Hyrum Smith’s Conversion to Accepting Plural Marriage

  Hyrum Smith initially was strongly opposed to the doctrine of plural marriage. One evidence of this was a sermon he gave on May 16, 1843:

“May 14 attended meeting at the Temple A.M. Hyrum Smith addressed the people – subjects from the book Mormon 2d chap Jacob remarked that – the book [of] Mormon was a mirror, a key to the Bible... said there were many that had a great deal to say about the ancient order of things as Solomon and David having many wives and concubines — but its an abomination in the sight of God — If an angel from heaven should come and preach such doctrine, [you] would be sure to see his cloven foot and cloud of blackness over his head, though his garments might shine as white as snow. A man might have one wife, — concubines he should have none – observed that, the idea was, that this was given to Jacob for a perpetual principle.” (Levi Richards Diary, 14 May 1843, LDS Archives)

  William Clayton also recorded an entry in his journal the following week where Heber C. Kimball privately told him that “bro. H” — referring to Hyrum Smith — was plotting to “entrap the brethren of the secret priesthood”, “secret priesthood” in this context referring to those who were practicing plural marriage:

“Conversed with H. C. Kimball concerning a plot that is being laid to entrap the brethren of the secret priesthood by Bro. H[yrum] and others.” (An Intimate Chronicle: The Journals of William Clayton <23 May 1843> page 105)

  However, only a few days after this, Hyrum Smith apparently was converted to plural marriage. William Clayton wrote in his journal:

“President [Joseph Smith] [was] in meeting with the Twelve & Judge Adams. Hyrum received the doctrine of [the] priesthood.” (An Intimate Chronicle: The Journals of William Clayton <26 May 1843> page 106)

  Brigham Young in 1866 gave a reminiscent account of being the individual to teach plural marriage to Hyrum Smith:

“Right north of the Masonic Hall in Nauvoo the ground was not fenced. This was in the year 1842.There were some rails laid along to fence up some lots. Hyrum saw me and said, ‘Brother Brigham, I want to talk to you.’ We went together and sat upon the rails that were piled up. He commenced by saying, ‘I have a question to ask you. In the first place I say unto you that I do know that you and the Twelve know some things that I do not know. I can understand this by the motions and talk and doings of Joseph and I know there is something or other which I do not understand that is revealed to the Twelve. Is this so?’ I replied, ‘I do not know anything about what you know, but I know what I know.’ Then he said, ‘I have mistrusted for a longtime that Joseph had received a revelation that a man should have more than one wife, and he has hinted as much to me, but I would not bear it.’

We had heard him [Hyrum] say hard things [against polygamy]. I recollect in one council [i.e. the Anointed Quorum] where Joseph undertook to teach the brethren and sisters, William Law was there and William and Hyrum and a few others were against Joseph [on plural marriage]. William Law made this expression: ‘If an angel from heaven was to reveal to me that a man should have more than one wife, and if it were in my power I would kill him.’ That was pretty hard, but Joseph had to submit for it. The brethren were not prepared to receive the doctrine. Brother Kimball and others were in that council. Joseph had meetings in his house time after time and month after month, every Sunday evening.

… I will now go back to where I met Hyrum. He said to me, ‘I am convinced that there is something that has not been told me.’ I said to him, ‘Brother Hyrum, Joseph would tell you everything the Lord reveals to him if he could.’ I must confess I felt a little sarcastic against Hyrum, although he was just as honest as an angel and as full of integrity as the Gods, but he had not that ability which Joseph possessed to see and understand men as they were. I took advantage of this and I said to him, ‘Brother Hyrum, I will tell you about this thing which you do not know if you will swear with an uplifted hand before God that you will never say another word against Joseph, and his doings, and the doctrines he is preaching to the people.’ He replied, ‘I will do it with all my heart,’ and he stood upon his feet saying, ‘I want to know the truth and to be saved,’ and he made a covenant there, never again to bring forward one argument or use any influence against Joseph’s doings. Joseph had many wives sealed to him. I told Hyrum the whole story and he bowed to it and wept like a child and said, ‘God be praised.’ He went to Joseph and told him what he had learned and renewed his covenant with Joseph and they went heart and hand together while they lived, and they were together when they died, and they are together now, defending Israel.” — Brigham Young (Complete Discourses of Brigham Young <8 October 1866> pages 2382–2383)

