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Introduction
Much may be added to prove the LDS Church lies. I will only focus on just some of the evidence from the first century of the LDS Church concerning the lies regarding their practice of polygamy.
Joseph Smith
On May 8, 1838, Joseph Smith stated, "'Do the Mormons believe in having more wives than one?'
'No, not at the same time. But they believe that if their companion dies, they have a right to marry again. But we do disapprove of the custom, which has gained in the world, and has been practiced among us, to our great mortification, in marrying in five or six weeks, or even in two or three months, after the death of their companion. We believe that due respect ought to be had to the memory of the dead, and the feelings of both friends and children'" (History of the Church 3:28). At this point, Smith had at least one plural wife: Fanny Alger. He may have had two plural wives depending on when he married Lucinda Morgan Harris that year according to LDS scholar Todd Compton (In Sacred Loneliness, 49).
Then on May 26, 1844, Smith (right after he made his famous boast that only he--not even Jesus--was able to keep the whole church together [History of the Church 6:408]) said he only had one wife (411). At this time, he actually was married to around 30 to 40 wives (cf. footnote 24 and footnote 29 of the LDS Church's Gospel Topics Essay "Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo" admits he had polyandrous marriages with 12 to 14 women). About a year before this statement that he only had one wife, his own infamous scripture D&C 132:52-5 put the guilt trip on his first wife Emma to receive these other wives given to Joseph.
Doctrine and Covenants
So that was just Smith covering his own rear-end? If so, then how does one explain D&C 101 previously saying, “Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband, except in case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again”? This remained in the Doctrine and Covenants from 1835 to 1876 when section 132 replaced it. Obviously, the LDS were practicing polygamy during this time. The Manifesto to first end the practice didn't occur until 1890!
Conclusion
This is a consistent history of prevarication! Why in the world would you trust yourself to this being the Lord's one true Church? How do you know you aren't currently being lied to by this church? Simply because you have a testimony? A testimony of a lying church?
R.M. Sivulka
President, Courageous Christians United
West Jordan, UT
January 30, 2020
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