conscience? Why do present day mormons defend this fiend?
2007-08-26 07:11:26 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
From reading history books from Illinois and Missouri, I think it was more that he was seducing married women, and their husbands were the ones getting PO'd.
2007-08-26 13:02:38 · answer #1 · answered by jdkilp 7 · 2⤊ 5⤋
This is interesting because of the many blanket statements above.
Teen marriages are not unknown in any of the US states, including as young as fourteen - but with judicial consent. With Smith being the Mayor of Nauvoo, that would have been easily obtained.
However, teen marriages was than, as now, not common, and was always a subject of gossip. Teen marriages have traditionally been more common in less educated, less affluent societies. The average age of a woman in 1890 was 24; interpolation back to 1840 may historically be younger - but certainly not 14 to 16 as the myth perpetuated by some lds teachers.
Curiously, a newspaper clipping from an 1830 the Ogonada Standard states that a marriageable 'contract' age for a female could be as young as twelve, fourteen for a male. This would be in the case of an arranged marriage.
2007-08-27 03:45:34 · answer #2 · answered by Dances with Poultry 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Uh, since Joseph Smith never actually seduced teenage girls, he never had trouble with his conscience, and therefore, we feel entirely free to defend him.
I'd like to know where you're getting your information. Try checking their sources.
Some historical information for you, so you don't go getting all pissed about something that doesn't need getting pissed about.
The average age of a woman at her wedding in the early-mid 1800s was between 15 and 20... a man's average age at marriage was between 25 and 35. Do the math. It was common among BOTH Mormons and non-Mormons alike for a 30-something man to marry a woman who was 15 years his junior.
Here's something to get all riled up about- George Washington, father of our country, was promised Martha's hand in marriage before she was EVEN BORN!!!!... oh, and at that time, he was 17... there was more than 18 years between the two of them. Better start calling him a pedophile, too!
Ok, now you can get pissed.
2007-08-26 07:32:29 · answer #3 · answered by Yoda's Duck 6 · 7⤊ 2⤋
This is a fundamental teaching of the Mormon faith and no-longer practiced by the LDS. Only the FLDS follows the the teachings of Joseph Smith.
Don't criticize LDS!!! LDS is perfect:)
2007-08-26 11:21:10 · answer #4 · answered by Spiritual Son of Moroni 1 · 1⤊ 2⤋
HE NEVER SEDUCED TEENAGE GIRLS!!!!! I don't understand why people think this. Yes, he had multiple marriages, it's called polygamy, and yes, some of them were teenagers. That wasn't seen as wrong, or weird in that time. Most girls got married at around 16-17- THAT WAS NORMAL!!!! Also, if you read your bible, you will see that polygamy was commanded by God many times.
I don't care if you don't understand our religion or don't believe it, that's your purgative, but please be respectful to someone else's religion, and ask questions in a respectful manner. I would do the same for you.
2007-08-26 07:19:35 · answer #5 · answered by odd duck 6 · 9⤊ 2⤋
All of Joseph Smith Jr's wives were of legal marrying age.
NOTE: many American women are teens (18 or 19) when they get married today.
2007-08-26 07:29:16 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 7⤊ 2⤋
Queenblack is a religious bigot.
2007-08-26 07:41:24 · answer #7 · answered by Brother G 6 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Give me your source and maybe I'll answer your question.
2007-08-26 19:47:11 · answer #8 · answered by ∞Infinity∞ 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I dunno, but I'm not going to sit here and let people like you denounce people like that...religious or not...you obviously show no respect to even learn about the man...
2007-08-26 07:26:29 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 8⤊ 2⤋
It is called white washing the truth--re writing history which they have done
2007-08-26 07:19:31 · answer #10 · answered by RK 4 · 0⤊ 7⤋