Reluctant Polygamist: A Closer Look at Joseph Smith

by Meg Stout

Mormon founder, Joseph Smith, reportedly married dozens of women in the early 1800s, from young teenagers to married grandmothers. Most agree this unusual behavior contributed to Joseph Smith's violent death while in the custody of the Illinois State Militia.Joseph Smith's followers, led by Brigham Young, continued this practice of marrying large numbers of women, extreme compared to even most Old Testament examples of polygamy. For decades Joseph's successors taught that this form of marriage was critical to salvation. Yet Joseph's first wife, Emma Hale, maintained that it was not appropriate for men to have sex with their plural wives. On her deathbed, she affirmed that she had been Joseph's only wife.Is it possible that both Brigham and Emma were right?Reluctant Polygamist builds on the "Faithful Joseph" series Meg Stout published at Millennial Star from Dec 2013 through August 2014, exploring the intrigue that may explain why Joseph Smith married so many women.

508 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 29, 2015

Reviews

[Quinton Baran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this well researched and presented book focusing on the practice of polygamy during Joseph Smith's time, and to a lesser extent, the practice after he died. The practice during Joseph's life was wrapped in secrecy, and this has led many to assume the worst about the practice, and those engaged in it, primarily Joseph Smith. Meg does an excellent job rooting out issues that are not well know, and bringing other plausible reasons to light of why this would have been so hidden and secretive.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was like shifting an optical illusion for me--after my years of struggling with polygamy, this makes sense of it all. Seriously life-changing. Thank you, Ms. Stout!

[Emily Shipley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-researched, big inferences, some hyperbolic language (to be expected in apologetics.) Glad it’s in the body of LDS lit that tries to deal with the realities of plural marriage.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of great eye opening info about the early days of polygamy in the LDS Church.