Exposing the Dark Truth: Why Joseph Smith’s Marriages to Minors Defy Historical and Ethical Defenses
Sacred or Sinister? Why Defenses of Joseph Smith’s Marriages to 14 Year Old Girls Crumble Under Scrutiny
A critical examination of Joseph Smith's polygamous marriages to children, including Helen Mar Kimball. This article dismantles apologetic defenses, exposing the historical inaccuracies, ethical failures, and human costs behind such justifications.
note: Helen Mar Kimball was the daughter of Heber C Kimball , one of the first group of “Twelve Apostles” formed by the Church in 1835. I wonder how he got that high position in the Mormon Church. Could a marriage between his young daughter and Joseph Smith have anything with him being given that position? What do you think?
Introduction
In defending Joseph Smith’s polygamous marriages to fourteen year old girls, including Helen Mar Kimball, apologists frequently invoke cultural relativism, historical norms, and theological mandates. They suggest these unions were consistent with societal practices of the time, portraying Smith’s actions as either benign or divinely inspired. However, such arguments fail to withstand scrutiny.
This article critiques apologetic defenses by drawing on historical records, ethical reasoning, and expanded analyses of Mormon Scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 132 and the 1854 Massachusetts Supreme Court case Parton v. Hervey. By addressing the realities of these marriages, this critique demonstrates why defenses of Smith’s actions are both intellectually flawed and ethically indefensible.
1. Misrepresenting Historical Norms: Marriage of Children in 19th-Century America
1.1. Pre-Menarche Marriages Were Not the Norm
Census data and marriage records from the 19th century demonstrate that the median age for first marriages in the United States hovered around 22 years for women and 26 years for men (Coontz, 2005). While regional variations and economic circumstances occasionally lowered the average age of marriage, unions involving girls as young as 14 were outliers rather than norms. Moreover, marriages involving pre-menarche children—girls who had not yet undergone puberty—were particularly rare and widely viewed as inappropriate.
Contemporary societal attitudes toward childhood were shifting during this period, with increasing recognition of childhood as a distinct and protected stage of life (Mintz, 2004). This growing awareness of childhood as a time for education and development made early marriages, particularly those involving coercion or significant age disparities, increasingly controversial.
Helen Mar Kimball, at 14 years old, was not biologically or emotionally prepared for marriage, let alone a polygamous union with a much older man of thirty seven in a position of immense power. Her age and status as a child make her marriage to Joseph Smith a stark deviation from societal norms, challenging the apologist’s portrayal of such unions as routine. Far from being a culturally accepted practice, Smith’s actions were exceptional and ethically problematic even by the standards of his time.
1.2. Joseph Smith’s Marital Practices Involving Children
The image on the left is a photograph of Helen Mar Kimball later in life. The image on the right was based on scanning the left image and using computer technology to render an image of what 14 year old Helen would have looked like when she married 37 year old Joseph Smith. Helen was one of at least three 14 years old girls Joseph Smith married and brought into his polygamous family.
Historical accounts indicate that Joseph Smith engaged in plural marriages involving younger individuals, including Helen Mar Kimball, who was 14 years old at the time of her marriage, as well as others like Nancy Winchester and Fanny Alger. While supporters often portray these marriages as rare and divinely inspired exceptions, patterns in the historical record suggest they were part of a broader framework tied to religious and social dynamics within the early Latter-day Saint community.
These marriages frequently involved the daughters of Smith’s close associates and were presented within a theological context that promised eternal benefits for families who complied. This context introduced significant pressures on participants and their families, positioning these relationships as spiritual obligations rather than purely personal choices. The religious framing of these unions raises questions about the degree of autonomy involved, particularly for younger individuals.
Defenders of Smith’s marital practices often focus on individual cases without addressing the broader patterns that emerge. When viewed within the larger context of early Mormonism, these unions highlight a recurring dynamic in which familial loyalty, religious devotion, and promises of eternal salvation intersected, creating complex and often coercive circumstances.
1.3. The Relevance of Parton v. Hervey
The 1854 Massachusetts Supreme Court case Parton v. Hervey (67 Mass. [1 Gray] 119) offers valuable insights into 19th-century legal and societal perceptions of power dynamics, coercion, and consent within marriage. Although the case does not address polygamy or religiously motivated unions, its focus on contractual obligations and the exploitation of familial relationships makes it highly relevant to discussions of Joseph Smith’s marriage to Helen Mar Kimball and other young girls.
