Did Joseph Smith marry other men's wives?
Short answer
Yes. Joseph Smith was sealed to approximately a dozen women who were legally married to other men. The historical record also indicates that some husbands knew of or participated in the religious context of the sealings—for example, Henry B. Jacobs witnessed Joseph’s sealing to Zina Huntington—while in other cases the husband was not a Latter-day Saint or was estranged from the Church. The reasons for these sealings are not fully documented; proposed explanations include eternal or dynastic sealings, but Joseph and the women did not leave a complete explanation. The evidence does not support the claim that Joseph routinely sent men on missions so he could secretly marry their wives; that allegation largely originated with John C. Bennett and is contradicted or left unproven in most cases.
This history is difficult, but it should be faced honestly: Joseph introduced plural marriage, and some of his plural marriages occurred without Emma’s knowledge or consent, while evidence also indicates that she consented to some others. The practice was concealed and sometimes described evasively, and Joseph’s plural marriage also conflicted with Illinois law. These facts do not remove the need for moral seriousness, prayer, and careful study; they do require us not to sanitize the historical record.
Did Emma later deny that Joseph practiced "polygamy"? Yes. In an 1879 interview with her son Joseph Smith III, Emma denied that her husband Joseph ever had "a revelation on either polygamy, or spiritual wives" and affirmed that he "had no other wife but me." Emma made similar denials in 1867 and 1872. However, some historians speculate that her carefully worded statements given to her son and others (who opposed polygamy) were intended to be technically true (i.e., plural marriage and celestial marriage were not technically considered to be "polygamy") while also not denying that Joseph practiced "plural marriage." Did Joseph marry women without the consent or knowledge of Emma? Yes. Although there is very little documentation on this topic, there is evidence that Emma was unaware of some plural marriages. There is also evidence that she consented to some of his plural marriages, including to Eliza and Emily Partridge, Sarah and Maria Lawrence, and Malissa Lott. Is it true Joseph married women who already had legal husbands? Yes. Joseph was sealed to about a dozen women who had legal husbands at the time (see table below). Polyandrous plural wives of Joseph Smith. Plural Wife of Joseph Smith Legal Husband Comments Zina Huntington Henry B. Jacobs Henry was a member of the Church and a witness to Joseph's sealing to Zina. Presendia Huntington Norman Buell Norman was a disaffected member of the Church at the time of Presendia's sealing to Joseph. Mary Elizabeth Rollins Adam Lightner Adam was not a member of the Church at the time of Mary's sealing to Joseph. Patty Barlett David Sessions David was a member of the Church at the time of Patty's sealing to Joseph. Ruth Vose Edward Sayers Edward was not a member of the Church at the time of Ruth's sealing to Joseph. Elvira Annie Cowles Jonathan Holmes Jonathan was a member of the Church at the time of Elvira's sealing to the latter. Sylvia Sessions Windsor Lyon Windsor was out of fellowship with the Church at the time of Sylvia's sealing to Joseph. Marinda Nancy Johnson Orson Hyde Orson was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve and the documentary record conflicts as to whether he was on a mission at the time of Marinda's sealing to Joseph. Elizabeth Davis Jabez Durfee Jabez was a member of the Church at the time of Elizabeth's sealing to Joseph. Sarah Kingsley John Cleveland John was not a member of the Church at the time of Sarah's sealing to Joseph. Esther Dutcher Albert Smith Albert was a member of the Church at the time of Esther's sealing to Joseph. Mary Heron John Snider John was a member of the Church at the time of Mary's sealing to Joseph. Lucinda Pendleton George Harris George was a member of the Church at the time of Lucinda's sealing to Joseph.
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