After close examinations done by the congregation, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints has acknowledged that its founder, Joseph Smith, had somewhere between 30 to 40 wives. Disclosed by a series of essays online, this revelation is part of an attempt by the church to be "transparent" about its history and founding. Many of the religion's followers have also acknowledged that Brigham Young, Smith's successor, practiced polygamy while leading the group to Salt Lake City. Over the past year or so, the Mormon church has released 12 essays on topics such as the ban of blacks on priesthood, which was lifted nearly 40 years ago in 1978, and accounts of how Smith interpreted the Book of Mormon. As explained in the essay, many of Smith's wives were between the ages of 20 and 40, except for one girl who was a few months shy of her 15th birthday.
The article is directly tied to American history and requires little explanation. Speculation on Joseph Smith's status as a polygamist has lasted since his death, and the essay that was recently released ends those inquiries. Not only does this explain the culture of Mormonism at the time of its founding, but it also explains a small part of the church's culture in the present. Additionally, polygamy was officially banned by the U.S. Government in 1890.
No comments:
Post a Comment