A MORE interesting discussion about FLDS

[Spaz]

Originally Posted by Adam

I don't think you would. I think you would agree and go along with it.

If you were called as a mission president. Then on your return you were placed into the 1st Quorum of 70. Then you were called into Pres. Monson's office and told it was God's will that your 16 year old daughter marry Elder Bednar (who's first wife had recently died tragically in a Yellowstone buffalo stampede accident). If he told you that he had received a revelation that it was God's will that Elder Bednar and your daughter would parent one of the two prophets who would eventually be killed in the streets of Jerusalem as foretold by scripture. If he wanted you to go talk to your daughter and convince her to marry Elder Bednar.

You would do it.

I believe the more appropriate question in this scenario is: "What would YOU do if this occurred?"

Personally, I'd pray about it myself, tell my daughter about it so she could pray about it, and follow whatever direction we're given through those prayers. I'd never 'force' her into it.

[MikeWaters]

My problem is that I don't see arranged marriage as being part of the gospel. So if someone told me it was, I would be highly suspicious he was exercising unrighteous dominion.

Elder Bednar can date and find his own wife.

[BYU71]

Originally Posted by Adam

I don't think you would. I think you would agree and go along with it.

If you were called as a mission president. Then on your return you were placed into the 1st Quorum of 70. Then you were called into Pres. Monson's office and told it was God's will that your 16 year old daughter marry Elder Bednar (who's first wife had recently died tragically in a Yellowstone buffalo stampede accident). If he told you that he had received a revelation that it was God's will that Elder Bednar and your daughter would parent one of the two prophets who would eventually be killed in the streets of Jerusalem as foretold by scripture. If he wanted you to go talk to your daughter and convince her to marry Elder Bednar.

You would do it.

I think you are right about some members of the church, I don't think you are about the majority and certainly not Mike. That is not a knock on Mike. I would answer no way. My testimony would be shattered.

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by Adam

I don't think you would. I think you would agree and go along with it.

If you were called as a mission president. Then on your return you were placed into the 1st Quorum of 70. Then you were called into Pres. Monson's office and told it was God's will that your 16 year old daughter marry Elder Bednar (who's first wife had recently died tragically in a Yellowstone buffalo stampede accident). If he told you that he had received a revelation that it was God's will that Elder Bednar and your daughter would parent one of the two prophets who would eventually be killed in the streets of Jerusalem as foretold by scripture. If he wanted you to go talk to your daughter and convince her to marry Elder Bednar.

You would do it.

I would do what Bushman says that many or most of the people involved with Joseph Smith's polygamous activities: pray earnestly and get a spiritual confirmation.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by BYU71

I think you are right about some members of the church, I don't think you are about the majority and certainly not Mike. That is not a knock on Mike. I would answer no way. My testimony would be shattered.

Anybody who makes Adam's statement has never had sixteen year old daughters. Trying to tell a sixteen year who she may or may not date doesn't happen. It doesn't happen.

Perhaps in the 19th Century you could get away with it, but I would not even consider attempting that. The most I would have done, even if I believed in it, would be to relate the story to the daughter and then tell her, it would be her choice and I would support her no matter what. Knowing my daughters as I do, they would say, "Hell NO!" and that would be the end of it.

In today's world, sixteen year olds are too head strong for that sort of crap, and wouldn't outside of a sheltered, insular environment.

[MikeWaters]

Adam, so I am reading on Wikipedia that there is no known blood descendant from any of JS's 33 to 48 plural wives.

What is the explanation for that?

Even among those who accept the views of conventional historians, there is disagreement as to the precise number of wives Smith had: the LDS Church's genealogical website lists 24 marriages for Smith, four of which are indicated to have taken place after his death.[11] Fawn M. Brodie lists 48 (Brodie 1971, p. 457), D. Michael Quinn 46 (Quinn 1994, p. 587), and George D. Smith 42 (Smith 1994, p. 14). The discrepancy is created by the lack of documents to support the alleged marriages to some of the named wives.

A number of Smith's "marriages" occurred after his death, with the wife being sealed to Joseph via a proxy that stood in for him.[12] One historian, Todd M. Compton, documented at least thirty-three plural marriages or sealings during Smith's lifetime (Compton Dec. 1996). Many people think it is without question that Joseph had multiple wives; but, as Compton states multiple times in his work, "Absolutely nothing is known of this marriage after the ceremony"—that is, it is unclear how many of the women Smith had sexual relations with. There are allegations that Smith had at least one child born to a plural wife, but this remains unproven (Compton Summer 1996, p. 17,29).

As of 2007, there are at least twelve early Latter Day Saints who, based on historical documents and circumstantial evidence, have been identified as potential Smith offspring stemming from plural marriages. In 2005 and 2007 studies, a geneticist with the Sorenson Molecular Geneology Foundation showed "with 99.9 percent accuracy" that five of these individuals were in fact not Smith descendants: Mosiah Hancock (son of Clarissa Reed Hancock), Oliver Buell (son of Prescindia Huntington Buell), Moroni Llewellyn Pratt (son of Mary Ann Frost Pratt), Zebulon Jacobs (son of Zina Diantha Huntington Jacobs Smith), and Orrison Smith (son of Fanny Alger).[13] The remaining seven have yet to be conclusively tested, including Josephine Lyon, for whom current DNA testing cannot provide conclusive evidence either way. Lyon's mother, Sylvia Sessions Lyon, left her daughter a deathbead affidavit telling her she was Smith's daughter.[

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucy_Wa...r_Day_Saint%29

[Spaz]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Anybody who makes Adam's statement has never had sixteen year old daughters. Trying to tell a sixteen year who she may or may not date doesn't happen. It doesn't happen.

Perhaps in the 19th Century you could get away with it, but I would not even consider attempting that. The most I would have done, even if I believed in it, would be to relate the story to the daughter and then tell her, it would be her choice and I would support her no matter what. Knowing my daughters as I do, they would say, "Hell NO!" and that would be the end of it.

In today's world, sixteen year olds are too head strong for that sort of crap, and wouldn't outside of a sheltered, insular environment.

I believe you're very accurate for the vast majority of girls. I do believe there are some (few though they may be) who would take such a charge seriously enough to at least consider it. I would hope they'd pray for confirmation prior to making a decision.

[Spaz]

This thread's gotten a bit off track, hasn't it?

[RC Vikings]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Anybody who makes Adam's statement has never had sixteen year old daughters. Trying to tell a sixteen year who she may or may not date doesn't happen. It doesn't happen.

Perhaps in the 19th Century you could get away with it, but I would not even consider attempting that. The most I would have done, even if I believed in it, would be to relate the story to the daughter and then tell her, it would be her choice and I would support her no matter what. Knowing my daughters as I do, they would say, "Hell NO!" and that would be the end of it.

In today's world, sixteen year olds are too head strong for that sort of crap, and wouldn't outside of a sheltered, insular environment.

Arch your daughters are strong enough they would say "Hello No" but I've got several people in my ward (neighbors) that presented with Adams scenario they would go along with it and the girls would also.

[BYU71]

Originally Posted by Spaz

I believe you're very accurate for the vast majority of girls. I do believe there are some (few though they may be) who would take such a charge seriously enough to at least consider it. I would hope they'd pray for confirmation prior to making a decision.

No doubt. There are girls who would consider it and parents who would encourage it. I think that is a small minority though in the church.

I do know of a case not anywhere like this, but where a church authority figure in his 50's told a girl in a single ward 30's that God had revealed they were to be married. She was elated because this guy was a very respected Stake President. His wife had passed away.

Girls who know her says she is constantly telling them she is miserable.