While it may come as a surprise to many Mormons today, the LDS church once found it very important to prove that Joseph Smith originated and practiced plural marriage during his lifetime. Specifically, it was important to demonstrate that the practice came from Joseph and not from his successor, Brigham Young. As such, the doctrine could be considered to be an element of the “primitive” LDS church and not a later doctrinal addition or development.

While the subsequent discontinuation of the practice and suppression of the teaching of the doctrine and history surrounding plural marriage has all but removed this facet of Mormonism from the landscape of most modern Mormons – the documentary record from the age of “proudly proclaiming polygamy” is now more accessible than ever, thanks to the internet.

Temple Lot Affidavits

Much of the best documentation comes from affidavits taken under oath by individuals who were themselves participants in the plural marriages of Joseph Smith. Many of the affidavits were given during the Temple Lot Case trial where the Utah LDS church found it advantageous to document the reality of Joseph’s doctrine and practice of plural marriage in assisting the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) during the trial. As a result, the Temple Lot Case transcripts contain the records of numerous sworn statements and affidavits.

Sparring with the RLDS

Additionally, Elder Joseph Fielding Smith (JFS), then working in the office of the Church Historian and Recorder, had a prolonged correspondence with Richard C. Evans, second counselor in the Presidency of the “Reorganized” Church refuting charges Evans had made in the press regarding certain LDS doctrines. In addition to discussing the doctrine of Blood Atonement, the JFS made a strong documentary case that Joseph had originated plural marriage. Having access to them in the Church Historians office, he had collected numerous affidavits, mostly from the Temple Lot Case, and included many of them in his correspondence with Evans.

The letters that resulted from the exchange were published by the church in a pamphlet later that year.

While JFS had collected records of over a hundred affidavits attesting to the reality and circumstances of Joseph Smith Jr.’s polygamy, the shift of focus away from polygamy made such documentation troublesome for the church, and his collection of affidavits was consigned to the restricted church archives and all but lost to memory.

Raiders of the Lost Archive

It would happen that decades later, JFS Affidavit books would again see the light of day. Danel Bachman, a faithful member and master’s degree candidate at Purdue, had learned of the affidavits from reading the correspondence between JFS and Mr. Evans and his interest in the affidavits met with a chance opportunity to search the archives. He told of this serendipitous adventure in an email correspondence with independent LDS researcher Brian Hales:

“I was on sabbatical from my work and doing research for my master’s thesis in the spring of 1975, during the Arrington years. …I knew from reading Joseph Fielding Smith’s book, Blood Atonement and the Origin of Plural Marriage, that there were many affidavits about the subject in the archives. I think he even said there were over 100. I had been collecting and recording according to date every affidavit I could find, but at that time I didn’t have half as many as President Smith said were in the church’s possession. One day I was talking about this subject with Ron Esplin . I told him that I suspected that there were a lot of affidavits on plural marriage in the archives and that they may have been collected by Joseph F. Smith around 1869 – did he know who catalogued the Joseph F. Smith papers? He said, “Yes, I did” I asked him if he had seen any affidavits on plural marriage in the collection. He thought he did, but his memory was vague about it. Hope surged through me. I asked if the collection was in the catalogue yet and he said it was not. I asked him if there was any way I could search it. He said, if you know the collection number you can request specific years. I asked, “How do I get the collection number?” He rattled it off to me, and suggested I request the boxes pertaining to 1869. I immediately did so, and half an hour later one of the girls in the Archive Search Room came and told me they had just come down. I took the two record boxes to my desk and opened them. There were two journal-like books in one box and a third one in the second box. I don’t recall what other things, if any, were in the boxes, but I opened the first journal and the title page read “Forty Affidavits on Celestial Marriage.” I froze and my blood ran chill. I was so thrilled, but I worried that if someone in the archives knew what I was looking at, they may not want me to have it. That, despite the fact that they had been very open with me. I decided they would probably reject my request to copy all three, so I just sat down at the typewriter, and typed each affidavit on a separate 4X6 index card. …I believe that other than Jenson, Joseph Fielding Smith, and perhaps some insiders of the CHO, I am probably the first independent researcher to learn of and see them.”

