THE KEYS TO PLURAL MARRIAGE, Part 1 of Chapter 15 of Holy Priesthood Volume 6

THE KEYS TO PLURAL MARRIAGE, Part 1 of Chapter 15 of Holy Priesthood Volume 6

Pages 243 to 258

For I have conferred upon you the keys and power of the priesthood, wherein I restore all things, and make known unto you all things in due time. (D & C 132:45)

There have been more disagreements, confusion, and controversy over the keys to plural marriage than all the other keys combined. For this reason, this chapter will be the longest, and for many readers the most interesting. It will be divided into the following major sections:

1. Background of Priesthood Keys to Plural Marriage
2. The Keys of 1886–and Beyond
3. A Key to the Manifesto
4. From Persecuted to Persecutors
5. Groups and Splinter Groups

Background of Priesthood Keys to Plural Marriage

Ever since its introduction by Joseph Smith in the 1830’s, the law of plural marriage has been a highly controversial subject that has certainly not lost much intensity through the years. The arguments about who does and does not have the keys to perform plural marriages have been debated over and over again. But one thing is certain–those who oppose plural marriage do not hold the keys to plural marriage.