  Brigham gets the year off in saying it was 1842 rather than 1843 that he told Hyrum about polygamy and Hyrum accepted it. But Brigham was correct that Hyrum “renewed his covenant with Joseph” after accepting plural marriage. After Hyrum accepted plural marriage between May 23rd and May 26th, 1843, on May 26, 1843 the Anointed Quorum re-convened and Joseph Smith re-administered to them their Endowments they had already received a year earlier (see Joseph Smith’s Quorum of the Anointed, 1842–1845 pages 17–19).
  Two days later, Joseph was re-endowed and sealed to his wife Emma, and James Adam was sealed to his wife. (Joseph Smith’s Quorum of the Anointed <28 May 1843> pages 19–21) The next day (May 29, 1843) Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, and Willard Richards were sealed to their legal wives. (Joseph Smith’s Quorum of the Anointed<29 May 1843> pages 21–22) Mary Ann Young recalled that Hyrum Smith performed her sealing to her husband Brigham. (Mary Ann Young Affidavit, 10 July 1869, LDS Archives)
  After this, we have two contemporary sources showing that Hyrum Smith taught both earthly polygamy and eternal polygamy to the Saints.

Hyrum Smith teaching levirate marriage (and thus mortal polygamy) needed to be restored:

“The Law that a man shall take his [deceased] brother’s wife and raise up seed unto him as it was in Israel must be again established.” — Hyrum Smith (Franklin D. Richards, “Scriptural Items” Notebook, 12 August 1843, LDS Archives, spelling and grammar corrected)

Hyrum Smith saying that Joseph Smith taught him Eternal Polygamy and sealed him to both his living and deceased wife:

“Every thing belongs to man— legally & lawfully— if a thing belongs to me legally it cannot belong to any one I married me a wife & was the only one who had any write [right] to her— till we had 5 Chi’d [children] the covt. was made for our lives— she fell in the grave bef[ore] God shewed us his authy God has shewed me that the Covt. is dead & had no more force neither could I have her in the resn. but we shod. be as the angels— it troubled me— Bro J sd. you can be sealed to her upon the same prin[ciple] as you can be bap for the dead what can I do for more 2nd. wife — you can make a covt. with her for etern[ity] & [be] sealed to her — & she sd. I will act as proxy for the one that is dead — and I will be sealed to you for eternity.” (Hyrum Smith sermon, Conference Minutes reported by Thomas Bullock, 8 April 1844, LDS Archives, emphasis added)

Benjamin F. Johnson also recalled Hyrum told him that he initially opposed polygamy but repented and accepted it:

“Brother Hyrum at once took me in hand, apparently in fear I was not fully converted [to plural marriage], and this was the manner of his talk to me: ‘Now Benjamin, you must not be afraid of this new doctrine, for it is all right. You know Brother Hyrum don’t get carried away by worldly things, and he fought this principle until the Lord showed him it was true. I know that Joseph was commanded to take more wives, and he waited until an angel with a drawn sword stood before him and declared that if he longer delayed fulfilling that command he would slay him.’ This was the manner of Brother Hyrum’s teaching to me, which I then did not need, as I was fully converted.” (Benjamin F. Johnson letter to George S. Gibbs, 1903, LDS Archives, emphasis added)

Non-Brighamite Sources also confirm Hyrum said he initially opposed Polygamy then repented and accepted it:

William Marks:

“President [William] Marks said Brother Hyrum came to his place once and told him he did not believe in it and he was going to see Joseph about it and if he had a revelation on the subject he would believe it, and after that Hyrum read a revelation on it in the [Nauvoo] High Council and He [William] Marks felt it was not true but he saw the High Council received it.” (RLDS First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve meeting, 1 May 1865, Community of Christ Library-Archives, emphasis added)

Ebenezer Robinson and his wife Angeline Robinson:

To Whom it may concern:
We, Ebenezer Robinson and Angeline E. Robinson, husband and wife, hereby certify, that in the fall of 1843 Hyrum Smith, brother of Joseph Smith came to our house in Nauvoo, Ill. and taught us the doctrine of polygamy. And I, the said Ebenezer Robinson, hereby further state that he gave me special instructions how I could manage the matter so as not to have it known to the public He also told us that while he had heretofore opposed the doctrine, he was wrong, and his brother Joseph was right; referring to his teaching it.
Ebenezer. Robinson
Angeline. E. Robinson” (Ebenezer and Angeline E. Robinson notarized affidavit, 29 December 1873, Community of Christ Library–Archives, emphasis added)