Though we don’t know all of the reasons God might command people to practice plural marriage, one reason mentioned in the Book of Mormon is to “raise up seed unto [the Lord]” (Jacob 2:30)—or to increase the number of children born in the covenant.
Let us be kind in our thoughts to the earlier Saints who desired to be diligently obedient.
It’s important to understand that plural marriage in the Church in the 19th century was revealed through the Lord’s prophets (see D&C 132), that it was regulated (people entered into it only by invitation or approval of Church leaders), and that women could choose freely whether to be in a plural marriage or not. Also, it’s worth mentioning that Church members’ acceptance of this practice was a great trial of their faith. It was never easy. It went against cultural norms, laws, and, often, their own personal desires.
The Lord taught Abraham that one of the purposes of mortality is to “prove” God’s children “to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them” (Abraham 3:25).
Some of God’s commandments can seem very difficult, especially when they go against cultural norms or our own expectations.
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