Is Polygamy Bibilical

It's no secret that mainstream Mormonism used to practice plural marriages.  In fact, their official statement of polygamy is...

"The Bible and the Book of Mormon teach that the marriage of one man to one woman is God’s standard, except at specific periods when He has declared otherwise."  -Plural Marriage and Families in Early Utah (www.lds.org)

The story goes like this.  Back in the early 1840s, Mormonism was under a lot of persecution.  Mormon were being either killed or jailed, leaving more women than Priesthood holders.  Since a temple marriage to a priesthood holder is needed for salvation and exaltation, something needed to be done.  God then spoke to Joseph Smith and allowed the Saints to begin the practice of polygamy.  This practice was done for around 50 years until President Woodruff stated he would follow the letter of the law and he un-instituted plural marriages.  However, they were still done and sanctioned by the LDS church for another 14 years after that, "on an exceptional basis...especially in Mexico and Canada, outside of the jurisdiction of U.S. law; a small number of plural marriages were performed within the United States during those years."

This is when the Fundamentalist Mormons came about.  These people did not want to stop practicing plural marriages because they felt that the doctrine came straight from God, and no earthly law trumps God's.  These people practice polygamy to this day and strive to follow all Joseph Smith's prophecy and teachings.  However, they are not to be confused with mainstream Mormonism, the guys who come to your door on bicycles.

Though I have much to say on the fact that Mormonism still practiced polygamy in the states after it was made illegal (even though most Mormons will argue they stopped immediately after it was made illegal), or the fact that the LDS church allowed people - including Joseph Smith - to marry other women who already had husbands or girls as young as 14 years old (utlm.org for more info), I'm not going to.  I've left the link should you decide to do some of your own research.  Instead, I will target their claim that God allowed for plural marriages in the Bible and refute the idea.

The Bible VS Polygamy 

Whenever I've asked Mormons about the practice of plural marriage, they always roll their eyes.  It's like the topic has become old hat and most have become calloused to.  Most of the time, their go to answer to shut any further discussion down is how God condoned his prophets for entering into polygamous relationships.  The most common examples Mormons reference is either Abraham or King David.  And if one is not even decently familiar with their Bible, they may have lost an opportunity to share the gospel.  So allow me to give you some Biblical context to their argument.

Sarai was getting anxious as she was not bearing any children for Abram, and she blamed God for it (Gen 16:2).  So, she took matter into her own hands and gave her handmaid Hagar to Abram.  [It is important to note that God didn't tell her to do this, she did it on her own out of impatience.  Nowhere in scripture is it said that God spoke to her and told her to do this, nor does it say that Abram was told by God to take Hagar as his mistress.]  Abram gave in to his wife's pleadings and slept with Hagar and she bore a son, Ishmael, when Abram was 86 years old.  13 years later, God changed his (Gen 17:5) and his wife's name (Gen 17:15) and then told Abram "I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee" (Gen 17:6-7).  Then, Abraham and Sarah had Isaac, whom the nation of Israel was from.  Then, due to jealousy, Sarah demanded that Abraham dismiss Haggar and Ishmael, which grieved Abraham but God said that he would bless them both but to listen to his wife and send them away (Gen 21:12-13).  [Now, historically speaking, Ishmael's descendants became modern day Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, etc. and other Muslim nations].  So, while God did bless Abraham and keep his covenant with His people, Abraham's impatience and questioning God led to the creation of a people that have been battling His people for years.

In King David's case, it was coveting that brought about polygamy, not God.  2 Samuel 11 tells of the time that King David looked upon Bathsheba with lust, arranged for an adulterated meeting, where she became pregnant.  Instead of coming clean, he designed a way to have her husband, Uriah, one of King David's champion soldiers to be killed, so that he could hide his sin from the world.  "But the thing that David had done displeased Jehovah" (2 Sam 11:27b).

Both of these, and all the other examples of polygamy you might find in the Bible, are hardly examples of God being "okay" with polygamy.  Nowhere in these or any other story shows God condoning polygamy.  God never commands anyone to marry multiple women, or a woman to an already married man.  God made it clear in Genesis how He designed marriage - one man, one woman (Gen 2:22-24).

