49. 15-17. The Lord is "of purer eyes than to behold evil, and can not
look upon iniquity;" _Hab_. 1. 13; and says, that "A bastard shall not
enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to his tenth generation;"
_Deut_. 23. 2. Yet the patriarchs of the twelve tribes of Israel were
the sons of four wives of Jacob; _Gen_. 35. 22-26.
Joseph, the first son of Rachel, the second wife of Jacob, received
especial blessings; _Gen_. 49. 22-26. The Lord called to Samuel, the
son of a polygamous father; 1 _Sam_. 3. 4-14. Solomon was the son of a
polygamist, yet he was a child of promise; 1 _Chron_. 22. 9, 10. Jesus
Christ was descended from David through Solomon the son of her who had
been the wife of Uriah; _Matt_. 1. 1-17.
The Lord said to Isaiah, "Lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my
people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sins;" 58. 1.
This commission was to be faithfully executed; _Ezek_. 3. 18. Polygamy
was common in the Jewish nation, yet none of the prophets reproved
them for it; but they were sharply reproved for adultery, whoredom,
fornication, and other sins; _Jer_. 5. 7, 8, 23. _Ezek_. 22. _Chap_.
23. 36-44.
History evidences that plurality of wives was generally customary among
the nations of Asia, yet it is not condemned in any of the epistles of
the apostles, nor does John the Revelator mention it in the letters he
was commanded to write to the seven churches of Asia.
Paul mentions nearly every crime, in 1 _Cor_. 6. 9, 10, but, says
nothing about plurality of wives. Every species of commerce between
the sexes, outside of marriage, is often mentioned in the scriptures
as crime, but plural marriage is never, except on the part of the
woman, who is forbidden to marry another man during the lifetime of her
husband; _Rom_. 7. 3.
Had plurality of wives been sinful in man, the inference is reasonable
that it would have been equally condemned. Although plural marriage was
customary in the days of the patriarchs, some assert that it was done
away in Christ. This would seem very inconsistent when he himself was
of a polygamous lineage. He was born and filled his earthly mission
among a polygamous people, yet, he never reproved them for their plural
marriages. There is nothing in the inspired writings to infer that he
reproved or did away with either polygamy or monogamy. The following is
from the Book of Mormon on this subject: The Lord, through dreams and
visions and the ministry of angels, directed a Jewish prophet by the
name of Lehi, to leave Jerusalem, 600 years B. C., with his family and
others, for the purpose of colonizing America.
It was then a dark period in the history of Israel, as is evident from
the Bible history of the times, and from the opening chapters of the
Book of Mormon.
The brilliant reign of Solomon had deeply planted in Israel the sins
of idolatry and sexual wickedness. His reign was the pride of Israel,
and its effects were deep and lasting. It hastened the destruction of
the ten tribes, as a people, some one hundred and twenty years before
the exodus of Lehi, and at that time was about to culminate in the
destruction of Jerusalem and in the Babylonish captivity.
With all his wisdom, Solomon had disobeyed two very important
commandments, one especially to the kings of Israel: "Neither shall he
multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away;" _Deut_. 17.
17. The other was to all Israel, that they should not marry into the
idolatrous nations around them: "Neither shalt thou make marriages with
them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter
shalt thou take unto thy son;" _Deut_. 7. 3. _Ezra_, _chapters_ 9. 10.
Through disobedience to these injunctions, his heart had turned away
from the Lord, and he had been led into idolatry and wickedness. At
his death he not only left the influence of his personal example, but,
also, a numerous family who, from their great wealth and high social
position, must have exercised a powerful and lasting influence for
evil, which, with other causes, resulted, in less than three hundred
years, in the scattering of the ten tribes among the nations of Asia,
and the occupation of their country by strangers, and in less than four
hundred years, in the destruction of Jerusalem, and in the Babylonish
captivity.
The sexual wickedness which had become prevalent in Israel, and the
consequent abuse of the marriage relations, was, evidently, the reason
why the Lord commanded that the children of Lehi should have but one
wife, for he said to the Nephites, through his prophet Jacob, "This
people begin to wax in iniquity; they understand not the scriptures;
for they seek to excuse themselves in committing whoredoms, because of
the things which were written concerning David, and Solomon his son;"
2. 23.
