Here are some of the reasons I became very skeptical that God really told Joseph Smith to do polygamy:

1: Fanny Alger-as far as we know there was no sealing power at this time restores to the earth or if you do not believe the restored issue it was not part of the LDS doctrine. Fanny was a young attractive girls that it seems Joseph had an affair with and when he got caught then used polygamy as a cover. It all just seems to convenient.

2: Joseph used his position of power to influence many women to marry him. This put them under great duress. Promising to young girl her families exaltation, telling others they were predestined as his, promising them eternal rewards and placing a time limit on their decision, all this from a man they viewed as God's prophet would create great duress and pressure on the women to accept.

3: It seems that Joseph Smith tries to tarnish the reputation of some women who even under duress were able to refuse.

4: Polyandry. Need I really say more? Did Joseph Smith really need to marry Zina? She had a faithful spouse that could marry her in the temple and she had children with the man as well. This in my view was a despicable thing by Joseph and Brigham. Zina as well and Henry Jacob for not beating the hell out of Joseph and Brigham for taking his wife.

Which by the way is what I would have done had they asked for my wide. Yes Heber I would have failed that nonsensical test.

5: I understand some of the secrecy from the general public. So if God did command it, it would really be a problem in the society in which they lived. But lying to his wife about and committing subterfuge as well as an alleged revelation that threatens her and other women with destruction if they do not accept? Well if the God I have always had faith in exists he would not do such a thing.

To sum up, heck no I would not practice polygamy. I see little different between Joseph Smith and other cult/religious leaders who says God is telling them to take more than one women.

Joseph Smith may have believed God was telling him to do so, he may have had motives that were dynastic and he may have had a plan to tie families together. But the way he did it just smells really bad.

Why not ask Dr. Peterson that very question right now?

.....
If I was Joseph, I would hope I would have had the courage to stand up to his angel with a sword and say, slay me if you must but I will not commit such despicable crimes.

What would you do?

it seems that since "morality" comes from God, it would be an error to claim that His commands are criminal. To claim that He would have you commit a despicable crime would be putting your self, or rather natural man's law, before God's Law.

Surely Abraham and Isaac provide the simple answer to this simple question. If you "know" it is a commandment from God, you would be compelled to obey that command, especially in the light of the "struggle" it would present to your well-established habit of monogamy.

I am curious as to why one would "hope for the courage" to contradict God, seems like an altogether selfish and hopeless position to desire.

it seems that since "morality" comes from God, it would be an error to claim that His commands are criminal.

To claim that He would have you commit a despicable crime would be putting your self, or rather natural man's law, before God's Law. If this were the case, then surely you would be hardly convinced that you were visited by an angel at all.
Surely Abraham and Isaac provide the simple answer to this simple question. If you "know" it is a commandment from God, you would be compelled to obey that command, especially in the light of the "struggle" it would present to your well-established habit of monogamy.

I am curious as to why one would "hope for the courage" to contradict God, seems like an altogether selfish and hopeless position to desire.

it seems that since "morality" comes from God, it would be an error to claim that His commands are criminal. To claim that He would have you commit a despicable crime would be putting your self, or rather natural man's law, before God's Law. If this were the case, then surely you would be hardly convinced that you were visited by an angel at all.
Surely Abraham and Isaac provide the simple answer to this simple question. If you "know" it is a commandment from God, you would be compelled to obey that command, especially in the light of the "struggle" it would present to your well-established habit of monogamy.

I am curious as to why one would "hope for the courage" to contradict God, seems like an altogether selfish and hopeless position to desire.

QFT

How many claim God told them to do it after they have done some crime that this same God is supposed to say is wrong? Why not believe all those other people?

It a good example of people sharing a story to teach obedience to what they claim God is saying.

You have to be kidding. It would hardly be selfish. The real issue here is not what one would do if God told them to do something they believe God also told everyone else is wrong. The issue is why do we believe Joseph was, and not everyone else who claims such. You really have to already believe in Joseph to buy an angel forcing Joseph to marry and have sex with multiple women. Why is it that Joseph gets an angel and no one else does? Not even Emma who is obviously the one who really needs one.

There was a story reported in the news some years back about a man in Utah that said God told him to kill his son. He thought that God was testing him and at the last minute, he would stop him from killing his son like God did with Abraham. Needless to say, the story ended with a dead child and a man in prison for life.

What's the difference? Well, you might be tempted to say that one man really received orders from God and the other one just thought he did.

But how would you ever, really, I mean REALLY know if something came from God or you just weren't delusional or side effect from medication, dreaming, whatever? And what about the many others that have claimed and will claim to be speaking with God. Ohh, they are all wrong of course but our prophet isn't.

The real danger of this is following a prophet who claims to be getting revelation from God. If you believe he's a prophet, you follow him. If Joseph was wrong then every person that followed him and practiced polygamy was wrong.

I am not sure I know what QFT is.

Oh and Just me, thanks! Feelings mutual! :-)

I am not sure I know what QFT is.

Oh and Just me, thanks! Feelings mutual! :-)

it seems that since "morality" comes from God, it would be an error to claim that His commands are criminal. To claim that He would have you commit a despicable crime would be putting your self, or rather natural man's law, before God's Law. If this were the case, then surely you would be hardly convinced that you were visited by an angel at all.
Surely Abraham and Isaac provide the simple answer to this simple question. If you "know" it is a commandment from God, you would be compelled to obey that command, especially in the light of the "struggle" it would present to your well-established habit of monogamy.

I am curious as to why one would "hope for the courage" to contradict God, seems like an altogether selfish and hopeless position to desire.

Moroni Chapter 7
http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/7?lang=eng

i believe the question was what "you" would do, not others.

Many people may claim that "God said so", but that does not mean it is true, correct?

For that truth one must distract the discussion to one about Moroni 7.

i must have mis-read the OP, because it seems to have asked a question quite specifically.

And besides, has the issue of polygamy in the LDS church not long been settled? Is there some revealing point or conclusion you would propose from this episode?

They were criminal by the definition. Polygamy was against the law....making it a CRIME.

God said in the D&C that follwing him would never require the breaking of the law of the land. Hmmmm.

Pretty fishy.

So, you're saying that if a voice in your head said to kill your child that you would do it? If the Abraham story is true than god is a jerk and a bit unhinged.

If God asks criminal things of people, or things that go against the light of christ, than God is a jackass that deserves to be contradicted. The god described in D&C 132 is an abuser. D&C 132 is spiritually and emotionally abusive.

Welcome to the board, subgenius!

No, if it was voice in my head, then likely i would not have another voice which could override such a command. However, if God commanded it, then the voice in my head would have decide the course of action......and if it was in accordance with Moroni 7, then likely the child would die.

If it is truly criminal and truly against the light of Christ, then it is not coming from God....just as it is impossible for God to lie.
With regards to polygamy, neither of these have been proven to have occurred at the time of revelation.

arguably Joseph had the revelation in 1843, maybe 1831...lets stick with 1843.....
Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act - 1862
Poland Act - 1874
Reynolds v. United States 1878
Edmunds Act - 1882

me thinks the timeline is not so fishy. The "law of the land" was post-revelation.

And how is killing a child in accordance with Moroni 7?

If it is truly criminal and truly against the light of Christ, then it is not coming from God....just as it is impossible for God to lie.
With regards to polygamy, neither of these have been proven to have occurred at the time of revelation.