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PrevPrevious EpisodeCelibacy, Polygamy, & Free Love in 19th Century (Part 1 of 6)
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Explaining Polygamy from non-Mormon Viewpoint (Part 2 of 6)

Table of Contents: Explaining Polygamy from non-Mormon Viewpoint (Part 2 of 6)

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What is the best explanation for polygamy from a non-Mormon view?  Dr. Larry Foster from Georgia Tech gives his best explanation for the practice.

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Larry:  So it wasn’t like God suddenly said, “You should start polygamy.”  Joseph Smith asks God, according to the revelation that was written, recorded in 1843 that is now section 132 of the Utah Mormon Doctrine and Covenants, he asks, “Why did you allow the Hebrew patriarchs like Abraham, Solomon, and David and all these other people to have plural wives?” Then God tells him, “It’s time to reintroduce the system in a different form in preparation for the millennium.” That’s reading a few extra things into it.

Then similarly, the argument that he was just mentally disturbed, there’s some definite possibilities there, but you have to ask, is there an assumption that anybody who would think that they wanted to introduce polygamy would automatically have to be mentally disturbed? Then you’d have to say, “Well, all those people in the Bible were mentally disturbed.”  I don’t think that that would hold up.

But I do think that there are some definite psychological peculiarities about Joseph Smith that I’ve argued–several different interpretations that might work to try to help explain how unusual psychology and narcissistic and possibly bipolar manic depressive tendencies might have contributed in sort of encouraging him to move toward polygamy, and maybe sincerely believe it was God’s will, but mainly, might have been his own desires that were sort of feeding back into, “It’s coming from God,” sort of thing.

Check out our conversation….

- Explaining Polygamy from non-Mormon Viewpoint (Part 2 of 6) - Mormon History Podcast
Georgia Tech professor Dr. Larry Foster gives a non-Mormon explanation for polygamy.

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More Podcasts with these Guests:

  • Message to Critics & Believers of Joseph Smith (Part 6 of 6)
  • Assessing Joseph Smith (Part 5 of 6)
  • Interesting Defenses of Polygamy (Part 4 of 6)
  • Comparing Mormons, Shakers, & Oneida (Part 3 of 6)
  • Celibacy, Polygamy, & Free Love in 19th Century (Part 1 of 6)

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

  • Guest: Larry Foster
  • Theology: Polygamy, Sealing
  • Historical Mentions Mormon History
  • Tags: GT Podcast, iTunes

Tell me when the next episode drops!

PrevPrevious EpisodeCelibacy, Polygamy, & Free Love in 19th Century (Part 1 of 6)
Next ExpisodeComparing Mormons, Shakers, & Oneida (Part 3 of 6)Next
  • Date: November 6, 2019
  • Guest: Larry Foster
  • Theology: Polygamy, Sealing
  • Historical Mentions Mormon History
  • Tags: GT Podcast, iTunes
  • Posted By: RickB

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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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