(Email correspondence from Dan Bachman to Brian Hales, mormonpolygamydocuments.org)

Bachman went on to complete his masters thesis “A Study Of The Mormon Practice Of Plural Marriage Before The Death Of Joseph Smith” which was the first academic exploration of Joseph Smith’s polygamy having the benefit of the affidavits. Subsequent publications by Van Wagoner, Compton and others benefited greatly from these affidavits.

Sunshine on the Affidavits

While the affidavits were given limited availability to researchers with privileged access who would then author books for sale, the lay church members would have to rely on footnotes and citations in those publications. For example – if you explore the website wivesofjosephsmith.org you will see that the documentation for each wife points to a page from books such as “In Sacred Loneliness” by Todd Compton or “Mormon Polygamy: A History” by Van Wagoner – even when those references rely completely on the affidavits themselves.

That lamentable situation is no longer the case. For the first time, the scanned pages of the JFS Affidavit books are now available for anyone to review and reference on archive.org. I am including an index of the affidavits here with brief notes about the significance of each one as well as direct links so that you can view the pages themselves.

Having these documents available will provide an invaluable resource for members who are interested in learning for themselves the nature of Joseph’s own origination and involvement with the practice of plural marriage.

The Affidavits

Name Date Link Notes Book 1 Book 4 Joseph B. Noble 6/26/1869 link link Performed sealing of Joseph Smith to Louisa Beaman on April 5, 1841. unfinished affidavit – no name link Unsigned, unfinished, crossed out. Dated June 6th, 1869. Zina D. Huntington Young 5/18/1869 link link Sealed to Joseph Smith on October 27, 1841. Presendia Huntington Kimball 5/1/1869 link link Sealed to Joseph Smith on December 11, 1841. Ruth Vose Sayers 5/1/1869 link link Sealed to Joseph Smith on February, 1843. Emily D. Partridge Young 5/1/1869 link link Sealed to Joseph Smith on March 4, 1843 by Heber C. Kimball. Emily D. Partridge Young 5/1/1869 link link Sealed to Joseph Smith on May 11, 1843 by James Adams. Marinda Nancy Johnson Hyde 5/1/1869 link link Sealed to Joseph Smith on May, 1843. Rhoda Richards 5/1/1869 link link Sealed to Joseph Smith on June 12, 1843. Dimick B. Huntington 5/1/1869 link link Officiated for Zina’s and Presendia’s sealings. Fanny M. Huntington 5/1/1869 link link Witnessed Zina’s and Presendia’s sealings. Malissa Lott Willes 5/20/1869 link link Sealed to Joseph Smith on September 20, 1843. Eliza R. Snow 6/7/1869 link link Sealed to Joseph Smith on June 29, 1842. David Fullmer 6/15/1869 link link Celestial marriage revelation and Nauvoo High Council. Lovinia Walker 6/16/1869 link link Certificate – Emma approved of plural marriage. Desdemona Fullmer 6/17/1869 link link Sealed to Joseph Smith in July, 1843. Mercy R. Thompson 6/19/1869 link link Sealed to Hyrum Smith. Sarah Ann Whitney Kimball 6/19/1869 link link Sealed to Joseph Smith on July 27, 1842. Joseph B. Noble 6/26/1869 link link Learned about plural marriage from Joseph Smith. Thomas Grover 7/6/1869 link link Discussion of the Celestial marriage revelation and the Nauvoo High Council. Thomas Grover 7/6/1869 link link Sealed to two plural wives in August, 1843 by Hyrum Smith. Mary Ann Angell Young 7/10/1869 link link Sealed to Brigham Young by Hyrum Smith (date blank). Lucy Ann Decker Young 7/10/1869 link link Sealed to Brigham Young by Joseph Smith on June 14, 1842. Augusta Adams Young 7/12/1869 link link Sealed to Brigham Young by Joseph Smith on November 2, 1843. Augusta Adams Young 7/12/1869 link link Witness to the