In Nauvoo, William Marks stands alone as a tragic figure caught between two worlds. He was staunchly anti-polygamy, so Brigham pushed him out. However, he was also adamant that polygamy originated with Joseph. Consequently, many in the RLDS group he joined didn’t connect with him either. William Marks was painfully aware of the many problems in the LDS church and knew things had to change, but very few people wanted them to actually change. He was certainly saddened by the events of Nauvoo, however, was given a vision indicating that God had a plan for his wayward people, and he just needed to be patient.
Overview
William Marks joined the church in 1834 and very quickly assumed higher and higher levels of responsibility within the church. By 1838 he was made the President of the Kirtland stake however difficulties in the area required the members to relocate to what was later known as Nauvoo, Illinois. In the following year, on October 5th, 1839, he was made Stake President of the Nauvoo stake and served as an excellent leader for the growing church.
In addition, he was invited into the exclusive Council of Fifty on March 19th, 1844, and helped to further the interests of the church. Little did he know that just three months later Joseph would be dead, and the entire church would be fractured in pieces. After Joseph’s death he easily could have assumed the leadership of the entire church and even had the backing of Emma if he wanted it. However, instead he chose to support Sidney Rigdon as the next leader. The members voted and decided to choose Brigham and the Apostles as their leaders instead of the First Presidency.
After this was decided Brigham almost immediately started cracking down on anyone that was seen as not loyal, which included William Marks. In March 1845, William Marks left Nauvoo and the church that he loved and served so faithfully. After this he briefly joined with James Strang, then Charles Thompson, then John Page looking for a splinter group to belong to. In each group he saw issues that didn’t align with his understanding of the restoration through Joseph. On June 10th, 1859, he joined with the RLDS church, under Joseph Smith III, and affiliated with them until his death on May 22, 1872.
William Marks was a man of remarkable convictions and was willing to leave everything behind if it meant being honest to himself. Everyone that knew him personally hailed him as a man of remarkable honor and conviction. Joseph Smith III, the son of Joseph Smith the prophet, described William Marks this way:
As the President of the Stake at Nauvoo, Br. Marks was one of the most faithful and steadfast men the church had. He was an example of clearheaded wisdom, a man who ruled his own spirit, and consequently one who controlled others. He was a wise counselor and a wise administrator; and became one of the most valued and trusted friends of the Martyr Joseph. His integrity was incorruptible.
Joseph Smith III – Obituary of Elder Wm. Marks
Today, since William Marks is seen as such a reliable figure, then his statements are often edited or maligned in order to give support for a person’s beliefs. However, if we actually look at what William said personally, then he is very clear. He was an insider to the inner workings of Nauvoo and would have known what was happening. He clearly and directly said that the things that were happening at Nauvoo were not of God and Joseph was partially to blame for it. William deeply loved and respected Joseph, however he also knew that people could make mistakes for the best of reasons and Joseph was no different.
1853
Whenever William Marks is referenced inevitably a quote of his is used. However, as anyone that has researched history knows not every quote is used accurately. Sometimes a statement will be edited because of an agenda and then this edited statement will be propagated in place of the original statement. It is my goal here to list the full and accurate statements of William Marks so we can know exactly what he felt was the truth. These can then be used in place of the edited quotes that seem so prevalent.
The first quote I want to discuss is from a June 15th, 1853, letter of William Marks that was published in the July 7th, 1853, edition of the Zion’s Harbinger and Baneemys Organ. This was a local newspaper in Missouri at the time. This newspaper printed William’s letter which clearly says that Joseph was involved in polygamy and Joseph felt he was wrong about it and had been deceived. This quote, however, has been edited and used in a few different locations especially later RLDS sources. It is especially nefarious when there is no indication given that the quote was actually edited. The letter reads as follows:
I always believed the work was of Divine origin, and that Joseph Smith was called of God to establish the church among the Gentiles. During my administration in the church I saw and heard of many things that was practiced, and taught that I did not believe to be of God; but I continued to do and teach such principles as we plainly revealed, as the law of the church, for I thought that pure and holy principles only would have a tendency to benefit mankind.
Therefore when the doctrine of polygamy was introduced into the church as a principle of exaltation, I took a decided stand against it; which stand rendered me quite unpopular, with many of the leading ones of the church. I was also witness of the introduction (secretly) of a kingly form of government in which Joseph suffered himself to be ordained a king, to reign over the house of Israel forever; which I could not conceive to be in accordance with the laws of the church, but I did not oppose this move, thinking it none of my business.
