On another post, helemon asked why did JS recommend marrying the lamanites.

The Indian Polygamy Revelation can be read here:
http://www2.ldsfreedom.org/node/11

In November, 1831, Ezra Booth wrote:

"In addition to this, and to co-operate with it, it has been made known by revelation, that it will be pleasing to the Lord, should they form a matrimonial alliance with the Natives; and by this means the Elders, who comply with the thing so pleasing to the Lord, and for which the Lord has promised to bless those who do it abundantly, gain a residence in the Indian territory, independent of the agent."

There is a big clue in Booth's words "gain a residence in the Indian territory, independent of the agent."

The Congressional act of 1790 was the law on Indian Affairs.
"no person shall be permitted to carry on any trade or intercourse with the Indian tribes, without a license for that purpose under the hand and seal of the superintendent of the department..."

Exmos often comment that mormons know no boundaries, and it was the same in 1831. Congressional law required that they could not go into Indian Country and preach without first getting a permit. D&C 28 was supposed to be God's words to go on a mission to the Lamanites. I guess God forgot to mention they get a permit.

In January 1831 they left the border of Missouri and preached to the Delaware tribe. The Indian agent Richard C. Cummins told them to leave and get a permit. LDS history sources sometimes talk about Pratt's comments that their success stirred up jealousy of the agents. This is BS. They were breaking the law.

William Clark was the superintendent of Indian Affairs for Missouri and Cummins wrote him on February 13, 1831.

"A few days ago three men all strangers to me went among the Indians preaching to and instructing them in religious matters. They say they are sent by God and must [proceed]. They have a new revelation with them as there guide in teaching the Indians, which they say was shown to one of their [Sect] in a miraculous way, and that an angel from heaven appeared to one of their men and two others of their Sect, and showed them that the work was from God, and much more. I have refused to let them stay, or go among the Indians unless they first obtained permission from you or some of the officers the General Government who I am bound to obey. I am informed that they intend to apply to you. If you refuse they then will go to the Rocky Mountains, but what they will be with the Indians. The men are very strange, there came an five to this place, they say four from the State of New York and one from Ohio."

The mormons never met with William Clark, never got a permit, and did not go back. Shortly after this, the Indian polygamy revelation began. Booth's words "gain a residence...independent of the agent" tells quite a bit.

They broke the law and were ordered to leave. Instead of getting the permit it looks like they dreamed up the scheme that if they went back and married Indian women they would be out of the reach of the law. Maybe when they realized that laws of the U.S. would still be on them, they dropped the plan.

The polygamy aspect of their scheme might have been influenced from fur traders who had Indian wives. There were cases of white wives and Indian wives and children at the same time.

The revelation never made it into the Doctrine and Covenants.

IIRC, reasons for the law included selling guns and liquor to indians, and entering into deals whereby whites would get land from indians; the government was quite adept at snagging tribal lands on its own & didn't want competition. I've been helpng my daughter study this stuff in her history class and it gets me angry & depressed to read what went on. Most of my ancestors were New England religious types who would have been appalled at the time (I hope).

I found this letter interesting, 16 years after the Indian polygamy revelation:

Written September 18, 1847 by Thomas Fitzpatrick, Indian Agent, Upper Platte and Arkansas to Thomas H. Harvey, Superintendent Indian Affairs, St. Louis, Missouri

About seventy-five miles above this place, and immediately on the Arkansas river, there is a small settlement, the principal part of which is composed of old trappers and hunters; the male part of it are mostly Americans, Missouri French, Canadians, and Mexicans... They number about 150 souls, and of this number there are about 60 men, nearly all having wives, and some have two. These wives are of various Indian tribes... The American women are Mormons; a party of Mormons having wintered there, and, on their departure for California, left behind two families. These people are living in two separate establishments near each other...Those villages are becoming the resort of all idlers and loafers. They are also becoming depots for the smugglers of liquor from New Mexico into this country; therefore they must be watched.