Joseph Smith Revealed: A Faithful Telling: Exploring an Alternate Polygamy Narrative

by Whitney Horning, Vernon Horning (Illustrator)

Joseph Smith was a great Christian thinker, a religious revolutionary, and a controversial figure. Of all the things attributed to him, polygamy is one of the most controversial. It is one of the most discussed issues in Mormon history and continues to be the center of on-going controversy and debate. The LDS Church claims that their past practice of plural marriage originated with Joseph. Other branches of early Mormonism, most notably the RLDS, claim that Joseph never taught or practiced anything that even closely resembled polygamy. Evidence suggests that Joseph was doing something. Yet, he consistently denied that he practiced plural marriage and spoke out against it, both publicly and privately. As you explore this alternate polygamy narrative, you may be surprised by what you find. You may even discover truth.

429 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 10, 2019

Reviews

[Seth Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had some structural complaints with the book, especially with occasional repetition of material. Overall, I found the historical evidence and perspectives compelling, and the official narrative that Joseph was a liar never sat well with me. Now I feel justified trusting his word over Brigham’s, whose character I’ve long had other issues with.

[Angela Hobbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to read this because I had no idea Joseph Smith had denied practicing polygamy. Because I love this man I decided I should learn for myself what he had to say. And I am completely mind mind blown. Not only did he deny it but he condemned the practice with bold, harsh word. He was constantly excommunicating people who were doing this. He actively fought against it. It was a constant battle and him and his wife Emma was by his side as they fought the allegations together. Either Joseph Smith was very deceitful and a liar or he was telling the truth. Hyrum Smith also denied and fought against it. To this day there is no DNA evidence that supports the claim that these 2 men practiced polygamy. This book definitely gave me a lot to think about.