Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith married underage girls #mormon #lds #polygamy

Joseph Smith's Marriages to Underage Girls: What the Historical Record Shows

For decades, the narrative surrounding Joseph Smith in mainstream LDS discourse emphasized his suffering, persecution, imprisonment, and violent attacks, as proof of his prophetic calling. But in recent years, historians and former members have raised difficult questions about Smith's personal conduct that challenge this sanitized version of history. Specifically, documented evidence shows that Joseph Smith married at least a dozen girls under the age of eighteen, with some sources indicating marriages to children as young as fourteen. This reality has prompted a profound reassessment among many members, transforming how some view the Church's founding prophet, from spiritual leader to a figure whose actions warrant serious moral scrutiny.

Understanding the Historical Context of Early Mormon Polygamy

Joseph Smith introduced polygamy, or "plural marriage", to the LDS Church around 1831, though the practice remained officially secret until 1852. Historical records compiled by researchers, including those discussed on the Mormon Stories podcast, indicate that Smith married approximately 34 women during his lifetime. What distinguishes many of these unions from standard historical polygamy is not merely their number, but the age disparity involved.

The Church's own historical records, eventually published in the Joseph Smith Papers project, document these marriages. Unlike earlier Church narratives that largely omitted these details, scholars now have access to contemporaneous accounts, affidavits from Smith's wives, and documentation that provides a clearer picture of Smith's matrimonial practices.

What the Documentary Record Actually Shows