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Let's Talk about Polygamy
Polygamy has raised questions for many modern Latter-day Saints. Let’s Talk about Polygamy, written by historian Brittany Chapman Nash, offers a candid and engaging history of polygamy in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through the voices of those who practiced it. Nash helps readers understand not only the facts and chronological story of polygamy but also the how and why. Why did Latter-day Saints embrace polygamy? How did it work? And what does the history of polygamy mean for Church members today?
While outlining the known history of polygamy among the Saints, Nash explores sensitive issues, such as how and why Joseph Smith introduced the practice, his wife Emma Hale Smith’s response to it, and the origins of the plural marriage revelation (today known as Doctrine and Covenants 132). The book also examines how polygamy evolved and affected the Saints in Utah and in the wake of anti-polygamy legislation. The Saints had varying experiences with polygamy—some positive, others not—and through the use of original sources, Nash allows the participants themselves to give voice to the breadth of the Saints’ thoughts and feelings. Though some aspects of the practice of polygamy may never be fully understood, the examples of sacrifice, conviction, and commitment to the gospel from the Saints who practiced it may help readers find understanding and reconciliation and ultimately strengthen their own faith.
While outlining the known history of polygamy among the Saints, Nash explores sensitive issues, such as how and why Joseph Smith introduced the practice, his wife Emma Hale Smith’s response to it, and the origins of the plural marriage revelation (today known as Doctrine and Covenants 132). The book also examines how polygamy evolved and affected the Saints in Utah and in the wake of anti-polygamy legislation. The Saints had varying experiences with polygamy—some positive, others not—and through the use of original sources, Nash allows the participants themselves to give voice to the breadth of the Saints’ thoughts and feelings. Though some aspects of the practice of polygamy may never be fully understood, the examples of sacrifice, conviction, and commitment to the gospel from the Saints who practiced it may help readers find understanding and reconciliation and ultimately strengthen their own faith.
154 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 26, 2021
47 people are currently reading
150 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
September 13, 2023
Back in 2006, I had my first major faith crisis, centered around the position of women in my religion, past and present. I particularly was grappling with the polygamy in our history. As I was wrestling with this, I had a life-altering flash of revelation - for all my angst about it, I had never once in my life read what one of these women had to say about her experiences or her life. In fact, if you asked me to even come up with the names of five of them, I couldn't do it. I realized that if I was going to experience angst, I should really have a better understanding of what I had angst about, and who I was feeling it on behalf of.
My journey to learn about these women was a wild ride, let me tell you. Let's just say books like this didn't exist back then, and most of the people writing about it at the time had an axe to grind. I basically pieced together my understanding of this practice one woman's story at a time, gathering history books and article collections through interlibrary loan, reading old Utah women's newspapers, reading people's family history stories, any little scrap I could get my hands on in a small college town in Indiana. I saw all kinds of good, bad, and really ugly things connected to the experience. And shockingly, these women's stories were exactly what I needed to learn how to deal with spiritual complexity in my own life. I found surprisingly empowered and imminently capable and articulate women, learning to navigate really messy and painful questions of faith, creating lives of beauty and purpose despite all the unknown and the sorrow. These complicated women spoke to me in a way that the picture-perfect angel mother ideal never did.
I'm so happy that when this generation of women come up against the same questions I did, they have someone as wise and frank as Brittany Chapman Nash to guide them through. I would have benefitted so much from a framework to move within as I went on my journey, as well as a model for a faithful person who knew the history inside and out and came out the other end with a stronger testimony.
This book is succinct and well-organized; it shoves nothing under the rug to make the church look better, nor does it have an axe to grind; it is primary-source heavy and lets women share their own experiences as much as possible; it highlights the surprising diversity of experiences women had connected to the practice, providing counter examples to a lot of the stories told; it has confidence in the reader's ability to make their own decisions about this very complicated history; and I love the respect she feels for the strength of these women as they lived their faith to the best of their ability.
Highly recommended to anyone that wants a deeper understanding of what on Earth actually went down in the early church.
