowles’s claims that it was about polygamy in modern times: “C. H. Smith.—— spoke to show the falsehoods of Austin Cowles in relation to the revelatin referred to.— that it referred to former days— not the presnt time as stated by Cowles. Mayor [Joseph Smith] said he had never preched the revelatin in private as he had in public— had not taught it to the anointed in the church in private which may confirmd.— On enquiry the passage in the resurrectin they neither mary &c, I recived for answer, Men in this life must be married in view of Etirnity, was the amount of the revelation, otherwise they must remain as angels — in heaven, and spoke at considerable length in explanation of this principle and was willing for one to subscribe his name to declare the ‘Expositor’ and whole establishment a nuisance.” (source, source) June 25 (estimated) – William Marks writes 15 years later that Joseph smith “had desired for a long time to have a talk with me on the subject of polygamy. He said it eventually would prove the overthrow of the church, and we should soon be obliged to leave the United States, unless it could be speedily put down. He was satisfied that it was a cursed doctrine, and that there must be every exertion made to put it down. He said that he would go before the Congregation and proclaim against it, and I must go into the High Council, and he would prefer charges against those in transgression, and I must sever them from the church, unless they made ample satisfaction. There was much more said, but this was the substance. The mob commenced to gather about Carthage in a few days after, therefore there was nothing done concerning it” (source) June 27 – Joseph Smith & Hyrum Smith assassinated at Carthage Jail, IL. Willard Richards and John Taylor are the only witnesses present June 27 – Joseph Smith & Hyrum Smith proven to have zero descendants from any alleged polygamous or adulterous relationships via DNA testing, negating the popular theory found in Jacob 2:30 that polygamy was introduced to Joseph Smith so as to “raise up seed unto me” (source, Jacob 2:27-30) June 27 – Temple Lot Case records 48 years later that at least 7 prominent Utah LDS members swear under oath that polygamy was never taught before Joseph Smith’s death, including Wilford Woodruff, Lorenzo Snow, Joseph Kingsbury, Bathsheba Smith, Cyrus Wheelock, Jason W. Briggs, Lyman O. Littlefield and Samuel W. Richards (Willard Richards’s nephew) (source) July – Joseph Kingsbury, who claimed to have been the one that copied the polygamy revelation in (D&C 132 or the July 12, 1843 revelation) returns home from 1-year mission, having never preached polygamy as a true principle or a law of the church, despite him claiming it was a revelation from Joseph Smith that he knew about over a year prior July 30 – Samuel Smith dies unexpectedly, after being given medicine by Hosea Stout, Nauvoo’s Chief of Police. William Smith and Samuel’s own daughter both accused Hosea Stout of poisoning Samuel Smith by the orders of Brigham Young and Willard Richards. Samuel was a significant contender expected to be the next President of the church by many in Nauvoo (source) August 15 – William Clayton visits Emma Smith and writes in his journal regarding her accusations of his involvemant in the secret chamber: “She then several times called me a liar and said she knew I was her enemy and she never had been so abused in all her life. I told her I was not her enemy nor never had been. She said I neglected her and spent my time in the secret council of the Twelve and it was secret things which had cost Joseph and Hyrum their lives and says she ‘prophecy that it will cost you and the Twelve your lives as it has done them’ she repeated this two or three times in a threatening manner, and said it in a manner that I understood that she intended to make it cost us our lives as she had done by Prest. Smith.” (William Clayton’s journal) September 4 – Sidney Rigdon denounces the Twelve and intends to expose the secret combination (referred to as the “secret chamber”) among the Twelve and other leadership positions: “Last evening the Twelve and some others met together with Er [Elder Sidney] Rigdon to investigate his course. He came out full against the Twelve and said he would not be controlled by them. They asked him for his license, and he said he would give that if he must expose all the works of the secret chamber’s and all the iniquities of the church.” (William Clayton, 1842-1846 Journal) September 8 – Sidney Rigdon excommunicated in a public trial held by the Quorum of the Twelve at the Grove in Nauvoo. He returns to Pittsburgh immediately after (source) September – Brigham Young marries Emily Dow Partridge (20) as his 5th plural wife, who bore him 7 children (source) September 10 – Brigham Young marries Clarissa Ross (30) as his 6th plural wife, who bore him 4 children (source) September 10 – Heber C. Kimball marries Ann Alice Gheen (17) as his 2nd plural wife (source) September 14 – Heber C. Kimball marries Mary Fielding (43) as his 3rd plural wife (source) September 19 – Brigham Young marries Louisa Beaman (29) as his 7th plural wife, who bore him 5 children. She claimed to be sealed to Joseph Smith 2 years before she ever joined the church and via an affidavit 28 years later by Joseph Bates Noble (source, affidavit) September 30 – Heber C. Kimball marries Frances Jesse Swan (22) as his 4th plural wife (source) October 1 – Heber C. Kimball marries Mary Ellen Harris Abel (26) as his 5th plural wife (source) October 3 – Brigham Young marries Eliza R. Snow (39) as his 8th plural wife, who bore him no children. Eliza claimed 37 years later to have been married to Joseph Smith on June 29, 1842 (source, claim) October 3 – Brigham Young marries Elizabeth Fairchild (16) as his 9th plural wife, who bore him no children. Divorced in 1855 (source) October 3 – Brigham Young marries Clarissa Blake (48) as his 10th plural wife, widow of Lyman Homiston, who bore him no children (source) October 9 – Brigham Young marries Rebecca Holman (20) as his 11th plural wife, who bore him no children (source) October 10 – Brigham Young marries Diana Chase (17) as his 12th plural wife, who bore him no children. Divorced prior to 1849 (source) October 10 – Brigham Young marries Susanne Snively (29) as his 13th plural wife, who bore him 1 child (source) October 10 – Heber C. Kimball marries Nancy Mariah Winchester (16) as his 6th plural wife (source) October 12 – Heber C. Kimball marries Martha McBride (39) as his 7th plural wife (source) October 12 – Heber C. Kimball marries Sarah Lawrence (18) as his 8th plural wife (source) October 12 – Sidney Rigdon publishes the minutes of a Conference held in Pittsburgh on this date stating: “Resolved, that in consequence of the most flagrant violation of the original, or true principles and order of the church, by the Twelve and their abettors, by rejecting Elder Rigdon, and practicing the doctrine of polygamy, despoiling female virtue and chastity by seducing them, and tyranizing over those who will not sanction their works of darkness, and many other like things, for which we regard them as apostates, and men fallen from the true order of the church, into a state of wickedness and corruption; therefore, we hold no fellowship with them” (source) October – Lorenzo Snow marries Charlotte Squires (19) as his first lawful wife, who bore 2 children (source) October 15 – Sidney Rigdon exposes the Twelve for practicing polygamy in private, but denying it in public: “It is a fact, so well known, that the Twelve and their adherents have endeavored to carry on this spiritual wife business in secret, that I hardly need mention it here, and have gone to the most shameful and desperate lengths, to keep it from the public… I could bring facts which can be established in any court of justice, in relation to these vile abominations practiced under the garb of religion that would make humanity blush. No falsehood too great, and no perjury too daring, in order to conceal these heaven-daring abuses of mankind… How often have these men and their accomplices stood up before the congregation, and called God and all the holy Angels to witness, that there was no such doctrine taught in the church; and it has now come to light, by testimony which cannot be gainsaid, that at the time they thus dared heaven and insulted the world, they were living in the practice of these enormities; and there were multitudes of their followers in the congregation at the time who knew it” (source) Fall – John Taylor publishes 1844 edition of the Doctrine & Covenants, adding 8 new sections, including 135 (which he wrote, regarding the assasination of Joseph Smith). The “Statement on Marriage” (section 101 in the 1835 edition) was republished and left in the 1844 edition as section 109, reaffirming: “Inasmuch as this Church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband, except in case of death when either is at liberty to marry again” (source) November 5 – Heber C. Kimball marries Ellen Aagaat Sanders (21) as his 9th plural wife (source) November 7 – Brigham Young marries Olive Grey Frost (28) as his 14th plural wife, who bore him no children (source) November 15 – John Taylor (husband to 3 wives) publishes in Times and Seasons: “Wo to the man or men who will thus wilfully lie to injure an innocent people! The law of the land and the rules of the church do not allow one man to have more than one wife alive at once, but if any man’s wife die, he has a right to marry another, and to be sealed to both for eternity; to the living and the dead! there is no law of God or man against it! This is all the spiritual wife system that was ever tolerated in the church, and they know it.” (source) “Winter” – William Smith preaches polygamy from the pulpit in Nauvoo, according to Cyrus Wheelock’s testimony 48 years later: “After Joseph Smith was dead I heard polygamy preached from the pulpit publicly in Nauvoo, by William Smith. He started a great many things; undertook to prove that polygamy was right, and that the order of marriage would be restored, and he preached so many strange things there to the people that Elder John Taylor got up and corrected him. Yes, sir, it was forbidden, and William Smith was cut off from the church because he preached that. That was in the winter of 1844” (source) |
