How many wifes can a Mormon man have?
This article exposes the historical and theological inconsistencies of Mormon polygamy, contrasting it with the original Hebraic-Messianic understanding of marriage as a covenant between one man and one woman.
Quick Answer
How many wives can a Mormon man have? Exposing the Polygamy Deception Quick Answer Quick Answer: Historically, a Mormon man could have multiple wives, a practice called "plural marriage" or polygyny, mandated by Joseph Smith's 1843 revelation in Doctrine and Covenants 132. However, the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) officially discontinued…
How many wives can a Mormon man have? Exposing the Polygamy Deception
Quick Answer
Quick Answer: Historically, a Mormon man could have multiple wives, a practice called "plural marriage" or polygyny, mandated by Joseph Smith's 1843 revelation in Doctrine and Covenants 132. However, the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) officially discontinued the practice in 1890 under federal pressure, though some fundamentalist factions continue it. The original Hebraic faith of Yeshua affirms marriage as a covenant between one man and one woman, established by Elohim at creation.
The Scholarly Case
The question of how many wives a Mormon man can have delves into a contentious history and theological framework that starkly contrasts with the foundational Hebraic understanding of marriage. From a biblical perspective, marriage is a sacred covenant established by Elohim at creation, designed for one man and one woman. Genesis 2:24 states, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." This foundational text describes a singular, exclusive union. Yeshua Himself affirmed this original design, quoting Genesis 2:24 in Matthew 19:4-6, stating: "Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” This teaching unequivocally establishes monogamy as the divine standard from the very outset. The Torah, while recording instances of polygyny among patriarchs and kings, never presents it as Elohim's ideal or command. Rather, it often depicts the strife and dysfunction that arose from such arrangements, as seen in the households of Abraham, Jacob, and David. Furthermore, the Torah explicitly warned against the practice for kings: Deuteronomy 17:17 commands, "He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold." This is a clear prohibition against multiplying wives, recognizing the spiritual danger it posed. King Solomon's deviation from this command, as recorded in 1 Kings 11:1-8, led directly to his heart turning away from YHWH and the introduction of idolatry into Israel. The Brit Chadashah (New Testament) reinforces the monogamous standard. Paul, in his instructions for church leadership, explicitly states in 1 Timothy 3:2 that "An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach." This requirement for monogamy was not merely a cultural preference but a reflection of the divine order for marriage and spiritual leadership within the community of believers. The concept of marriage as a reflection of the covenantal relationship between Messiah Yeshua and His followers (Ephesians 5:21-33) further solidifies the singular, devoted nature of this bond. Ephesians 5:32 describes this profound mystery: "This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church." Just as Messiah has one bride, the community of faith, so too is the earthly marriage designed to be a singular union. The claim that "God and Jesus had multiple wives" and that men can practice polygamy in heaven to produce spirit children, as promoted by some within Mormon teachings, directly contradicts Yeshua's own words. When questioned about marriage in the resurrection, Yeshua stated in Matthew 22:30, "In the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven." Mark 12:25 reiterates this, saying, "When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven." This clearly indicates that the earthly institution of marriage, including any concept of plural marriage for procreation in the afterlife, does not persist in the resurrected state. The focus shifts from earthly procreation to an existence "like the angels," implying a different mode of being and relationship with Elohim. Therefore, the Hebraic-Messianic faith unequivocally upholds monogamy as the divine design for marriage, rooted in creation, affirmed by Yeshua, and reinforced by the apostles. Any deviation into polygyny, whether historically practiced or doctrinally taught for an afterlife, represents a departure from this foundational truth.Adversary Teardown: lds.org
The official position of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) regarding how many wives a Mormon man can have has undergone significant shifts, revealing a tradition-driven adaptation rather than consistent adherence to original Hebraic truth. While LDS.org today states that the Church no longer practices plural marriage, this modern stance obscures a tumultuous history and foundational theological contradictions. The practice of plural marriage, or polygyny, was not merely tolerated but was a central tenet of early Mormonism, codified by Joseph Smith Jr. in 1843 as Doctrine and Covenants (D&C) Section 132. This "revelation" explicitly commanded and justified polygamy, promising "thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers" (D&C 132:19) to those sealed in such unions. This stands in direct opposition to an earlier canonized scripture within Mormonism itself, the Book of Mormon, which explicitly condemns