Tens of thousands of Mormon Fundamentalists believe that in 1886 Joseph Smith came to John Taylor and instructed him to set part a group of men to keep alive plural marriage even when the Church should reject that principle.
Just like the visitation of God to Joseph Smith there were no visual means to record what happened, and although – like the visit of Moroni to show the gold plates – there were witnesses, they also didn’t record it or share what had happened until after the event, as is the case with many of the greatest scriptural and spiritual events.
However, this does not mean that there are no indications of the truthfulness of what went on at that time. God has given us principles by which to judge the truth, history gives us precedents so we can see what is possible, and Prophets foretell the future, so that when it comes to pass we can know it is from God. Using these tools we can judge what someone claims to see if it contradicts principle, follows precedent, and fulfills prophecy, and by seeking the Spirit as we study we can obtain a divine confirmation too.
With these standards in mind let us look into how this story of God providing a way to keep plural marriage alive meets these tests.
Principles
1 – Plural Marriage
“He then put each person under covenant that he or she would defend the principle of Celestial or Plural Marriage, and that they would consecrate their lives, liberty and property to this end, and that they personally would sustain and uphold that principle.” (from the 1886 meeting)
If Plural Marriage was just a temporary practice, without eternal consequences for not living it or celestial blessings for fulfilling it, then we could easily understand God allowing it to end. Whatever temporal benefits it might have provided and despite the difficult adjustments for some that giving it up might create, there would be no everlasting harm in letting it go.
But if it were an eternal and unchangeable law, necessary for exaltation, required for maintaining Priesthood keys, and if God had promised to keep it on the earth, then we would expect Him to ensure that it continued, despite what course others might take, or what opposition against it there might be. We might also hope that He would explain this through his prophets and the revelations He gave them.
So let us look at the scriptures on this subject as see what they have to say. In Section 130 of the Doctrine and Covenants we are told that:
“There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated – And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.”(1)
This would seem to indicate that God determined before ever sending us to earth that certain laws would lead to definite blessings, and that – as this is irrevocably decreed – these laws would never change, and the blessings would always be available to the righteous. This conforms to what Joseph taught on this subject:
“Ordinances instituted in heaven before the foundation of this world in the Priesthood for the salvation of man, are not to be altered or changed. All must be saved upon the same principles.”(2)
Is it possible that one such law could be plural marriage? At the beginning of Joseph Smith’s 1843 revelation on the subject, the Lord tells us:
“I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory.
For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof, as were instituted from before the foundation of the world.”(3)
Some may assume that the Lord here is only speaking about eternal monogamous marriage, but the Lord later clarifies what type of marriage he is talking about. Firstly, he states that he is now going to reveal this eternal law:
“I am the Lord thy God, and will give unto thee the law of my Holy Priesthood, as was ordained by me and my Father before the world was.”(4)
He reminds us that he is the author of this law, that it is a law of the Priesthood, and that it was determined even prior to the earth’s creation. And what is this law?
“God commanded Abraham, and Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham to wife. And why did she do it? Because this was the law; and from Hagar sprang many people. This, therefore, was fulfilling, among other things, the promises.”(5)
Celestial Marriage, as the first verse we quoted tells us, comes with conditions, and the fulfillment of those promises (spoken about in the verse above) comes through keeping the commandment to live plural marriage as Abraham did. It is interesting to note that this is the only revelation to Joseph Smith that speaks of exaltation(6), and that the Lord states fourteen times that this law is necessary to celestial glory.(7)
President John Taylor was once asked if a woman might obtain exaltation with her husband without taking additional wives, referring to these passages, this was his reply:
“You seem desirous to take part of the Law and reject the other part, but it is plainly stated as above quoted, that they were ‘to do the works of Abraham, and that if ye enter not into my Law, ye cannot receive the promise of my Father which was made unto Abraham.’ It is further said: ‘God commanded Abraham and Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham to wife, and that the reason why she did it was because it was the Law.’ It is evident therefore from the whole of the above that other wives were included in this Law as well as the one.”(8)
In a revelation subsequently given to John Taylor the Lord stated even more clearly:
“This law is a Celestial law and pertains to a Celestial Kingdom. … and appertains to thrones, principalities, powers, dominions, and eternal increase in the Celestial Kingdom of God.”(9)
1. D&C 130:20-21.
2. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 308.
