PLURAL MARRIAGE, Part 1 of Chapter 12 of The Church and The Gospel

PLURAL MARRIAGE, Part 1 of Chapter 12 of The Church and The Gospel 

Pages 174 to 179

An Ancient Doctrine

Polygamy, polygyny, or plural marriage certainly did not start with the Mormons. All the people of the Orient, who are descendants of Japheth, the son of Noah, have accepted it as an integral part of their marriage practices. All of the Arabic nations, who are descendants of Abraham, have continued to allow plural marriage because it is a principle of their religion that was practiced and honored by father Abraham.

All through the Bible the great and grand prophets, patriarchs and kings believed that God gave that principle as a divine revelation. Hence, it has been acceptable in most nations. This gave the Apostle Orson Pratt reason to say in 1852:

Plurality of wives is a doctrine very popular among most of mankind at the present day. It is practiced by the most powerful nations of Asia and Africa, and by numerous nations, inhabiting the Islands of the sea, and by the Aboriginal nations of the great Western Hemisphere. The one wife system is confined principally to a few small nations, inhabiting Europe and to those who are of European origin, inhabiting America. It is estimated by the most able historians of our day that about four-fifths of the population of the globe, believe and practice, according [175] to their respective laws, the doctrine of a Plurality of Wives. If the popularity of a doctrine is...