The Coercion of Joseph Smith

Martha Brotherton said that Brigham Young cornered her in a room above Joseph's store and told her that Smith had a revelation from God that it is right for a man to have two wives. If she married Brigham, he'd take her to the celestial kingdom. And if she was game, Joseph would come upstairs and marry them that night. Then they would consummate their marriage. She could go home to her parents afterwards and her parents wouldn't have to know a single thing about it. But again, Joseph got ahead of the story by talking to his people first, calling Martha a liar and an adulterer. He made sure to publicly add that polygamy was evil and the Mormons never