When the LDS Historian’s Office writes about history they are prone to both troubling equivocation and unjustified dogmatism. They do not, however, make forthright admissions about how little evidence exists for some traditions. In the recent Joseph Smith Papers, Documents Vol. 8, the following is in the Introduction:

“Another, more controversial doctrine that developed in 1841 was plural marriage. Although no documents in this volume will address it, later documents attest that Joseph Smith married two plural wives during the months covered in this volume. Joseph Smith’s understanding of plural marriage seems to have developed over time, perhaps beginning as early as 1831 in Kirtland. There is evidence that Smith began discussing with close associates some form of plural marriage in the early 1830s and that he first married a plural wife, Fanny Alger, sometime in the mid-1830s. However, Smith did not begin practicing it extensively until the church was headquartered in Nauvoo. It appears that plural marriage was part of a broader restoration of Old Testament concepts and practices that included covenants, priesthoods, and temples. Although he had already been married to his wife Emma for fourteen years, Joseph Smith privately married Louisa Beman on 5 April 1841 and Zina Huntington Jacobs on 27 October 1841.” JSP Documents, Vol. 8, February – November 1841, emphasis added.

There are no contemporary documents that definitively address this. No talks, no letters, no evidence traceable to Joseph Smith. They write there “seems to have” “perhaps” been something “sometime” earlier and “it appears” something may have been afoot. All ambiguous language, and yet, this ambiguity is followed by the absolute, clear, unequivocal assertion regarding two 1841 plural marriages.

For the statement about these two 1841 marriages, footnote 84 on page xxxiii cites to the affidavit book Joseph F. Smith gathered in 1869. Both affidavits were signed 28 years after these purported marriages took place.

In the Chronology for the book, on page 397, the entry for April 5, 1841 states Joseph B. Noble sealed Joseph to Beman. On page 399, the entry for October 27, 1841 states Demick Huntington sealed Joseph to Jacobs. The support for these entries is footnote 84 on page xxxiii.

They should have omitted any mention about a subject for which there is no contemporary proof. Instead, they make assumptions based on affidavits composed twenty-eight year later. Those affidavits were written while there were pending legal issues threatening to imprison LDS leaders and confiscate LDS church property. It would be better to remain silent, rather than advocate as a reliable fact what is dubious at best.

Why not admit there is no contemporary proof? Why not say nothing at the time proved Joseph entered into either of these purported marriages? Why not say that twenty-eight years later two women in Utah signed affidavits while lawsuits were pending and threatened? That would be a better telling of the history.

When Christ taught, many did not believe Him. In fact, He was not worthy of their notice. The people were devoted to the Sanhedrin, the Chief Priests, Rabbis, the Pharisee and Sadducee leaders. The only notice most of the religious people took of Christ was to regard Him as a troublemaker.

Christ did not make the effort to be understood by the leading religious figures. Instead, He obscured His teachings, which prevented the leaders from awakening to His message. This caused the disciples to inquire why He did not make it easier for them to recognize and accept Him as the Messiah.

NC Matt. 7:2-3: “Then the disciples came and said unto him, Why do you speak unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given; for whoever receives, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance. But whoever continues not to receive, from him shall be taken away even that he has. Therefore, I speak to them in parables because they seeing, see not, and hearing, they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning them, which says, By hearing you shall hear and shall not understand, and seeing you shall see and shall not perceive; for this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their hearts, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. And blessed are you because these things have come unto you that you might understand them. And truly I say unto you, many righteous prophets have desired to see these days which you see, and have not seen them, and to hear that which you hear, and have not heard.”

When the Lord begins a new dispensation, anyone can recognize Christ’s “strange act,” and only a few ever do. Why doesn’t Christ make the effort to assure that everyone “sees” and “hears?” Why does Christ accept the reality that only a few will ever “understand?” If you want to be “healed,” what obligation does that impose on you?

The greatest irony of all is that “many righteous prophets have desired to see” the historic moments when the Lord’s great work takes place, but the religious people who live in those moments ignore it. They lack eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to understand.

This never changes. The test is underway, and it is no different than the test the Lord always requires mankind to take. Few there be who pass it.

