Clair Barrus is one of the authors of “Secret Covenants.” He shares the known revelations of Joseph Smith about polygamy. Many of these aren’t publicly known, and there is some evidence going clear back to 1829! Check out our conversation….
Early Mormon polygamy revelations
Clair has been studying Joseph Smith’s polygamy revelations fora bout a decade. He presented at Sunstone back in about 2013-2014 When I asked Clair about polygamy evidence from 1831 as referenced in D&C 132, we went back even further, stating that Joseph Smith’s translation of Jacob contains possible reference to polygamy in 1829. Brigham Young mentioned a revelation about plural marriage during translation, but evidence is lacking.
Joseph Smith’s Polygamy with Nancy Marinda Hyde
As far as 1831 is concerned, there is a late recollection from Nancy Marinda Johnson discussing Joseph Smith’s potential polygamy and marriage to the 16-year-old. She went on to marry Orson Hyde, and Wilford Woodruff sent a message to Nancy in 1841 where Joseph proposed again to her when she was married to Hyde. Nancy Marinda was married to Joseph Smith without Orson Hyde’s knowledge, then sealed to Joseph after Orson’s conversion to polygamy. There is also Joseph Smith’s attempt to have missionaries enter Indian Territory to preach to Lamanites. It seems likely that Martin Harris was part of a “marriage alliance” with the Indians.
Early Mormon polygamy allegations and denials
Dating the Fanny Alger incident is tough with some dating it to as early as 1833 and as late as Summer of 1836. There are conflicting accounts of Alger incident. Oliver Cowdery was excommunicated in 1837 for accusing Joseph Smith of an inappropriate relationship with Fanny Alger. There is also a polygamy allegation in the anti-Mormon book, Mormonism Unveiled. ED Howe in Mormonism Unveiled claims Mormons practiced communitarianism and shared wives. This could have led to the 1835 Statement on Marriage, which denies polygamy rumors.
Joseph Smith & John C Bennett
Joseph Smith and John Bennett engaged in non-monogamous relationships with secret agreements. Bennett was excommunicated, but Smith was cleared by the Nauvoo High Council. Clair notes that early Joseph Smith marriages lacked ceremony, which is supported by Sarah Pratt and John Bennett. We discussed the possibility that non-ceremonial relationships between Joseph Smith and other women. These relationships may have been concubines rather than wives.
Estimates vary on the number of such relationships, with Clair suggesting 3-4 possibilities, including Fanny Alger, Sarah Pratt, and Melissa Schindle. It’s hard to judge the reliability of Bennett’s published testimonials from women. While Bennett’s credibility is rough to guage, none of the women mentioned in the newspaper dispuated the accuracy of Bennett’s claims.
What do you make of this new evidence in Secret Covenants edited by Cheryl Bruno? Have you read it yet?
Wheat & Tares 
In the words of Joseph Smith III to William Marks who had been Nauvoo Stake President and heard the grand jury evidence on Smith, Jr’s involvement with polygamy and told him that he knew for a fact that his father had been involved in polygamy, JS III said “If he had been, it was wrong.”
Emma Smith told JS III when he asked her that his dad had not been.
In spite of this difference, William Marks was appointed to the Reorganization’s First Presidency.
I do not interpret Joseph Smith trying to seduce 16 year olds as anything indicating that he had already received revelation for polygamy because I just plain do not think he EVER had revelation from any God that I would ever worship about polygamy. But, if you are going to interpret Joseph’s rotten behavior as inspiration coming from God, you might as well have Warren Jeff’s as your prophet.
New evidence continues to support what has already been revealed: JS was a polygamist.
Polygamy was then, and continues now, to be evil.