Further Understanding of Plural Marriage
Material Studied: Plural Marriage - Valerie Hudson’s essay, Eugene England - On Fidelity, Polygamy, and Celestial Marriage, History of living women/sealings,
Discussion:
Valerie Hudson's essay - Hudson’s footnotes are brilliant, per usual
Abrahamic sacrifice - Q: What is the sacrifice? Isaac almost sacrificed his life. What good came to Hagar? How is this sacrifice for others?
Hagar received blessings from her sacrifice: She is the only person in the story for whom God uses her name, Islam looks at her as Abraham’s rightful wife.
During Joseph Smith’s time, the same number of kids were generated whether from polygamist or monogamist marriages
Eugene England - the garden of Eden - don’t eat the fruit, but you have to have children
Quote: God apparently uses such a unique and uniquely troubling test because it is the only way to teach us something paradoxical but true and very important about the universe—that trust in our personal experiences with divinity must sometimes outweigh our rational morality. Obedience to the divine commands that come directly to us must sometimes supersede our understanding of earlier commands if we are ever to transcend the human limitations of even our best inherited culture and religion. We must learn, sometimes very painfully, to be open to continuous revelation. We must learn such a lesson partly because truth and history are too complex to be reduced to simple, irrevocable commandments—even from past prophets—like “Thou shalt not kill” or “Thou shalt always have only one spouse.”
Why not add one more sacrifice? What is God’s plan for Emma? We don’t know.
What is this telling me? The sacrifice can be beyond my understanding.
Barbara Morgan: DC conference - the five virgins with the oil paid the price to know God - Section 132 is about becoming gods and goddesses - polygamy is a policy, and today it would be called adultery -
Abrahamic sacrifice - How willing are you to walk with God? Willingness to walk with God and to walk the path -
Problematic to say don’t question your rationality or thinking, trust this guy because he is speaking for the Lord -
England: We simply do not believe, as Mormons, that we must accept all scripture and prophetic teaching as equally inspired, and we have no doctrine of prophetic infallibility.
Is this a celestial law? - No. What is God’s law? It is one man, one woman; polygamy is a step outside of that law, which is occasionally done
We are a proxy church - individuals serve as proxies for others, sealings can be transferred -
Sealed to the family of God, to the body of Christ
Mosiah 7:18 - “yet I trust there remaineth an effectual struggle to be made.” . . a determined effort that is effective and successful in producing the desired result, often used in religious contexts to describe a powerful, spiritually charged effort to overcome challenges or find salvation, unlike mere trying without success. It's a "productive struggle" where hope and action lead to change.
This language is from President Oaks from the temple dedication of the Burley, Idaho, temple: “For His atonement for our repented sins.” We thank Thee for the plan Thou hast established for the eternal life of Thy children. We thank Thee for Thine Only Begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, for His Atonement for our repented sins, for His Resurrection to assure our immortality and for His experiencing our pains and infirmities that He can strengthen and heal us to bear them. We thank Thee for the Holy Ghost, Thy Holy Spirit, who testifies of Thee and Thy Son and who leads us into truth.
Conclusion - We are reminded that our covenants are with God - that God’s law is marriage between one man and one woman.