| 1845↑ | January 15 – Brigham Young marries Mary Ann Clark (28) as his 15th plural wife, previously married to “Mr. Powers” (no death or divorce record), who bore him no children. Divorced in June 1851 (source) January 16 – Brigham Young marries Margaret Pierce (22) as his 16th plural wife, who bore him 1 child (source) January 16 – Brigham Young marries Mary Pierce (25) as his 17th plural wife, widow of Morris Whitesides, who bore him no children (source) February 8 – Heber C. Kimball marries Lucy Walker (19) as his 10th plural wife (source) February 28 – Heber C. Kimball marries Clarissa Fletcher Cutler (21) as his 11th plural wife (source) March 16 – William Marks (Nauvoo Stake President) reported to have fled Nauvoo, and the event is recorded as him leaving without threat, as well as an seemingly unnecesary and irrelevant slander on his chracter. Brigham Young writes: “Brother Wm. Marks has gone without being ‘whittled’ out. He would hire a man for twenty-five cents a day and would make a man work two days in the harvest field for one bushel of wheat, which is one of the most low, dishonest, mean things a person can do” (source) March 22 – Brigham Young writes that the General Council met to discuss strategy for revising Church History: “I attended the General Council. The subject of the western mission was considered and occupied the most of the day: the Nauvoo House, Printing Office, Church History and organization of the city were also matters of consideration” (source) March 24 – Brigham Young sets up system of surveillance in Nauvoo, using deacons as the eyes and ears of Nauvoo under the guise of priesthood responsibility: “We ordained bishops who were directed to set apart deacons in their wards to attend to all things needful and especially to watch… we deemed it prudent to organize the priesthood more strictly that the peace and good order hitherto sustained by the city might still be preserved” (source) April 1 – Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball and George A. Smith begin rewriting Joseph Smith’s history. Brigham Young records in his journal this day: “I commenced revising the history of Joseph Smith at Brother Richard’s office: Elder Heber C. Kimball and George A. Smith were with me. President Joseph Smith had corrected forty-two pages before his massacre. It afforded us great satisfaction to hear Brother [Willard] Richards read the history of the infancy of the church. Adjourned at eleven p.m. having read one hundred and forty pages in Book ‘A’” (source) April 2 – Brigham Young writes “Engaged at Elder [Willard] Richards’ office with Elders [Heber C.] Kimball and [George A.] Smith revising Church History” (source) Unknown – Lorenzo Snow marries Mary Adaline Goddard (33) as his 1st plural wife, who bore 3 children (source) April 21 – Lorenzo Snow marries Sarah Ann Prichard (19) as his 2nd plural wife, who bore 5 children (source) April 30 – Brigham Young marries Emmeline Free (18) as his 18th plural wife, who bore him 10 children (source) May 22 – Brigham Young marries Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner (26) as his 19th plural wife, while afterwards cohabitating with her non-mormon husband Adam Lightner. She claimed 74 years later to have been “sealed to Joseph Smith the Prophet by Brigham Young in a room over the old red brick store in Nauvoo” and to be the first person Joseph Smith was instructed to marry as a plural wife (source, claim 1, claim 2, claim 3) August 17 – William Smith described as having openly taught to the saints the secrets of the Twelve practicing polygamy without knowledge of Joseph. William Clayton wrote in his journal: “…At the stand to day Wm. Smith preached to the saints ‘the first chapter of the gospel according to St Wm’ as he termed it. It was just a full declaration of his belief in the doctrine of a plurality of wives &c. The people appeared disgusted and many left the ground. His object was evidently to raise an influence against the Twelve especially Brigham and Heber for he intimated in strong terms that they were practicing such things in secret but he was not afraid to do it openly.” (William Clayton’s journal, Aug 17, 1845) August 17 – William Smith speaks to a large group of saints, stating “if a sister gives me her hand upon the Spiritual Wife system… I will not be ashamed of her before the public. That [which] I do in the secret chamber I would do in the broad daylight” (William Smith, Aug 17, 1845. Recorded by George Watt, Brigham Young’s secretary) December 1 – Heber C. Kimball marries Amanda Trimble Gheen (15) as his 12th plural wife (source) December 5 – Heber C. Kimball marries Charlotte Chase (20) as his 13th plural wife (source) |
| 1846↑ | January 2 – Heber C. Kimball marries Mary Duell (38) as his 14th plural wife (source) January 7 – Heber C. Kimball marries Abigail Pitkin (49) as his 15th plural wife (source) January 14 – John Taylor marries Mary Ann Oackley (20) as his 3rd plural wife (source) January 14 – Brigham Young marries Margaret Alley (20) as his 20th plural wife, who bore him 2 children (source) January 15 – Brigham Young marries Olive Andrews (27) as his 21st plural wife (source) January 15 – Brigham Young marries Emily Haws (22) as his 22nd plural wife, widow of William Whitmarsh. Emily’s death date and cause are unknown (source) January 17 – Lorenzo Snow marries Harriet Amelia Squires (27) as his 3rd plural wife, who bore 5 children (source) January 21 – Brigham Young marries Martha Bowker (23) as his 23rd plural wife, who bore him 1 child (source) January 21 – Brigham Young marries Ellen Rockwood (16) as his 24th plural wife, who bore him no children (source) January 26 – Heber C. Kimball marries Harriet Helga Østensdatter (21) as his 16th plural wife (source) January 28 – Brigham Young marries Jemima Angell (41) as his 25th plural wife, widow of Valentine Young and prior spouse of William Stringham. She and her mother both married Brigham Young on the same day. She bore him no children (source) January 28 – Brigham Young marries Phoebe Ann Morton (59) as his 26th plural wife, widow of James W. Angell and mother of his two wives Mary Ann Angell and Jemima Angell. She and her daughter both married Brigham Young on the same day. She bore him no children (source) January 28 – Brigham Young marries Abigail Marks (69) as his 27th plural wife, widow of Asa Works and mother of his first lawful wife Mirian Works (source) January 28 – Brigham Young marries Cynthia Porter (62) as his 28th plural wife, on record as having been married to William Weston, but no record of death, divorced, or separation. She bore him no children (source) January 31 – Brigham Young marries Mary Eliza Nelson (33) as his 29th plural wife, widow of John P. Greene. Divorced within 4 years, by 1850. She bore him no children (source) January 31 – Brigham Young marries Rhoda Richards (61) as his 30th plural wife, who bore him no children (source) February 2 – Brigham Young marries Zina Diantha Huntington (25) as his 31st plural wife, while her husband Henry Bailey Jacobs was on a mission to England. She bore him 1 child (source) February 2 – Heber C. Kimball marries Emily Trask Cutler (18) as his 17th plural wife (source) February 3 – Brigham Young marries Amy Cecilia Cooper (41) as his 32nd plural wife, who was married to non-member Joseph Aldrich, separated but no record of divorce. She bore him no children (source) February 3 – Brigham Young marries Mary Ellen de la Montaigne (42) as his 33rd plural wife, shortly after a devorce from prior husband James Boyd Woodward. She divorced Brigham Young on December 13th (10 months later) and remarried James Woodward. She bore Brigham no children (source) February 3 – Brigham Young marries Julia Foster (36) as his 34th plural wife, widow of Jonathan Hampton. She stayed in Nauvoo, and didn’t come to Utah until Brigham Young sent for her in 1855. She bore him no children (source) February 3 – Brigham Young marries Abigail Harback (55) as his 35th plural wife, who was married to John Calvin Hall, but no record of death, divorce or separation. She bore him no children (source) February 3 – Brigham Young marries Mary Ann Turley (18) as his 36th plural wife, who divorced him 5 years later in 1851. She bore him no children (source) February 3 – Heber C. Kimball marries Laura L Pitkin (56) as his 18th plural wife (source) February 3 – Heber C. Kimball marries Hulda Barnes (40) as his 19th plural wife (source) February 3 – Heber C. Kimball marries Ruth Amelia Reese (28) as his 20th plural wife (source) February 3 – Heber C. Kimball marries Sarah Scott (30) as his 21st plural wife (source) February 3 – Heber C. Kimball marries Ruth Lavina Sadurna Pierce (28) as his 22nd plural wife (source) February 3 – Heber C. Kimball marries Mary Houston (28) as his 23rd plural wife (source) February 3 – Heber C. Kimball marries Christeen Golden (22) as his 24th plural wife (source) February 3 – Heber C. Kimball marries Sophronia Melinda Harmon (21) as his 25th plural wife (source) February 3 – Heber C. Kimball marries Theresa Arathusa Morley (20) as his 26th plural wife (source) February 4 – Heber C. Kimball marries Mary Ann Shefflin (32) as his 27th plural wife (source) February 6 – Brigham Young marries Naamah Carter (24) as his 37th plural wife, widow of John S. Twiss. She bore him no children (source) February 6 – Brigham Young marries Nancy Cressy (65) as his 38th plural wife, widow of Oliver Walker. She bore him no children (source) February 7 – Heber C. Kimball marries Rebecca Swain (47) as his 28th plural wife (source) February 7 – Heber C. Kimball marries Elizabeth Hereford (57) as his 29th plural wife (source) February 7 – Heber C. Kimball marries Sarah Shuler (45) as his 30th plural wife (source) February 7 – Heber C. Kimball marries Abigail Buchanan (44) as his 31st plural wife (source) February 7 – Heber C. Kimball marries Ruth Wellington (37) as his 32nd plural wife (source) February – Heber C. Kimball marries Margaret Warrell McMinn (16) as his 33rd plural wife (source) February 10 – Brigham Young marries Jane Terry (26) as his 39th plural wife, widow of George W. Young (no relationship to Brigham). Requested to be married to Brigham Young and died 4 days after. She bore him no children (source) June – First child born of any woman that ever claimed to have lived with Joseph Smith and Emma Smith (2 years after Joseph’s death) 1846 – Marriage ceremony changed to add “for time and all eternity.” Joseph Kingsbury testified that the ceremony was different in 1846 Nauvoo than in 1836 Kirtland, with that addition July 24 – Oliver Cowdery writes to sister Phoebe Jackson regarding polygamy “no people, professing to be governed by…the Lord Jesus, can be guilty of such folly—such wrong—such abomination” August 2 – Wilford Woodruff marries Mary Ann Jackson as his 1st plural wife and 2nd living wife. She divorced him 2 years later on May 11, 1848 (source) August 2 – Wilford Woodruff marries Sarah Elinor Brown (19) as his 2nd plural wife and 3rd living wife. She divorced him 3 weeks later (source) August 2 – Wilford Woodruff marries Mary Caroline Barton (17) as his 3rd plural wife and 4th living wife. She divorced him 3 weeks later (source) November 7 – Heber C. Kimball marries Presendia Lathrop Huntington (36) as his 34th plural wife (source) |
