I am still on my path finding out the truth.. But I thought I would share a few things that sound quiet intersting and are, in my sight, worth pondering.
First, we have a scripture that was in the 1835 edition, but later on removed by Brigham Young in 1876
D&C 101:4
How are we to understand that scripture? Does it not change the whole matter entirely?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.
Several witness affirm that polygamy was not really what the Lord ever intendet for the saint, and that Joseph even stated that polygamy was not just a mistake, but that that mistake could destroy the Lords church.
( Obviously all second hand statements make it even more difficult to dicern wether it was truely said by Joseph or not, so, one has to choose for themselved. But considering that the D&C clearly gives us a revelation on that matter sheds some light on these wittnesses )
1.Stake President William Marks: In July 1853, Stake President Marks wrote that he met with the prophet shortly before his martyrdom. Smith said: “We are a ruined people…this doctrine of polygamy, or Spiritual-wife System, …taught and practiced among us, will prove our destruction and overthrow. I have been deceived…it is wrong; it is a curse to mankind, and we shall have to leave the United States soon, unless it can be put down, and its practice stopped in the Church.” Marks said Smith ordered him to go to the high council: “I will have charges preferred against all who practice this doctrine; and I want you to try them by the laws of the Church, and cut them off, if they will not repent, and cease the practice of this doctrine … I will go into the stand and preach against it with all my might, and in this way, we may rid the Church of this damnable heresy.” But Smith was killed shortly after; When Marks related what Smith had said, his testimony “was pronounced false by the Twelve and disbelieved.”
(Quinn p. 147-8, http://signaturebooks.com/2010/10/excer ... -polygamy/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
2.Hyrum Smith (June 10, 1844) tells Nauvoo City Council that the “1843 revelation pertains to ancient polygamy, not to modern times…” (Quinn p. 645)
3.William Clayton’s diary (June 23, 1844) shows “just before the prophet returned to Emma [that night], he told his secretary to burn the Council of Fifty's minutes—directing his attention to destroying the written evidence of polygamy." (Quinn p. 147)
4.Emma Smith’s 1847 account to William E. McLellin: While she and Joseph were alone in their Mansion House bedroom on June 23, 1844, it was Joseph Smith and not she who burned the original manuscript of the 1843 polygamy revelation…Smith “told her that the doctrine and practice of Polygamy was going to ruin the Church” and then he burned the revelation…
(Quinn, p. 147).
5..Brigham Young told a Mormon general conference that “Joseph was worn out with it, but as to his denying any such thing I never knew that he denied the doctrine of polygamy.” Young stated: “Some have said that he did, but I do not believe he ever did.” Young could not deny all these testimonies that Smith’s last days were spent repenting of polygamy. “The testimony of Emma Smith and Marks was easy to discount because of their long opposition to polygamy. Nevertheless there was similar evidence from such polygamy advocates as William Clayton, Stephen Markham, Heber C. Kimball, and Joseph F. Smith’s ‘many’ faithful informants in Utah. This is the context in which Brigham Young claimed the prophet did not have ’one particle of light in him’ ”during his final days because he was denouncing the immoral practice of polygamy that Joseph claimed would destroy the Lord's restored Church (Quinn, p. 146-48).
