Joseph Smith’s Polygamy Practice is Indisputable w/ Radio Free Mormon | Ep. 1797

Joseph Smith's Polygamy Practice: Why the Historical Evidence Remains Undisputed

For decades, the question of whether Joseph Smith practiced polygamy seemed settled among serious historians and scholars. Yet in recent years, a resurgent movement within neo-fundamentalist Mormon circles has attempted to resurrect claims that the faith's founder never actually engaged in plural marriage, despite overwhelming documentary evidence to the contrary. Understanding why this question persists, and what the historical record actually demonstrates, matters for anyone seeking clarity about Mormon origins and the reliability of competing historical narratives.

The stakes are higher than academic trivia. At the heart of this debate lies a fundamental question about historical methodology, evidentiary standards, and how we determine truth from the past. When contemporary witnesses, written revelations, affidavits, and personal diaries all point in the same direction, can we honestly dismiss them? Or does ideological commitment require us to reinterpret mountains of evidence to fit a predetermined conclusion?

The Resurgence of Joseph Smith Polygamy Denialism

According to recent discussions on the Mormon Stories Podcast, a growing number of neo-fundamentalist Mormon groups, including followers of Denver Snuffer and other independent Mormon movements, now actively deny that Joseph Smith engaged in polygamy. This represents a dramatic reversal from the mainstream LDS Church's own acknowledgment of Smith's plural marriages, which the institution formally recognized in official essays beginning in 2014.

What makes this denial movement notable is not that it exists, but that it persists despite the volume and variety of available evidence. These groups must somehow account for: Multiple contemporary affidavits from church leaders who witnessed the written Revelation on Plural Marriage Joseph Smith's own documented revelations commanding polygamy Dozens of historical witnesses, including both Smith's wives and church contemporaries Personal diaries and correspondence from the 1830s and 1840s Statements from excommunicated church leaders who explicitly cited Smith's polygamy as grounds for separation