| 1847↑ | March 14 – Brigham Young marries Lucy Bigelow (16) as his 40th plural wife on the same day he also married her older sister. She bore him 3 children (source) March 14 – Brigham Young marries Mary Jane Bigelow (19) as his 40th plural wife on the same day he also married her younger sister. Divorced 5 years later in 1851. She bore him no children (source) April 23 – John Taylor marries Sophia Whitaker (22) as his 4th plural wife (source) July 24 – First company of Brigham Young’s church arrive in the Salt Lake valley September 27 – John Taylor marries Mary Ann Oakley (21) as his 5th plural wife (source) December 4 – John Taylor marries Harriet Whitaker (22) as his 6th plural wife (source) |
| 1848↑ | April 18 – Brigham Young marries Sarah Malin (43) as his 41st plural wife. Divorced later. She bore him no children (source) January 17 – Lorenzo Snow marries Eleanor Houtz (17) as his 4th plural wife, who bore 7 children (source) Unknown – John Taylor, in a debate with several ministers in 1850, cites that they were referencing “works published in America, in 1848. These works had testified that Joseph Smith kept up a seraglio of ‘Sisters of the White Veil,’ and ‘Sisters of the Green Veil;’ and that Sidney Rigdon, who had at one time been almost as great a man among the Mormonites as Joe Smith, had quarrelled with Joe for the Batter’s attempt to introduce his, Rigdon’s daughter, into the sisterhood” (source) |
| 1849↑ | June 14 – Richard Hewitt writes a letter to J.J. Strang about his confusion with polygamy “The principle is taught amongst all that I have been with. Some have from two to ten, or twenty, and some have none. If it is consistent I want you to let me know when you write to me, and I want you to write as soon as you get this, so Brother Miller [Bishop George Miller] and myself may know what to do. You must excuse me for asking so much, but you must bear with me, as I confess I am ignorant. Bro. Miller says their whoring will send them all to hell. You can see Bro. Hyrum’s epistle to me on that subject, in the Times and Seasons, 15th March, 1844, if I don’t mistake. I don’t find such things in the Book of Covenants, nor in the Book of Mormon, nor in the writings of the apostles: and I don’t want to be deceived, nor flattered any more, etc.” (source) Unknown – Heber C. Kimball marries Adelia Almira Wilcox (21) as his 35th plural wife (source) |
| 1850↑ | May 15 – Louisa Beaman dies, having born 0 children to Joseph Smith (in 3 years, 2 months of marriage), while bearing 5 sons in just 4 years and 4 months of marriage to Brigham Young. July (estimated) – John Taylor states in a published missionary tract while in England: “a man that will tell one falsehood to injure an innocent people, will tell five hundred, if necessary, for the same object…. We are accused here of polygamy, and actions the most indelicate, obscene, and disgusting, such that none but a corrupt and depraved heart could have contrived. These things are too outrageous to admit of belief; therefore leaving the sisters of the ‘White Veil,’ the ‘Black Veil,’ and all the other veils, with those gentlemen to dispose of, together with their authors, as they think best, I shall content myself by reading our views of chastity and marriage, from a work published by us, containing some of the articles of our Faith. ‘Doctrine and Covenants,’ page 330.” (source) |
| 1851↑ | March – Udney Jacobs writes a letter to Brigham Young: “I cannot imagine why you suspected me unless it was that I wrote a pamphlet some years since entitled the Peace Maker—you have certainly a wrong idea of that matter. I was not then a member of this Church, and that pamphlet was not written for this people [the Latter Day Saints] but for the citizens of the United States who professed to believe the Bible” (source) |
| 1852↑ | March 28 – Wilford Woodruff marries Mary Meek Giles Webster (50) as his 4th plural wife and 2nd living wife (the prior 3 plural wives had all divorced him by this date). She died 7 months later (source) August 28 – Heber C. Kimball commands missionaries to stop falling in love with women and selecting wives from among their converts, so that the men back in Utah can have equal chance at them when they arrive: “I say to those who are elected to go on missions, remember they are not your sheep: they belong to Him that sends you. Then do not make a choice [to marry] of any of those sheep; do not make selections before they are brought home and put into the fold” (source) August 29 – Orson Pratt declares at general conference that polygamy an official belief of the church, and reassures the congregation that it has nothing to do with gratifying lusts of the flesh: “I have not been in the habit of publicly speaking upon this subject; and it is rather new ground to the inhabitants of the United States, and not only to them, but to a portion of the inhabitants of Europe; a portion of them have not been in the habit of preaching a doctrine of this description; consequently, we shall have to break up new ground. It is well known, however, to the congregation before me, that the Latter-day Saints have embraced the doctrine of a plurality of wives, as a part of their religious faith. It is not, as many have supposed, a doctrine embraced by them to gratify the carnal lusts and feelings of man; that is not the object of the doctrine” (source) August 29 – Brigham Young claims 8 years later at general conference to have had in his possession a revelation to Joseph Smith dated July 12, 1843 (later becoming section 132), and prophesied that polygamy will be triumphant and one of the best doctrines ever proclaimed: “You heard Bro. Pratt state, this morning, that a revelation [D&C 132] would be read this afternoon, which was given previous to Joseph’s death. It contains a doctrine, a small portion of the world is opposed to; but I can deliver a prophecy upon it. Though that doctrine has not been practiced by the elders, this people have believed in it for years… The principle spoken upon by Brother Pratt, this morning, we believe in. And I tell you– for I know it–it will sail over and ride triumphantly above all the prejudice and priestcraft of the day; it will be fostered and believed in by the more intelligent portions of the world, as one of the best doctrines ever proclaimed to any people” (source) September 20 – Isaac Sheen writes a 3rd hand 8 year recollection letter to be published in newspapers, originating the theory of Joseph Smith participating in but later repenting of polygamy as an evil act: “Joseph Smith repented of his connection with this doctrine [polygamy], and said it was of the devil. He caused the revelation on that subject to be burned, and when he voluntarily came to Nauvoo and resigned himself into the arms of his enimies, he said that he was going to Carthage to die. At that time he also said, that if it had not been for that accursed spiritual wife doctrine, he would not have come to that” (source) October 3 – Brigham Young marries Eliza Burgess (25) as his 42nd plural wife, who bore him 1 child (source) October 9 – Isaac Sheen’s letter is published in Cincinnati Commercial & Saturday Evening Post newspapers, originating the “repentant Joseph theory.” Sheen was questioned by many close to the Smith family because he didn’t work with or live anywhere near Joseph Smith or his family, making it impossible for his claims to be anything but 3rd party hearsay (source) December 16 – Brigham Young marries Mary Oldfield (59) as his 43rd plural wife, widow of Eli Kelsey. She bore him no children (source) |
| 1853↑ | January – Orson Pratt publishes the first volume of “The Seer” in Washington D.C., by assignemnt by Brigham Young to publish an apologetic primer to the non-mormons. Orson Pratt wrote and edited all of it, although he quotes other sources within it, and dedicated 107 out of 192 pages (55.7%) of its contents to the principle of “eternal marriage” and polygamy. He states: “Some of the nations of Europe who believe in the one wife system have actually forbidden a plurality of wives by their laws; and the consequences are that the whole country among them is overrun with the most abominable practices: adulteries and unlawful connections through all their villages, towns, cities, and country places to a most fearful extent” (source, quote) March 13 – Wilford Woodruff marries Emma Smith (15) as his 5th plural wife and 2nd living wife (3 had divorced him by this date, and one died) (source) March 13 – Wilford Woodruff marries Sarah Brown (19) as his 6th plural wife and 3rd living wife (3 had divorced him by this date, and one died) (source) Unknown – Brigham Young divorces Eliza Babcock (24). No known record of his prior marriage to her, but considered his 44th plural wife. She bore him no children (source) October 9 – Lorenzo Snow marries Caroline Horton (25) as his 5th plural wife, who bore 3 children (source) |
| 1854↑ | October 6 – Orson Hyde delivers a general conference address suggesting that Jesus was a polygamist: “Then you really mean to hold to the doctrine that the Savior of the world was married; do you mean to be understood so? And if so, do you mean to be understood that he had more than one wife?… I do not despise to be called a son of Abraham, if he had a dozen wives; or to be called a brother, a son, a child of the Savior, if he had Mary, and Martha, and several others, as wives” (source) |