My journey to learn about these women was a wild ride, let me tell you. Let's just say books like this didn't exist back then, and most of the people writing about it at the time had an axe to grind. I basically pieced together my understanding of this practice one woman's story at a time, gathering history books and article collections through interlibrary loan, reading old Utah women's newspapers, reading people's family history stories, any little scrap I could get my hands on in a small college town in Indiana. I saw all kinds of good, bad, and really ugly things connected to the experience. And shockingly, these women's stories were exactly what I needed to learn how to deal with spiritual complexity in my own life. I found surprisingly empowered and imminently capable and articulate women, learning to navigate really messy and painful questions of faith, creating lives of beauty and purpose despite all the unknown and the sorrow. These complicated women spoke to me in a way that the picture-perfect angel mother ideal never did.
I'm so happy that when this generation of women come up against the same questions I did, they have someone as wise and frank as Brittany Chapman Nash to guide them through. I would have benefitted so much from a framework to move within as I went on my journey, as well as a model for a faithful person who knew the history inside and out and came out the other end with a stronger testimony.
This book is succinct and well-organized; it shoves nothing under the rug to make the church look better, nor does it have an axe to grind; it is primary-source heavy and lets women share their own experiences as much as possible; it highlights the surprising diversity of experiences women had connected to the practice, providing counter examples to a lot of the stories told; it has confidence in the reader's ability to make their own decisions about this very complicated history; and I love the respect she feels for the strength of these women as they lived their faith to the best of their ability.
Highly recommended to anyone that wants a deeper understanding of what on Earth actually went down in the early church.
July 27, 2023
I've been wanting to learn more about this time in church history because, quite honestly, it was hard for me to understand the purpose behind it. I really appreciated the unbiased views and experiences written in other "Let's Talk About" books so I decided to give this one a try. Although I still don't understand everything, I do feel like I know more and especially loved reading the accounts from the women who lived it. It gave me a greater perspective on the "why" and "how" of polygamy, and makes me less uncomfortable when discussing it with others. Overall, a very good read for anyone wanting to understand it a little more.
September 24, 2023
A concise historical perspective on polygamy as it was lived and experienced by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Faith-based without being apologist or sugar-coating. I appreciated the additional perspectives it offered on both sides.
June 22, 2023
Absolutely fantastic summary and analysis on polygamy.
November 16, 2025
I’ve read several books on polygamy and was impressed by how concise and thorough this one was, while also providing new information that I haven’t read before. I appreciated the variety of perspectives shared and the context she offered. She provided many first-hand experiences, as well as historical facts and statistics. Polygamy was hard, messy, and complex. While not everyone had overall positive experiences, many did. I appreciated learning about what it looked like when it was done well: cooperation and kindness among sister wives that allowed for lightened loads, ability to get educated and pursue careers, and helping and sacrificing for each other in loving ways (one story of a woman giving up her baby to another woman who couldn’t get pregnant was heartbreakingly beautiful). While this book clearly added another piece to my “polygamy puzzle,” personal spiritual witnesses from God to those that were asked to practice it will always be a key piece of my answer. If anyone wants more of those, I would recommend “Joseph Smith’s Polygamy: Toward a Better Understanding”—the women’s personal spiritual witnesses provided powerful answers to my prayers.