Argument #1: He didn't tell me not to do it!  So, one might make the claim that God allowing these men to do it, or better yet, not commanding them not to, could be interpreted as God being ok with polygamy.  However, sin exists, even in the most devout.  Need an example? Read the Bible.  It is jam packed with examples of everyone being plagued by it.  (Everyone, except Jesus of course!)  We all know that sin is the polar opposite of God yet God allows for us to go through it for His glory.  Polygamy is no different.  Just because God allows His people to fall, does not mean that the action is sanctioned by Him.  Permitting sin is not the same as condoning sin.

Argument #2: He blessed me so it must be ok!  One might then make the blessing argument.  "God only blesses the righteous."  Since God would never bless a sinful relationship, then the fact that He blessed Ishmael's descendants, or King David's reign, or Abraham, or whoever, proves that they acted within God's laws.  The only problem with this argument is that it is totally un-Biblical.  Show me the verse in the Bible that says only perfect people receive His blessings?  While it is true that God blesses those who have a Biblical marriage, it is also true that He blesses homosexuals, liars, thieves, criminals, atheists, and the Dallas Cowboys.  Surely you don't think all of these people are living a holy lifestyle.  You see, God blesses whomever He chooses to bless, regardless of status, wealth, and lifestyle.  "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD." (Isaiah 55:8).  "Is it not lawful for me [the LORD] to do what I will with mine own? or is thine eye evil, because I am good?" (Matt. 20:15)  God will bless who He wants according to His own desires.  Take my life for example.  I sin everyday.  I break His laws time and time again, yet my wife loves me, my kids love me, I have a great job, and, most importantly, I am saved by the blood of the lamb.  I am truly undeservingly blessed beyond measure.  If this argument were true and God really worked like this, does that mean that every sin I commit is "ok" in the eyes of God?  Of course not.  

The truth is, God does not agree with polygamy.  Not now, not back in Biblical times, not ever.  The Bible says that God never changes (Num 23:19, Heb 13:8, James 1:17), which means neither does His laws or His views.  When God created the world, He made one man for one woman.  Period.  Mankind is the one who introduced polygamy.  Mankind is the one who tried to bend the rules.  Man is responsible for this perversion of marriage, not God.  In my opinion, the Mormon era of polygamy was created because a lot of men were deviants.  They wanted more than what God had in store for them, and when they found themselves in a position of power they abused it.  They allowed their own selfish desires to control them and led their followers into destructive lifestyles, all in the name of "righteousness".

If you're Mormon, I hope this shakes you to your core.  You have been lied to and deceived.  Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and the other prophets were not following God when they decreed polygamy to be permissible by God.  That is simply not true.

If you are not Mormon, I hope this has given you a bit more to talk to your Mormon friends about.  Let this be a gateway into heavier conversations about the true God and His gospel.  Use this information to spread the good news of His glory and bring more lost sheep into His fold.

Lastly, if there is something you can take away, let it be this:  Bad things happen to those who go against God's design.  Sarah found that out the hard way.  So did Abraham.  So did David.  So have countless other people.  Don't be one of them.

Are you saved?

"As I understand what is meant by the good Christians who speak in these terms, we are "saved" when we sincerely declare or confess that we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.  This meaning relies on the words the Apostle Paul taught the Christians of his day: "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:9-10).  To Latter-day Saints, the words saved and salvation in this teaching signify a present covenant relationship with Jesus Christ in which we are assured salvation from the consequences of sin if we are obedient.  Every sincere Latter-day Saint is "saved" according to this meaning.  We have been converted to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, we have experienced repentance and baptism, and we are renewing our covenants of baptism by partaking of the sacrament."

Elder Dallin H. Oaks

Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Excerpt from "Have You Been Saved?"