3. D&C 132:4-5.
4. D&C 132:28.
5. D&C 132:34 (see 29-37)
6. D&C 132:17,19,22-23,26,29,37,39,49,57 & 63
7. D&C 132:3,4,6,17,19,20,24-25,27,32,27,54 & 64
8. John Taylor to Malinda Merrill, 19 January 1883.
9. Revelation to John Taylor, 25-26 June 1882, Unpublished Revelations 80:21-22.
Judging the 1886 Meeting – Keeping Eternal Laws & Fulfilling Prophecies
Filed under: Thoughts & Commentary |
Tens of thousands of Mormon Fundamentalists believe that in 1886 Joseph Smith came to John Taylor and instructed him to set part a group of men to keep alive plural marriage even when the Church should reject that principle.
Just like the visitation of God to Joseph Smith there were no visual means to record what happened, and although – like the visit of Moroni to show the gold plates – there were witnesses, they also didn’t record it or share what had happened until after the event, as is the case with many of the greatest scriptural and spiritual events.
However, this does not mean that there are no indications of the truthfulness of what went on at that time. God has given us principles by which to judge the truth, history gives us precedents so we can see what is possible, and Prophets foretell the future, so that when it comes to pass we can know it is from God. Using these tools we can judge what someone claims to see if it contradicts principle, follows precedent, and fulfills prophecy, and by seeking the Spirit as we study we can obtain a divine confirmation too.
With these standards in mind let us look into how this story of God providing a way to keep plural marriage alive meets these tests.
Principles
1 – Plural Marriage
If Plural Marriage was just a temporary practice, without eternal consequences for not living it or celestial blessings for fulfilling it, then we could easily understand God allowing it to end. Whatever temporal benefits it might have provided and despite the difficult adjustments for some that giving it up might create, there would be no everlasting harm in letting it go.
But if it were an eternal and unchangeable law, necessary for exaltation, required for maintaining Priesthood keys, and if God had promised to keep it on the earth, then we would expect Him to ensure that it continued, despite what course others might take, or what opposition against it there might be. We might also hope that He would explain this through his prophets and the revelations He gave them.
So let us look at the scriptures on this subject as see what they have to say. In Section 130 of the Doctrine and Covenants we are told that:
This would seem to indicate that God determined before ever sending us to earth that certain laws would lead to definite blessings, and that – as this is irrevocably decreed – these laws would never change, and the blessings would always be available to the righteous. This conforms to what Joseph taught on this subject:
Is it possible that one such law could be plural marriage? At the beginning of Joseph Smith’s 1843 revelation on the subject, the Lord tells us:
Some may assume that the Lord here is only speaking about eternal monogamous marriage, but the Lord later clarifies what type of marriage he is talking about. Firstly, he states that he is now going to reveal this eternal law:
He reminds us that he is the author of this law, that it is a law of the Priesthood, and that it was determined even prior to the earth’s creation. And what is this law?
Celestial Marriage, as the first verse we quoted tells us, comes with conditions, and the fulfillment of those promises (spoken about in the verse above) comes through keeping the commandment to live plural marriage as Abraham did. It is interesting to note that this is the only revelation to Joseph Smith that speaks of exaltation(6), and that the Lord states fourteen times that this law is necessary to celestial glory.(7)
President John Taylor was once asked if a woman might obtain exaltation with her husband without taking additional wives, referring to these passages, this was his reply:
In a revelation subsequently given to John Taylor the Lord stated even more clearly:
Click here for Part 2
1. D&C 130:20-21.
2. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 308.
3. D&C 132:4-5.
4. D&C 132:28.
5. D&C 132:34 (see 29-37)
6. D&C 132:17,19,22-23,26,29,37,39,49,57 & 63
7. D&C 132:3,4,6,17,19,20,24-25,27,32,27,54 & 64
8. John Taylor to Malinda Merrill, 19 January 1883.
9. Revelation to John Taylor, 25-26 June 1882, Unpublished Revelations 80:21-22.