Things that stood out:
-D&C 132 – This section was initially intended as a private document for Emma. The revelation as it was written in 1843 “was not then designed to go forth to the church or to the world. It is most probable that had it been then written with a view to its going out as a doctrine of the church, it would have been presented in a somewhat different form.” -Joseph F. Smith p. 21
-Polygamy and progressive social and political advancement in Utah: “Women could own property, find gainful employment, divorce easily, and vote. Women were also allowed to attend institutions of higher education—something unheard of in other areas of the United States.” p. 37
-Experience of Lorena Washburn Larsen hearing the news of the Manifesto banning polygamy: from “inexpressible anguish” turned to “brightness and joy” when she turned to the Lord p. 43
-“We obeyed the best we knew how, and no doubt, made many crooked paths in our ignorance.” Amasa Lyman 1866 p. 51
-“Not everyone who desired to marry plurally could enter into a polygamous union. For men, there was a highly centralized process for pursuing a plural marriage: all plural marriages had to be approved by the President of the Church…to—ideally---ensure that all polygamists were ‘honorable and worthy’ members who would ‘observe the laws of the Gospel and live their religion.’ In addition…a husband was to ask his first wife for permission and receive her consent.” p. 51
-“Because religious faith was such a strong motivator for practicing polygamy, some women were more concerned about marrying men who were righteous priesthood holders than marrying men to whom they were romantically attracted. Similarly, some men did not want to marry polygamously and may not have been romantically attracted to prospective plural wives, but they chose to marry again because they felt it their religious duty to do so.” p. 53
-“Latter-day Saints argued that cooperative effort between wives benefited a family’s economy”…polygamy allowed women to work and pursue careers outside the home. p. 61
-“Knowing the significance of compatibility between wives, one young woman waited to marry polygamously until she found a family in which, she stated, ‘I loved the woman and well as I loved the man.’” p. 94
-Sisterhood: “The sisterhood that some plural wives experienced was considered one of polygamy’s blessings, even amid its difficulties…Two sister wives described their relationship as ‘a closer tie than could be maintained between the most intimate friends.’ They explained, ‘In our home, each of us has a friend whose interests are identical with her own, who can share all the joys and troubles of the family, and to whom she can impart her feelings regarding its head without fear of violating that sacred confidence which may not be shared with any outside friend.” p. 95-96
-Shared load: “Another pair of polygamous wives expressed ‘the comfort, to a simple family, that there was in having two wives to lighten the labors and duties of the household.’” p. 95
-Beautiful story of sacrifice: “Peter Nielsen recorded…in his journal: ‘My wife Hulda gave birth to a son at 8:30am…Hulda gave him to my wife Marie that she might have him as her own son, as if she herself had given birth to him. Hulda did this [in] as much as Marie had only one son 16 years old. This made Marie rejoice very much; may the Lord bless this act and all my family and everything under my care is my prayer.’…Incredibly, this was not an isolated incident; giving one’s own baby to a childless sister wife occurred in other families.” p. 96
-“When it was lived at its best, it was truly a divine principle.” Eliabeth Mineer Felt p. 99
-Sharing household work: “Martha Cragun Cox recorded, ‘We had our work so systematized and so well ordered that we could with ease do a great deal. One would for a period superintend the cooking and kitchen work with the help of the girls, another would make beds and sweep, another comb and wash all the children.’ Household tasks such as sewing, shopping, laundry, and cooking were divided according to talents and tastes. ‘We had in our home an almost perfect United Order,’ Martha recalled. ‘We enjoyed many privileges that single wiferey never knew.’” p. 100
-“The chaotic scenes of daily life faded over time, and for many, the positive memories outlived the daily stresses...Julina Lambson Smith…reflecting on the period when she shared a home with her two sister wives and their husband…wrote, ‘Even now I can hear the laughter of our children as they played about us before being kissed, and tucked in their beds. There, too, I can see the evening picture of three tired but happy mothers, often busy with kneeless stockings, seatless trousers or other articles of clothing needing buttons or stitches; or with, perhaps, something too to read or ideas to exchange.” (I liked that last part…I picture a mini-bookclub) p. 101
-“Indeed, in its purpose to ‘raise up seed unto [the Lord],’ polygamy was remarkably effective (Jacob 2:30). Research suggests that 20 percent of living Church members descend from those who practiced polygamy.” p. 106
-Although many speculate and spread theories, the Church states “the precise nature of these relationship in the next life is not known, and many family relationships will be sorted out in the life to come.” p. 108
