Hi Don,

Thanks for the update. FYI I have the books by Van Wagoner, Newell & Avery & Foster. I can buy the Marquardt text.

Thanks for going through the materials and making the copies. I'm hoping my book will be out in the next week or so and then we can arrange to get together.

I've already read Compton's response to Faulring & Bachman (Todd might be a little thin skinned?).

Here's my theory:

-JS learns of PM in early 1830s

-Angel comes in 1834 directing him to PM

-Alger marriage occurs in 1835 (not 1833) - disastrous for JS and Emma and Alger

-Keys of sealing received in 1836 (section 110)

-Due to bad experience with Alger, JS hesitates to use the keys for five years

-between 1836-1841 the angel comes again with drawn sword requiring not only PM but eternal sealings

-Joseph fulfills the angel's directive in 1841 with the first sealing to Louisa Beaman

-non-sexual pseudo-polyandry ensue allowing JS to fulfill the letter of the law (the law as the angel demanded) for 8/9 of JS's next polygamous marriages that occur during the next 15 months

-1842 the angel comes a third time telling JS to practice polygyny rather than pseudo-polyandry

This theory pushes Lucinda Pendleton's marriage to 1842 and Alger's to 1835. It hinges on JS's statement: "The angel came to me three times between the years of 1834 and 1842 and said I was to obey that principle or he would slay me" (quoted by Mary Elizabeth Lightner, Address at Brigham Young University,14 April 1905).

-----Original Message-----
From: [mailto:
Sent: Sunday, February 04, 2007 1:46 PM
To:
Subject: Research Update

Hi Brian!

I hope you're enjoying your Sunday.

I've photocopied everything relevant from the Joseph Smith biographies I identified. There are a few other books I'm checking for relevant material and from which I think you may also want photocopies--_Mormon Polygamy_ by Richard Van Wagoner; _The Rise of Mormonism, 1816-1844_ by H. Michael Marquardt; _Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith_ by Newell and Avery; and _Religion and Sexuality_ by Lawrence Foster.

I previously sent you links to the reviews of Compton's book by Bachman and Anderson and Faulring. Would you like me to provide print copies of those as well? Among other things, they address the issue of sexuality--particularly with the "pseudo-polyandrous" wives.

Also, Todd Compton has responded to these reviews online, and you may want review his comments. I could send you a link, or print out the relevant portions and deliver them with your other copies.

BTW, thank you for sending that check so promptly. Unfortunately, I've yet to deposit it, since I managed to misplace it almost immediately after removing it from the envelope. I don't think I've ever lost a check in my life, but I happened to be zipping around organizing boxes of storage materials when this one arrived, and I'm still baffled about where it could be. The kids are out of town for a few days, so I'm going to try to get more organizing done while they're gone, and hopefully the check will turn up in the process!

I can put in the additional ten hours of research we discussed this week, and have copies of the documents mentioned above (if you wish) and various relevant manuscript sources.

Take care,

Don