sealing of Fanny Murray and Brigham Young. Charles C. Rich 7/12/1869 link link Learned plural marriage from Hyrum Smith in May, 1844. Vienna Jacques link Unfinished and unsigned. John Pack 7/22/1869 link link Learned plural marriage from Hyrum Smith. Sylvia Sessions Lyon 1842 and 1843 link link Unsigned – level of involvement of Sylvia Sessions is unknown. Sealing dates in two books show different years. Elizabeth Brotherton Pratt 8/2/1869 link link Sealed to Parley P. Pratt by Hyrum Smith on July 24, 1843. Mary Ellen Abel Kimball 8/6/1869 link link Witness to Catherine Clawson’s sealing to Howard Egan. Lucy Walker Kimball 8/9/1869 link link Sealed to Joseph Smith on May 1, 1843 by William Clayton. William Clayton’s Journal 8/9/1869 link link Extract for May 1, 1843 – Joseph sealed to Lucy Walker 8/17/1869 link link Extract for August 16, 1843 – Emma threatened divorce. Amos Fielding 8/24/1869 link link Learned of plural marriage from Joseph Smith in December, 1843. Elizabeth Ann Whitney 8/30/1869 link link Witnessed to Sarah Ann’s time and eternity sealing to Joseph Smith on July 27, 1842. John Benbow 8/28/1869 link link Learned of plural marriage from Joseph Smith in spring/summer of 1843 – Hannah Ells was a plural wife of Joseph Smith who lived with him during that time. Nathan Tanner 8/28/1869 link link Learned of plural marriage from Joseph Smith in the spring of 1844. Elvira A. Cowles Holmes 8/28/1869 link link Sealed to Joseph Smith on June 1, 1843. Sarah Perry Peak Kimball 9/7/1869 link link Learned of plural marriage from Joseph Smith in 1842. James Allred 10/2/1869 link link Celestial marriage revelation was presented to the Nauvoo High Council on August 12, 1843. Aaron Johnson 10/2/1869 link link Roxsena Rachel Adams 10/13/1869 link link Sealed to James Adams on July 11, 1843 by Joseph Smith. Book 2 Book 3 Benjamin F. Johnson 3/4/1870 link link Testimony and historical items. Harriet Cook Young 3/4/1870 link link Sealed to Brigham Young on November 2, 1843 by Joseph Smith. 3/4/1870 link link Witnessed Joseph Smith’s sealing to Fanny Murray Young on November 2, 1843. Clara Decker Young 3/4/1870 link link Sealed to Brigham Young on May 8, 1844 by Willard Richards. Joseph C. Kingsbury 3/7/1870 link link Wrote a copy of Celestial marriage revelation on July 15, 1843. Lorenzo Snow 8/28/1869 link link COPY Testimony and historical items. Christopher Merkley 8/3/1869 link link COPY Statement and affidavit, regarding Zenos H. Gurley. Joseph Smith to the Whitneys 8/13/1869 link link COPY Letter of Joseph to “Brother and Sister Whitney &c” dated August 18, 1842; sworn by Elizabeth Ann Whitney. Eliza Partridge Lyman 7/1/1869 link link COPY Witnessed Lucy Walker to Joseph Smith sometime in 1843 by William Clayton. link link COPY Sealed to Joseph Smith on March 8, 1843 by Heber C. Kimball. link link COPY Sealed to Joseph Smith on May 11, 1843 by James Adams. link link COPY Witnessed Emily Partridge’s sealing to Joseph Smith on May 11, 1843. Martha McBride Kimball 7/8/1869 link link COPY Sealed to Joseph Smith in the summer 1842 by Heber C. Kimball. Mary Ann Frost Pratt 9/3/1869 link link COPY Sealed to Parley P. Pratt on July 24, 1843 by Hyrum Smith. link link COPY Witnessed Elizabeth Brotherton’s marriage to Parley P. Pratt on July 24, 1843 by Hyrum Smith. Adeline Brooks Andrus Benson 9/5/1869 link link COPY Sealed to Ezra Taft Benson on April 27, 1844 by Hyrum Smith. Pamelia Andrus Benson 9/6/1869 link link COPY Sealed to Ezra Taft Benson on November 19, 1843 by Hyrum Smith and witnessed Adeline Andrus’ sealing to Ezra Taft Benson on April 27, 1844. Orson Hyde 9/15/1869 link link COPY Sealed to Martha R. Browitt in February or March of 1843 by Joseph Smith and sealed to Mary Ann Price in April of 1843 by Joseph Smith. Marinda