-Author’s testimony: “When I first began my journey studying polygamy, I was angry by what I saw as injustice that God required such a difficult principle to be lived by these faithful, tried people. But as I studied the personal writings, stories, and testimonies of polygamist, accepting them on their own terms, I found peace. To me, Sarah Comstock’s observation summarized what made polygamy possible for nineteenth-century Saints: the belief that it was right. The practice could never have been sustained for a half-century by compulsion, manipulation or simple sexual desire. Those who set the foundation of the Latter-day Saint faith were not two-dimensional superheroes, as they are sometimes portrayed, but there were complex, strong, intelligent, full-bodied kingdom-builders who were willing to leave loved ones, wealth, comfort, and native countries for what they believed to be true. This same willingness drove them to accept polygamy, a practice they accepted as a commandment of God instituted in their time, for His unique purposes.” p. 110
-Conclusion: “Polygamy was a difficult principle to live. What is remarkable, though, is that many Saints infused plural marriage with love, compassion, and forgiveness, transcending earthly circumstances through the power of faith. Although we may never fully understand the principle, the nineteenth-century practice of plural marriage by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a legacy of faith to honor, a foundation of sacrifice to acknowledge, a history to gain strength from, and a bright testimony borne in the lives of those who practiced polygamy.” p. 111
Things that stood out:
-D&C 132 – This section was initially intended as a private document for Emma. The revelation as it was written in 1843 “was not then designed to go forth to the church or to the world. It is most probable that had it been then written with a view to its going out as a doctrine of the church, it would have been presented in a somewhat different form.” -Joseph F. Smith p. 21
-Polygamy and progressive social and political advancement in Utah: “Women could own property, find gainful employment, divorce easily, and vote. Women were also allowed to attend institutions of higher education—something unheard of in other areas of the United States.” p. 37
-Experience of Lorena Washburn Larsen hearing the news of the Manifesto banning polygamy: from “inexpressible anguish” turned to “brightness and joy” when she turned to the Lord p. 43
-“We obeyed the best we knew how, and no doubt, made many crooked paths in our ignorance.” Amasa Lyman 1866 p. 51
-“Not everyone who desired to marry plurally could enter into a polygamous union. For men, there was a highly centralized process for pursuing a plural marriage: all plural marriages had to be approved by the President of the Church…to—ideally---ensure that all polygamists were ‘honorable and worthy’ members who would ‘observe the laws of the Gospel and live their religion.’ In addition…a husband was to ask his first wife for permission and receive her consent.” p. 51
-“Because religious faith was such a strong motivator for practicing polygamy, some women were more concerned about marrying men who were righteous priesthood holders than marrying men to whom they were romantically attracted. Similarly, some men did not want to marry polygamously and may not have been romantically attracted to prospective plural wives, but they chose to marry again because they felt it their religious duty to do so.” p. 53
-“Latter-day Saints argued that cooperative effort between wives benefited a family’s economy”…polygamy allowed women to work and pursue careers outside the home. p. 61
-“Knowing the significance of compatibility between wives, one young woman waited to marry polygamously until she found a family in which, she stated, ‘I loved the woman and well as I loved the man.’” p. 94
-Sisterhood: “The sisterhood that some plural wives experienced was considered one of polygamy’s blessings, even amid its difficulties…Two sister wives described their relationship as ‘a closer tie than could be maintained between the most intimate friends.’ They explained, ‘In our home, each of us has a friend whose interests are identical with her own, who can share all the joys and troubles of the family, and to whom she can impart her feelings regarding its head without fear of violating that sacred confidence which may not be shared with any outside friend.” p. 95-96
-Shared load: “Another pair of polygamous wives expressed ‘the comfort, to a simple family, that there was in having two wives to lighten the labors and duties of the household.’” p. 95
-Beautiful story of sacrifice: “Peter Nielsen recorded…in his journal: ‘My wife Hulda gave birth to a son at 8:30am…Hulda gave him to my wife Marie that she might have him as her own son, as if she herself had given birth to him. Hulda did this [in] as much as Marie had only one son 16 years old. This made Marie rejoice very much; may the Lord bless this act and all my family and everything under my care is my prayer.’…Incredibly, this was not an isolated incident; giving one’s own baby to a childless sister wife occurred in other families.” p. 96