A Brief Overview of the Case
The Parton v. Hervey case arose from a dispute between Isaac Parton and his father-in-law, Hervey, regarding property and financial obligations tied to Isaac’s marriage to Hervey’s daughter. The case centered on whether Parton, under pressure from familial expectations, had willingly consented to certain conditions imposed by Hervey or whether those conditions constituted coercion. The court ultimately upheld the validity of the contract, but the ethical dimensions of the case sparked significant societal debate about the vulnerability of young individuals—particularly women—in marital and familial power dynamics.
Consent and Coercion in Marriage
While the court's legal reasoning upheld the sanctity of contracts, the societal discourse surrounding Parton v. Hervey revealed growing discomfort with situations where consent was compromised by power imbalances. This tension is strikingly relevant to Helen Mar Kimball’s marriage to Joseph Smith, where her compliance was shaped by familial, religious, and societal pressures rather than personal autonomy.
In Helen’s case, her father, Heber C. Kimball, was a devoted follower of Joseph Smith, and his loyalty to Smith played a pivotal role in arranging the marriage. Doctrine and Covenants 132 added a theological layer of coercion, presenting plural marriage as essential for the salvation of the entire family. For a 14-year-old girl, this theological framing created an environment where refusal was almost unthinkable. Her “choice” to marry Smith was profoundly influenced by external pressures, undermining any meaningful concept of consent.
Exploitation of Vulnerability
The decision in Parton v. Hervey underscored the limitations of legal frameworks in addressing the exploitation of vulnerable individuals in marital arrangements. Similarly, the narrative surrounding Joseph Smith’s marriages often sidesteps the ethical ramifications of his practices. By framing his marriages as divinely mandated, Smith effectively negated any possibility of genuine consent, particularly for minors like Helen Mar Kimball.
This exploitation of vulnerability raises critical questions about the role of legal and social systems in protecting individuals from coercion. In 19th-century society, women—especially young girls—were often treated as property or tools for familial advancement. The apologist’s argument that Smith’s actions reflected historical norms overlooks the evolving societal discourse, as evidenced by Parton v. Hervey, which increasingly questioned the morality of such practices.
Challenging the Apologist’s Narrative
The apologist’s defense of Joseph Smith’s polygamy relies heavily on the idea that these marriages were unremarkable for their time. However, the ethical and legal concerns highlighted by Parton v. Hervey contradict this narrative. Far from being universally accepted, practices that involved coercion or exploitation—particularly those targeting young and vulnerable individuals—were increasingly scrutinized in the mid-19th century.
The parallels between Parton v. Hervey and Joseph Smith’s marriages to minors demonstrate the importance of considering broader historical and ethical contexts. Both cases reveal the ways in which power dynamics and societal pressures can erode consent, even in legally recognized arrangements. These issues were neither ignored nor accepted in Smith’s time but rather became central to broader societal debates about ethics and autonomy.
A Modern Ethical Lens
The implications of Parton v. Hervey extend beyond its immediate legal context, offering a lens through which to examine the enduring ethical challenges posed by Smith’s polygamy. Both the legal ambiguities of the case and the societal discomfort it generated underscore the importance of centering vulnerability and consent in any analysis of historical practices. Applying these principles to Joseph Smith’s polygamy reveals the profound harm inflicted on individuals like Helen Mar Kimball and highlights the systemic inequalities that enabled such practices to persist.
2. The Coercive Framework of Doctrine and Covenants 132
Doctrine and Covenants 132, a revelation attributed to Joseph Smith, provides the theological foundation for plural marriage within early Mormonism. This section examines the ways in which this doctrine created a coercive framework that pressured individuals—particularly women—into polygamous unions by leveraging promises of eternal rewards and threats of spiritual consequences. The analysis also explores how familial loyalty was exploited within this framework to further Smith’s marital practices.
2.1. Promises of Eternal Rewards and Threats of Damnation
Doctrine and Covenants 132 explicitly framed plural marriage as essential for achieving exaltation, the highest degree of heavenly glory in Mormon theology. According to this revelation, individuals who entered into polygamous unions were promised eternal rewards, including the potential for godhood, while those who refused were warned of eternal damnation. This dual mechanism of reward and punishment created an environment where compliance was framed not as a choice but as a divine mandate.
