Mormons: If the Bible says that Bishops and Deacons are to be the "husband[s] of one wife"...?

Question

Then why did MANY bishops in the 1840s - 1890 have more than one wife?

Also, why don't any of your deacons have wives? If Deacons "must be the husband[s] of one wife", and Jewish 12-year-old boys were not even allowed to be married, how do you justify making 12-year-old single boys deacons?

Answer 1

Right off the top of my head, I would say that things have changed a lot since Paul wrote this letter to Timothy. For instance, in the chapter before this one, Paul tells Timothy that women should not braid their hair, wear any jewelry, and they should not teach in church, or even speak or anything. So, all those non-LDS churches that have female pastors, female teachers, and other female leaders, are going agianst the Bible. Also, if women wear any sort of jewelry, or wear their hair up, they are going against the Bible.

1 Timothy 3:4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) ...
11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

These verses, along with the ones in the second chapter about women not teaching, not having authority over men, not wearing jewelry or braided hair, gives me to believe that the women where Timothy is are used to having all the power, a matriarchal society. Paul and Timothy are trying to turn them into a more patriarchal society.

One must consider the context.

Answer 2

no the mormons follow THE BOOK OF MORMON noT which is not the same as the CHRITAN BIBLE