Faith Matters Unpacking Polygamy: Joseph Smith's Polygamy, with Laurel Thatcher Ulrich & Patrick Mason
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Nov 4, 2025 
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and Harvard professor, teams up with Patrick Mason, an expert in Mormon history, to delve into the complexities of Joseph Smith's polygamy. They discuss how historians piece together evidence of Smith’s involvement, the social and gender dynamics at play, and the ramifications of polygamy in today's context. Laurel shares insights from her comparative polygamy course and examines the theological motives behind plural marriage, offering a candid exploration of its lasting legacy in modern Mormonism.
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Evidence Is Fragmentary And Biased
- Historians rely on surviving, often biased sources to reconstruct polygamy, making interpretation complex and contested.
- Documentary gaps, private household silence, and later legal records all shape our knowledge and its uncertainties.
Nauvoo Practice Was Secretive But Documented
- Joseph Smith introduced the concept of plural marriage, but early practice in Nauvoo was secretive and unevenly documented.
- Some contemporaneous records like William Clayton's diary and later affidavits corroborate the practice without clarifying its exact form.
Proto-Polygamy Lacked Standard Rules
- Early plural marriage in Nauvoo was 'proto-polygamy'—experimental and lacking consistent features like cohabitation or legal documentation.
- Some sealings were non-cohabiting or to already-married women, complicating whether they were full marriages.
