Polygamy In Joseph Smith's Adoption Of Mormonism

Solidifying communal relations, achieving eternal divinity, and inspiring inferior cultures have all been fundamental components within the development of various religions throughout history. Joseph Smith’s adoption of Mormonism epitomizes the commitment of religious leaders to these developmental goals. Through participating in plural marriages, Mormon communities are capable of fostering both interpersonal bonds, such as those between a woman’s father and husband, and spiritual bonds, such as those between wives and God. These connections, although already successful in consolidating a sense of community, further benefit Mormonism through heightening reproduction rates, which ultimately secures the religion’s future influence. Despite arguments that plural marriages lead to inevitable misery, polygamy allows for enhanced divine relationships that would otherwise be impossible to achieve. Despite its unconventional nature, polygamy was accepted

As men acquire more wives, an internal competition to be perceived as the favored wife develops amongst the women. In “The Peace Maker, Or the Doctrines of the Millennium,” Udney Hay Jacob writes that a wife’s “main object was to win, and retain the affections of her husband, And there was no means more successful for this purpose, than to bear him many children.” Although this internal competition may seem potentially detrimental to the formation of connections, the large numbers of offspring, who are likely to perpetuate Mormon values throughout their life, outweigh this slight detriment and further work to aid Smith’s goal of securing Mormonism. The rapidly growing nature of Mormonism also allows for the religion to permeate existing society more thoroughly, for its exponential expansion will infiltrate more realms of daily