For individuals like Helen Mar Kimball, these promises and threats were particularly impactful. Helen later reflected that her decision to marry Joseph Smith was motivated by assurances that her family would be eternally blessed if she complied. Such assurances leveraged her deep religious convictions and loyalty to her family, making resistance almost impossible. The apologist’s failure to address the coercive nature of these theological claims is a glaring omission that overlooks the significant psychological and emotional pressures placed on those involved.
This dynamic raises important ethical questions about consent. True consent requires the absence of coercion, yet the theological framework of Doctrine and Covenants 132 effectively removed agency by tying compliance to eternal salvation. By emphasizing the spiritual consequences of refusal, this doctrine turned religious belief into a tool of manipulation, compelling individuals to act against their personal desires or best interests.
2.2. Exploitation of Familial Loyalty
Another critical aspect of Doctrine and Covenants 132 was its ability to exploit familial loyalty. Within early Mormon communities, familial relationships were deeply intertwined with religious identity and spiritual goals. Smith’s use of this framework often targeted families who were already loyal to him, positioning plural marriage as a test of faith and devotion.
Heber C Kimball, who later became one of the Mormon Churches first “Twelve Apostles” and later one of Brigham Young’s right hand men. His daugher was one of 3 fourteen year old girls Joseph Smith married into his polygamous home.
In the case of Helen Mar Kimball, her father, Heber C. Kimball, was one of Joseph Smith’s most devoted followers. Heber’s willingness to facilitate Helen’s marriage to Smith reflects the immense pressure placed on families to comply with church leadership’s directives. Doctrine and Covenants 132 presented such compliance as a path to eternal glory, effectively subordinating individual well-being to familial and theological priorities.
This exploitation of familial loyalty was not an isolated occurrence. Many of Smith’s plural wives were daughters of his closest associates, suggesting a broader pattern of leveraging familial devotion to expand his marital network. By framing plural marriage as a sacred covenant necessary for exaltation, Smith created an environment where families felt compelled to participate, regardless of personal reservations or the well-being of those directly affected.
The apologist’s narrative often overlooks these dynamics, presenting plural marriages as voluntary and spiritually uplifting. However, this interpretation ignores the profound pressures placed on families and individuals, whose choices were shaped by a deeply coercive theological framework.
Conclusion of Section 2
The coercive nature of Doctrine and Covenants 132 cannot be overstated. By linking plural marriage to eternal rewards and spiritual survival, the doctrine effectively removed agency from participants, transforming deeply personal decisions into theological obligations. Moreover, its exploitation of familial loyalty further entrenched the power dynamics at play, prioritizing institutional and theological goals over individual autonomy and well-being.
The apologist’s defense of Joseph Smith’s marital practices fails to grapple with these realities. By ignoring the coercive framework established by Doctrine and Covenants 132, such arguments oversimplify the complex interplay of faith, power, and agency that defined early Mormon polygamy.
3. Ethical and Psychological Impacts on Women
The practice of plural marriage within early Mormonism, particularly as it involved young individuals like Helen Mar Kimball, had profound ethical and psychological consequences for the women involved. This section explores Helen Mar Kimball’s perspective, the broader systemic harm inflicted on women in polygamy, and the long-term psychological effects of such practices. By examining these impacts, we can better understand the human cost of a system that prioritized institutional and theological goals over individual well-being.
3.1. Helen Mar Kimball’s Perspective
Helen Mar Kimball’s writings about her marriage to Joseph Smith offer an unparalleled glimpse into the psychological and emotional toll of polygamy. As a 14-year-old girl placed in a polygamous marriage under the guise of divine command, Helen grappled with profound confusion and distress. She later wrote that the arrangement caused her to feel isolated from her peers and family, reflecting a pervasive sense of betrayal and loss (Kimball Whitney, 1880). This isolation was compounded by the secrecy surrounding her marriage, which required her to live with the dual burden of being publicly silent while privately navigating the overwhelming implications of her new role as a plural wife.