A talk I gave in Montgomery Alabama is now available for anyone interested to hear on the Christian Reformation website. The talk is linked below:

8th Address to Christians

Today is the anniversary of the deaths of Hyrum and Joseph Smith. It comes at the annual cycle when light begins to dim. A great eclipse of light happened on that day. What was left has proven inadequate to allow the restoration to be completed.

We are now 175 years past that tragedy. Between that day and today fools, knaves, pretenders, and ambitious men have rushed forward offering themselves as replacement “prophets, seers, revelators, translators, presidents and God’s spokesmen.” But reviving the restoration requires more than vanity and self-proclaiming profiteers.

Even in the most successful organizations that exploit the name and memory of Hyrum and Joseph it should be apparent that something absolutely necessary was gone when the two brothers were slain. Yet fortunes continue to accumulate and abuse of one another spreads wide and far among the pseudo-followers of Hyrum and Joseph Smith.

Joseph’s last dream of a dilapidated and neglected farm he would no longer claim has surely come to pass. Angry men with “knives” in hand certainly now fight over it.

Truer words were never spoken than when Joseph declared to the Nauvoo crowd they never knew him. The descendants of that group share in that first generation’s ignorance of that man.

Joseph was an honorable, honest and virtuous man to whom the pure in heart, wise, noble and virtuous seek constantly for counsel, authority and blessings. Only fools hold him in derision.

A Conference for youth ages 12-18 is planned for August 3-4. Information and registration is available here:

Be Ye Kind.

The Conference theme is taken from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice; and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even for Christ’s sake God hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 1:12)

The Restoration Conference held last weekend was very good. I thought every talk was worth hearing. It was well attended, and everyone who was able to participate gained something.

The Conference proceedings are now available on YouTube at these links: Morning Session talks. Afternoon Session talks.

For anyone who missed the Conference, these links allow you to view the proceedings.

75 years ago the Allies opened a northern assault on the Third Reich on the beaches of Normandy, France. Thousands died during the early hours of the effort. Stepping over the bodies of fallen comrades, the Allied forces pressed forward against entrenched Nazi positions. Those violent 24 hours changed the course of the Second World War and the course of history. It was accomplished by ordinary men, fighting against their fears and desire to live, who committed to do their duty no matter the price.

My father was among those who landed on Omaha Beach that morning. Each June 6th my thoughts turn to him and that perilous day now 75 years behind us. I am grateful to him and all his comrades who defeated the great evil of that day. They preserved the freedom we now enjoy. The events on that date should never be forgotten.

John the Baptist went before Christ and he baptized those who believed his message. Because the Jews were already baptizing, John’s ordinance seemed unnecessary. The Pharisees took offense because they thought their form of baptism was sufficient to provide salvation. But Christ taught that any time a new dispensation of the gospel commences, the obligation to be baptized into that dispensation is required by heaven.

NC Matt. 4:10: “Then said the Pharisees unto him, Why will you not receive us with our baptism, seeing we keep the whole law? But Jesus said unto them, You keep not the law. If you had kept the law, you would have received me, for I am he that gave the law. I receive not you with your baptism because it profits you nothing, for when that which is new has come, the old is about to be put away; for no man puts a piece of new cloth on an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up takes from the garment, and the rent is made worse. Neither do men put new wine into old bottles, else the bottles break, and the wine runs out, and the bottles perish. But they put new wine into new bottles and both are preserved.”

When a new dispensation has begun, like now, baptism is required. This is the only way you can demonstrate that you “hear His voice” and are willing to heed His word. This is why rebaptism was taking place in Christ’s day. Anyone anyplace in the world can make arrangements to be baptized through the website bornofwater.org

On Saturday, June 8th at the Boise State University Student Union Building another Restoration Conference will take place. Speakers will come from various “Restoration” groups/denominations. This is the second year for this conference.

All are invited. The purpose is not to evangelize or convert attendees, but rather to understand one another and seek common ground. As part of the event participants will also worship through hymns and music, and are invited to a fellowshipping potluck dinner after the conference at a local park.

The room for the event is the Simplot Ballroom in the Student Union Building, beginning at 10 am.