Verse 15, again, verily I say unto you that whoso forbiddeth to marry is not ordained of God, for marriage is ordained of God unto man. Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh. And all this, that the earth might answer the ends of its creation. Very important to note that at this age of the church, this is the Lord’s law of marriage, this is in regards to Joseph Smith Wives. Your great cross-reference here would be to take you back to Jacob chapter 2 in the Book of Mormon, where we get the Lord’s law of marriage taught to the Nephites by Jacob in chapter 2, verse 27. Wherefore, my brethren, hear me and hearken to the word of the Lord. In other words, Jacob is saying, “This isn’t just Jacob. This isn’t Brother Jacob’s doctrine. He’s speaking with divine investiture of authority. He’s speaking for the Lord. He’s saying, ‘Hearken unto me, to the word of the Lord. Hear me and hearken to the word of the Lord. Here’s the law: for there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife, and concubines he shall have none.'” This then would cause some people to say, “Well, wait a minute. Then why did Joseph Smith teach the doctrine of plural marriage?” A little bit later, look at verse 30: “For if you could circle the word ‘if’ there in verse 30, if I will, saith the Lord of hosts.” Are you noticing Jacob speaking for the Lord directly? “For if I will, saith the Lord of hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people. Otherwise, they shall hearken unto these things.” So you get the law of marriage: one man, one wife, and then this exception, an example of this exception is Joseph Smith Fanny Alger, that will come when the Lord commands it. And that’s it. It is not up to mankind to determine when those times are going to be. So that sets the stage for that doctrine being taught a little bit later.
By Todd Noall, Source Expert
Todd Noall is an author and religious scholar at Mormonism Explained with a focus on the history and theology of religion.
Fact Checked by Mr. Kevin Prince, Source Expert
Kevin Prince is a religious scholar and host of the Gospel Learning Youtube channel. His channel has garnered over 41,000 subscribers and accumulated over 4.5 million views. Mr. Prince also created the Gospel Learning App, a reliable platform where individuals seeking truth can access trustworthy answers to religious questions from top educators worldwide.
About Mormonism Explained
Mormonism Explained is a resource that was designed to provide objective and factual information about Mormonism, its history, doctrines, and policies. Our team of researchers consults experts and primary sources to present factual information on a variety of topics relevant to the Mormon Church.
Tags