Did Joseph Smith Have Multiple Wives? Historical Facts

LDS Perspective

Yes, Joseph Smith, the first prophet and founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, did have multiple wives. This practice, known as plural marriage, was a part of the early history of the Church and was introduced by Joseph Smith through revelation. Evidence suggests that Joseph married several women during his lifetime, and these marriages were performed with the intent to establish a principle of faith as they understood it. The principle of plural marriage was revealed to Joseph Smith as part of a larger set of doctrinal truths related to eternal marriage and was later codified in Doctrine and Covenants section 132. This revelation detailed the eternal nature of marriage and the conditions under which plural marriage was to be practiced. Joseph Smith's participation i

Historical Perspective

Yes, Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, had multiple wives. Historical research has identified several women whom Smith married in addition to his first wife, Emma Hale Smith. The practice began in the mid-1830s in Kirtland, Ohio, when Joseph Smith reportedly entered into a marriage with Fanny Alger, believed to be his first plural wife. This relationship was kept secret from the public and from Emma Smith initially. The nature and legitimacy of this marriage have been subject to considerable historical debate, but several accounts, including Oliver Cowdery's, referred to it in negative terms, suggesting it was controversial even among his contemporaries (Source: MormonThink, CES Letter). Throughout the 1840s, Joseph Smith entered into additional plural marriages.