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Summary of "Sacred Lonliness"
Summary of Book:
In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith
by Todd Compton
While Joseph Smith was thought to have 48 wives (maybe more), Todd Compton in his book
focuses only upon those for which he could find good documentation. Those he couldn't were
not included. Compton, then, found thirty-three wives where reasonable documentation existed,
showing them to be a wife of Joseph Smith. Of these thirty-three wives, eighteen (55%) were
single when he married them and had never been married previously. Another four (12%) were
widows. The remaining eleven women (33%) were married to other husbands who were
cohabiting with their husbands when Smith married them.
Such marriages -- a woman being married simultaneously to one man -- brings up a new term,
polyandry.
Compton, further lists that eleven of the thirty-three wives studied, (33%) were 14 to 20 years old
when they married him. Nine, (27%) were twenty-one to thirty years old. Eight (24%) were in
Smith's own peer group, ages thirty-one to forty. In the remaining age group, forty to sixty,
Joseph married five (9%). The teenage representation is the largest.
It should be noted here that the practice of polygamy was kept secret and few of the Mormon
membership were aware of the practice. When a marriage was made, it was marked in secret
coding. Further, some of the higher church organizers, fully aware of what was going on, did not
approve of polygamy or of Joseph Smith's beliefs.
In the case where one woman had more than one husband, it was not always clear if the husband
knew of the secret marriages to Smith. Some husbands were non-Mormons. Some husbands
eventually left their wives.
It was William Law, a doctor who was once a high standing member that made a major change in
Joseph Smith's life. Law became disenchanted with Mormonism. It was he who publicly
exposed the secret practice of polygamy going on behind closed doors -- particularly by Joseph
Smith. Even before William Law exposed the practice, many non-Mormons from the outside
soon discovered the secret practice on their own. Their daughters and sons were being solicited
and baptized into Mormonism. Daughters soon found themselves ending up as polygamist
wives. This was a crucial factor behind Mormons being chased out of an area. The Mormon
belief system ran starkly counter against that of society.
Joseph Smith acted belligerently and unyielding to uphold the Mormon society. He was jailed a
number of times. Eventually his life was climaxed by his assassination while being held at the
Carthage Jail. A violent and upset mob put an end to his life there.
But, .... the practice of polygamy went on unabetted under the direction of a new President and
leader of the Mormon Church, Brigham Young. Brigham was credited with marrying even more
wives than Joseph Smith. But the Mormon fate was now set. They were chased out of their final
eastern settlement and the Mormon group had to spend a very tragic, cold winter at Winter
Quarters where many died from the harsh living conditions. This was their last stop until moving
on west to Salt Lake City.
First Known polygamist wife of Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith's first wife, Emma, was never convinced that the polygamy practice was doctrinal.
In fact, Joseph's first known polygamist wife was Fanny Alger, a sixteen year old girl hired by
Joseph to do housekeeping. Fanny conceived Joseph's child. When Emma found out about
Joseph's secret relationship with the young girl, she banned Fanny from the home.
The rest of Fanny Alger's life after the Joseph experience can be traced by only the barest outline.
She married Solomon Custer at age 23. According to her husband's obituary, the couple had nine
children. Solomon was a Mason and Fanny lived out more than 40 years as a non-Mormon.
Polyandrous Wife
Lucinda Pendleton admitted a long-standing relationship with Joseph Smith. Lucinda married
George Washington Harris after her first husband was killed. George Harris was strong in the
Mormon religion... an active, prominent Mormon -- a high councilor. It seemed to be common
practice for Joseph to marry women who were living in the same house with Joseph. Joseph had
been staying with George and Lucinda Harris in their home for some two months. It is said that
at the time Joseph Married Harris' wife, Smith was thirty-two and Lucinda thirty-six. Despite the
marriage, though, Lucinda chose to live with George Harris while married also to Smith.
Eventually, Harris was sent away on a mission for a year and it can be assumed the
Smith-Lucinda relationship had a better chance to blossom while Harris was away on his
mission.
George Harris apparently accepted the "doctrinal calling" for his wife to be the simultaneous wife
of Joseph Smith. In a temple sealing (after Smith's death), Smith was sealed for "time and
eternity" to Lucinda (while George Harris sat in as Smith's proxy). However, she was sealed to
Harris for only "time." Lucinda eventually left Harris. It is known that she lived the rest of her
life as a Catholic sister, but no date of death is known.
