Mormons Taught Jesus was Married & a Polygamist

Article in Deseret News – “LDS Do Not Endorse Claims in DaVinci Code…” (May 1, 2006):

“LDS doctrine does not endorse claims made in a popular book and movie that Jesus Christ was married.”  The article went on to quote LDS spokesperson Dale Bills:  “The belief that Christ was married has never been official church doctrine.  It is neither sanctioned nor taught by the church.  While it is true that a few church leaders in the mid-1800’s expressed their opinions on the matter, it was not then, and is not now, church doctrine.”

BUT…

Mormons Taught Jesus was Married and a Polygamist

“I discover that some of the Eastern papers represent me as a great blasphemer, because I said, in my lecture on Marriage, at our last Conference, that Jesus Christ was married at Cana of Galilee, that Mary, Martha, and others were his wives, and that he begat children…If Jesus begat children, he only did that which he had seen his Father do.”  (Orson Hyde, Journal of Discourses, vol. 2, p. 210)

“It will be borne in mind that once on a time, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and on a careful reading of that transaction, it will be discovered that no less a person than Jesus Christ was married on that occasion. If he was never married, his intimacy with Mary and Martha, and the other Mary also whom Jesus loved, must have been highly unbecoming and improper to say the best of it.”

(Orson Hyde, Journal of Discourses, vol. 4, pp. 259-260)

“The Scripture says that He, the Lord, came walking in the Temple, with His train; I do not know who they were, unless His wives and children; but at any rate they filled the Temple, and how many there were who could not get into the Temple I cannot say.”  (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 13, p. 309)

  • Referring to Isaiah 6:1 – a vision given to Isaiah
  • Train = “Robe; skirt” – NOT wives and children

“One thing is certain, that there were several holy women that greatly loved Jesus — such as Mary, and Martha her sister, and Mary Magdalene; and Jesus greatly loved them, and associated with them much; and when He arose from the dead, instead of showing Himself to His chosen witnesses, the Apostles, He appeared first to these women, or at least to one of them — namely, Mary Magdalene. Now it would be natural for a husband in the resurrection to appear first to his own dear wives, and afterwards show himself to his other friends. If all the acts of Jesus were written, we no doubt should learn that these beloved women were His wives.”

(Orson Pratt, The Seer, p.159)

“We have now clearly shown that God, the Father had a plurality of wives, one or more being in eternity, by whom He begat our spirits as well as the spirit of Jesus His First Born… We have also proved most clearly that the Son followed the example of his Father, and became the great Bridegroom to whom kings’ daughters and many honorable Wives to be married.”  (Orson Pratt, The Seer, p. 172)

Sources:

Journal of Discourses is a collection of public sermons by Mormon leaders from 1881 – 1886

The Seer was an official periodical of the LDS Church which ran 1853 – 1854, edited by Orson Pratt (modern Mormon Apostle).  Its purpose was to serve as a Mormon apologetics magazine.

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