Posted by:
Anonymous Muser
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Date: February 08, 2019 07:53PM
Has a marriage certificate ever been produced for Joseph & Emma?
Anyway, here are church-approved sources for some of Smith's multiple marriages -
Joseph F. Smith, Gospel Doctrine, pp. 489-90:
"I can positively state, on indisputable evidence, that Joseph Smith was the author, under God, of the revelation on plural marriage. On this subject, we have the affidavit of William Clayton, private secretary of Joseph Smith, that he wrote the revelation as it was given through the lips of the prophet and that he himself sealed to Joseph Smith as a plural wife, Lucy Walker, at Joseph Smith's own residence, on May 1, 1843. This lady is still living, in Salt Lake City, and is willing to testify at any moment to this fact. Following are some of the names of young ladies who were sealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, as testified to under oath by themselves — this during the lifetime of the prophet: Eliza R. Snow, Sarah Ann Whitney, Helen Mary Kimball, Fanny Young (sister to Brigham Young), and Rhoda Richards (sister to Willard Richards who was with the prophet at his martyrdom in Carthage jail). All these noble women have testified, under oath, giving names and dates, that they were sealed during his lifetime, to the Prophet Joseph Smith. These facts have been published in Jenson's Historical Record, and in the Deseret News, in years past; and I know, by the established and virtuous character of these noble women, that their testimonies are true.
"A careful reading of the revelation on plural marriage should convince any honest man that it was never written by Brigham Young, as it contains references to Joseph Smith himself, and his family, which would be utterly nonsensical and useless if written by President Young. The fact is, we have the affidavit of Joseph C. Kingsbury, certifying that he copied the original manuscript of the revelation within three days after the date on which it was written. I knew Joseph C. Kingsbury well. Furthermore, the revelation was read by Hyrum Smith to a majority of the members of the High Council, in Nauvoo, at about the time it was given, to which fact we have the sworn statements of the members of the High Council. (Improvement Era, Vol. 5, October, 1902, p. 988)"
John A. Widtsoe, Evidences and Reconciliations, p. 341:
"2. A number of men, who in their lives showed themselves honest, have testified that they actually performed the ceremonies that united Joseph Smith to plural wives. Among these were Joseph B. Noble, Hyrum Smith, James Adams, Newell K. Whitney, Willard Richards, and others. Several of these men lived long after the Prophet's death and always declared that they officiated in marrying the Prophet to a plural wife, giving place, date, and the witnesses present.
"3. Many of the women who were thus sealed to Joseph Smith lived long after his death. They declared that they lived with the Prophet as husband and wives. These women were of unblemished character, gentle and lovely in their lives who spoke with loving respect of their martyr husband. They substantiated in detail the statements of those who performed the ceremonies."
Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball, pp. 418-19:
"After the death of the Prophet Joseph, who had also taken many wives, most of his widows were married, for time, to Brigham, Heber and others of the martyr's brethren. The wives of the Prophet who wedded Heber C. Kimball were Sarah Ann Whitney, eldest daughter of Bishop Newell K. Whitney; Lucy Walker, Prescindia Huntington, Sarah Lawrence, Mary Houston, Martha McBride, Sylvia P. Sessions, Nancy Maria Winchester and Sarah Scott."
Benjamin Johnson My Life's Review (1947), pp. 96-97:
"This occurrence is referred to in the life of Joseph Smith as 'Spending the evening in giving counsel to Brother Johnson and wife.' At this time I knew that the Prophet had as his wives, Louisa Beeman, Eliza R. Snow, Maria and Sarah Lawrence, Sisters Lyon and Dibble, one or two of Bishop Partridge's daughters, and some of C. P. Lott's daughters, together with my own two sisters…"
Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 3, SMITH, JOSEPH:
"The Prophet faced a dilemma as he began to restore long-lost divine principles… As early as 1841, he introduced plural marriage, a necessary part of the restoration of the ancient order of things, to members of the Twelve and a few others. Although he had understood the principle since 1831 and apparently had married one plural wife several years earlier, he married his first recorded plural wife, Louisa Beaman, in 1841. During his remaining years, he married at least twenty-seven others."
Dean C. Jessee, BYU Studies, Vol. 19, No. 4, p. 476:
"The death of Joseph Smith created a situation that not only increased Brigham Young's ecclesiastical responsibilities but also added to his domestic concerns as well. Susa Young Gates explains that following the Prophet's death her father went to Joseph's widowed plural wives and 'told them that he and his brethren stood ready to offer themselves to them as husbands' in accordance with the tradition of ancient Israel whereby posterity for a dead brother might be born in this life and that 'the widows might choose for themselves.' Subsequently, eight of Joseph's plural wives (Olive Andrews, Emily D. Partridge, Louisa Beaman, Mary Elizabeth Rollins, Rhoda Richards, Olive G. Frost, Zina D. Huntington, and Eliza R. Snow) were married to Brigham Young for the remainder of their mortal lives…"