-“When it was lived at its best, it was truly a divine principle.” Eliabeth Mineer Felt p. 99
-Sharing household work: “Martha Cragun Cox recorded, ‘We had our work so systematized and so well ordered that we could with ease do a great deal. One would for a period superintend the cooking and kitchen work with the help of the girls, another would make beds and sweep, another comb and wash all the children.’ Household tasks such as sewing, shopping, laundry, and cooking were divided according to talents and tastes. ‘We had in our home an almost perfect United Order,’ Martha recalled. ‘We enjoyed many privileges that single wiferey never knew.’” p. 100
-“The chaotic scenes of daily life faded over time, and for many, the positive memories outlived the daily stresses...Julina Lambson Smith…reflecting on the period when she shared a home with her two sister wives and their husband…wrote, ‘Even now I can hear the laughter of our children as they played about us before being kissed, and tucked in their beds. There, too, I can see the evening picture of three tired but happy mothers, often busy with kneeless stockings, seatless trousers or other articles of clothing needing buttons or stitches; or with, perhaps, something too to read or ideas to exchange.” (I liked that last part…I picture a mini-bookclub) p. 101
-“Indeed, in its purpose to ‘raise up seed unto [the Lord],’ polygamy was remarkably effective (Jacob 2:30). Research suggests that 20 percent of living Church members descend from those who practiced polygamy.” p. 106
-Although many speculate and spread theories, the Church states “the precise nature of these relationship in the next life is not known, and many family relationships will be sorted out in the life to come.” p. 108
-Author’s testimony: “When I first began my journey studying polygamy, I was angry by what I saw as injustice that God required such a difficult principle to be lived by these faithful, tried people. But as I studied the personal writings, stories, and testimonies of polygamist, accepting them on their own terms, I found peace. To me, Sarah Comstock’s observation summarized what made polygamy possible for nineteenth-century Saints: the belief that it was right. The practice could never have been sustained for a half-century by compulsion, manipulation or simple sexual desire. Those who set the foundation of the Latter-day Saint faith were not two-dimensional superheroes, as they are sometimes portrayed, but there were complex, strong, intelligent, full-bodied kingdom-builders who were willing to leave loved ones, wealth, comfort, and native countries for what they believed to be true. This same willingness drove them to accept polygamy, a practice they accepted as a commandment of God instituted in their time, for His unique purposes.” p. 110
-Conclusion: “Polygamy was a difficult principle to live. What is remarkable, though, is that many Saints infused plural marriage with love, compassion, and forgiveness, transcending earthly circumstances through the power of faith. Although we may never fully understand the principle, the nineteenth-century practice of plural marriage by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a legacy of faith to honor, a foundation of sacrifice to acknowledge, a history to gain strength from, and a bright testimony borne in the lives of those who practiced polygamy.” p. 111
June 12, 2022
Clear, easy, and quick to read through. Polygamy is not my favorite subject to study, but I thought that the author did a great job with such a complicated topic.
August 24, 2023
Accessible honest overview of the history of polygamy in the early LDS church. Many members are uncomfortable learning about this subject, but I think we should all be knowledgeable about this part of our doctrine and history. Chapman Nash does a good job in a short amount of space covering the many complexities. She says that every polygamist family’s experience differed based on many factors, so it’s impossible to just make generalizations on what polygamy was like. She includes many perspectives of both good and bad experiences with polygamy. She doesn’t delve too much into how polygamy lingered after the manifesto which I would love to also read more about. For a more in depth look at polygamy in the LDS church I’d recommend Laurel Thatcher’s “A House Full of Women” which is longer and able to go more in depth.
September 11, 2023
Talk about a loaded and complicated subject. A friend has been reading and sharing with me some anti material and I wanted a different perspective. This has always been an uncomfortable subject and I appreciated learning more. I especially appreciated hearing what men and women recorded about it and how it felt for them to live or not live this principle.
December 20, 2024
A good, quick overview of polygamy in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I especially appreciated the insights into the lived experience of those in plural marriages. It wasn’t all heavenly and it wasn’t all debased debauchery. Pretty much, we see the full spectrum of outcomes that we see in monogamous marriages at the time.