Sad Story of Louisa Beaman
Louisa Beaman was another wife of Joseph Smith .... and one of Brigham Young ...
simultaneously. She was married to Joseph for "time and eternity," while being married to
Brigham Young just for "time."
Interestingly, no known children resulted from her known sexual relationships with Smith.
However, in contrast, FIVE children were fathered by Brigham Young. All, unfortunately died
shortly after being born. Then another great tragedy..... Louisa died of breast cancer.
Many more wives
Sacred Lonliness continues to document the written diaries and records of other women who
ended up into polygamy and polyandry. In most cases, the stories are sad -- a life of tragedy.
Many of the children died before maturity. Joseph Smith doggedly led his followers to town after
town because he and his followers simply made poor neighbors -- secretly practicing polygamy
and polyandry. It wasn't just a whorehouse, each new settlement became became a whore city.
Nauvoo earned the reputation by outsiders of being the "cesspool of inequity."
Joseph Smith's wife, Emma, was most against the polygamy practice. Most of Joseph's wives
were taken without her knowledge despite the fact that the written doctrine demanded that the
wife must "give her consent." When Emma found out about these wives, some of which were
living in the home of Joseph Smith, she kicked them out. At one point she threatened leaving
Joseph if he didn't change his mind about the polygamous practice. This would temporarily stall
Joseph's plans, ... but only for a short time.
Joseph's younger brother, Don Carlos, died at an early age. When upon his deathbed, he made a
revealing statement to his older brother, Joseph. When Joseph asked if there was a last wish,
Don Carlos exclaimed, "Yes, I have, Joseph Smith. I want you for the rest of your life to be an
honest man."
Two of the most tragic moves caused by the unwillingness of Joseph Smith to lead his followers
into a law abiding life were these. Lives lost because of these decisions is unconscionable. First
was Joseph's belligerent attitude toward religious change by being chased out and settling near
the river in the swamps of Nauvoo. Here countless fell ill and died from Malaria. The second,
again resulting from being "on the run," was forcing his followers to "Winter Quarters."
Followers were forced to accept conditions of cold, squalor, and unlivable conditions through an
entire winter. The lives lost made this the biggest tragedy to date.
The personal devastations continued as the followers moved across the plains. When settling the
Salt Lake Valley, former wives of Joseph Smith were again taken as wives by other hierarchy in
the church. While some of the polygamy leaders were very well-off -- such as the case of
Brigham Young, a polygamous wive was still left to fend for herself. They were expected to
raise the children on their own, pay taxes, pay tithes, work to make ends meet -- and support their
polygamous husband. One wife was reported to ask her husband Brigham Young for a very
small sum to pay a bill. He refused telling her that is was "her responsibility, not his."
All was not rosey with many wives. While there was some sisterhood among those wives who
shared common living quarters, still others were left alone and essentially forgotten. Some left
their polygamist husbands. Others remained firmly convinced of the doctrine of polygamy and
the "rewards of eternal life in the celestial kingdom." Or was it more fear of the consequences if
they dared diobey their calling as a polygamous wife?
While the undercurrents of polygamy swept through their lives with destructive force, some
would still stand up before the audience and defend the lurid doctrine. Such support was often
rewarded by the polygamous husband giving her "special spiritual blessings -- a 'guaranteed'
higher position in the celestial kingdom."
Interestingly, one of Smith's polygamous wives, Eliza Snow, was quite intellectual. She was first
a wife of Joseph Smith, and later made a polygamous wife of Brigham Young. Eliza wrote
poetry and wrote the words for the favorite Mormon hymm, "Oh My Father." Too, she was
vigorous as a speaker to women's groups in promoting polygamous marriages. We should note
here that Eliza had no children. She was never subjected to the real stress and problems of a
polygamous marriage.
The documentation for this book is outstanding. Primary sources were used to document and
piece together the complex relationships. Diaries and "temple records" were a major source.
In a polygamous marriage, one wife was usually the favored wife. Typically it was the youngest
and most attractive. The heartbreak and stress was often unbearable for an older wife who was
effectively abandoned for a new one.
Another aspect all too frequent was the death of children. Some wives had many children with
most ending up in the grave.... particularly those born during the stays at the Nauvoo swamp,
Winter Quarters, and rugged journey across the plains to Salt Lake City.
Indeed, this is a book to be read. These richly documented personal accounts are the only way to grasp and appreciate the true dimension of the polygamous practice of the Mormon church.
Page Modified December 1, 1998