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PrevPrevious EpisodeEmma’s Up and Down Relationship with Polygamy
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Was Oliver Cowdery a Polygamist?

Table of Contents: Was Oliver Cowdery a Polygamist?

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Oliver Cowdery has been accused of practicing polygamy before he was authorized to do so.  In our next conversation with Dr. Bill Smith we’ll address these rumors.  Are they true?

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Bill:  That I think is wrong.  I think it developed out of a story that happened because before Oliver left on his Lamanite mission to the borders of the Lamanites in Missouri, he was with Parley Pratt and a couple of other guys going to be missionaries out there to the Lamanites.  They get commissioned by revelation to do this.

Before he leaves, he has asked Elizabeth Whitmer to marry him, so he is engaged to her.  On the way through Ohio he meets another woman there, falls madly in love with her, asks her to marry him.  That’s the extent of any Cowdery polygamy.  That was a pretty big issue for a number of early Mormons.  Some of his mission companions talk about this later.  That was a big issue.  He has a high council session about this thing.  He repents.  “I’m really going to marry Elizabeth.” This other woman was just a flight of fancy or something.  But that’s the extent of it.

We will talk about Oliver’s accusation of Joseph’s dirty, nasty, filthy affair with Fanny Alger.

Bill:  There is no evidence as far as I know of that.  I think that Oliver and some other people were aware of the Alger affair…

Don’t forget to listen to our conversation about Emma!  Check out our conversation…..

Oliver Cowdery

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More Podcasts with these Guests:

  • Joseph Smith’s Protology: How are Spirit Babies Created?
  • Breaking Sealings: Who has the Power?
  • How 132 Would Affect Future Revelations on Women & Gays
  • Is Polygamy a Ticket to Heaven?
  • Emma’s Up and Down Relationship with Polygamy

Get more information on the people and things discussed in this episode:

  • Guest: Bill Smith
  • Theology: Polygamy
  • Historical Mentions Mormon History, Oliver Cowdery
  • Tags: best Mormon history podcast, GT Podcast, iTunes, Oliver Cowdery

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PrevPrevious EpisodeEmma’s Up and Down Relationship with Polygamy
Next ExpisodeIs Polygamy a Ticket to Heaven?Next
  • Date: March 25, 2018
  • Guest: Bill Smith
  • Theology: Polygamy
  • Historical Mentions Mormon History, Oliver Cowdery
  • Tags: best Mormon history podcast, GT Podcast, iTunes, Oliver Cowdery
  • Posted By: RickB

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Rick Bennett, Host of Gospel Tangents

Rick Bennett is the friendly, independent historian at the heart of Gospel Tangents LDS Podcast: The Best Source for Mormon History, Science, and Theology. When he isn't interviewing Mormon scholars, prophets, and others, he is teaching math and statistics at Utah Valley University. He also freelances as a research biostatistician in the fields of Dermatology and Traumatic Brian Injuries, as well as in the network television/cable T.V. industries as a sports statistician. Rick holds a Master of Statistics Degree from the University of Utah.

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