Gwendolyn Wyne - Polygamy’s Genesis: Examining the Narrative Through Joseph Smith's Translation...

Presentation at the Journal of Mormon Polygamy Conference March 20, 2026. Based on the paper, Polygamy’s Genesis: Examining the Narrative Through Joseph Smith's Translation of the Bible, available online at the JMP website: https://journalofmormonpolygamy.org/j... Soon available in print form thanks to Greg Kofford Books. This paper traces the historical claims that Joseph Smith received a polygamy revelation in 1831, or while translating the Bible, and examines the contemporary record to demonstrate that existing evidence does not reveal an emerging polygamous theology during the early 1830s. The treatment of polygamy in Smith’s translation of the Bible is thoroughly explored, as well as Smith’s concurrent revelations and teachings. The influence of later legal challenges and ecclesiastical competition is also considered in the evaluation of the evolving narrative relating to an early 1830s polygamy revelation.