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"For behold, I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting acovenant; and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory. "
"And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and acleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be bdestroyed, saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not in my law.

The Lord has told me to ask the Latter-day Saints a question, and He also told me that if they would listen to what I said to them and answer the question put to them, by the Spirit and power of God, they would all answer alike, and they would all believe alike with regard to this matter.

The question is this: Which is the wisest course for the Latter-day Saints to pursue—to continue to attempt to practice plural marriage, with the laws of the nation against it and the opposition of sixty millions of people, and at the cost of the confiscation and loss of all the Temples, and the stopping of all the ordinances therein, both for the living and the dead, and the imprisonment of the First Presidency and Twelve and the heads of families in the Church, and the confiscation of personal property of the people (all of which of themselves would stop the practice); or, after doing and suffering what we have through our adherence to this principle to cease the practice and submit to the law, and through doing so leave the Prophets, Apostles and fathers at home, so that they can instruct the people and attend to the duties of the Church, and also leave the Temples in the hands of the Saints, so that they can attend to the ordinances of the Gospel, both for the living and the dead?

twinkie wrote:I'm a relatively new LDS... As a result of the plural family thread, I have just read the D&C 132 for the first time. I also read Woodruff's declarations. Is it just me, or does the threatening, iron-fisted God that revealed the covenant (?is that the right word?) to Joseph seem much, much, different than the God that spoke to Woodruff? I wasn't looking for difference, I just noticed it.

A couple of things said to Joseph:

"For behold, I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting acovenant; and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory. "
"And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and acleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be bdestroyed, saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not in my law.

Over and over again, talk of being "destroyed!" I hear, "do what I say or suffer the consequences."

What Woodruff Said:

The Lord has told me to ask the Latter-day Saints a question, and He also told me that if they would listen to what I said to them and answer the question put to them, by the Spirit and power of God, they would all answer alike, and they would all believe alike with regard to this matter.

The Lord has told me to ask the Latter-day Saints a question, and He also told me that if they would listen to what I said to them and answer the question put to them, by the Spirit and power of God, they would all answer alike, and they would all believe alike with regard to this matter.

The question is this: Which is the wisest course for the Latter-day Saints to pursue—to continue to attempt to practice plural marriage, with the laws of the nation against it and the opposition of sixty millions of people, and at the cost of the confiscation and loss of all the Temples, and the stopping of all the ordinances therein, both for the living and the dead, and the imprisonment of the First Presidency and Twelve and the heads of families in the Church, and the confiscation of personal property of the people (all of which of themselves would stop the practice); or, after doing and suffering what we have through our adherence to this principle to cease the practice and submit to the law, and through doing so leave the Prophets, Apostles and fathers at home, so that they can instruct the people and attend to the duties of the Church, and also leave the Temples in the hands of the Saints, so that they can attend to the ordinances of the Gospel, both for the living and the dead?

Just a small quote, because it is very long, but what I am hearing here sounds like a reasoning God. Not at all the same one that spoke before.

So how do you explain this?

1. The lord has to deal with different people in different ways
2. The person writing is projecting their own personality
3. other ideas???

Jason Bourne wrote:Twinkie,

The issues surroundinghte Church's abandonment of polygamy are complex and difficult. Well in my opinion the whole issue is complex and difficult. The Church was under tremendous legal pressure to give up polygamy. Believe that God commanded it or not. But I have concluded that the attack by the federal government on the LDS Church is unprecedented in this nation's history and certianly was unconstitutional.

THis paper may shed some light. It is long but worth the read. I do not buy all the conclusions the author makes, but he does a good job in summarizing the issues.

http://www.fairlds.org/Misc/Polygamy_Pr ... cation.pdf

twinkie wrote:1. The lord has to deal with different people in different ways
2. The person writing is projecting their own personality
3. other ideas???

twinkie wrote:Marg,
What is your evidence that I don't have evidence? If I refuse to give you my evidence, you still don't have evidence that I don't have any evidence. You can just assume that I don't have evidence.

That being said, honestly, I don't have any evidence. LOL. I do have a sense of humor though. No, I don't have any evidence of that either.