That is, they excused themselves with the example of these kings for
breaking the special command of God to them, that they should have
but one wife, and like those eminent persons, ran into excess and
wickedness, as their fathers had done before them.
To neutralize the evil effects of the bad example of their fathers was
evidently the reason why the Lord commanded the Nephites, "For there
shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he
shall have none;" _verse_ 27. Plural marriage would have been whoredom
to the Nephites, because the Lord had forbidden it.
That the prophet Jacob foresaw, prophetically, that at some future
period this restriction would be taken off is evident from _verse_ 30,
"For if I will, saith the Lord of hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will
command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things."
That is, they were required to limit themselves to one wife, until the
Lord should order it otherwise, and by implication, when he instructed
them to take more than one wife, it would be justifiable.
In the thirty-first verse the Lord gives a reason for forbidding plural
marriage among the Nephites, "For behold, I, the Lord, have seen the
sorrow, and heard the mourning of the daughters of my people in the
land of Jerusalem; yea, and in all the lands of my people, because of
the wickedness and abominations of their husbands."
These teachings of the prophet Jacob cannot be presumed, even by
opposers of plural marriage, to do away with the tenor of the Jewish
Scriptures, for we are informed in 2 _Nephi_ 3. 12, that the record of
the Jews and of the Nephites, should grow together unto the confounding
of false doctrine in the latter-days.
The prophet Jacob could not have intended to condemn a principle
on which is based the legitimacy of our Savior, of prophets and
patriarchs, and indeed of the whole house of Israel. The words
"multiply," and "greatly," in _Deut_. 17. 17, evidently imply excess
and unreasonable indulgence, as in the case of David and Uriah, and in
taking strange women, as in the case of Solomon.
The absurdity of the argument that these passages imply that a man
should have but one wife, is evident from the previous verse, that the
kings of Israel should "not multiply horses to themselves." No one
would be so unreasonable as to suppose that the Lord designed to limit
the kings of Israel to one horse.
The Lord gave Joseph Smith a very important revelation on this
subject. It is contained in _Sec_. 132, _Doc. & Cov_. It is entitled
a "Revelation on the Eternity of the Marriage Covenant, Including
Plurality of Wives."
It commences by stating that the prophet Joseph Smith, Jun., inquired
of the Lord, how it was that his servants anciently were justified in
having many wives and concubines. The Lord did not answer his question
at once, but tells him, in the third verse, to prepare his heart to
receive and obey the instructions he was about to give him.
In the fourth verse the Lord said to him, "I reveal unto you a new
and an everlasting covenant." We find the general principle involved
in that covenant, directly stated in the seventh, thirteenth and
fourteenth verses:
"And verily I say unto you, that the conditions of this law are
these:--All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows,
performances, connections, associations, or expectations, that are not
made, and entered into, and sealed, by the Holy Spirit of promise, of
him who is anointed, both as well for time and for all eternity, and
that too most holy, by revelation and commandment through the medium of
mine anointed, whom I have appointed on the earth to hold this power,
(and I have appointed unto my servant Joseph to hold this power in the
last days, and there is never but one on the earth at a time, on whom
this power and the Keys of this Priesthood are conferred,) are of no
efficacy, virtue or force, in and after the resurrection from the dead;
for all contracts that are not made unto this end, have an end when men
are dead. * * * * And everything that is in the world, whether it be
ordained of men, by thrones, or principalities, or powers, or things
of name, whatsoever they may be, that are not by me, or by my word,
saith the Lord, shall be thrown down, and shall not remain after men
are dead, neither in nor after the resurrection, saith the Lord your
God; for whatsoever things remain, are by me; and whatsoever things are
not by me, shall be shaken and destroyed." We find a direct application
of this law to the marriage relations in _verses_ 15 and 19: "If a man
marry him a wife in the world, and he marry her not by me, nor by my
word; and he covenant with her so long as he is in the world, and she
with him, their covenant and marriage are not of force when they are
dead, and when they are out of the world; therefore, they are not bound
by any law when they are out of the world. * * * And again, verily I
say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and
by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by
the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have
appointed this power, and the keys of this Priesthood; and it shall
be said unto them, ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and
if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and
shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions,
all heights and depths--then shall it be written in the Lamb's Book of
Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood,
and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed
innocent blood, it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever
my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity,
and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they
shall pass by the angels, and the Gods, which are set there, to their
exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their
heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds
forever and ever."
