I started reading the book "In Sacred Loneliness." I highly recommend those who have not read the book to do so. It seems the author is objective and is simply trying to get to provide the truth as much as historical evidence can be shed on Joseph Smith's wives. I don't think most TBMs even have a 1% understanding of the involvements of Joseph Smith.

I thought it interesting for a Church and its leaders that is very pious about sexual purity now...even to the extent that one person told me his bishop said you have to decide whether you are going to be a disciple of Christ or hedonist for a small sexual sin could be the same Church that 170 years ago was involved in all manner of polygamy kind of strikes me as a little hypocritical. In other words, it's OK to find the hottest women and make them your wives, and it's OK to have sexual relations with them, but the poor member who struggles with minor sexual sins is becoming a hedonist. Does that make any sense?

A friend told me her cousin a few years ago had a good make out session down there in BYU with her date. Both of these BYU students belonged to the same ward. The guy felt guilty about the make out session so he confessed his "sin" to his Bishop. The Bishop said to him that he did in fact sin and should repent of it. He then brought the girl in for a confessional and this girl's cousin did not feel bad about making out. The Bishop would not give her a temple recommend until she repented. She refused to repent and was not given a recommend until 6 months later when she told the Bishop she had repented (secretly she thought the Bishop was full of crap), but wanted the recommend and went through the Hail Marys to get there.
So, a female BYU student was denied a temple recommend for six months because she refused to repent of a make out session, and Joseph Smith gets to be become the most exalted being of the dispensation despite all of this polygamy that went amok? Where is the justice in mormondom people? The Bishop in that BYU ward should read “In Scared Loneliness” and maybe he would realize a make-out session is more like choking at gnat in Gospel matters, but alas, contradictions and injustices remain alive and well!

Actually...in both stories women are being manipulated by someone who claims to be speaking for God.

And may I add that Joseph Smith was not having polygamy with Fanny Alger in the barn.

Mormon euphemisms- I'm sick of 'em!


Anagrammy

I totally agree. The Mormon church is one of the most sexually repressive churches in spite of it's very liberal sexual beginnings. Joseph Smith got more action than most Mormons or non-Mormons. And then we are supposed to feel guilty for our so called sexual indiscretions as teenagers?!

Bill Gardiner - a fomer seminary teacher of mine :) - wrote a fantastic essay about this topic that I found at postmormon.org entitled "Shadow influences of plural marriage on sexuality within the contemporary Mormon experience". He essentially said that the church isn't currently sexually repressive in spite of its beginnings, but rather because of its beginnings. I highly recommend it.

http://www.postmormon.org/exp_e/index.php/magazine/pmm_article_full_text/215

Interesting idea that the church's plural marriage dark side is influencing its views on sexuality.

I think tho that many other churches also view sexuality negatively without polygamy in their closets. He doesn't say much conserning this.

Whatever the reasons behind TSCC's sexual negativity and shame based curriculum, its results are articulated very well in the article.