Joseph, however, became convinced before his death that he had done wrong; for about three weeks before his death, I met him one morning in the street, and he said to me, Brother Marks, I have something to communicate to you, we retired to a by-place, and set down together, when he said; ‘We are a ruined people.’ I asked, how so?
He said; ‘This doctrine of polygamy, or Spiritual-wife system, that has been taught and practiced among us, will prove our destruction and overthrow. I have been deceived,’ said he, ‘in reference to its practice; it is wrong; it is a curse to mankind, and we shall have to leave the United States soon, unless it can be put down, and its practice stopped in the church.’
… I mentioned the circumstances of these conversations with Joseph, to many of the brethren, immediately after his death; but the only effect it had was to raise a report that Brother Marks, was about to apostatize: and my statement of the conversation in reference to the practice of polygamy, was pronounced false by the Twelve, and disbelieved; but I now testify that the above statements are verily true, and correct.
William Marks Letter, June 15th, 1853 (bold added)
In the letter, which was published 20 years before William’s death, he makes eight clear assertions:
- Many things were happening in Nauvoo which were not according to God’s principles
- Polygamy was introduced as a principle for exaltation
- A new kingly government was being created in Nauvoo
- The kingly government was not according to God’s principles
- Joseph felt he had done wrong in some things
- Joseph met with William Marks to discuss polygamy
- Joseph felt he was deceived about polygamy
- The Twelve disbelieved Marks testimony about conversation with Joseph
As is expected, this lines up perfectly with everything else Marks says and what we already know about Nauvoo at that time. For instance, in my look at the Nauvoo Expositor then it is clear that point 1 is correct. We also know that Joseph organized the Council of Fifty which was the kingly government mentioned so point 3 is correct also.
In 2 Nephi 10, we are told that this land will have no kings except God which validates point 4. Point 2 agrees with our current D&C 132, which wasn’t published at the time of this statement. However, does also agree with other accounts. Therefore, the only remaining points would be points 5, 6, 7 and 8 which seem to be private conversations.
However, William Marks verifies these in later retellings of this event and is always consistent. Some say Joseph would never have a conversation like this with him. However, he was the Stake President at the time which was the highest church calling except for the First Presidency. The church organization was drastically different in the past. Today it is a fundamentally different structure.
1859
The next statement is an October 23rd, 1859, letter from William Marks to Isaac Sheen the editor of the periodical, The True Latter Day Saints’ Herald. The letter from William Marks was published in the January 1860 edition with a heading of “Opposition to Polygamy”. This statement follows the same general outline as the previous one. However, it is not as explicit concerning Joseph’s role. The letter reads:
Brother Sheen: —I feel desirous to communicate through your periodical a few suggestions made manifest to me by the Spirit of God, in relation to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. About the first of June, 1844, (situated as I was at that time, being Presiding Elder of the Stake at Nauvoo, and by appointment the presiding officer of the High Council,) I had a very good opportunity to know the affairs of the church; and my convictions at that time were, that the church in a great measure had departed from the pure principles and doctrines of Jesus Christ.
I felt much troubled in mind about the condition of the church. I prayed earnestly to my heavenly Father to show me something in regard to it, when I was wrapped in vision, and it was shown me by the Spirit that the top or branches had overcome the root, in sin and wickedness, and the only way to cleanse and purify it was to disorganize it and in due time the Lord would reorganize it again. There were many other things suggested to my mind, but the lapse of time has erased them from my memory.
A few days after this occurrence I met with Brother Joseph. He said that he wanted to converse with me on the affairs of the church, and we retired by ourselves. I will give his words verbatim, for they are indelibly stamped upon my mind. He said he had desired for a long time to have a talk with me on the subject of polygamy. He said it eventually would prove the overthrow of the church, and we should soon be obliged to leave the United States, unless it could be speedily put down. He was satisfied that it was a cursed doctrine, and that there must be every exertion made to put it down.
… After the Prophet’s death, I made mention of this conversation to several hoping and believing that it would have a good effect, but to my great disappointment, it was soon rumored about that Brother Marks was about to apostatize, and that all that he said about the conversation with the Prophet was a tissue of lies.
William Marks Letter to Isaac Sheen – Oct 23rd, 1859 (bold added)
In the letter William Marks makes four distinct claims:
- He received a vision indicating the leadership of the church had become corrupted
- Joseph met with Marks to discuss polygamy
- Joseph was “satisfied” that polygamy was a “cursed doctrine”
- Many disbelieved Marks testimony about conversation with Joseph
Point 1 is a private vision that we have no way to corroborate. It seems to agree with other accounts however, like the Nauvoo Expositor. Point 2 aligns with the previous 1853 statement that they had a private meeting to discuss polygamy. Point 4 also aligns with the previous 1853 statement. It seems if the Twelve were also involved in polygamy, then they would have a strong incentive to not believe Marks. Point 3 can be taken to mean several things, however the wording is curious. If Joseph was always against polygamy, then why would he be “satisfied” at this point. This would absolutely be the wrong word to use here.
