
Mormon Stories Podcast 1565: Mormon Polygamy Apologetics w/ Sandra Tanner Pt. 2
Mar 23, 2022
Sandra Tanner, longtime critic and scholar of early Mormon history and founder of Utah Lighthouse Ministry, joins to unpack contested accounts of Joseph Smith and polygamy. They review disputed documents, explore consent and power dynamics, question theological defenses, and highlight women's experiences and troubling historical practices. Short, pointed, and confrontational.
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Consent Language Omits Power And Hagar's Voice
- Follow Him hosts emphasize D&C 132's statements that Sarah gave Hagar with apparent consent and that God commanded it, framing consent as an important element in doctrine.
- Sandra and others point out Hagar's voice is missing and that consent language ignores power dynamics and Hagar's status as a slave.
Abrahamic Test Comparison Deeply Problematic
- Follow Him compares plural marriage to the Abrahamic test (Isaac) and Nephi killing Laban, arguing hardship can justify exceptional revelation.
- Hosts and guests reject that analogy, saying Abraham didn't actually have to kill Isaac, whereas plural marriage forced real-life harm on women.
Happiness Letter Used As Grooming Example
- Gerardo summarizes the disputed "Happiness Letter" (attributed via John C. Bennett) that Joseph allegedly used to groom Nancy Rigdon by arguing "what's wrong in one circumstance may be right in another."
- Jonathan Streeter's analysis shows the letter's coercive language threatening loss of blessings if Nancy refused, which critics call grooming.




