The Basis for the Doctrine
Consider the unjust basis for making plural marriage a Church doctrine in the first place: Doctrine and Covenants, Section 132.
Besides the threat of destruction for not living this principle, other troubling wording abounds in this section—wording describing the treatment of Emma, and the role of wives, concubines and virgins. However, the foundation for plural marriage being restored at all is the story of Hagar, Sarah and Abraham.
No Positive Polygamy Stories
There are no positive polygamy stories in the Old Testament, where family life is enviable, and the Hagar story is no exception. The introductory materials to the Come Follow Me manual state,
“Sometimes gospel truths (often called doctrine or principles) are stated directly, and sometimes they are implied through an example or story.”
These negative Old Testament stories involving multiple wives are likely God’s way of implying that He does not sanction this way of life. Yet the relationship of these three people, repeated in Section 132, is the justification for our plural marriage history and for our eternal plural marriage doctrine.
Hagar: the Polygamous Wife Prototype
Hagar was Sarah’s handmaid. When Sarah believed she would never conceive she used her property, Hagar, as a surrogate. Later, when Hagar was pregnant and Sarah became jealous, angry and regretted her choice to use Hagar, Hagar left. But God spoke to Hagar and sent her back to her mistress, not back to Abraham, but back to Sarah. Eventually, when Hagar’s son was old enough and with God’s help, they left this less than ideal situation for good.
Hagar’s agency was limited because, after all, she was Sarah’s property. For this reason, she could be given as a surrogate, cast out, and abandoned by the father of her child. While Ishmael resulted in a great nation, God later referred to Isaac as Abraham’s only son so even Hagar’s son had no status in this family (Genesis 22:2).
Hagar, not Sarah, is the example for multiple wives. By joining Sarah and Abraham, Hagar creates the threesome that becomes our model for this family arrangement. Because the foundation for our plural marriage principle is a second-class citizen who is sexually used, abandoned, and left with a divided family, the eternal fate of families feels precarious.
God Makes Lemonade and Polygamy Was a Horrible Lemon
Hagar is visited by an angel and receives God’s blessing and promises despite her lowly status. In keeping with God’s methods, he makes lemonade out of lemons. However, just because something good results doesn’t mean God approved of the steps that led there. It doesn’t make those steps eternal truths.
So is one of the purposes of this story to present an inspired eternal marriage plan, or is it to teach that more than one wife is harmful to families and should be avoided?