However, if we assume Marks 1853 statement is correct and Joseph originally thought polygamy was of God, however now he didn’t, then “satisfied” makes sense. He now felt correct in his new understanding and was “satisfied” that it was no longer of God. Individually, this of course can be twisted to mean whatever someone wants. However, taken together with the 1853 statement then the meaning is pretty clear.
May 1865
The next statement is from the May 1st, 1865, meeting minutes in the RLDS church. It appears that during the meeting the question arose of whether Joseph was involved in polygamy and the circumstances surrounding it. The minutes read:
The Question arose as to whether Joseph the Martyr taught the Doctrine of polygamy. President [William] Marks said Brother Hyrum came to his place once and told him he did not believe in it and he was going to see Joseph about it and if he had a revelation on the subject he would believe it, and after that Hyrum read a revelation on it in the High Council and He Marks felt it was not true but he saw the High Council received it.
RLDS First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve meeting, 1 May 1865, Community of Christ Library-Archives
I really wish more information was included in the meeting minutes. However, this is unfortunately what we have. In the minutes we can see three distinct claims:
- Hyrum came to Marks and spoke about polygamy
- Hyrum read a revelation to the High Council on polygamy
- The High Council received the revelation
Point 1 is impossible to verify as it seemed to be a private meeting. There is no reason to say it didn’t happen, however no reason to say it did either. It is however entirely consistent with what would have happened at the time. Points 2 and 3 are verified through several sources including the Austin Cowles affidavit in the Nauvoo Expositor. At the time, Austin Cowles was in the Nauvoo Stake Presidency and so would have had first-hand experience with an event like this. According to William Marks and Austin Cowles, then the revelation was read to the High Council, and it was accepted as a true revelation from God.
October 1865
The next statement is from an October 1st, 1865, letter from William Marks to Hyrum Faulk and Josiah Butterfield. In the letter, Marks reaffirms everything he previously mentioned however specifically mentions a spirit of adultery in the church. He also clarifies again that Joseph was deceived about polygamy and thought it would be good for the church, however he found out that it wasn’t. The letter reads:
I must give you a short history of my experience at Nauvoo before I left. In a prayer meeting some six weeks before there was any appearance of polygamy, we were warned by the spirit that the Lord was going to endow the church with the greatest endowment that was ever bestowed on man, and the evil was much displeased with it and determined to prevent it, and would pour out the spirit of adultery upon the whole church which was the easiest spirit to take there was in the world and he would very near succeed in over throwing the church but would not quite succeed and giving directions how we might know when it began and ended with a long exhortation to the saints to beware of that spirit.
This warning sank deep into my mind and did keep me on the look out and another thing decided the thing in my mind. Brother Joseph came to me about two weeks before he was killed and says: — ‘Brother Marks, I want to talk with you.’ We went by ourselves and he said ‘This polygamy business in the church must be stopped or the church is ruined and we can’t stay in the United States. I have been deceived in this thing and it must be put down. I thought it would be an advantage to mankind, but I find it proves a curse.
… I told some of my friends what Brother Joseph had told me. ‘O, Bro. Marks has apostatized, it is only some of his lies.’
William Marks letter to Hyrum Faulk and Josiah Butterfield, 1 October 1865 (bold added)
In the letter William Marks, makes five claims:
- Polygamy was introduced into the church before Brigham’s succession
- There was a spirit of adultery in the church
- Joseph had a private meeting with William Marks
- Joseph was deceived about polygamy
- Joseph thought polygamy would be good, but it was not
- Marks friends disbelieved his testimony about conversation with Joseph
Point 1 is really interesting, because many today claim polygamy originated with Brigham. However, William Marks is clear that it didn’t. It originated with Joseph. Point 2 would be a natural assumption if polygamy was in the church and was not of God. Both things are attested to by William Marks. Point 3 is impossible to verify since it was a private meeting, however this is a very consistent detail in all of Marks statements.
Point 4 is also remarkably consistent in all of Marks statements. Point 5 is also corroborated in William Marks 1859 and 1853 statements. Lastly, point 6 seems to align with the previous 1859 and 1853 statements. It doesn’t specifically mention the Twelve, however it seems entirely plausible the Twelve could be in that group that Marks is referring to here. Therefore, this entire chain of events is consistent in all of William Marks statements.