The above quotations evidence, that only those who comply with the law
will continue in the marriage relations after death; consequently only
those who comply with the law can expect a continuation of posterity
in the world to come, and the consequent glory and power pertaining to
that condition.
The law of the Lord is very plain on this subject. Who can question his
right to dictate the marriages of his sons and daughters, that they and
their generations may be fitted for his presence?
In _verse_ 29, the Lord begins to answer the question in the first
verse: "Abraham received all things, whatsoever he received, by
revelation and commandment." "God commanded Abraham, and Sarah gave
Hagar to Abraham to wife;" _verse_ 34. That is, God commanded Abraham
to receive Hagar and commanded his already covenant wife to give her
handmaid to him. "And why did she do it? Because this was the law."
The reason why Abraham was not under condemnation, is very forcibly
expressed in the latter part of _verse_ 35: "For I, the Lord, commanded
it." In _verses_ 36-39, the principle is well elucidated, that, in
nothing did the ancients sin except in things which they received not
of God.
In _verse_ 40, the Lord says to Joseph, the Seer: "I gave unto thee, my
servant Joseph, an appointment, and restore all things." And from the
tenor of the Revelation, "all things" must include plurality of wives
and the eternity of the marriage covenant.
This subject may be readily summed up as follows: If a man has a wife
in the world to come, she will be a gift from the Lord, through the
covenants he has ordained, and that man is justifiable in receiving all
the wives the Lord sees fit to give him, through the authority he has
appointed on the earth.
Many elders of the Latter-day Saints have been commanded, as was
Abraham, to enter into plural marriage, and disobedience becomes
transgression. Hence it involves a religious principle, and becomes a
matter of conscience. "Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart,
and shalt cleave unto her and none else;" _Doc. & Cov_. 42. 22, is
sometimes referred to as an argument against plural marriage.
If it would admit of this construction, it would not be valid as an
argument, from the fact, that the revelation of which it forms a
part was given previous to that on the plurality and eternity of the
marriage relations, and consequently, before the church was prepared
to receive such a revelation. It evidently admits of the construction,
that a man may have more than one wife, and yet cleave to none but his
wife. That is, it forbids all sexual commerce outside of the marriage
covenant.
Bible.
_Gen_. 16. 1, 2, 3 Sarai gave Hagar to Abraham.
15 Hagar bare Abraham a son.
20. 17 the Lord healed the wife and maidservants of Abimelech.
36. 2 Esau took wives of the daughters of Canaan.
38. 8 Judah said to Onan, go in unto thy brother's wife.
_Exo_. 2. 21 Moses married Zipporah, daughter of the priest of Midian.
21. 10 and if he take him another wife.
_Num_. 12. 1 Moses married an Ethiopian woman.
_Judges_ 7. Gideon delivered Israel from bondage through the favor of
God.
8. 30 Gideon had three score and ten sons and many wives.
9. 5 Jerubbaal had seventy sons.
10. 3, 4 Jair, a judge in Israel, had thirty sons.
12. 13, 14 Abdon, a judge in Israel, had forty sons.
2 _Sam_. 19. 5 and the lives of thy wives and the lives of thy
concubines.
1 _Kings_ 8. 10, 11 the glory of the Lord filled the house.
9. 3 the Lord told Solomon that his prayer was answered.
20. 7 for he sent unto me for my wives.
1 _Chron_. 4. 5 Ashur, the father of Tekoa, had two wives.
7. 4 for they had many wives and sons.
8. 8 Shaharaim had two wives.
2 _Chron_. 11. 21 Rehoboam had eighteen wives and three score
concubines.
13. 21 Abijah married fourteen wives.
24. 3 Jehoiada, the priest of God, took two wives.
_Psalm_ 45. 9 king's daughters were among thy honorable women.
