23. Joseph Would Publicly Disgrace Women who Refused Him
September 13, 202421. Joseph Wouldn’t Allow Emma to have her Endowment
September 16, 2024
When one of the women, Nancy Rigdon, refused Joseph’s proposal saying it was wicked, Joseph wrote her a letter saying that whatever god requires is right…or in other words, whatever Joseph says is right, because the prophet can’t lead you astray.
Table of contents
- When one of the women, Nancy Rigdon, refused Joseph’s proposal saying it was wicked, Joseph wrote her a letter saying that whatever god requires is right…or in other words, whatever Joseph says is right, because the prophet can’t lead you astray.
- A1) Joseph proposed to 19-year-old Nancy Rigdon. She did not accept and so Joseph wrote a letter to try to convince her.
- A2) John Bennett published his account of his view of the proposal with Nancy and a copy of the letter.
- A3) Joseph Smith denied writing the letter. Sidney Rigdon, Nancy’s father, wrote a carefully worded denial that Joseph wrote the letter.
- A4) The letter is archived on the Joseph Smith Papers project and quoted regularly by Church leaders. The consensus within the church is that Joseph Smith wrote the letter.
- Issues these Facts Raise
- Questions these Facts Raise
A1) Joseph proposed to 19-year-old Nancy Rigdon. She did not accept and so Joseph wrote a letter to try to convince her.
Supporting Sources and Quotes
Joseph secretly proposed to 19-year-old Nancy Rigdon in Nauvoo in 1842 when Smith was 36 years-old. She declined, so Joseph recruited another LDS woman to convince Nancy. She rejected that attempt too and insisted that she be permitted to leave the locked room.
Smith dictated a letter and tried to convince her that God revealed the practice, and a commandment to take multiple wives. Part of his letter read like a manifesto for situational ethics that modern LDS leaders condemn: "That which is wrong under one circumstance, may be, and often is, right under another …. Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire." Nancy showed the letter to her father, Sidney Rigdon. When Sidney questioned Joseph about it, he denied the whole affair. Joseph admitted to it only when Sidney showed Joseph his letter. (Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith, p. 119, and Van Wagoner, Mormon Polygamy, 2nd edition pp. 32-33)
Also quoted here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/1979/09/line-upon-line?lang=eng
A2) John Bennett published his account of his view of the proposal with Nancy and a copy of the letter.
Supporting Sources and Quotes
"She went down. Joe was there, and took her into a private room, LOCKED THE DOOR, and commenced by telling her that he had long loved her, and had asked the Lord for her, and that it was his holy will that he should have her--he told her that it would not prevent her from marrying any other person--that he had the blessings of Jacob granted to him--and that all was right; he desired to kiss her, and wished her to kiss him, but Joe couldn't come it. She said she would alarm the neighbors if he did not open the door, and let her out--he did so, and requested Mrs. Hyde to explain matters to her. Joe swore her to eternal secrecy. Mrs. Hyde told her that these things looked strange to her at first, but she would become more reconciled on mature reflec-tion. Miss Rigdon replied, "I never shall." Joe agreed to write her and did so in a few days thro' Dr. Richards. That letter is now safe in the hands of her friends. I have seen it, so has her father, and various other persons. On Tuesday last Joe came up to Mr. Rigdon's, accompanied by his High Priest, Geo. Miller, of sable sister notoriety, for a winness, and by boisterous words and violent gestures tried to deny the attempted seduction and alarm the girl: but she _told him he was a cursed liar, and that he could not face her to it. Joe then made a ful acknowledgment of the whole affair. All the family, and many other persons were present. The holy George observed, "You must not harm the Lord's anointed--the Lord will not suffer his annointed to fall!!!"
- John Bennett’s Account, see Mormon Polygamy Documents: https://mormonpolygamydocuments.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Van-Hale-Nancy-Rigdon-addendum-complete.pdf
A3) Joseph Smith denied writing the letter. Sidney Rigdon, Nancy’s father, wrote a carefully worded denial that Joseph wrote the letter.
Supporting Sources and Quotes
"Dear Sir: I am fully authorized by my daughter, Nancy, to say to the public through the medium of your paper, that the letter which has appeared in the Sangamo Journal, making part of General Bennett'. letters to said paper, purporting to have been written by Mr. Joseph Smith to her, was unau-thorized by her, and that she never salt to Gen. Bennett or any other person, that said letter was written by said Mr. Smith. nor in his hand writing, but by another person, and in another person's hand writing. She further wishes me to say, that she never at any time authorised Ben. Bennett to use her name in the public papers, as he has done, which has been greatly to the wounding of her feelings, and She considers that the obtruding of her name before the public in the manner in which it has been done, to say the best of it, is a flagrant violation of the rules of gallantry, and cannot avoid to insult her feelings, which she wishes the public to know. I would further state that Mr. Smith denied to me the authorship of that letter."
- Sidney Rigdon, Wasp, August 31, 1842
Note: What Sidney wrote is all “technical truths”. Joseph Smith did not write the letter, because Joseph always used scribes to write letters. This also explains why the letter isn’t in Joseph Smith’s handwriting. Rigdon also claims Joseph denied writing the letter, which is also true.
A4) The letter is archived on the Joseph Smith Papers project and quoted regularly by Church leaders. The consensus within the church is that Joseph Smith wrote the letter.
Supporting Sources and Quotes
Copy of the letter:
A5) The Happiness Letter is often used by Church Leaders Now
See the Youtube Video “Mormon Discussions: Nancy Rigdon & the Happiness Letter”
Issues these Facts Raise
This fits with modern teaching that God will never allow his people to be led astray by his prophet…yet Joseph lied multiple times regarding polygamy and his involvement. This could have been God’s doctrine…and it just happened to be self-serving for Joseph. However, it’s another item that doesn’t sit right with me.
“Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is…” is surprisingly close to the same rhetoric that I’ve heard from cult survivors claiming what their leaders/prophets said. This doesn’t feel right to me.
Many analysis and reviews of the problematic nature of this letter have been done in multiple places. This seems like clear language of manipulation.
Questions these Facts Raise
How can I justify as holy this clear example of Joseph trying to assure Nancy that what she believes is unholy and wrong to her is the correct action? Joseph is trying to convince her to marry him and have sex with him. It seems Joseph is using God to justify why it is right and proper to be married to him.