| 1855↑ | June 10 – Brigham Young marries Catherine Reese (51) as his 45th plural wife, widow of Zephaniah Clawson. She bore him no children (source) Unknown – Susa Young Gates recollects 75 years later some of Brigham Young’s thoughts about polygamy, regarding to the struggles of so many families living together: “My father had been so impressed with the economic advantages of the communal family experiment so far developed in 1852-55, that in the fall of 1855 he began to build what was called the Lion House, as a home for most of his family” (The Life Story of Brigham Young, p.321-322) July 14 – Brigham Young gives a public discourse and threatens the saints who will not support polygamy: “Now if any of you will deny the plurality of wives, and continue to do so, I promise that you will be damned; and I will go still further and say, take this revelation, or any other revelation that the Lord has given, and deny it in your feelings, and I promise that you will be damned… Do not reject anything because it is new or strange, and do not sneer nor jeer at what comes from the Lord, for if we do, we endanger our salvation” (source) November – Thomas Bullock (chief scribe under Willard Richards) inserts the “Happiness letter” from John C. Bennett’s letter #6 into Joseph Smith’s History, as a journal entry for Aug 27, 1842 despite that day being 8 days after it was already published in the Sagamo Journal (Dean C. Jessee, “The Writing of Joseph Smith’s History” p.18-20) |
| 1856↑ | March 14 – Brigham Young marries Harriet Barney (25) as his 46th plural wife, divorcee of W. H. H. Sagers. She bore him 1 child (source) March 14 – Heber C. Kimball marries Hannah Moon (54) as his 36th plural wife (source) March 14 – Heber C. Kimball marries Dorothy Moon (52) as his 37th plural wife (source) April 11 – Heber C. Kimball marries Elizabeth Doty (38) as his 38th plural wife (source) April 16 – George A. Smith brags in a Deseret News article: “We breathe the free air, we have the best looking men and handsomest women, and if they envy our position, well they may, for they are a poor, narrow minded, pinch-backed race of man, who chain themselves down to the law of monogamy and live all their days under the dominion of one wife. They aught to be ashamed of such conduct, and the still fouler channel which flows from their practices” (source) Unknown – “History of Joseph Smith” completed by George A. Smith, with Willard Richards as primary editor from 1841-1854, and George A. Smith from 1854-1856, and presented to Brigham Young for final revision and approval September 27 – John Taylor marries Margaret Young (19) as his 7th plural wife (source) |
| 1857↑ | January 25 – Heber C. Kimball marries Mary Smithies (19) as his 39th plural wife. Some historians say Heber C. Kimball had as many as 45 wives by this year, but the records regarding 5 potential wives are unreliable (source) April 6 – Heber C. Kimball promises youthful vibrance and beauty at general conference to anyone practicing polygamy: “I would not be afraid to promise a man who is sixty years of age, if he will take the counsel of brother Brigham and his brethren, that he will renew his age. I have noticed that a man who has but one wife, and is inclined to that doctrine, soon begins to wither and dry up, while a man who goes into plurality looks fresh, young, and sprightly. Why is this? Because God loves that man, and because he honors His work and word. Some of you may not believe this; but I not only believe it—I also know it. For a man of God to be confined to one woman is small business” (source) Unknown – Lorenzo Snow marries Mary Elizabeth Houtz (17) as his 6th plural wife, who bore 6 children (source) |
| 1858↑ | Unknown – “History of Joseph Smith” first published, under the direction of Brigham Young with Willard Richards as primary editor from 1841-1854 (Willard died of “unspecified causes” in 1854), and George A. Smith from 1854-1856. Originally completed by George A. Smith in 1856, but published 2 years later in 1858 after Brigham Young read the entire work and made some final revisions. This volume would later be revised again and called “History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” beginning in 1902 (source) |
| 1859↑ | April 4 – Lorenzo Snow marries Phoebe Amelia Woodruff (17) as his 7th plural wife, who bore 5 children (source) April 5 – Joseph F. Smith marries his cousin Levira Annette Clark Smith (16) as his first lawful wife, who bore no children. She left for california and divorced him 8 years later, dissatisfied after he took on his 1st plural wife, her long-time best friend Julina Lambson (source) July 24 – Apostle Orson Pratt declares that the first time Joseph received the revelation on polygamy was in 1843: “Thirteen years after the publication of the Book of Mormon [March of 1830], the same Prophet that translated the Book of Mormon received a revelation upon marriage, which commanded certain individuals in this Church to take unto themselves a plurality of wives for time and all eternity, declaring that it is a righteous principle, and was practiced [sic] by inspired men in time of old.” (JD 6:362; Editor’s note: this 1843 date would later directly contradict his story that 1831 and 1832 were the years that Joseph Smith reveived it. See October 7, 1859 timeline entry.) October 23 – William Marks writes and publishes the conversations he had with Joseph Smith in the weeks prior to his martyrdom (15 years earlier), regarding the apostasy of the church, it’s upcoming disorganization and reorganization and the impending excommunication of many members of the Twelve who were then teaching and practicing polygamy (source) |
| 1860↑ | October 23 – Heber C. Kimball instructs a batch of departing missionaries with a charge: “Brethren, I want you to understand that it is not to be as it has been heretofore. The brother missionaries have been in the habit of picking out the prettiest women for themselves before they get here, and bringing on the ugly ones for us hereafter you have to bring them all here before taking any of them, and let us all have a fair shake.” At the time Heber C. Kimball had 15 wives and the outgoing young Elders were largely unmarried (source) |
| 1862↑ | July 8 – President Abraham Lincoln signs into law the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act “to punish and prevent the Practice of Polygamy in the Territories of the United States… annulling certain Acts of the… Territory of Utah.” The act also limited church and non-profit ownership holdings in any territory of the United States to $50,000 (source) December – Charles Derry writes: “Bro. Joseph [Smith III] is taking me out to Colchester in his wagon, the distance of thirty miles. We have some interesting conversation. He does not believe his father ever practiced polygamy, and he gives good reasons for it. He says there were several young women lived at his father’s house, but they were destitute of homes. They were not his father’s wives. If they had been it is probable some evidence would have been visible, especially as we are told that polygamy was instituted to bring forth a holy seed, and surely no means [of birth control] would have been taken to have prevented this result. But he knows that none of these females had children until 1846, which was nearly two years after Joseph’s death. As for Eliza Snow, it is reported that she had a child by Joseph; but he knows that she never bore children while she was in Nauvoo” (Journal of History 2, p.168–169) |
| 1863↑ | January 24 – Brigham Young marries Amelia Folsom (24) as his 47th plural wife, who bore him no children. She was rumored to be his favorite wife by her posterity, claiming “she and Brigham had their dinners at seperate tables from the rest of the wives and ate delicacies not served to the rest of the wives and children” (source, claim) |
| 1866↑ | May 6 – Joseph F. Smith marries his wife’s best friend Julina Lambson (17) as his 1st plural wife, who bore 11 children. His first wife left him shortly after. The marriage was commanded and directed by Brigham Young (source) |
| 1867↑ | April – Emma Smith denies the following 3 questions in an interview with Jason W. Briggs in Nauvoo: 1) “Did you ever see that document in manuscript, previous to its publication, by Pratt?“; 2) “Did you ever see any document of that kind, purporting to be a revelation, to authorize polygamy?“; 3) “Did Joseph Smith ever teach you the principles of polygamy, as being revealed to him, or as a correct and righteous principle?“. When asked about the veracity of her burning the revelation (as told by Brigham Young), she responded “It is false in all its parts, made out of whole cloth, without any foundation in truth” (source) |
| 1868↑ | January 8 – Brigham Young marries Mary Van Cott (23) as his 48th plural wife, divorced from James Thornton Cobb, the son of Augusta Adams Cobb, wife #4. She bore him 1 child (source) March 1 – Joseph F. Smith marries Sarah Ellen Richards (18) as his 2nd plural wife, who bore 11 children. She was the daughter of Willard Richards (source) April 7 – Brigham Young marries Ann Eliza Webb (24) as his 49th plural wife, divorced from James L. Dee. She became an outspoken critic of polygamy after she divorced Brigham Young 7 years later in 1875. (source) August 16 – President Brigham Young states that the people knew nothing of polygamy in Nauvoo: “But hold on, were we driven into the mountains here for polygamy? Were we driven from York State to Ohio and persecuted and hated for polygamy? No. Was Joseph Smith persecuted and driven from Pennsylvania to York State, and from York State to Pennsylvania, with writ after writ, for polygamy? No; no such thing was ever thought of. When we were driven from Jackson into Clay, Caldwell and Davis and other counties, and from there out of the State by the mob, was it for polygamy? By no means. When we were driven from Nauvoo, after having made it like the Garden of Eden, was it because polygamy was offensive to the people? No; they knew nothing of it.” (JD 12:272) |