--------------------

     All of Christianity points to Jesus.  The gospel is framed around His death and resurrection and how it provided justification to God through His selfless and undeserved act towards mankind.  That is why a majority of Christians talk about being 'saved' because it is that hope that we rejoice over.  So whenever the Bible, the gospel, Jesus, God, etc. is brought up, most Christians will inevitably ask, "Are you saved?"  But what does that mean?  How does a person know if they are saved?  What are we saved from?    

     Well, let me tell you what being 'saved' doesn't mean.  It does not mean a person is saved from physical death.  "For as in Adam all die..." (1 Cor 15:22a).  Everyone will die.  This is the inevitable conclusion to our life on this earth.  Furthermore, being 'saved' isn't a reference to a bodily resurrection either.  "Having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust." (Acts 24:15).  The Bible says that there are two different types of people:  Those that believe in Jesus and those that don't.  However, the Bible says that it doesn't matter which side of that coin you are on, you will be resurrected.  So, since both the believer and the non believer will be brought back to life then being 'saved' cannot be a reference to our resurrection.  If it were, the question would render itself useless as the answer would always be 'yes'.

     So, what does it mean?  When a Christian asks if you are saved, they are asking about your eternal destination.  Essentially, "Are you going to heaven or hell?"  But, it's actually more involved than just that.  You see, being 'saved' implies two things:  1) That there is something to be saved from and 1) there is a person or thing that can do the saving.
     The thing to be saved from is an eternity apart from God.  Hell is very real and it is not a place one would like to go.  There's a "fiery lake of burning sulfur" (Rev 21:8) where there is a lot of  "weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt 13:50).  It's a place where people suffer in eternal punishment, where your soul and resurrected body is destroyed (Matt 10:28).  This is why the Bible calls it the second death (Rev 20:13-14, 21:8).  Basically, you don't want to go there...ever.  

     Now that we know what we need to be saved from, we need to address who does the saving.  The To this, the Bible is very clear.  "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12). His death on the cross was sufficient to satisfy God's requirement for justice.  It is by His blood that we are saved from the torment and destruction that awaits us because of our sinful lives.  "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal lfie..."

     So, when a person says they are saved, what they are saying is that Jesus Christ died on a cross for them.  They are exclaiming that their sins have been paid for in full by the blood of Jesus, and that they are no longer destined for hell.  They are saying that nothing they've done has warranted salvation in any sense of the word and are proclaiming that they have put all of their trust in Jesus to completely redeem them before God.  They are saved from that punishment and torment and will instead enjoy everlasting bliss and will spend an eternity with God in heaven and bask in His glory.  

     Now I can hear my Mormon friends and family saying, "Oh, well I believe that.  So, I guess by your definition, I am saved!"  I mean, that's essentially what Elder Oaks said.  But hold on a second.  You guys are most likely still misunderstanding me.  You see, the problem is that Mormonism is guilty of high-jacking Christian vernacular.  They use the same words but have different meanings.  Let me spell it out even more, so that there will be no more confusion.  When Christians talk about Jesus they mean the Jesus of the Bible, the one who is equal to God, the creator of all the universe, the Alpha and the Omega, the second member of the Godhead, God with us, God in the flesh, the Jesus who is literally God.  When Christians say that their sins are forgiven they mean that every sin - whether past, present or future - have been washed away and they stand blameless before God.  When a Christian says that there is nothing they can do they mean that it is only through their faith in Jesus they are redeemed.  They are admitting their good deeds amount to nothing and that salvation is found solely by calling on the name of Jesus.  When a Christian speaks of the afterlife, they have the belief that you can go only one of two places: heaven or hell.  When a Christian says hell, they are referring to a place of great anguish and torment, a place that is not only a fiery prison but a place where you are eternally separated from God.  When a Christian says heaven they are referring to that place in the afterlife, where God the father is seated enthroned, His angels singing His praise, and the body of believers will enjoy everlasting peace and joy.  