Chapman Nash invites LDSs to “gain strength from our polygamist past.” (111) She suggests we talk about it, discarding our shame and embarrassment about the practice. I love these suggestions. I think LDSs should have much more devotional content drawn from the women who lived plural marriage.
I have two critiques. First, Chapman Nash completely avoided how marriage, specifically plural marriage, played into the racial temple and priesthood ban. I get that there’s a separate book in this series on that sensitive topic, but since the two are intertwined it’d be worth mentioning here, even if only briefly. I know I was floored when I read Petrey’s Tabernacles of Clay and discovered just how much Church leaders fears of interracial marriage played into their continued support for the ban.
Second, I could’ve used a little more information about the Saints who didn’t live polygamy. We get one sentence about William Law, the member of the First Presidency who broke with Joseph Smith over plural marriage and left the Church, but I could’ve used at least a paragraph. Were there others who acted similarly? We also get a section in Chapter 9 about two couples who chose not to live polygamy, but I didn’t get a sense for whether their stories were representative of the approximately 60+% of Latter-day Saints that were not in a plural marriage family during this time frame.
Chapman Nash invites LDSs to “gain strength from our polygamist past.” (111) She suggests we talk about it, discarding our shame and embarrassment about the practice. I love these suggestions. I think LDSs should have much more devotional content drawn from the women who lived plural marriage.
I have two critiques. First, Chapman Nash completely avoided how marriage, specifically plural marriage, played into the racial temple and priesthood ban. I get that there’s a separate book in this series on that sensitive topic, but since the two are intertwined it’d be worth mentioning here, even if only briefly. I know I was floored when I read Petrey’s Tabernacles of Clay and discovered just how much Church leaders fears of interracial marriage played into their continued support for the ban.
Second, I could’ve used a little more information about the Saints who didn’t live polygamy. We get one sentence about William Law, the member of the First Presidency who broke with Joseph Smith over plural marriage and left the Church, but I could’ve used at least a paragraph. Were there others who acted similarly? We also get a section in Chapter 9 about two couples who chose not to live polygamy, but I didn’t get a sense for whether their stories were representative of the approximately 60+% of Latter-day Saints that were not in a plural marriage family during this time frame.
October 29, 2025
I’ve always had questions regarding polygamy within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, especially being a descendant from the fifth wife of a polygamist family back when it was practiced. This book has helped answer many of those questions and has helped me understand scripture around it as well. It emphasizes that there were good experiences as well as bad. Some practiced faithfully with honor and some abused it. For some it strengthened them and others ended in divorce. The author references everything and has entered many journal writing throughout to give personal perspective of those that experienced polygamy or lived around it and some that even rejected it. Even Joseph Smith rejected it at first. Imagine being told by God to do something you don’t want to do and then try to figure out how to obey him and make it work somehow in a dignified way in an area that rejected the idea by law. The book also explains that in some lands and other religions plural marriage was and still is acceptable and practiced. Scriptures state that having more than one wife is an abomination to the Lord unless he deems it necessary for a time! That time has come and gone many times both in scripture and in Latter Days. This book was very enlightening to me.
September 11, 2024
Nash starts out explaining that her motivation for writing this book was to delve into the real life experiences of people who actually practiced this custom - to dig under the surface of trite explanations and simplistic explanations for this part of LDS history that are usually given. I just don't think she succeeded. She did cite women's recorded experiences, but any time those veered at all into the negative, she would immediately counteract it with a familiar platitude about having faith, etc. In short, this was no critical analysis of polygamy. It was a church talk about polygamy, if such things were allowed. It glossed and patted and looked with half closed eyes at just the surface. However, it was interesting to learn that divorce was so prevalent among polygamous families, giving Utah one of the highest divorce rates in the nation at the time. No fault divorce was a thing long before it wasn't.
August 16, 2023
A well-researched and written history of polygamy in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I especially appreciate Nash’s use of primary sources and the words and records of those who experienced the practice—ended in 1890, within the Church of Jesus Christ.
