Mormon Polygamy Apologetics w/ Sandra Tanner Pt. 1 | Ep. 1555

How Mormon Scholars Defend Polygamy: Examining the Arguments Against Historical Evidence

When the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints publicly disavowed polygamy in 1890, it marked a definitive break from a practice that had shaped early Mormon theology and community life for decades. Yet more than a century later, questions about how and why the practice began, and how the faith's foundational figures justified it, remain contested terrain. A recent Mormon Stories Podcast episode featuring historian Sandra Tanner offers a rare opportunity to examine the competing narratives: the official church position versus what historical documents actually reveal. Understanding these apologetic arguments matters not only to members grappling with their faith history, but to anyone interested in how religious institutions reconcile inconvenient past practices with present doctrine.

The tension is stark. According to Mormon polygamy apologetics, the theological arguments used to defend or explain the practice, plural marriage was a revealed principle tied to the restoration of ancient covenants. Yet contemporaneous records suggest a more complicated reality: secret marriages, concealment from church members and legal authorities, and doctrinal frameworks constructed retroactively to justify what Joseph Smith was already doing.

The Timing Problem: Revelation and Reality

The official church position places Section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants, the revelation authorizing plural marriage, as recorded in 1843. A subtle but crucial qualifier: recorded, not revealed. The section's own introduction acknowledges that "evidence indicates that some of the principles involved in this revelation were known by the prophet as early as 1831."

This phrasing masks a fundamental credibility issue. According to Mormon Stories, by the time Section 132 was formally documented, Joseph Smith had already: Had an undocumented relationship with Fanny Alger (circa 1835) Practiced plural sealing with dozens of women without Emma's knowledge Engaged in these activities before the "sealing power" was allegedly restored Hidden the entire practice from the general church membership