Naked Mormonism Podcast

On this episode, we discuss Joseph Smith’s public and private denials of polygamy. It was a controversial practice in Victorian-era America and he had concluded by the final year of his life that it would lead to the next mass-exodus of Mormons, or possibly the ruin of the sect altogether. Some have used his statements to claim he never engaged in polygamy. We deal with a few of the arguments and discuss the context surrounding his multiple statements against polygamy to inform a skeptical reading of the sources. Yes, he fought polygamy, but only when it got out of his control. We also discuss Jacob Cochran and the free-love sect referred to as the Cochranites, as well as the many parallels between it and Mormonism. Links: Joseph Smith polygamy denials https://faenrandir.github.io/a_careful_examination/joseph-smith-polygamy-denials/ Cochranites https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Cochran Publications about Cochranites http://olivercowdery.com/gathering/JCochran.htm#1834-000 Jacob Cochran legal troubles 1819