Joseph Smith received a revelation on July 12, 1843 (D&C 132) explaining the reasons for establishing the practice of plural marriage. From a reading of the entire scriptural canon, it appears that plural marriage is an exception  and not the general rule concerning marriage relationships on earth and in the eternities. When the question of plural marriage was raised among the Nephites, Jacob condemned the practice but also noted the Lord’s word to him that “if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things” (Jacob 2:30). This verse allows for righteous men, such as the biblical patriarch Jacob (Israel), Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and others to practice plural marriage when it is commanded, but for most of the history of the Church, monogamous marriages have been the common practice among the Saints.

Many Church members struggled to accept the revelation to end plural marriage. Church leaders worked to help the Saints understand the change and were gentle in their treatment of those who struggled with the Manifesto. Official Declaration 1 proclaimed that President Woodruff’s “advice to the Latter-day Saints is to refrain from contracting any marriage forbidden by the law of the land” (Official Declaration 1). It left open the question of whether the practice might continue in countries, such as Mexico, where no laws existed that prohibited plural marriage.

Because of the confusion over this lack of clarity and other factors, in 1904 President Joseph F. Smith issued a statement widely referred to as the “Second Manifesto.” It reads:

Inasmuch as there are numerous reports in circulation that plural marriages have been entered into, contrary to the official declaration of President Woodruff of September 24, 1890, commonly called the manifesto, which was issued by President Woodruff, and adopted by the Church at its general conference, October 6, 1890, which forbade any marriages violative of the law of the land, I, Joseph F. Smith, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, hereby affirm and declare that no such marriages have been solemnized with the sanction, consent, or knowledge of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

And I hereby announce that all such marriages are prohibited, and if any officer or member of the Church shall assume to solemnize or enter into any such marriage, he will be deemed in transgression against the Church, and will be liable to be dealt with according to the rules and regulations thereof and excommunicated therefrom. 

Joseph F. Smith, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.¹

The Second Manifesto clarified that “all such marriages are prohibited,” adding that any Church officer or member who performed such marriages would be subject to Church discipline. This sent a clear message. The Church was no longer performing plural marriages among the living, regardless of whether or not the laws of a country prohibited it.

The Second Manifesto reinforced the message of Official Declaration 1 and accelerated the end of the plural marriage in the Church. After issuing the Second Manifesto, President Smith felt strongly about enforcing it. Two members of the Quorum of the Twelve, John W. Taylor and Matthias Cowley, told President Smith they were unwilling to submit to the direction of the Second Manifesto. In response, both were removed from the Quorum of the Twelve. John W. Taylor was later excommunicated and never rejoined the Church. Mathias Cowley was restricted from using his priesthood, but he later repented, saying he was “wholly in error.”² While some excommunicated members broke off from the Church and formed fundamentalist groups who practiced plural marriage after the Second Manifesto, the Church has not sanctioned any living plural marriages since this time the second manifesto.

Over a century later, President Gordon B. Hinckley upheld the teachings of Official Declaration 1, declaring, “If any of our members are found to be practicing plural marriage, they are excommunicated, the most serious penalty the Church can impose. Not only are those so involved in direct violation of the civil law, they are in violation of the law of this Church.” President Hinckley also added, “More than a century ago God clearly revealed unto His prophet Wilford Woodruff that the practice of plural marriage should be discontinued, which means that it is now against the law of God. Even in countries where civil or religious law allows polygamy, the Church teaches that marriage must be monogamous and does not accept into its membership those practicing plural marriage.”³

Plural marriage is an important part of the history of the Church. It played the role it was intended to play and then God instructed the President of the Church to end the practice. An official statement of the Church on the subject declares, “Marriage between one man and one woman is God’s standard for marriage, unless He declares otherwise, which He did through His prophet, Joseph Smith. The Manifesto marked the beginning of the return to monogamy, which is the standard of the Church today.”⁴

1. Joseph F. Smith, in Conference Report, April 1904, 75.

2. “The Manifesto and the End of Plural Marriage,” Gospel Topics Essays, ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

3. Gordon B. Hinckley, “What Are People Asking about Us?” October 1998 General Conference.

4. “The Manifesto and the End of Plural Marriage,” Gospel Topics Essays, ChurchofJesusChrist.org.