Johnson Hyde, his legal wife, consented. David Fullmer, Thomas Grover, Aaron Johnson, James Allred 10/10/1869 link link Celestial marriage revelation presented to the Nauvoo High Council on August 12, 1843. Jacob Peart 4/23/1870 link link Deceased wife was sealed to him in November 1843. Bathsheba Smith 11/19/1903 link History and recollections inscribed in this book (Book 2) on November 19, 1903. Joseph F. Smith witness. Not found in Book 4, undoubtedly because Book 4 was located in the Church Historian’s Office along with book 3, whereas Joseph F. Smith kept Books 1 and 2 in his personal possession. Affidavit Patty Bartlett Sessions 6/1/1867 link Sealed to Joseph Smith March 9, 1842 by Willard Richards Adeline Brooks Andrus Benson 9/5/1869 link Sealed to Ezra Taft Benson on April 27, 1844 by Hyrum Smith. Pamelia Andrus Benson, 9/6/1869 link Sealed to Ezra Taft Benson on November 19, 1843 by Hyrum Smith and witnessed Adeline Andrus’ sealing to Ezra Taft Benson on April 27, 1844. Gideon Carter 1903 link History of the planned move to the west. William Clayton 11/11/1871 link William wrote the revelation on celestial marriage July 12, 1843. Testimony. 2/16/1874 link Extensive history with names of many plural wives. It has been published numerous times. Howard Coray 6/12/1882 link Hyrum Smith taught him and his wife and sealed them in eternal monogamy on July 22, 1843. Josephine Fisher 2/24/1915 link 1915 Statement quoting her mothers saying that Josephine was the daughter of Joseph Smith Mary Ann Frost Pratt 9/3/1869 link Sealed to Parley P. Pratt on July 24, 1843 by Hyrum Smith. link Witnessed Elizabeth Brotherton’s marriage to Parley P. Pratt on July 24, 1843 by Hyrum Smith. Zenos Gurley 4/15/1886 link Letter discusses the circumstances surrounding Gurley’s securing an affidavit from Leonard Soby to the effect that Joseph Smith did practice polygamy Orson Hyde 9/15/1869 link Sealed to Martha R. Browitt in February or March of 1843 by Joseph Smith and sealed to Mary Ann Prce in April of 1843 by Joseph Smith. Marinda Johnson Hyde, his legal wife, consented. Almera Johnson 8/1/1883 link (written in 1883) Sealed to Joseph Smith spring of 1843 Joseph Kelting 3/1/1894 link Recollection of personal discussion with Joseph Smith regarding plural marriage. 1903 link Provides verbatim quotes of discussion with Joseph Smith regarding plural marriage. Joseph Kingsbury 5/22/1886 link Recopied July 12, 1843 revelation Martha McBride Kimball 7/8/1869 link Sealed to Joseph Smith in the summer 1842 by Heber C. Kimball. Christopher Merkley 8/3/1869 link Statement and affidavit, regarding Zenos H. Gurley. Eliza Partridge Lyman 7/1/1869 link Sealed to Joseph Smith on March 8, 1843 by Heber C. Kimball. link Sealed to Joseph Smith on May 11, 1843 by James Adams. link Witnessed Lucy Walker to Joseph Smith sometime in 1843 by William Clayton. link Witnessed Emily Partridge’s sealing to Joseph Smith on May 11, 1843. Catherine Phillips 1/28/1903 link Sealed to Hyrum Smith by Joseph Smith in August of 1843. John W. Rigdon 7/29/1905 link Lengthy statement including a discussion of Joseph Smith and Nancy Rigdon Bathsheba Smith 11/19/1903 link Recollection that Emma Smith fought plural marriage. Joseph Smith, III 1/17/1888 link 1888 statement denying his father, the Prophet, practiced polygamy. Erastus Snow undated link Sealed to Artemesia Bergan by Hyrum Smith on February 15, 1844 Lorenzo Snow 8/28/1869 link Recollection of learning of plural marriage in 1843 from Joseph Smith, including account of angel with a drawn sword Leonard Soby 10/27/1903 link Affidavit affirming that D&C 132 is the same revelation he read on August 12, 1843 as a member of the Nauvoo Stake Presidency Lucy Walker 1902 link Sealed to Joseph Smith on May 1, 1843 by William Clayton