Unless the Lord Directs Otherwise: Willard Richards and the Origins of Divine Reversal

Presentation at the Journal of Mormon Polygamy Conference March 21, 2026. Based on the paper, "Unless the Lord Directs Otherwise”: Willard Richards and the Origins of Divine Reversal in Early Mormon Polygamy, available online at the JMP website: https://journalofmormonpolygamy.org/j.... Also available in print form thanks to Greg Kofford Books here: https://gregkofford.com/products/jour.... This study examines the role of Willard Richards in shaping the textual and theological development of early Latter-day Saint teachings concerning plural marriage and moral authority. Drawing on manuscript evidence from journals, letters, revelation drafts, and the Nauvoo-era Manuscript History of the Church, the paper traces the emergence of a theological framework that may be described as radical conditional morality or “divine reversal”—the claim that actions ordinarily considered sinful can become righteous when commanded by direct revelation.