_Isa_. 4. 1 in that day seven women shall take hold of one man.
_Hos_. 1. 2 go take thee a wife of whoredoms.
_See Sermon by O. Pratt, J. of D., Vol. 1, page 53_.
" " _B. Young, " " 1, " 112_.
" " _O. Hyde, " " 2, " 75_.
_See Sermon by B. Young, " " 2, " 88_.
" " " " " _3, " 264_.
" " _O. Pratt, " " 6, " 349_.
" " _Geo. A. Smith, " " 13, " 37_.
" " _O. Pratt, " " 13, " 183_.
" " _G. Q. Cannon, " " 13, " 197_.
_Article, by P. P. Pratt, Mil. Star, Vol. 5, page 189_.
_History of Marriage among the Jews, Mil. Star, Vol. 13, pages 263,
282, 296, 316, 324, 350, 365, 377_.
_Milton on Polygamy, Mil. Star, Vol. 16, pages 321, 342_.
_Article, "Marriage Ritual of the Church of England," by J. A. Little,
Mil. Star, Vol. 18, page 177_.
_Address by P. P. Pratt, before joint session of Utah Legislature, Mil.
Star, Vol. 18, page 337_.
_History of J. Smith, May 16, 1843_.
_A pamphlet entitled, "On Marriage," by John Taylor_.
CONCUBINES.
A concubine "In scripture signifies a wife of the second rank, who was
inferior to the matron, or mistress of the house.
"The chief wives differed from the concubines in that they were taken
into covenant with their husband by solemn stipulation, and with
consent and rejoicing of friends.
"They brought with them dowries to their husbands. They had the
government of their families under and with their husbands. The
inheritance belonged to the children brought forth by them.
"Though the children of the concubines did not inherit their father's
estate, yet the father in his life time provided for them, and made
presents to them:
_Thus_ Sarah _was_ Abraham's _wife of whom_ he _had_ Isaac, _the heir
of all his wealth_. _But he had besides two_ concubines, namely, Hagar
_and_ Keturah; _of these he had children, whom he distinguished from_
Isaac, _and made_ presents to them;" (_see Concubine, Cru. Concor_.)
Although Hagar is considered a concubine in the above quotation, yet,
according to Cruden's definition, she was a wife of the second degree.
She is nowhere called a concubine in the scripture, but emphatically a
wife.
"And Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, * * and
gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife;" _Gen_. 16. 3. That this
condition of wifehood did not change the former relations of mistress
and servant, between Sarai and Hagar, is evident from _verse_ 9. The
angel said to Hagar, "Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under
her hands."
That Keturah was Abraham's wife is evident from the fact, that she
is called his wife in _Gen_. 25. 1: and that she was also called his
concubine, appears from 1 _Chron_. 1. 32. That concubine and wife were
synonymous terms, further appears from the declaration of Nathan, the
prophet, to David, "I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give
_them_ unto thy neighbor, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight
of this sun;" 2 _Sam_. 12. 11. In the account of the fulfilment of this
prophecy, these wives are called concubines. "And Absalom went in unto
his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel;" 16. 22.
The Nephites, whose ancestors colonized America 600 years before
Christ, did not forget the custom of their Jewish fathers; for when
they broke the special commandment of the Lord to them, by taking more
than one wife, they also added concubines; _Mos_. 11. 2-4.
This custom of taking wives and concubines prevailed among the
Jaredites, whose ancestors emigrated to North America from the tower
of Babel. It appears to have been abused by a wicked king, called
Riplakish, who reigned some 1500 years before Christ; _Ether_ 10. 5.
From both the Bible and Book of Mormon, it appears that the custom of
taking a plurality of wives and concubines prevailed at a very early
period after the flood. It was, however, of antediluvian origin:
"And Lamech took unto himself two wives, Adah and Zillah;" _Gen_. 4.
19. he lived before the flood. It is evident from the "Revelation
on the Eternity of the Marriage Covenant," that the Lord anciently
gave concubines to good men, as wives, and that only the custom of
the country discriminated between them and others: "Abraham received
concubines, and they bare him children, and it was accounted unto him
for righteousness, because they were given unto him;" _Doc. & Cov_.