| 1869↑ | June 26 – Joseph Noble makes an affidavit remembering 28 years earlier that “he married or sealed Louisa Beaman to Joseph Smith… according to the order of celestial marriage revealed” on April 5, 1841 (source) Unknown – Charles C. Rich signed an affidavit recollecting Hyrum Smith teaching him polygamy 25 years earlier: “On the [blank] day of May A.D. 1844… Hyrum Smith, patriarch, taught him the principle of polygamy or celestial marriage, and told him that when he should return from the said mission it would be his privilege to take other wives” (source) July 3 – Brigham Young marries Elizabeth Jones (55) as his 50th plural wife, widow of both David T. Lewis and Dan Jones. She bore him no children (source) July 11 – Brigham Young states that polygamy was not known until they migrated to Utah: “What were we driven for? Was it because of polygamy? No, for that was not known generally until after our arrival in these valleys.” [JD 13:148, Brigham Young, July 11, 1869] July 26 – Brigham Young tells Senator Lyman Trumbull “polygamy, which you object to, was not originally a part of our system, but was adopted by us as a necessity, after we came here [Utah]” (source) October 7 – Apostle Orson Pratt states: “I will tell you what the ‘Prophet Joseph said’ in relation to this matter in 1831, also in 1832, the year in which the law commanding the members of this Church to cleave to one wife only was given… In the fore part of the year 1832, ‘Joseph told’ individuals, then in the Church, that he had inquired of the Lord concerning the principle of plurality of wives, and he received for answer that the principle of taking more wives than one is a true principle, but the time had not yet come for it to be practiced. That was before the Church was two years old.” (JD 13:193; Editor’s note: this contradicts Orson Pratt’s statement in the 1853 publication “The Seer” wherein he states that “Thirteen years after the publication of the Book of Mormon” [March 1830], Joseph Smith received the revelation on polygamy for the first time. See July 24, 1859 timeline entry) October 8 – George Albert Smith gives lengthy discourse on the Bible justifying polygamy, particularly mentioning that Jesus never denounced the practice (and was therefore in support of it): “did the Saviour in any place that we can read of, in the course of his mission on the earth, denounce a plurality of wives? He lived in a nation of Jews; the law of Moses was in force, plurality of wives was the custom, and thousands upon thousands of people, from the highest to the lowest in the land, were polygamists. The Saviour denounced adultery; he denounced fornication; he denounced lust; also divorce; but is there a single sentence asserting that plurality of wives is wrong? If so, where is it? Who can find it? Why did he not say it was wrong? (source) December 12 – Wilford Woodruff states that “all” of the drivings of the saints came before polygamy was revealed to the church: “Their present objection to the Latter−day Saints, they say, is plurality of wives. It is this principle they are trying to raise a persecution against now. But how was it in Missouri, Kirtland, Jackson county, Far West, Caldwell county, in all our drivings and afflictions, before this principle was revealed to the Church? Certainly it was not polygamy then.” (JD 13:166) |
| 1870↑ | May 8 – Brigham Young sealed to Lydia Farnsworth (61) “for eternity,” while she was married to and continued to live with her husband Elijah Mayhew. She bore him no children. (source) August 1 – Brigham Young sealed to Martha Brotherton “for eternity,” after her death. Brigham Young had accused her in 1842 of teaching “a base falsehood” about the story of him proposing plural marriage to her in a locked room (source) |
| 1871↑ | May 5 – Joseph F. Smith marries Edna Lambson (19) as his 3rd plural wife, who bore 10 children (source) June 4 – President Brigham Young declares that in Nauvoo polygamy was not taught by the leaders. He says: “‘But,’ say they, ‘what of your peculiar doctrine? What did you come to the mountains for? What did you leave us for? We suppose it was on account of your peculiar doctrine.’ I reply, “Pause! Wait a moment! When we left the confines of what is called civilization the doctrine of plurality of wives was not known by the world, and was not taught by us, and was known only to a very few members of our Church;” (JD 14:158-159) June 12 – Lorenzo Snow marries Sarah Minnie Ephramina Jensen (18) as his 8th plural wife, who bore 5 children (source) August 13 – Apostle and historian George A. Smith says that no charges of practicing polygamy existed against the saints in 1839, and that they all were strict monogamists: “Well, but did you practice plurality of wives? Not at all, the principle was unknown in the Church; it had not been revealed, and every man and woman in the Church was rigidly, to all intents and purposes, strict monogamists. In 1838−9 these Latter−day Saints were expelled from the State of Missouri, and no charge of practicing polygamy existed against them.” (JD 14:213-214) |
| 1872↑ | July – William McLellin writes to Joseph Smith III telling him about a story he heard 34 years earlier where in 1838 he heard a story from a colleague who remembered that 6 years earlier in 1832 a woman named “Fanny Hill” had sexual relations with Joseph Smith and Emma caught him with Joseph admitting it. Fanny Hill was the star character erotic whore from John Cleland’s 1748 pornographic novel “Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure.” (source) December 8 – Brigham Young sealed to Hannah Tapfield (65) “for eternity,” while she was married to and continued to live with her non-Mormon husband Thomas O. King (source) |
| 1874↑ |
June 23 – The Poland Act (also called the “Plural Marriage Prosecution Act of 1874″) becomes effective, restructuring Utah’s courts by giving the US district courts exclusive jurisdiction in Utah Territory over all civil and criminal cases. The US district court now had authority to create jury lists, and forbid any current or former polygamists to participate in jury duty as well as balance the members of the jury between members and non-members of the church (source) July 1 – Brigham Young publishes a recollection from 35 years earlier stating that he was the first to receive a revelation on polygamy as early as 1839: “While we were in England, (in 1839 and 40), I think the Lord manifested to me by vision and his Spirit things that I did not then understand. I never opened my mouth to any one concerning them, until I returned to Nauvoo; Joseph had never mentioned this; there had never been a thought of it in the Church that I ever knew anything about at that time, but I had this for myself, and I kept it to myself. And when I returned home, and Joseph revealed those things to me, then I understood the reflections that were upon my mind while in England. But this was not until after I had told him what I understood—this was in 1841. The revelation was given in 1843, but the doctrine was revealed before this” (source) |
| 1876↑ | April – The “Statement on Marriage” is removed from the 1876 Doctrine & Covenants [section 101], which states: “Inasmuch as this Church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication and polygamy, we declare that we believe that one man should have one wife, and one woman but one husband, except in the case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again.” This had been the official law of the church regarding marriage in the 1835 and 1844 editions of the Doctrine & Covenants for over 40 years (source) April – The July 12, 1843 “Revelation on Marriage” is canonized into the Utah LDS scriptures as Doctrine & Covenants section 132. The revelation was first read to the saints 23 years earlier at general conference on August 29, 1852 by Orson Pratt and declared as official doctrine of the church (without a vote of “common consent”) (source) April – D&C 131 is added to the LDS scriptures. This “revelation” is based on nothing but a William Clayton journal entry, later having been altered by the orders of Brigham Young to change the “new and everlasting covenant” to signify marriage (polygamy, in particular), instead of the broken heart and contrite spirit as Jesus taught in the Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 9:17-20). The section reads “In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; and in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage;], and if he does not, he cannot obtain it. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom: he cannot have an increase.” The parenthetical statement “[meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage;]” was added for the 1876 edition of the LDS scriptures. (source, or lack thereof) August 26 – Apostle Orson Pratt states that the saints knew nothing about polygamy prior to 1838-1839’s expulsion from Missouri: “their animals were shot down as you would shoot down wild beasts of the forest, their hay stacks were burned, and their corn fields despoiled, and many of the Saints were also shot dead by the hands of their persecutors. What for? Was it because they had committed crimes that merited this treatment? No, their court records do not show a single instance of our people having broken the laws. Was it polygamy? No, for the principle of plural marriage was not known among us then.” (JD 18:224-225) November 24 – Joseph Smith III publishes Eliza R. Snow’s denial of conceiving a child by Joseph Smith: “If my father had many polygamous wives, why was it that none of these women bore him children? Eliza R. Snow, whom it is said gave birth to a child of his, denies it” (Salt Lake Tribune, Nov. 24, 1876; 4) |
| 1877↑ | March – Eliza R. Snow’s vast compilation of quotes and stories that she compiled is published in “The Women of Mormondom,” a 552-page book highlighting 82 prominant LDS women (mostly the wives of polygamists), with Edward W. Tulidge listed as the official author (source) May 30 – Eliza R. Snow denies being Joseph Smith’s “carnal wife” by stating “You ask, ‘Did he [Joseph Smith] authorize or practice spiritual wifery? Were you a spiritual wife?’ I certainly shall not acknowledge myself of having been a carnal one. … I am personally and intimately acquainted with several ladies now living in Utah who accepted the pure and sacred doctrine of plural marriage, and were the bona fide wives of Pres. Joseph Smith.” Despite her claims of not being a “carnal wife” with Joseph, she never rescinded the story that was often told of her aborting Joseph’s son (miscarriage) when Emma pushed her down the stairs. (personal letter to Daniel Munns, May 30, 1877) August 19 – Brigham Young sits alone in council with Eliza R. Snow for several hours. “After prayers that evening [August 19, 1877] he sat in council with Aunt Eliza R. Snow in the prayer-room…. At 11 o’clock that night he was seized with an attack of what was supposed to be ‘cholera morbus‘” (The Life Story of Brigham Young, 360–361) < August 29 – Eliza R. Snow described as Brigham Young’s favorite wife and most trusted counselor by 2 of Brigham Young’s daughters. Susa stated “Aunt Eliza R. Snow always sat at his right and Aunt Twiss usually sat on his left, where she could serve the meal as necessary. No wife was ever jealous of the seat of honour accorded to Aunt Eliza. Her superior gifts and tender spiritual sympathy endeared her to the wives and children as well as making her a womanly counsellor for father. We all loved and honoured her. The rest of the family had mush and milk (corn meal mush or hominy usually) with plenty of good milk and cheese, bread, fresh fruit, or baked apples or stewed fruits in the season.” Clarissa wrote “She held a most honored place in our household. She always sat on Father’s right at the dinner table and also in the prayer room. He valued her opinion greatly and gave her many important commissions” (The Life Story of Brigham Young, p.331; Brigham Young at Home, p.82-83) August 29 – Brigham Young dies September 30 – Joseph F. Smith states that there was less persecution after polygamy was announced than before it was known among the saints: “…But says one, ‘You have dodged the main question; it is polygamy that causes all the trouble!’ This is the mind of our enemies generally, yet nothing can be more fallacious; those who assert this only expose their ignorance. The fact is that since the announcement and practice of that principle by this people, their persecutions have been comparatively trivial and harmless to what they were, before it was even known to themselves.” (JD 19:197) November 1 – Heber J. Grant marries Lucy Stringham as his 1st lawful wife, who bore him 6 children (source) |