1867
The last statement is a diary entry from Mark Forscutt. Mark was a member of the LDS branch of Mormonism and then left because of polygamy and many other things. He eventually settled with the RLDS group and become an influential member of that church. In this May 24th to May 25th, 1867, diary entry, Mark recounts a meeting he had with William Marks. In this meeting it was confirmed that Joseph was involved in polygamy and became repentant of the doctrine. The account reads:
In the morning visited Father Marks, who interested me very much with a recital of things that are past. In speaking of polygamy, he said, ‘Near two weeks before Joseph was killed he told me that I was the only one of the authorities of the Church not in polygamy; that polygamy was an evil, and that in it he had been deceived. I ask him why he did not speak to Brigham or some of the twelve about it, and he said that they would kill him if he did.
He told me, I must deal with those in polygamy, if they would not repent and reform…’ He also said That ‘Joseph and Hyrum went to Montrose, intending to take a boat and leave; but they returned.’ He, Bro Marks, met them on the Nauvoo side, and Joseph told him they were intending to leave, but the Lord told him to return, and give himself up, and that if he went away, he should become a castaway. He then added, ‘I have come back to deliver myself up to atone for the crimes I have committed, and I shall like go like a lamb to the slaughter.’
I ask Bro Marks, if Joseph was in polygamy? He said, Yes he and Dr. Bennett were the first that went into it.
Mark Forscutt Journal, 24-25 May 1867 (bold added)
In the letter William Marks makes six claims:
- Joseph met with William Marks
- Joseph had been deceived about polygamy
- Brigham or the twelve would kill Joseph if he tried to stop it
- Joseph was involved in polygamy
- Joseph was repentant of his involvement
- Joseph and John C. Bennett went into polygamy together
Point 1 is corroborated in the previous statements from William Marks such as the 1853 statement, the 1859 statement, and the October 1865 statement. Point 2 is consistent in all of William Marks statements. He always described Joseph as being deceived about polygamy. Point 3 is hard to justify because it pertains to a state of mind. However, it is consistent with later behavior from Brigham Young. Certainly, it was a different time and place, so it is hard to gauge.
However, it is consistent to say that if they were involved in polygamy and felt polygamy was a doctrine of God and Joseph was going to stop it, then they would get very upset about that. This also does lend support to the idea that at that time in the church then the Twelve were involved in polygamy as well.
Point 4 is also corroborated in the previous 1853, 1859, and October 1865 statements. William Marks was always consistent that Joseph was involved in polygamy. Point 5 is consistent in all of William Marks statements. He always mentioned that Joseph recognized that he was wrong about polygamy and became repentant. He thought it would be a good thing for the church, however it turned out to be an evil for the church. Point 6, however, is certainly new and hard to justify. From historical records, we do know that John C. Bennett was accused of adultery, when he was in the First Presidency, and excommunicated from the church.
Immediately afterwards he turned around and accused Joseph of adultery as well. It would seem to be the case that if they entered polygamy together then they both would know the crimes of the other. At that time polygamy would be considered adultery according to the law. However, of course this is speculation without more evidence. It is certainly consistent though and would be out of character for William Law to be honest about everything else but lie about this one thing for absolutely no gain at all.
Other Statements
There are other statements which are purported to be from William Marks however these seem to conveniently be spoken about after William Marks death. This is similar to Lorenzo Snow’s supposed vision in the Salt Lake temple that was never spoken about except after his death. Some of these statements do agree with the statements directly from William Marks, however some of them directly contradict his earlier statements as well.
There is very little we can do about these as William Marks is not alive to confirm or deny them. John Hawley did however write an autobiography in 1885 which corroborates the details of William Marks’ statements. In his account he mentioned that Joseph repeatedly approached Marks in order to stop the practice of polygamy in the church. However, Marks refused to do anything because he mentioned the revelation came from Joseph so the denunciation of the revelation should be through Joseph as well. The account reads:
Br Joseph it is not my plase and I refused to obey his Counsel, and he Marks said this was the first Counsel that Joseph gave to me that I refused to obey, I toald him he was the one to put it downe as he was the one that it was given thrue
The Life of John Pierce Hawley Written from Memory – 1885
If this is true, then it is understandable as to why William Marks wouldn’t want to publicize it. Telling your leader ‘no’ can be seen as an act of insubordination by some. However, it does make sense. Why should William Marks be teaching against something if his boss, so to speak, was teaching something different. This is especially true if a purported revelation from God was involved. It makes perfect sense that Joseph is the one who should have owned up to the false teaching and corrected the mistake.
