POLYGAMY -
When and Why did the Lord Allow It?

 

Abraham and Jacob had more than one wife at a time and were still accepted of the Lord. King David and Solomon, however, were condemned for it. Christians have a dozen theories as to why one set of men was accepted of the Lord and the other condemned. Let's turn to the Book of Mormon and look for clues.

 

The Book of Mormon's Jacob was an ordained priest and teacher. Chapters 2 - 6 in the Book of Jacob is a fiery, down-to-earth, no-nonsense discourse that covers several points of doctrine in which the people of Nephi were failing. One of the topics was sexual morality:

"...the word of God burdens me because of your grosser crimes. For behold, thus saith the Lord: This people begin to wax in iniquity; they understand not the scriptures, for they seek to excuse themselves in committing whoredoms, because of the things which were written concerning David, and Solomon his son. Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.

     "Wherefore, thus saith the Lord, I have led this people forth out of the land of Jerusalem, by the power of mine arm, that I might raise up unto me a righteous branch from the fruit of the loins of Joseph. Wherefore, I the Lord God will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old.

     "Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none; For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts. Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lord of Hosts, or cursed be the land for their sakes.

     "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.

     "For behold, I, the Lord, have seen the sorrow, and heard the mourning of the daughters of my people in the land of Jerusalem, yea, and in all the lands of my people, because of the wickedness and abominations of their husbands. And I will not suffer, saith the Lord of Hosts, that the cries of the fair daughters of this people, which I have led out of the land of Jerusalem, shall come up unto me against the men of my people, saith the Lord of Hosts. For they shall not lead away captive the daughters of my people because of their tenderness, save I shall visit them with a sore curse, even unto destruction; for they shall not commit whoredoms, like unto them of old, saith the Lord of Hosts.

     "And now behold, my brethren, ye know that these commandments were given to our father, Lehi; wherefore, ye have known them before; and ye have come unto great condemnation; for ye have done these things which ye ought not to have done. Behold, ye have done greater iniquities than the Lamanites, our brethren. Ye have broken the hearts of your tender wives, and lost the confidence of your children, because of your bad examples before them; and the sobbings of their hearts ascend up to God against you. And because of the strictness of the word of God, which cometh down against you, many hearts died, pierced with deep wounds." (Jacob 2:23-35)

The Lord sets the standards for the Covenant of Marriage - He alone can allow or forbid the taking of plural wives. In essence, the teacher Jacob taught that, unless the Lord reveals otherwise for a specific purpose, marriage is one man and one woman. If the Lord needs to raise up a people for His purpose He can authorize otherwise - but this is NEVER a decision He has left to mortals to make for themselves.

 

     
 

This is part of my  Bible's Best Friend Project