| 1878↑ | May 18 – Joseph Smith III writes “I am not positive nor sure that he [Joseph Smith] is innocent” in regards to polygamy (personal letter to J.J. Barbour) September – Orson Pratt visits Plano, IL to interview Joseph Smith III and see Joseph Smith’s Inspired Version of the New Testament. Joseph Smith III was not home and was unaware of Orson’s visit (source) September 12 – Orson Pratt tells the RLDS congregation in Illinois that in 1832 (46 years earlier) “Lyman Johnson, who was very familiar with Joseph at this early date, Joseph living at his father’s house, and [Lyman] who was also very intimate with me [Orson], we having traveled on several missions together, told me himself that Joseph had made known to him as early as 1831, that plural marriage was a correct principle. Joseph declared to Lyman that God had revealed it to him, but that the time had not come to teach or practice it in the Church, but that the time would come” (source) |
| 1879↑ | February – Emma Smith’s last testimony (2.5 months before her death) published, stating her recollections of 35 years prior that Joseph Smith never once taught, condoned or practiced polygamy throughout his entire life (source) October 6 – Franklin D. Richards states that polygamy was revealed on the banks of the mississippi, making Kirtland (600 miles away from the Mississippi river) an impossible location for the revelation: “It was but a short time after this − stepping along rather rapidly in the history of events − till the doctrine of plurality of wives was revealed to the Saints, away in the West, on the banks of the Mississippi, though not publicly proclaimed until 1852, in Utah.” (JD 20:311) October 22 – Eliza R. Snow publishes rebuttal in the Deseret News in response to Emma’s last testimony refuting Eliza R. Snow’s claims (and denouncing her love for Emma), stating a 35 year recollection: “I once dearly loved ‘Sister Emma,’ and now, for me to believe that she, a once highly honored woman, should have sunk so low, even in her own estimation, as to deny what she knew to be true, seems a palpable absurdity. It is a fact that Sister Emma, of her own free will and choice, gave her husband four wives, two of whom are now living, and ready to testify that she, not only gave them to her husband, but that she taught them the doctrine of plural marriage and urged them to accept it” (source) |
| 1881↑ | May 15 – George Q. Cannon (first presidency) states: “The adversary will not let us alone. The direst persecutions we ever had to suffer, occurred before the doctrine of polygamy was taught or believed in.” (JD 22:373) October 23 – Wilford Woodruff states that persecutions including being driven from Nauvoo came before polygamy was revealed: “‘But,’ says one, ‘it is your polygamy that has created so much trouble with you Mormons.’ Oh, indeed, is it? I will ask, where was polygamy when we were driven from Kirtland and Far West, from Jackson, Van Buren, Clay and Davis Counties, Mo., from Nauvoo, etc., to other places, men and women put to death, houses burned, etc? We suffered more persecution then than we have ever suffered, ten times over, since polygamy was revealed and advocated by the Elders of Israel.” (JD 22:344-345) November 20 – George Q. Cannon states that the harshest trials of the saints came before polygamy was known: “There is a great change. You and I cannot worship God as we desire, without being in danger. We are told that it is because we are polygamists. Why, the earliest privations which we had to contend with, the scenes which are seared in the memories of these aged people, and these of middle age, were all passed through by us when polygamy was not known.” (JD 23:103) |
| 1882↑ | March 23 – President Chester A. Arthur signs into law The Edmunds Act (also called the “Anti-Polygamy Act of 1882“) declaring polygamy a felony in Federal territories, “bigamous” or “unlawful cohabitation” a misdemeanor, prohibits voting, public office, or jury inclusion for those found guilty (source) September 24 – George Q. Cannon (first presidency) states that polygamy was not practiced prior to the saints being driven west to Utah: “So the people had to flee in the depth of winter, and cross the Mississippi into the State of Iowa. Now, whoever heard then of plural marriage? It was not practiced. It was the organization of the people that was objectionable; and so it was afterwards when we were compelled to leave Nauvoo. The mob burned our houses and killed our cattle, and destroyed our grain…” (JD 24:104) |
| 1883↑ | May 5 – Joseph F. Smith marries Alice Ann Kimball (25) as his 4th plural wife, who bore 7 children. She was the daughter of Heber C. Kimball (source) June 18 – John Taylor states that polygamy didn’t exist prior to the Missouri exile in 1838-1839: “We had just been driven out of the State of Missouri, and were in the midst of very hard Times…What did they persecute us for when we had no polygamy? Yet we were driven from our homes, and many of our people…” (JD 24:198-199) September 23 – Charles W. Penrose (first presidency member) states “…for this people called Latter−day Saints, had been driven five times from their homes, because of their religion; not for polygamy, because when they were thus driven, except in the case of Nauvoo, plurality of wives was not a part of their creed. The revelation on plural marriage was given in Nauvoo, July 1843.” (JD 24:310) |
| 1884↑ | January 6 – President Wilford Woodruff publicly promises the saints: “if the patriarchal law of marriage comes from the God of Israel, He will take care of it; He will protect and defend it, and He will uphold the people that carry it out. I say this is in the name of Israel’s God” (source) January 13 – Joseph F. Smith marries Mary Taylor Schwartz (19) as his 5th plural wife, who bore 7 children. She was the niece of John Taylor (source) May 26 – Heber J. Grant marries Augusta Winters as his 1st plural wife, who bore him 1 child. A few years later she fled to New York in an effort to avoid polygamy charges (source) May 27 – Heber J. Grant marries Emily H. Wells as his 2nd plural wife, who bore him 5 children (source) October 5 – George Q. Cannon states that Satan’s opposition to the work of the gospel diminished when the saints adopted polygamy: “For, be it understood…that before the public revelation of plural marriage the opposition to this work was stronger…than it has been since.” (JD 25:322) |
| 1885↑ | February 1 – John Taylor states that there were no allegations of polygamy by the saints’ enemies prior to coming to Utah: “Many of you have been driven from your homes, robbed of your property, dispossessed of your possessions and had to flee from your homes to these mountain valleys, and seek an asylum among the red savages which was denied you by your so−called Christian brethren. Before you came here you were banished from the State of Missouri into the State of Illinois. What for? Because you had the audacity to worship God according to the dictates of your own consciences. I have had to flee from blood−thirsty bandits time and time again. Brother Snow had to do it, and many of you grey−headed men and women have had to do it. What for? Because of polygamy? No, there was no such thing then alleged.” (JD 26:152-153) Fall – Lorenzo Snow (Apostle) convicted by a federal grand jury for three counts of unlawful cohabitation (source) |
| 1886↑ | May 20 – Joseph F. Smith (2nd Counselor, First Presidency) publishes 3rd and 4th hand witnesses of events 42-55 years prior in the Deseret News: “The great and glorious principle of plural marriage was first revealed to Joseph Smith in 1831, but being forbidden to make it public, or to teach it as a doctrine of the Gospel, at that time, he confided the facts to only a very few of his intimate associates… While this doctrine was thus being taught by the Prophet to those whom he could trust—those who had faith, righteousness and integrity, to believe and accept it, with all its consequences (which are no trifling things), it remained an ‘unwritten law‘ and commandment of the Almighty to the faithful only of His Saints, designed to be enlarged as intelligence and fidelity to the laws. Let every Saint know by unimpeachable testimony, as well as by the spirit of inspiration, to which each Saint is entitled, that God Almighty revealed this doctrine to Joseph the martyr.” Joseph F. Smith was born November 1838 and was 5 years old when Joseph was killed. (source) September 27 – John Taylor (President of the LDS church) receives a revelation stating that God will never change his mind about polygamy: “My son John, you have asked me concerning the New and Everlasting Covenant how far it is binding upon my people. Thus saith the Lord: All commandments that I give must be obeyed by those calling themselves by my name unless they are revoked by me or by my authority, and how can I revoke an everlasting covenant, for I the Lord am everlasting and my everlasting covenants cannot be abrogated nor done away with, but they stand forever… I the Lord do not change and my word and my covenants and my law do not, and as I have heretofore said by my servant Joseph: All those who would enter into my glory must and shall obey my law. And have I not commanded men that if they were Abraham’s seed and would enter into my glory, they must do the works of Abraham. I have not revoked this law, nor will I, for it is everlasting, and those who will enter into my glory must obey the conditions thereof; even so, Amen.” The revelation was never canonized or published before the general body of the saints. (source) |
