fornication – Speaking of Polygamy…

Many critics of plural marriage like to point at section 101 (the Article on Marriage) in the original (1835) edition of the Doctrine and Covenants. Unfortunately, this section was removed in 1876, but I don’t see any reason why it should have been.

First, this section is concerned with “the Church”, as opposed to “the Priesthood” (which is what the current section 132 is concerned with). Altho these two distinct bodies have been conflated in the minds of most latter-day saints, it was not always so. Nowadays, it is commonly accepted that the Church is the source of Priesthood. In other words, Priesthood is dependent upon the Church; therefore, no Priesthood may exist independently, or outside of, the Church.

All one must do to unravel this falsehood is look at history. Both Priesthoods were restored BEFORE the Church was re-established; thus showing that they are NOT dependent upon, nor issued from “the Church”. The Aaronic was restored in mid-May of 1829 and the Melchizedek in early June of 1829 (I realize there is some uncertainty here). Therefore, it is the Church that was established by the Priesthood, and not the other way around (the Church was not established until early April 1830)!

Monogamy has always been the rule for the Church generally, and all those early saints who said as much were not lying when they affirmed this – they just understood more of the gospel than their critics and accusers do now.

Another feature of this document that I find so telling is the accusation (“reproach”) of fornication and polygamy. The wording is as follows (from verse 4):

“Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we believe…”

The amazing thing here is the SINGULAR use of the word “crime”. When the critics read this sentence, they gloss over this and read it as tho it were plural, “crimes”. I chuckle at the irony of mistakenly interpreting “crime” as being plural, because you mistakenly believe being plural is a crime! It is my opinion that this wording is precise and carefully chosen, like the parables of Jesus (see Matthew 13:10-17), to allow people who do not have understanding eyes and ears to read into it what they will.

In reality, the singular “crime” is only applied to fornication – which is clearly a crime, as thoroly attested in the scriptures. There is an additional accusation of polygamy, but it is not a crime. To help make this clearer, here is another sentence with an analogous grammatical structure:

“Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been accused with the crime of theft, and of liking green Jello too much, and of habitually starting meetings late: we declare that we believe…”

Lastly, I want to point out another passage from this section that the critics of plural marriage totally ignore:

“We believe that it is not right to prohibit members of this church from marrying out of the church, if it be their determination so to do, but such persons will be considered weak in the faith of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

If buttercups buzzed after the bee,
If boats were on land, churches in the sea,
If ponies rode men, and the grass ate the cow,
If cats should be chased into holes by the mouse,
If mamas sold their babies to gypsies for half a crown,
If summer were spring and the other way ’round,
Then all the world would be upside down.

world upside down

I am amazed sometimes by the world I live in. Things are changing at such an alarming and accelerating rate, and it seems like things have just gone absolutely mad at times. The whole world does indeed seems upside-down, and here is the latest:

This legislative session, the Utah State legislature has just declared that adultery, sodomy, and fornication are no longer crimes. The justification given for this change is that these laws aren’t enforced anyway. Fair enough, but this is the very same thing they say about plural marriage, “We don’t enforce it.” However, in the case of plural marriage they go on to say, “But we just want to keep holding it over your heads.” The whole situation is crazy! These are the descendants of polygamists who settled the desert lands of Utah. They would happily throw their grandparents and great-grandparents in prison, while turning a blind eye to actual crimes. It is a sad state of affairs indeed, but I don’t want to get too much into the hypocrisy and lies surrounding the position taken by the state (that would take a separate post). I just want to highlight the absolute turn about of things!

When I heard about the startling change, I was immediately reminded of a passage from the book, Key to the Science of Theology, by Parley Pratt (one of the first apostles in the Mormon Church). Check it out.

Where is the nation called “Christian,” that does not uphold or permit prostitution, fornication and adultery with all their debasing, demoralizing, degenerating and corroding effects, with all their tendencies to disease and crime, to operate unchecked, and to leaven and corrode all classes of society?

Where is the “Christian nation” that does not prohibit the law of God, as given to Abraham and the ancients in relation to marriage?

Where is the “Christian nation” that punishes the crime of adultery and fornication with death, or other heavy penalties?

…

Where are the institutions which would protect, encourage, and honour the patriarch Jacob, with his four wives and their children?

Where is the community who would feel themselves honoured in associating with such a family—although, all corrupt practices would be frowned down, and all persons discountenanced, who, under the name of gentility, nobility, or royalty, glory in their conquests and victories over the principles and practices of virtue and innocence?

Echo answers, Where?—unless we look to the far off mountains and distant vales of Deseret, a land peopled by the Latter-day Saints, and governed by the law of God, the keys of the eternal Priesthood, and organized in the New and Everlasting Covenant.

Parley P. Pratt, Key to the Science of Theology, Chapter 17

Oh how the tables have turned! They have flipped a full 180 degrees. Things could not be more upside down. Parley must be turning in his grave!

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! – Isaiah 5:20