Posted by:
randyj
(
)
Date: October 28, 2014 07:29PM
The following is dialogue from one of my old posts from alt.religion.mormon, wherein a TBM asserted that there were false accusations in the "Nauvoo Expositor" which destroyed its credibility. The TBM wrote:
>It presented a scenario where foreign girls were being brought over to become
"spiritual wives" of Smith and implied that sex was involved. That part was
pure fabrication.
I responded:
The 'Expositor' publishers drew their information partly from the account of
Miss Martha Brotherton, who was a recent convert from England. Insulted by the
proposition of illicit secret marriage to Brigham Young, she quickly left
Nauvoo and published her experience with Smith and Young in the 'St. Louis
Bulletin' on July 15, 1842, nearly two years before the publication of the
'Expositor.'
(Brigham Young retaliated by swearing an affidavit stating that Brotherton was
a liar, and that there was no such secret marriage practice in Mormonism. The
later admission of polygamy proved Young to be a swearer of a false legal
affidavit. Another example of a Mormon "lying for the Lord.")
Sex was undoubtedly to be an aspect of said proposed plural marriage, as the
offended Brotherton wrote that Young asked for a kiss from her even before she
would give him a decision on his indecent proposal.
Also, since sex and procreation was a major justification for Smith's plural
marriage practice, (as I've documented for you numerous times), it's highly
disingenuous to argue that sex would not be expected in said relationships. If
Mormon polygamy had not included sexual relations, it would have never been a
scandal to begin with. It would have merely been viewed as an odd religious
ritual, like other Mormon temple rites, but not illicit.
Another example of a 'foreign woman being brought from overseas for sex' (as
you put it), comes from Smith's close follower and secretary, William Clayton:
"During this period the Prophet Joseph frequently visited my house in my
company, and became well acquainted with my wife Ruth, to whom I had been
married five years. One day in the month of February, 1843, date not
remembered, the Prophet invited me to walk with him. During our walk, he said
he had learned that there was a sister back in England, to whom I was very much
attached. I replied there was, but nothing further than an attachment such as a
brother and sister in the Church might rightfully entertain for each other. He
then said, ``Why don't you send for her?'' I replied, ``In the first place, I
have no authority to send for her, and if I had, I have not the means to pay
expenses.'' To this he answered, ``I give you authority to send for her, and I
will furnish you with means,'' which he did. This was the first time the
Prophet Joseph talked with me on the subject of plural marriage. He informed me
that the doctrine and principle was right in the sight of our Heavenly Father,
and that it was a doctrine which pertained to celestial order and glory. After
giving me lengthy instructions and information concerning the doctrine of
celestial or plural marriage, he concluded his remarks by the words, ``It is
your privilege to have all the wives you want.'' After this introduction, our
conversations on the subject of plural marriage were very frequent, and he
appeared to take particular pains to inform and instruct me in respect to the
principle. He also informed me that he
had other wives living besides his first wife Emma, and in particular
gave me to understand that Eliza R. Snow, Louisa Beman, Desdemona W. Fullmer
and others were his lawful wives in the sight of Heaven."
Note that Smith suggested that Clayton send for the woman from England, and
that Smith paid for her passage. That not only demonstrates that women were
imported from overseas, as the 'Expositor' asserted, but also that Smith
himself acted as a "panderer," by paying her passage.
Note also that Clayton names three of Smith's own 'plural wives' whom Bennett
had also named in his 1842 expose. Of course, Smith still publicly denied
polygamy, even duplicitously asserting that Bennett had been its instigator; as
late as May 26, 1844 (a month before his death), he boldly proclaimed, "What a
thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven
wives, when I can find only one." Not only did Smith deny the practice; his
denial carried with it an implied admission that such a practice was immoral.
That should indicate to rational thinkers that Smith himself knew that polygamy
was no "revelation from God."
Clayton then writes:
"On the 27th of April, 1843, the Prophet Joseph Smith married to me
Margaret Moon, for time and eternity, at the residence of Elder Heber C.
Kimball
In April, 1843, he /Joseph Smith/ sealed to me my second wife, my
first wife being then living."
Even though Clayton's "three-way" marriage was rocky, he recorded that Moon
bore him a child only ten months later:
"18 February 1844, Sunday
Sunday 18th. About 12 A.M. M began to be sick and continued to grow worse
until 5 o clock when she was delivered of a son. She did remarkably well for
which I thank my heavenly father. Mother attended her. I was at home all day.
M. seems to do very well"
Since Clayton's English "plural wife" bore him a son, it is obvious that women
converts who came to Nauvoo from overseas were expected to be involved in
sexual relations, whether you wish to believe that "plural marriage" was a
correct practice or not. Therefore, the 'Expositor's' allegation was accurate.
End quotes from my old ARM post. The fact that William Clayton, ***WITH JOSEPH SMITH'S FULL APPROVAL***, plural married a woman and impregnated her ***DURING JOSEPH SMITH'S LIFETIME*** clearly indicates that sex and procreation was a routine, expected aspect of polygamy from the very beginning. Thus, it's disingenuous for TBMs to posit that Smith himself didn't have sex with his plural wives, when his own close friend and personal secretary William Clayton was.