Helen described being unable to partake in the normal social activities of a teenage girl, lamenting the life she might have had if not for her early marriage to Smith. Her reflections capture the internal conflict of reconciling the promises of eternal exaltation with the personal sacrifices she was forced to endure. These writings are more than just personal musings—they are damning evidence of the emotional harm inflicted on young girls coerced into polygamous marriages.
The apologist’s failure to engage with Helen’s perspective is particularly egregious. By ignoring her documented struggles, the apologist effectively erases the lived experiences of the very individuals most impacted by these practices. This omission reflects a broader trend in apologetic literature: the prioritization of theological justifications over the voices of those who suffered under polygamy’s systemic harms.
3.2. Broader Implications for Women in Polygamy
The harm inflicted on women in early Mormon polygamy was neither isolated nor incidental—it was systemic. Plural wives, regardless of their age or circumstances, were subjected to profound emotional and psychological distress. The secrecy surrounding polygamous marriages exacerbated these challenges. Women were often forced to live in isolation, unable to share their experiences or seek support from others within their community. The secrecy demanded of them ensured that their suffering remained invisible, compounding their sense of alienation.
In addition to isolation, plural wives frequently experienced a significant loss of autonomy. Marriage in early Mormon polygamy was framed as a religious duty, and women were pressured—often through theological coercion—to comply. As Doctrine and Covenants 132 outlined, women were expected to accept their roles as plural wives as a precondition for their own and their family’s salvation. This effectively subordinated their personal desires, ambitions, and agency to the demands of male church leaders.
Historian Todd Compton (1997) has documented the lives of Smith’s plural wives, revealing consistent patterns of emotional hardship and social isolation. Many women expressed feelings of betrayal as they navigated the complex and often conflicting demands of polygamy. These challenges were not limited to Smith’s immediate circle but extended throughout Mormon polygamous communities, where women faced systemic pressure to conform to a practice that prioritized institutional goals over individual well-being.
3.3. Long-Term Psychological Effects
The long-term consequences of polygamy on women like Helen Mar Kimball and others cannot be overstated. Studies of historical polygamous societies indicate that women in such systems often suffered from depression, anxiety, and feelings of inadequacy due to their diminished status and the competition inherent in plural marriages (Altman & Ginat, 1996). For Helen, her reflections later in life reveal a lingering sense of loss and disillusionment, even as she attempted to rationalize her experiences within the theological framework provided by the church.
The apologist’s narrative, which frames polygamy as a divinely inspired institution that brought spiritual rewards to its participants, grossly misrepresents the lived realities of these women. By focusing solely on theological justifications, the apologist fails to account for the profound emotional and psychological harm caused by such practices. This omission not only undermines the credibility of their argument but also perpetuates a historical erasure of the suffering endured by plural wives.
4. The Apologist’s Intellectual and Ethical Failures
4.1. Misuse of Cultural Relativism
Apologists often invoke cultural relativism to frame Joseph Smith’s actions as a product of his time, suggesting that early marriage and polygamy were widely accepted in 19th-century America. However, this argument misrepresents historical realities. While societal norms regarding marriage were different in the 19th century, they were far from monolithic. As explored in Section 1, marriages involving young girls were rare and often criticized, particularly when coercion or significant power imbalances were involved.
The Massachusetts Supreme Court case Parton v. Hervey (1854) underscores this point, as it highlights the legal and societal discomfort with exploitative marital arrangements. Far from being universally accepted, such practices were increasingly scrutinized in the mid-19th century. By failing to engage with this historical context, the apologist’s argument rests on a distorted view of the past that absolves Smith of accountability by falsely portraying his actions as normative.
Cultural relativism, while valuable for understanding historical practices, cannot be used to justify harm. Ethical principles such as consent, autonomy, and protection from exploitation are not exclusive to modern times. Even in Smith’s era, these principles were recognized and debated. The apologist’s reliance on cultural relativism as a defense ignores this complexity, reducing nuanced historical realities to simplistic justifications.
4.2. Minimization of Harm
Another significant failure of the apologist’s argument is the minimization of the harm inflicted on women involved in early Mormon polygamy. By focusing on theological justifications and historical relativism, the apologist often neglects the emotional, psychological, and social consequences of these practices. This omission reflects a broader trend within apologetic literature, which prioritizes institutional narratives over the lived experiences of individuals.
