Perfection, Prophets, and Plural Wives: Reframing Mormon Polygamy in its Experimental Context

This paper argues that Joseph Smith’s plural marriage system did not emerge in isolation but belongs to a longer American lineage of perfectionist and prophet-controlled spiritual marriage. Early American religious experimentation created environments in which the traditional Christian ideal of monogamous marriage could be modified, especially where revivalism, antinomianism, and communal authority weakened ordinary legal and ecclesiastical constraints.

Remarks made at MHA 2026, Las Vegas, Clair Barrus, 2026-06-03

First Great Awakening (1730s-1760s)