I have a question regarding what the LDS Church view of 1 Timothy 3:2 and 3:12 was during the times when they supported polygamy.

Background information for my question:

One of the earliest formal statements about polygamy by the Mormon church was the 1943 revelation by the founder of the church, Joseph Smith. This revelation was codified in the 1870s in the church's Doctrine and Covenants section 132.

Paragraphs 61-63 of this section is quoted below.




The LDS Church did eventually stop promoting polygamy however. The final nail to its coffin seems to have been the Second Manifesto of 1904 by then President of the Church, Joseph Fielding Smith.

Still the article "After the Manifesto: Mormon Polygamy 1890-1906" makes claims that indicate support for polygamy high in the Church hierarchy as late as 1898. The article says on pp. 28-29:

Among the Quorum of the Twelve and the First Presidency between 1890 and 1898, at least 58 percent of the members took an active part in post-Manifesto polygamy. If Matthias Cowley and Owen Woodruff are included, the proportion is 70 percent.[17] Historical records indicate that only two men seem to have had qualms about the continuation of polygamy during President Woodruff’s lifetime: Francis M. Lyman and Lorenzo Snow.[18]

Qualifications for bishops and deacons in 1 Timothy chapter 3:

1 Timothy chapter 3 lists the qualifications expected from those assigned to the positions of deacons and bishops in the first century congregations.

1 Timothy 3:2 lists some of the qualifications for bishops:


And 1 Timothy 3:12 includes similar requirements for deacons:



Considering the paragraphs quoted from Doctrine and Covenants section 132, and the overall support for polygamy in the Church hierarchy until late 1800's, it seems that at that time a church member could be in good standing with more than one wife.

This seems different from the expectations listed in 1 Timothy ch. 3.

What would have been the LDS Church view of these requirements in 1 Timothy ch. 3 during the time they supported polygamy?

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    Keep in mind that in the context of this epistle, asceticism was a serious threat to the church in the region where Timothy was serving as a church leader (see 1 Cor 7: 1-5). The qualifications given for bishops and deacons were not meant to limit them to only one wife, they were established to require them to take at least one wife. Similar instruction was given to Titus in Corinth (see Titus 1:6). These verses weren't meant to address polygamy, they were addressing the issue of asceticism and abstaining from marriage. – ShemSeger Jan 3 '18 at 17:18
  • @ShemSeger That's a whole lot of unsupported assumptions right there. – curiousdannii Jan 3 '18 at 23:03
  • @curiousdannii They aren't assumptions, and they are supported, just not by Catholic tradition. Although after reading the comment I can see how one might assume I was suggesting polygamy may have been practiced in the church at that time. I wasn't. I was only trying to impress that Paul was laying out marriage as a qualification for being ordained to the episcopate. – ShemSeger Jan 5 '18 at 23:11
  • @Shem I meant that asceticism being a major/only issue is an assumption. That's the case in 1 Cor, but what exactly are you seeing that indicates it in the pastoral epistles? 1 Tim 4:3? It's there, but I don't see why it should be taken to mean that polygamy isn't also mind several chapters earlier. – curiousdannii Jan 5 '18 at 23:14
  • @curiousdannii As I mention in the comment, the same instruction was given to Titus in Corinth as was given to Timothy in Ephesus. This indicates asceticism was an issue in both regions. I'm going to look into it further now and perhaps provide a well sourced answer with some more support for this. – ShemSeger Jan 5 '18 at 23:49

There does not seem to be any LDS view on 1 Timothy 3 requirements during the time they practiced polygamy (searched LDS website and Joseph Smith Papers).

The LDS believe in modern prophets who receive revelation.


Related to this is that the Bible is not the only scripture or wholey translated correctly (doesn't apply to this verse). Article of Faith 8:


See this Answer on the purpose of Polygamy or from the LDS website:




  • They surely would have been questioned about these verses by those who opposed polygamy. They never gave any response? – curiousdannii Jan 2 '18 at 15:03
  • @curiousdannii would you be able to find an article/source from that time period that uses those verses to oppose polygamy (I have been unable to find one)? It is hard to find a response to a question/position that isn't documented – depperm Jan 2 '18 at 17:11
  • That's fair. But in that case you'd do better commenting on the question than writing an empty answer. – curiousdannii Jan 2 '18 at 17:22
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    @curiousdannii, how is this an empty answer? Unless someone digs up an article/source from that time period, this is the answer from the LDS perspective. – NeutronStar Jan 3 '18 at 15:23
  • @Joshua It says "I don't know of anything" - pretty empty. Better to have left it unanswered so someone can dig something out in the future. – curiousdannii Jan 3 '18 at 23:03

I do not believe my answer is authoritative, but I believe it to be possible. Without commentary from both early Church leaders and Paul or Christ themselves, it's difficult to provide a definitive answer.

Jesus did not impose the restrictions on Bishops found in 1 Timothy. Paul did. I suppose it is assumed by Christianity at large that this would be purely reflective of the Lord's will, but it might not have been.

From the LDS perspective we have two verses.




From an LDS perspective, Paul had the same authority as our priesthood leadership today: the authority to organize the church to meet the needs of the people in Paul's day. Polygamy was not authorized in Paul's day, so it is little wonder that he would discourage it with his instructions.

With polygamy authorized during the early Church period, the Church had (and has) the authority to organize itself to accomodate its needs, which would include the authority to authorize polygamous marriages for Bishops.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any early Church writings focusing on 1 Timothy either. The Lord is perfect. The rest of us must make do.

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