This is a difficult, often charged, and mis-understood subject of discussion, even among descendants of polygamous ancestors. I believe the author has presented the topic evenly—the varying beliefs and levels of commitment to the practice, some of which worked amazingly well, and others which did not.
I look forward to further research into the sources referenced, particularly the ‘Manti study’, where I am currently researching a non-polygamous family, and the perspective of a doctor specialising in “women’s issues”, when so much of the community was practicing polygamy.
This is a difficult, often charged, and mis-understood subject of discussion, even among descendants of polygamous ancestors. I believe the author has presented the topic evenly—the varying beliefs and levels of commitment to the practice, some of which worked amazingly well, and others which did not.
I look forward to further research into the sources referenced, particularly the ‘Manti study’, where I am currently researching a non-polygamous family, and the perspective of a doctor specialising in “women’s issues”, when so much of the community was practicing polygamy.
July 2, 2023
Not my favorite topic… but a good analysis. I loved hearing the direct quotes from so many saints with such a variety of experiences. I would have appreciated more details on the Nauvoo period - I feel like important points were omitted due to it being a summary only. On the other hand, I learned a ton about the period right before the manifesto. Overall, I wish she had taken the subject on chronologically rather than topically.
It’s hard to imagine ever feeling settled on this topic. It’s so complex. But I’m glad to have read this book, the biggest takeaway being a deeper respect for the sacrifice and a deeper desire to honor those who made it.
It’s hard to imagine ever feeling settled on this topic. It’s so complex. But I’m glad to have read this book, the biggest takeaway being a deeper respect for the sacrifice and a deeper desire to honor those who made it.
October 3, 2023
Wow, this book is really wonderful. Nash does an incredible job of presenting polygamy with all of the good and bad in a way that you can understand it. I felt my testimony strengthened that God loves His children and is guiding them. Although not all of my questions were answered (because we just don’t know all of the answers), I felt a lot of peace. I also feel a greater appreciation for those saints who practiced polygamy. I feel like I have a better and clearer understanding of the practice. The book is well-written, informative, and inspiring. Anyone who has questions about polygamy should read this book.
July 4, 2025
This book is very well researched and well written. She writes about people's varied experiences with polygamy through the voices of those who lived it. Some had rich, spiritual and happy experiences living this law, others did not, and I think that Nash represents both groups fairly. This book expanded what I understood about polygamy. I appreciate that Nash writes about all of this from a place of faith, and she does not pass judgements about the people she wrote about. At the same time, she does not hide the parts about this law that were/are painful for some. I would recommend it to any Latter-day Saint looking to understand this topic better.
October 28, 2023
This book covers so so so much about the subject of polygamy in the early Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I appreciated how many primary sources the author used and also what a great job she did in not showing bias. She showed the good, the hard, the blessings, and the trials for those living in polygamy. She talked about divorce, loneliness, poverty, martial happiness, sisterhood, and independent women. It's crazy how much I learned from this little book. I highly recommend it to anyone curious about what polygamy was like for those who lived it
August 4, 2024
I thought it was a great overview of the topic. Nash goes through what we do and do not know better than I have experienced before. She tries hard to display the different struggles and benefits experienced by those who practiced polygamy, at least within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (there is almost nothing about other groups). I particularly appreciate her dispelling of certain myths that I have heard most of my life. It is a great foundational source to understand polygamy in the context of church history.
November 2, 2025
Such a fraught topic - with plenty of opportunity to clash, argue, pontificate. I think the author makes an honest effort to provide both sides - recognizing the difficulty and faith involved along with the challenges which were both met for some and not for others. Perhaps more could have been done to recognize the downside - the misuse/abuse of polygamy, but this is a small format (size & page count) and I think it’s a challenge to do an even handed approach. Polemics have already been done - this is a higher level overview that, for me, was worthwhile.
November 22, 2021
A tough choice explained
This book is an excellent choice for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -Day Saints or anyone else who wants to better understand plural marriage as practiced by the early members of the church. The book is well researched and documented, and very readable. I have more peace now about this part of church history. The author asks us to honor the sacrifice of the early Saints because they have already given it. I can do that.
