Polygamy


From the Historical Introduction of Joseph Smith Papers Documents, Volume 11: September 1842–February 1843:

"JS published a notice in the 1 December 1842 issue of the Times and Seasons denying responsibility for the publication of a pamphlet by Udney H. Jacob, titled An Extract, from a Manuscript Entitled The Peace Maker, that advocated the practice of polygamy. . . . Because JS owned the printing office, the pamphlet listed him as the printer. Although as owner JS served as the nominal head of the office and the editor of the Times and Seasons, in practice he typically played a minimal role in day-to-day office duties. . . . According to John D. Lee’s later autobiography, the pamphlet caused considerable “excitement among the people” in Nauvoo and “no one was more opposed to it than was his [JS’s] brother Hyrum, who denounced it as from beneath. . . . Amid this negative reaction to the pamphlet, JS placed the featured notice in the 1 December issue of the Times and Seasons, denying responsibility for publishing the pamphlet and deriding its content."

Here is that notice:

Notice.

There was a book printed at my office, a short time since, written by Udney H. Jacobs [Jacob], on marriage, without my knowledge; and had I been apprised of it, I should not have printed it; not that I am opposed to any man enjoying his privileges; but I do not wish to have my name associated with the authors, in such an unmeaning rigmarole of nonsence, folly, and trash.


JOSEPH SMITH.

"without my knowledge"...

"I do not wish to have my name associated with"...

"trash"...

Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 28, 2024 at 10:33 PM

    I wonder what else John D Lee said about it.

    ReplyDelete

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