Polygamy Denial: The Conspiracy That Could Rewrite Latter-day Saint History

Did Joseph Smith really practice polygamy—or is the entire story a lie invented after his death? 🤔The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says yes. Historians say yes, of course. But a growing movement of “polygamy deniers” (or “monogamy affirmers”) claims Joseph Smith was a faithful monogamist—and that Brigham Young and others fabricated plural marriage after Nauvoo.In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Christopher Blythe (BYU professor, scholar of Mormon folklore, and co-host of Angels & Seer Stones) to unpack:✨ What polygamy denial is and why it’s spreading online✨ The evidence Joseph Smith did practice plural marriage (William Clayton’s journal, affidavits, Doctrine & Covenants 132)✨ Why Emma Smith denied Joseph’s polygamy—and why her story is complicated✨ How rejecting Joseph’s plural marriage changes the entire Restoration (temple ordinances, eternal families, sealing power, and more)✨ Why plural marriage is still so emotionally charged for Latter-day Saints todayThis is one of the most controversial topics in LDS history—and one that shapes faith, doctrine, and identity even now.