This book is an excellent choice for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -Day Saints or anyone else who wants to better understand plural marriage as practiced by the early members of the church. The book is well researched and documented, and very readable. I have more peace now about this part of church history. The author asks us to honor the sacrifice of the early Saints because they have already given it. I can do that.
July 19, 2023
A very well-written book that nicely summarizes the origins and practice of plural marriage in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during the nineteenth century (the LDS Church no longer practices polygamy). I felt the author handled the hard issues this topic inevitably raises with candor and empathy to both the historical people who practiced it as well as modern readers who feel uncomfortable by it. I absolutely recommend this book.
February 4, 2025
This was a really interesting and well written book. It's concise, but well researched. I think the author did a great job being straightforward and matter-of-fact, as well as writing about a wide range of experiences of people who were polygamists. I particularly enjoyed the first hand accounts/snippets of people's thoughts and experiences with plural marriage. It was fascinating to read about both the positive and negative stories and aspects of this history.
July 2, 2025
There was not much new about the topic other than several first hand accounts that I haven't read before. (I have studied this extensively prior to reading this book.) I guess I was hoping for something that is impossible to find when it comes to polygamy, which is understanding God's ways and reasons. I rest in gratitude and confidence that I do not have to participate in order to return to my Heavenly Father.
December 17, 2025
This series of books, written about challenging and sometimes sensitive topics by scholars in our faith, has been great to read. I really enjoyed the clarity with which Nash approached the subject from a historical, spiritual, and emotional lens by sharing first-hand accounts and pertinent information. I highly recommend to those who have questions (and who doesn't) about this practice in the past.
April 2, 2024
I’ve read a few books on LDS polygamy and always learn something new. Didn’t know Brigham Young and a few other early prophets were divorced. This quote made me physically sick: “Latter-Day Saints perceived a great hypocrisy between accusations that they were sexually immoral while the sexual indiscretions of Victorian men were, at that time, figuratively swept under the rug. Apostle Orson Pratt suggested that plural marriage was an antidote to fornication and adultery.”
April 5, 2024
I listened to the audio book, narrated by someone other than the author.
Wonderful survey of a complex topic in a small volume. Great synopsis of the who, what, where, and whys. Best features are the breadth of personal experiences researched and shared in this book, concluding that it is impossible to generalize what people experienced, since the experiences were so broad.
If you are looking for a concise history of Polygamy in the 19th century, this is it!
Wonderful survey of a complex topic in a small volume. Great synopsis of the who, what, where, and whys. Best features are the breadth of personal experiences researched and shared in this book, concluding that it is impossible to generalize what people experienced, since the experiences were so broad.
If you are looking for a concise history of Polygamy in the 19th century, this is it!
March 2, 2025
A great addition to the "Let's Talk About..." series. If you have studied this part of Church history, there is nothing new in this book. But the how's and why's are all clearly, if briefly, laid out here. It is important to read the actual words, journals, and testimonies of those who made this sacrifice before passing judgement - especially female voices. Highly recommend!
May 25, 2025
I’ve been wanting to read this collection of books dealing with difficult Gospel topics (Let’s Talk About… series). As I’m studying Church History this year, this is one of my personal pressing topics. It does help to hear 1st hand accounts of women & men who lived the “principle” but I’m still really grateful that this is no longer our practice.
November 27, 2025
I really appreciated the quotations from many people who were involved in polygamous families. Their points of view, reasoning, and experiences with the positives and negatives were eye-opening. They were real people, and I don't need to assume my thoughts about this institution were their thoughts. We can respect their agency by learning more about them and not judging them.
January 4, 2026
Well-researched brief on history of plural marriage in Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Provides sections that shed light on most of my questions, reflecting both positive and negative situations. I really liked the focus on direct quotes from those who lived when the law was practiced.
October 8, 2023
Provided a lot of perspectives and first hand accounts, which was really interesting. The commandment of plural marriage was definitely a huge trial for most. I’m very very glad that whatever the Lord’s purposes were during that time (which we still don’t really know) that it’s done.
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