     Here is where the proverbial rubber meets the road.  A distinction is starting to form in your minds between Mormon theology and Christian theology.  You see, it is only when we define these common terms and get down to the substance of it all that we can actually get anywhere.  If we are using this definition of 'saved', the definition that all Christians are using, then most Mormons would likely have admit that they are not saved.  Oh, but wait...I can hear my friends forming arguments in their heads:

• Who are you to tell who is saved and who isn't?
• This is all based on YOUR definitions and interpretations
• What authority do you have to speak for these other Christians on what salvation means?
• Your premises are all way off, buddy!
• If you knew the fullness of the gospel, then you'd see we're not that different.  
• We know more about this stuff than you because of our modern day prophets and revelations.
• You're playing the semantics game!

     Look, lets just be honest.  All of Christianity believes on 'my' definition of being saved.  That is just simple fact.  If you don't believe me, go and talk to a pastor at any Christian church near you and find out for yourself.  Have them read this blog if you're having trouble conveying 'my' definition.  Seriously, do it!  I'm 100% positive that they'll confirm it.  And you know why?  Because that is what being 'saved' means.  And this is because it is not my definition but the Bible's.  

     Furthermore, the most important part of going to heaven is getting to be in the presence of God the Father.  Yes, it is a beautiful paradise where joy and suffering are no more, but that is because we are in the presence of the Holy One.  In Mormonism, this "heaven" is only accomplished if one makes it to the Celestial kingdom, which is the highest of their three degrees of glory.  As such, Christians would define the other two Mormon "heavens" as just better versions of hell.  My friend Kevin Young from the band Disciple says it best in their song "My Hell".   

"This was my hell

living without you here

Even heaven is hell

if somehow You were not there"

     But, in order to go to that heaven, Mormons teach that in addition to believing in Jesus there are other things that you must do or receive to be admitted.  "There are three kingdoms, or degrees of glory...[and] the Lord has prescribed requirements for eternal life in the celestial kingdom.  We must receive the testimony of Jesus, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, and keep the commandments (see D&C 76:51-52).  We must overcome all things by faith and be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise (see D&C 76:53,60). [Furthermore,] we must comply with the new and everlasting covenant of marriage (see D&C 131:1-3)." (click here for more information).  

     Using the correct definition of 'saved' includes a part where there is absolutely nothing we can do to be saved.  Or in other words, anything we do will not help our situation.  We cannot get a better seat in heaven if we obey more than any body else, or send a check to humanitarian efforts, or help an old lady cross the street.  Salvation, being saved, getting into heaven rests completely on the efforts and blood of our Savior, Jesus.  By contrast, Mormonism teaches that you need Jesus, but you also need to be baptized and get married in the LDS Temple, among other things.  Do you see the difference?  Are you listening?  If not, let me make it as clear as day.

• The Mormon equivalent to Christian heaven is the Celestial Kingdom
  
• How does one get to heaven/celestial kingdom?
  
• Biblical Christian's answer: JESUS
  
• Mormon's answer: JESUS, BAPTISM, TEMPLE MARRIAGE, KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS AND THE OTHER ORDINANCES OF THE GOSPEL, RECEIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT

*Keep in mind, I am only talking about being saved, salvation, or what the Bible calls "Justification."  Yes, keeping the commandments, baptism, etc. are important, but they are used for sanctification, or the process of making one Holy.  They are, however, completely unnecessary and useless in terms of Justification.  

Now do you see the difference in theology?

     The Bible says there is no other name by which you are saved.  That means that only Jesus can save you.  He is the way.  Period.  So, if you pair Jesus' blood and work on the cross with anything else (ceremonies, actions, ordinances, etc.) then it becomes a gospel of Jesus+, and that is straight up heresy.  Besides, Jesus does not need your help to save you.  I mean, why would God need your help to do anything?  He's all powerful, all knowing, all creating, all glorious, and completely Holy.  And you are....well...you.

     Instead of listening to Nephi (2 Nephi 25:23) and LDS prophets and Quorum members tell you that it takes Jesus+ to be 'saved', why not just trust the words of Jesus?

 "Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life.   No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

"I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." (John 10:9)

"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live" (John 11:25)

"Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent. ...Truly, truly I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world. ...I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. ...For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." (John 6:29-40)

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.  He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." (John 5:24)