| 1887↑ | March 3 – The Edmunds-Tucker Act (also called the “Anti-Polygamy Act of 1887”) goes into effect and becomes enforced within all US federal territiries, and remains in place until 1978 (source) July 25 – John Taylor dies and Wilford Woodruff becomes interim President of the Church, due to his position as senior apostle and president of the Twelve, until April 7, 1889 (20 months later) when he is formally ordained as such. |
| 1888↑ | May 7 – Wilford Woodruff (President of the Quorum of the Twelve) declares at the dedication of the Manti, UT temple “We are not going to stop the practice of plural marriage until the Coming of the Son of Man.” (Heber J. Grant, Journal, 17 May 1888; John Henry Smith, Diary, 17 May 1888) July 21 – John T. Caine (Utah’s House of Representatives delegate) states “Mr. speaker, there is no longer a possibility of objecting to Mormons on account of polygamy. That is a dead issue. It can not be vitalized.” (John T. Caine to Wilford Woodruff, George Q. Cannon, and Joseph F. Smith, 21 July 1888, Caine Papers, LDS Church Archives) October 5 – Brigham Young Jr. writes in his diary: “Shall we repudiate plural marriage to save the half Million dollars the U.S. has seized and we retain our honor before men, and our integrity to God?” (Diary, 5 Oct. 1888.) December 20 – Wilford Woodruff reads a mysterious document to the Twelve in a council meeting. According to Heber J. Grant’s journal, was a letter “said to have come from Washington, but no name or names were given to it asking them to conform their lives to the Laws of Congress.” He later says “I don’t feel that I owe any apology in presenting this document and I will nowwithdraw it and I don’t want anything said about it.” (Heber J. Grant Journal) December 20 – President Wilford Woodruff presides over a meeting with the Twelve, wherein he stated: “had we yielded to that document every man of us [apostles] would have been under con-demnation before God. The Lord never will give a revelation to abandon plural marriage.” (First Presidency Office Journal, 20 Dec. 1888; also Heber J. Grant Journal) December 20 – Heber J. Grant (apostle) writes “I thank God sincerely for a stopping point in the plan of yielding & compromising [regarding polygamy] that we have been engaged in, of late.” (Heber J. Grant Journal) |
| 1889↑ | April 7 – Wilford Woodruff is made President of the church. September 22 – Wilford Woodruff stops the issue of new plural marriage recommends in the Salt Lake Endowment House (Salt Lake Endowment House Sealing Records) October 2 – Wilford Woodruff stops the issue of new plural marriage recommends in the Logan, UT temple (Logan Temple Polygamous Sealing records) October 13, 20 – Wilford Woodruff states in the New York Herald & Salt Lake Tribune: “I have refused to give any recommendations for the performance of plural marriages since I have been president. I know that President Taylor, my predecessor, also refused. ‘I am confident,’ said the president, ‘that there have been no more plural marriages since I have been in this position, and yet a case has recently occurred which I will say to you I do not understand at all. It is giving us a good deal of trouble. Perhaps you have heard of it?’ The president referred to the Hans Jesperson case… ‘It seems incredible if it is true,’ Woodruff said, ‘It is against all of my instruc-tions. I do not understand it at all. We are looking into it and shall not rest until we get at all the facts. There is no intention on our part to do anything but to obey the law.’ (NY Herald, 13 Oct 1889; SL Tribune, 20 Oct 1889) |
| 1890↑ | May 19 – The Utah LDS church loses Supreme Court case “Late Corp. of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints v. United States” (136 U.S. 1) and the Edmunds–Tucker Act was upheld. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was disincorporated as a result and the US Attorney seized $381,812 in assets from a total estimated $3MM (12.7%) (source) June – The LDS Church’s First Presidency immediately issues memos to church leaders informing them that they are no longer allowed to perform plural marriages in the United States, on threat of losing more money and investment assets to the federal government. September 24 – Wilford Woodruff denounces polygamy in a pres release called “The Manifesto” 4 months after losing the Supreme Court case, being forced to disincorporate the church and having 12.7% of church assets seized. He states: “Inasmuch as laws have been enacted by Congress forbidding plural marriages, which laws have been pronounced constitutional by the court of last resort, I heareby declare my intention to submit to those laws, to use my influence with the members of the Church over which I preside to have them do likewise… And I now publicly declare that my advice to the Latter-day Saints is to refrain from contracting any marriage forbidden by the law of the land” (source) |
| 1891↑ | August 6 – The RLDS Church files a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Western District of Missouri claiming ownership to the Temple Lot, which was under the control of the Temple Lot church |
| 1892↑ | Unknown – The Temple Lot Case (also referred to as “Temple Lot Suit” and formally titled “The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, complainant, v. the Church of Christ at Independence, Missouri“) ensues, disputing ownership of a 63.5 acre piece of real estate in Independence, MO that was purchased by Edward Partridge on December 19, 1831. The RLDS and Utah LDS church furnished many witnesses to testify of the congruency of their churches to the one which purchased the property 1831. (source) Unknown – Wilford Woodruff states under oath 48 years later in the Temple Lot Case “There was no other rule of marriage acknowledged by the church except what is found in the book of Doctrine and Covenants, the 1835 edition” (source) Unknown – Lorenzo Snow states under oath 48 years later in the Temple Lot Case “A man that violated this law in the Doctrine and Covenants, 1835 edition, until the acceptance of that revelation by the church [Aug 29, 1852] violated the law of the church if he practiced plural marriage. Yes sir, he would have been cut off from the church, I think I should have been if I had. Before the giving of that revelation in 1843 if a man married more wives than one who were living at the same time, he would have been cut off from the church. It would have been adultery under the laws of the church and under the laws of the state, too” (source) Unknown – Joseph Kingsbury (who penned the July 12, 1843 revelation that later became D&C 132) states under oath 48 years later in the Temple Lot Case “There was nothing said about whether I had the privilege of taking another woman or not. I never heard anything of that kind in those days either under the laws of the land or under the laws of the church. No one had the privilege under the laws of the church up to 1844, nor under the laws of the United States or in any State up to 1844, to take more wives than one. We did not consider that we had such a privilege at all… I do not remember hearing any minister in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints prior to 1844 in Nauvoo or any other place, preach or teach the doctrine of polygamy, nor in any other place or time prior to 1844; never heard it preached from the stand prior to 1844 at all. I never heard it preached from the pulpit before 1844. I heard it in private conversations as I stated; Bishop [Newell K.] Whitney told me of it before. I did not hear it taught privately to any number of persons prior to 1844. Bishop Whitney told me we had the privilege of having more than one wife” (source) Unknown – Bathsheba Smith (wife of George A. Smith) states under oath 48 years later in the Temple Lot Case “I never heard Joseph Smith teach polygamy, nor did I ever hear him say anything about it, either publicly or privately” (source) Unknown – Cyrus Wheelock states under oath 48 years later in the Temple Lot Case “I never heard Joseph Smith teach the practice of polygamy from the stand; never heard any elder of the church preach it publicly from the stand in Nauvoo, until after the death of Joseph Smith… The law of the church when I became a member (1839) did not teach polygamy. It was that one man should have but one wife, and one woman but one husband… Anybody was liable to be excommunicated or disfellowshipped from the church who attempted to teach the doctrine of plural marriage at that time, up to the death of Joseph Smith” (source) Unknown – Jason W. Briggs states under oath 48 years later in the Temple Lot Case: “The doctrine of the original church from the time it was established up to 1844, when Joseph Smith was killed, was that one man should have one wife, and one woman one husband. It was the one wife doctrine at that time” (source) Unknown – Lyman O. Littlefield states under oath 48 years later in the Temple Lot Case, regarding polygamy: “I never heard Joseph Smith teach it or preach it. I never heard him say anything about it personally or mention it” (source) Unknown – Samuel W. Richards (Willard Richards’s nephew) states under oath 48 years later in the Temple Lot Case: “I do not know anything about the principles of plural marriage, or what is commonly called polygamy, before the death of Joseph Smith, only what was reported to me by other persons… Yes sir, I knew all the time I was there in Nauvoo, from 1842 down to the death of Joseph Smith in 1844, that there was no other system of marriage taught or practiced by the church than that of monogamy” (source) Unknown – John Taylor (not the apostle) states under oath 48 years later in the Temple Lot Case: “I held the position of teacher in the original church from September, 1832, until Joseph Smith’s death in 1844. It was my mission to teach and instruct from the Book of Covenants, and the Book of Mormon, and the New Testament. We went together from house to house and visited every house… It was our duty in case we found anybody with more wives than one to report them to the President of the Teachers’ Quorum. That was the instruction that Brother Hyrum Smith gave in the quorum… During the time that I was a teacher from 1832 up to 1844, there was no rule or law of the original church that permitted the practice or principle of polygamy… Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith never taught polygamy, and there was no revelation on polygamy or celestial marriage, or anything of the kind. The church was governed entirely as a monogamy church from 1832, at the time I became connected with it, up to the time of Joseph Smith’s death” (source) |