There is one last statement that is commonly shared by people and was supposedly mentioned by William Marks. However, this is a very late retelling of a meeting that Edmund C. Briggs supposedly had with William Marks. This account was published in 1903, which is about 30 years after William Marks death. It was published in the April 22nd, 1903, edition of The Saints’ Herald which was an RLDS publication at the time. In this 1903 account Edmund completely contradicts all of William Marks’ previous statements he personally made.
This of course is hard to take seriously because it of course contradicts everything previously said and was given so long after Marks death. It also plays directly into the RLDS narrative, which was prevalent at the time, that Joseph was not a polygamist. Even during the life of William Marks, people in the RLDS branch had a hard time accepting Joseph was involved in polygamy. After the death of William Marks and all the rest of the people with direct first-hand knowledge from Nauvoo, then the narrative switched to Joseph was not involved at all. The statement mentions:
I said to him, ‘Did you, when you had that conversation with Brother Joseph, think he had been in any way mixed up in polygamy, or had favored it?’ He replied, ‘No. I had more confidence in him at that time than I ever had in all my life before, and was satisfied that he was pure from that gross crime.’
Edmund Briggs, “Early History of the Reorganization,”
Again, it is hard to take this seriously, considering this contradicts William Marks direct first-hand testimony. It also supports the RLDS narrative at the time. I just include it here in an effort to be complete. However, I certainly wouldn’t rely on it as an accurate depiction of what actually happened.
Conclusion
William Marks was a tragic person in Mormonism because he was stuck between two worlds. He was considered honest and upright by everyone that he met. Therefore, we should certainly take his own statements seriously. I am not suggesting that we automatically assume everything he mentioned is true. However, we shouldn’t discount it either simply because we don’t like the conclusions.
If we take all the statements from William Marks and compare them, then they are remarkably consistent. This is what is so helpful overall. If William Marks was an honest and upright person, then his retelling of the events should match, which they certainly seem to do so. If we look at the specific claims in each of the accounts, then we can see four distinct commonalities:
- William Marks met with Joseph concerning polygamy
- Joseph was involved in polygamy
- Joseph was repentant of his involvement
- William Marks told the Twelve and they didn’t believe him
Point 1 is asserted to in the 1853, 1859, October 1865, and 1867 statements. He was always clear that Joseph met with him to discuss polygamy. There was never any other purpose for the meeting. Point 2 is asserted to in the October 1865 statement. However, if we take the other statements and look at them without a bias then we can see they are asserted to in them as well. Joseph came to Marks, and Joseph mentioned that he had done wrong and had been deceived concerning polygamy.
This deception wasn’t in others practicing polygamy behind his back, but in his attitude concerning it. Joseph had been involved because he thought it was a true principle. However, now he realized it was not. This pattern is also consistent with Joseph receiving revelation he thought was of God, but later realized it was not. If we look at all the statements together then it is clear that Point 2 is also supported in numerous statements as well. We can also assume Joseph was involved, based on the May 1865 statement, since Hyrum read a revelation from Joseph to the High Council. However, Joseph is certainly not directly mentioned.
Point 3 is asserted to in the 1853, October 1865, and 1867 statements. Joseph was repentant and saw that polygamy had corrupted the church and needed to be stopped. This was very challenging since it had purportedly permeated the entire church. If Joseph did repent then he had to have been incredibly sorry for that damage that this one thing had done to the church.
Lastly, point 4 is asserted to in the 1853, 1859, and October 1865 statements. If the Twelve were told about the conversation, then they may have been confused or may have just refused to believe. Polygamy is a concept that appeals to the base desires of power, control, and sex. Very few people, men in particular, who get into polygamy would just abandon it. Polygamy is a lifestyle and is hard to break free from. This is especially true because of children, living situations, or emotional connections.
If William Marks is to be believed, then we should understand that Joseph was involved in polygamy, and he was repentant about it just prior to his death. The polygamy discussion seems to never have a conclusion. However, there is no reason we should doubt William Marks simply because he contradicts our beliefs. If anything, we should adjust our beliefs to take his rock-solid testimony into consideration.
William Marks was a remarkable man of God that wanted to follow the admonition of Christ and treat his fellowman with honesty and decency. He was willing to not partake of what he considered evil when he had every reason to do so. He was willing to sacrifice everything he knew and loved in order to be honest to himself. He was willing to continue his search for truth even if it meant going against everyone else. William Marks was a very remarkable man in Mormonism that we can learn many things from.
