Analysis Of Joseph Bushman's Book Of Mormon

Joseph Smith had over 40 wives. We are told that Sarah Pratt, Jane Law and Nancy Rigdon were very attractive women and refused to either have sexual relations with Joseph Smith, or marry him. Bushman states categorically about that “all told, ten of Joseph’s plural wives were married to other men”. Has law and order completely flown out the window here? How can Joseph Smith be married to a woman who is already married to someone else? Doesn’t the definition of words mean the same to all of us? Isn’t it clear what adultery means? Isn’t it clear what bigamy or polygamy mean? How could these men allow their wives to engage sexually with Joseph Smith? Weren’t these men planning on an eternal marriage with their wife? Didn’t they have

Why doesn’t it show any of the prophets in its story having more than one wife? In fact it condemns the idea of polygamy. If indeed plural wives are necessary to have the “fullness of the Gospel” why is this not indicated anywhere in the Bible or Book of Mormon? The story of Abraham and Jacob having plural wives clearly shows their wives were given to them by their first wife.

In Joseph Smith’s case Emma was very bitter towards him in this regard, and as shown above actually denied he ever practiced this doctrine on her deathbed. Hyrum Smith states he tried to convince Emma about the doctrine of plural marriage but was severely rebuked by her. Emma nagged Joseph repeatedly until he told her she could destroy the written revelation on plural marriage. Doesn’t this sound far from the way Abraham and Jacob’s wives handled their situation?

With all of this in mind we will continue to try to follow the “history” as recorded in Joseph Smith Papers Histories Volume

Nothing is mentioned about how the plates were obtained, nor what disposition was made of them. There is some concern they may not have been gold at all but were made of some “ore” as is described in 1 Nephi. In the Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith at the beginning of the Book of Mormon he states quoting what the angel told him “he said there was a book deposited, written upon gold plates”. Nephi states (1 Nephi 1:17) “Behold I make an abridgment of the record of my father, upon plates which I have made with mine own hands”.

Emma Smith said she had to move them from place to place as was necessary. “Last Testimony of Sister Emma”, The Saints Herald. Oct. 1, 1879, 290 Joseph Smith said they were gold and if so would have weighed over 200 pounds. Why did Emma have to move them from place to place as was necessary? What would make it “necessary”?

Martin Harris, one of the eight witnesses of the gold plates, claimed he saw them with his spiritual eyes only, not his natural eyes. He further said this was like his imagination and this applied to all of the witnesses of the plates. In other words, all of the witnesses experienced things in their imagination, not actually witnessing them with their natural