polygamy. Jacob 2:24 states, "Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord." Jacob 2:27-30 further declares that "a man should have save it be one wife." While LDS apologists attempt to create a loophole in Jacob 2:30 ("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"), this retroactive justification fails to reconcile the stark contradiction. Joseph Smith's "revelation" (D&C 132) thus directly contradicts the Book of Mormon's earlier condemnation, indicating a doctrinal shift, not a consistent divine command. Joseph Smith's own practice of plural marriage was not limited to polygyny (one man, multiple wives) but controversially extended to polyandry (one woman, multiple husbands). Historical records, meticulously documented by scholars like Todd Compton in 'In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith,' confirm Smith married at least 11 women who were already legally married to other living men, often without their husbands' knowledge or consent. This polyandrous dimension, rarely discussed on official LDS platforms, exposes a profound ethical and theological crisis within the origins of the practice. The official discontinuation of plural marriage by the mainstream LDS Church in 1890, through the Woodruff Manifesto, was not a theological reversal but a pragmatic response to intense federal pressure and the threat of disincorporation. Brigham Young, who succeeded Smith and led the Mormons to Utah in 1847, continued and expanded polygamy, even introducing the "Adam-God doctrine" in 1852. The 1890 Manifesto, and subsequent manifestos, represent a retreat from D&C 132's explicit commands, driven by external forces rather than internal doctrinal consistency. This lineage—Joseph Smith Jr. (1843 revelation, 1844 death) → Brigham Young (1847 Utah, 1890 Manifesto)—demonstrates a clear historical trajectory of the practice and its eventual, forced cessation by the mainstream church. The claim that "Lamanites" (a people described in the Book of Mormon as descendants of ancient Hebrews in the Americas) were of Semitic origin has been decisively refuted by modern DNA evidence. Simon Southerton, in 'Losing a Lost Tribe,' demonstrates that mtDNA evidence points to an Asian, not Semitic, origin for indigenous American populations, directly undermining a core narrative of the Book of Mormon and its claims of ancient Hebrew migration. This anachronistic claim, alongside others like pre-Columbian horses, chariots, and steel swords in the Book of Mormon, further highlights its departure from verifiable historical and scientific fact, as critiqued by scholars like Michael Coe in 'Mormons & Archaeology: An Outside View.' In conclusion, the LDS Church's historical and theological journey regarding how many wives a Mormon man can have is fraught with internal contradictions, ethical compromises, and a clear departure from the Hebraic-Messianic understanding of marriage. The shifting justifications and eventual abandonment of plural marriage by the mainstream church reveal a tradition built on human interpretations and adaptations, rather than the unchanging truth of YHWH's Word.Counter-Arguments Anticipated
Objection 1: The Old Testament patriarchs practiced polygamy, so it must be acceptable to God.
Rebuttal: While the Tanakh records instances of polygyny among patriarchs and kings, it never presents it as Elohim's ideal or command. Instead, it often details the strife, jealousy, and negative consequences that arose from such unions (e.g., the rivalry between Leah and Rachel in Genesis). Critically, Deuteronomy 17:17 explicitly warned kings against multiplying wives, indicating a divine disapproval of the practice for leaders. Yeshua Himself, in Matthew 19:4-6 and Mark 10:6-9, pointed back to the original creation account in Genesis 2:24 as the divine standard of one man and one woman becoming "one flesh," thereby re-establishing monogamy as the blueprint for marriage.
Objection 2: Joseph Smith's revelation (D&C 132) was a command from God to restore an ancient practice.
Rebuttal: This argument is undermined by internal contradictions within Mormon scripture itself. The Book of Mormon, in Jacob 2:24, explicitly condemns polygamy, stating, "Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord." This earlier canonized text directly contradicts D&C 132. Furthermore, the Torah closes with Malachi around 430 BCE, and Deuteronomy 4:2 and 12:32, along with Proverbs 30:6, forbid adding to or taking away from YHWH's word. The concept of a new "stick of Joseph" containing additional scripture, particularly one that contradicts prior revelation, runs contrary to the established closure of the Tanakh canon and its warnings against additions.
Objection 3: Celestial marriage, including plural marriage, is necessary for exaltation and eternal progression in the afterlife.
Rebuttal: This doctrine directly conflicts with Yeshua's teaching on the nature of the resurrected state. In Matthew 22:30, Yeshua states, "In the resurrection, people will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven." This clearly indicates that earthly marital institutions, including any form of plural marriage, do not extend into the eternal realm. The path to eternal life, according to Yeshua, is not through multiplying wives or earthly procreation in the afterlife, but through faith in Him, as John 3:16 declares: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." The focus is on a spiritual transformation and relationship with Elohim, not a continuation of earthly social structures.