132. 37. "David's wives and concubines were given unto him, of me, by
the hand of Nathan, my servant, and others of the prophets who had the
keys of this power; and in none of these things did he sin against me,
save in the case of Uriah and his wife;" _verse_ 39.
We cannot presume that the Lord ever gave women to these men under
any title, except for the noble purpose of parentage. Concubinage is
unknown among the Latter-day Saints. Wifehood, in the fullest sense of
the word, is conferred by the marriage covenant. All a man's children
are his legitimate heirs, both by law and custom.
FOREORDINATION--ELECTION.
"Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world;"
_Acts_ 15. 18.
The knowledge that we have of the beginning of the world is principally
derived from the history of its creation in the Bible Genesis, and in
the writings of Moses and of Abraham, as given in _P. of G. P., pages_
4-7, and 32-36.
Abraham says, "Now the Lord had shewn unto me, Abraham, the
intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all
these there were many of the noble and great ones; and God saw these
souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he
said, These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were
spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me, Abraham,
thou art one of them, thou wast chosen before thou wast born;" _P. of
G. P., page_ 32.
These writings make it plain that man existed in a spiritual
condition prior to coming here, and also quite as evident that in
that pre-existence he exercised his free agency. These facts throw
much light on the following passages: "Him, being delivered by the
determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by
wicked hands have crucified and Slain;" _Acts_ 2. 23. "For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his
Son;" _Rom_. 8. 29.
"Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called;" _verse_ 30.
"God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew;" 11. 2. "For the
gifts and calling of God are without repentance;" _verse_ 29.
The last passage explains the previous ones. God may have called and
chosen men in their first estate, or spiritual existence, but whether
they will accept that call and fill it, by repentance and good works in
this life, is a matter in which it is their privilege to exercise their
free agency.
This idea is illustrated in the case of the Roman centurion, who had
faith that his sick servant would be healed if Jesus would only speak
the word. Jesus said to those around him, "That many shall come from
the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and
Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven: But the children of the kingdom shall
be cast out into outer darkness;" _Matt_. 8. 11, 12.
The "Children of the kingdom" evidently refers to Israel, the called
and chosen of God. The passages are numerous in which Israel is called
the "Chosen of God;" "The elect according to the covenant." "Hearken
unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called;" _Isa_. 48. 12.
Jesus, when he predicted the destruction of Jerusalem, and the
scattering of the Jews, declared that for the elect's sake those days
should be shortened; _Matt_. 24. 22.
The elect could only mean according to the covenant with Abraham for
the remnant who were saved in the flesh were of a wicked generation,
and they and their children became a hiss and a by-word among all
nations, consequently they could not have been the elect through faith
and good works.
David said to the congregation, "Solomon, my son, whom alone God hath
chosen;" 1 _Chron_. 29. 1. Yet Solomon did not fully prove himself by
good works, for he fell into transgression and corrupted Israel; 1
_Kings_ 11. 9-11.
The Book of Mormon is plain on this subject: "Being called and prepared
from the foundation of the world, according to the foreknowledge of
God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first
place being left to choose good or evil;" _Alma_ 13. 3-7.
Their calling and preparation from the foundation of the world were
evidently based on their faith and good works, previous to their being
called, and not on the possibilities of their future good conduct.
This idea is verified by the apostle who, speaking of Christ, says,
"And again, when he bringeth in the first-begotten into the world, he
saith, And let all the angels of God worship him. * * * Thou hast loved
righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath
anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows;" _Heb_. 1.
6, 9. "Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world,
but was manifest in these last times for you;" 1 _Pet_. 1. 20. Christ
was chosen before the foundation of the world, because he had already
proven himself worthy.
Men exercised their free agency in the first or spiritual estate, as
well as in this. That the character of their works in that estate
shaped their destiny in this is evident. The Lord said to Abraham,
"They who keep their first estate, shall be added upon; and they who
keep not their first estate, shall not have glory in the same kingdom
with those who keep their first estate;" _P. of G. P., page_ 32.
There are some foreordained to condemnation: "There are certain
men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this
condemnation;" _Jude_ 4.