Helen Mar Kimball’s writings, for example, offer a vivid account of the emotional toll of her marriage to Joseph Smith. She described feelings of isolation, confusion, and betrayal—experiences that were far from unique among Smith’s plural wives. Historian Todd Compton (1997) has documented similar patterns of emotional distress and social isolation among many of Smith’s plural wives, highlighting the systemic nature of these harms.
The secrecy surrounding polygamy further compounded these challenges. Women were often unable to discuss their marriages openly or seek support from their communities. This isolation left them to grapple with their struggles alone, exacerbating the psychological toll of their circumstances. The apologist’s failure to acknowledge these realities not only undermines their argument but also perpetuates the erasure of the suffering endured by women like Helen Mar Kimball.
Conclusion of Section 4
The intellectual and ethical shortcomings of apologetic defenses of Joseph Smith’s polygamy are evident in their misuse of cultural relativism and minimization of harm. By distorting historical context and disregarding the lived experiences of women, these arguments fail to provide a credible or compassionate analysis of early Mormon polygamy. A more honest and nuanced engagement with this history would acknowledge both its theological complexities and its human costs. To do otherwise is to perpetuate a narrative that prioritizes institutional preservation over ethical accountability and historical accuracy.
Conclusion
The apologetic defense of Joseph Smith’s polygamous marriage to Helen Mar Kimball—and at least two other minors—fails both intellectually and ethically. These unions cannot be dismissed as mere products of their time or justified by appeals to cultural relativism. By misrepresenting historical norms, invoking theological mandates, and minimizing the harm experienced by young women, apologists attempt to sanitize practices that were coercive, exploitative, and deeply troubling, even by the standards of the 19th century.
Marriages involving minors like Helen Mar Kimball exemplify a broader pattern of targeting vulnerable individuals within a context of overwhelming power dynamics. These marriages were not consistent with societal norms of the time; census data and historical records show that marriages involving minors were rare and often viewed critically, particularly when significant age and power disparities were present. Apologists fail to address this context, instead framing Smith’s actions as benign or divinely inspired.
The theological framework of Doctrine and Covenants 132 magnifies the ethical issues surrounding these marriages. By presenting plural marriage as a divine commandment necessary for exaltation and tying it to the salvation of entire families, this framework created immense pressure on participants. Fathers like Heber C. Kimball felt compelled to offer their daughters in marriage to Smith, believing it to be an act of religious devotion. For minors placed in these arrangements, this framework stripped them of agency and forced them into roles that prioritized institutional goals over their own well-being.
The long-term consequences for these young women cannot be understated. Helen Mar Kimball’s writings reflect the profound sense of loss, isolation, and emotional distress she endured as a result of her marriage. Similar patterns of psychological hardship and social alienation emerge in the accounts of other plural wives, underscoring the systemic harm caused by Smith’s polygamous practices. These unions, rooted in theological coercion and unequal power dynamics, left lasting scars on the individuals involved.
Defending Joseph Smith’s marriages to minors by invoking historical relativism or theological justification not only distorts the historical record but also perpetuates a narrative that erases the harm experienced by these young women. While understanding the historical and theological context of early Mormonism is important, it cannot excuse practices that exploited the most vulnerable members of the community. Acknowledging the ethical failings of these marriages is essential to a truthful and compassionate reckoning with this history.
Ultimately, any defense of Smith’s polygamy must contend with the profound inequalities and suffering it imposed. Centering the voices of those who lived through these experiences—particularly the minors who were placed in such marriages—reveals the human cost of a system that prioritized institutional preservation over individual autonomy. Only by rejecting the simplistic narratives offered by apologetics can we begin to engage honestly with this complex and painful chapter of history.
References
Altman, I., & Ginat, J. (1996). Polygamous Families in Contemporary Society. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Bushman, R. L. (2005). Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Compton, T. (1997). In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith. Salt Lake City, UT: Signature Books.
Coontz, S. (2005). Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage. New York: Viking Penguin.
Kimball Whitney, H. M. (1880). Life Incidents. Salt Lake City, UT: Juvenile Instructor Office.
Massachusetts Reports. (1854). Parton v. Hervey, 67 Mass. (1 Gray) 119.
Mintz, S. (2004). Huck’s Raft: A History of American Childhood. Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press.
Van Wagoner, R. S. (1989). Mormon Polygamy: A History. Salt Lake City, UT: Signature Books.