| 1893↑ | October 25 – A US congressional resolution authorized the release of $381,812 worth of assets seized from the LDS Church 3 years earlier (May 19, 1890), stating “said church has discontinued the practice of polygamy and no longer encourages or gives countenance to any manner of practices in violation of law, or contrary to good morals or public policy” (source) |
| 1894↑ | March 16 – Judge John F. Phillips writes his final decision in the “Temple Lot Case” concluding that based on several years’ worth of evidence, polygamy was never taught or practiced by the church or by Joseph Smith in Joseph’s lifetime. He stated: “But if it were conceded that Joseph Smith, and Hyrum, his brother, did secretly practice concubinage,- is the church to be charged with those liaisons, and the doctrine of polygamy to be predicated thereon of the church? If so, I suspect the doctrine of polygamy might be Imputed to many of the Gentile churches. Certainly it was never promulgated, taught, nor recognized, as a doctrine of the church prior to the assumption of Brigham Young.” He also accused all the female witnesses (that testified that they were plural wives to Joseph Smith) of bearing false witness and being guilty of “nest hiding.” (source) |
| 1899↑ | June – President Lorenzo Snow claims that 56 years earlier that “There is no man that lives that had a more perfect knowledge of the principle of plural marriage, its holiness and divinity, than what I had. It was revealed to me before the Prophet Joseph Smith explained it to me. I had been on a mission to England between two and three years, and before I left England I was perfectly satisfied in regard to something connected with plural marriage” (source, source) September – Heber J. Grant (apostle) pleads guilty to unlawful cohabitation and pays a $100 fine. No church court held (source September 23 – Heber J. Grant (apostle) bears his last child Francis Marion (Bennett) from his 3rd plural wife Emily H. Wells. Hisplural wives conceived and bore 3 children since the manifesto (source |
| 1904↑ | March – The Reed Smoot hearings begin, which will last for just under 3 years. Senator Reed Smoot (an LDS Apostle and monogamist) was elected to the US Senate, which was met with opposition on charges of him being a polygamist and ““one of a self-perpetuating body of fifteen men who… claim, and by their followers are accorded the right to claim, supreme authority, divinely sanctioned, to shape the belief and control the conduct of those under them in all matters whatsoever, civil and religious, temporal and spiritual.” Hearings were held to determine if he should be allowed to continue as a Senator (source) April 6 – President Joseph F. Smith declares the “Second Manifesto” denouncing polygamy and all participants “I, Joseph F. Smith… hereby announce that all such marriages are prohibited, and if any officer or member of the Church shall assume to solemnize or enter into any such marriage, he will be deemed in transgression against the Church, and will be liable to be dealt with according to the rules and regulations thereof and excommunicated therefrom” (source, source) |
| 1905↑ | April 14 – Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner tells BYU students a 74-year recollection about her dreams and fantasies of being Joseph’s wife (that she had to repent of) for a few years leading up to Joseph Simth being threatened by an angel brandishing a deadly weapon: “He preached polygamy and he not only preached it, but he practiced it. I am a living witness to it. It was given to him before he gave it to the Church. An angel came to him and the last time he came with a drawn sword in his hand and told Joseph if he did not go into that principle, he would slay him. Joseph said he talked to him soberly about it, and told him it was an abomination and quoted scripture to him. He said in the Book of Mormon it was an abomination in the eyes of the Lord, and they were to adhere to these things except the Lord speak. I am the first being that the revelation [D&C 132] was given to him for… in 1834 he was commanded to take me for a Wife, I was a thousand miles from him, he got afraid… I had been dreaming for a number of years I was his wife. I thought I was a great sinner. I prayed to God to take it from me for I felt it was a sin; but when Joseph sent for me he told me all of these things” (source) October 28 – John W. Taylor and Matthias F. Cowley (still active polygamists), submit their resignations as members of the Quorum of the Twelve at the request of President Joseph F. Smith (still an active polygamist – see November 23, 1906) due to political pressure, persecution and public scrutiny following the 2nd manifesto and the Reed Smoot hearings (Taylor source, Cowley source) |
| 1906↑ | May 21 – Joseph F. Smith’s last child Royal Grant Smith is born of his 4th plural wife Mary Taylor Schwartz. This child was conceived 16 months after his “2nd Manifesto” was issued. Since the 1890 manifesto, he bore 13 children from 5 wives, only 2 of which were conceived prior to the Manifesto, totaling 11 post-manifesto conceptions (source) November 23 – Joseph F. Smith goes to trial on charges of “unlawful cohabitation” with 4 women in addition to his lawful wife. He pleads guilty and pays a fine of $300. He wasn’t excommunicated, dispite his warning threat in the 2nd manifesto. 13 months earlier, President Smith forced the resignation of apostles Matthias F. Cowley and John W. Taylor for their continued involvement in polygamy (Deseret Evening News, November 23, 1906) |
| 1907↑ | February 20 – The Reed Smoot hearings end with a vote held. Reed Smoot won the vote and was allowed to continue in the Senate, where he served for 26 more years (source) |
| 1920↑ | Unknown – The Utah LDS Church publishes chapter headings in its new edition of the Book of Mormon (called the “Apostle’s revision”), with Jacob chapter 2 summarized with “Plurality of wives forbidden because of iniquity.” The text calls polygamy a “grosser crime” and “abonimation.” The committee was Elders George F. Richards, Anthony W. Ivins, Joseph Fielding Smith, James E. Talmage, and Melvin J. Ballard. |
| 1925↑ | Unknown – Richard Lyman (apostle) marries Anna Jacobsen Hegsted as his 1st plural wife. They exchanged vows secretly and privately, after his inability to find anyone willing to perform the marriage ceremony (source) |
| 1943↑ | November 12 – Richard Lyman (apostle) excommunicated for “unlawful cohabitation” (practicing polygamy). He was discovered having married Anna Jacobsen Hegsted as his first (and only) plural wife 18 years earlier and had been having ongoing sexual relations with her ever since. At the time, his legal wife Amy B. Lyman, was over the entire church’s Relief Society as the Relief Society General President. He was rebaptized into the Utah LDS Church 11 years later on October 27, 1954 (source) |
| 1978↑ | November 2 – The Edmunds-Tucker Act is repealed, having been in effect for 91 years, since 1887 (source) |
| 1998↑ | September 8 – Gordon B. Hinckley tells Larry King on a nationally-televised interview: “I condemn it [polygamy], yes, as a practice, because I think it is not doctrinal. It is not legal. And this church takes the position that we will abide by the law. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, magistrates in honoring, obeying and sustaining the law” (source) |
| 2005↑ | Fall – DNA researchers Ugo A. Perego, Natalie M. Myres and Scott R. Woodward document their DNA test results that disprove genetic links between Joseph Smith Jr. and 3 of his assumed children from alleged plural marriages: Moroni Llewellyn Pratt (son of Mary Ann Frost, who married Parley P. Pratt), Zebulon Jacobs (son of Zina Diantha Huntington, who married Henry Bailey Jacobs) and Orrison Smith (son of Fanny Alger) (source) |
| 2007↑ | November 10 – DNA researcher Ugo A. Perego reveals test results that prove with “99.9 percent certainty” that both Mosiah Hancock (son of Levi Hancock and Clarissa Reed) and Oliver Buell (son of Norman Buell and Prescindia Huntington) were not the sons of Joseph Smith, as previously reported by many LDS church historians (story, study) |
| 2014↑ | October – The LDS Church publishes “Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo” as one of the official Church Gospel Topics Essays stating: “Fragmentary evidence suggests that Joseph Smith acted on the angel’s first command by marrying a plural wife, Fanny Alger, in Kirtland, Ohio, in the mid-1830s” (source) |
| 2016↑ | June 11 – DNA researcher Ugo A. Perego proves at the Mormon History Association conference that Josephine Lyon (daughter of Sylvia Sessions) was not the daughter of Joseph Smith. Sessions told her daughter in 1882 that she was conceived of Joseph Smith, contrary to the DNA test’s conclusions, which used 55 DNA samples as a control (source) |
| 2018↑ | September 4 – “Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days” volume 1 (subtitled “The Standard of Truth, 1815–1846”) is published, as a 3rd major rewrite of church history into story form, and distributed as a softcover novel and audio series. It was “written by a team of six writers, edited by another team, and reviewed by several historians for accuracy,” although credited to Steven Erastus Snow (general authority and Church historian).
|
| 2020↑ | February 12 – “Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days” volume 2 (subtitled “No Unhallowed Hand: 1846–1893”) is published, as a 3rd major rewrite of church history into story form, and distributed as a softcover novel and audio series. The story omits details of the August 1852 conference wherein Brigham Young declared the polygamy revelation (D&C 132) as the doctrine of the saints. The only passing mention of it was one sentence wherein George Q. Cannon “learned that apostle Orson Pratt had read the revelation on plural marriage to the Saints and preached on it publicly” 3 months after the conference (source, story) May 13 – The Utah Senate votes 29-0 in favor of decriminalizing polygamy, reducing it from a third-degree felony to a minor infraction. Previously, polygamy was punishable as a felony, but the attorney general’s office almost always withheld prosecution except in situations where other crimes were committed (source) |
These pages are works in progress. We are always adding to them as we find new things. If anything is missing or incorrect, please let us know. We will happily add all original source material relevant to the subject.