People can spin it to make it any way they want, however we all know that this religion allows for multiple wives, just because they are not open with it like jessup it is their belief and their faith. I do not like mitt roomney as a person because of his valuse as far as money and the rest of the people go. if he becomes President he will be just like George bush and give more and more to the weathy while telling us we have to sacrifice, the hard decisions they call it but not one sacrifice from those who have the most like himself.

O'Donnell was only partly right. Joseph Smith's relationship with Fanny Alger (a servant in his home) occurred 6 years after he married Emma Hale. Oliver Cowdery did write about it, which is part of the reason he was excommunicated. Some are of the opinion that she was his first plural wife. It is well documented by those who mean no harm to Mormonism (including Joseph F. Smith, William Clayton, Brigham Young, and others) that Joseph Smith had real plural wives (not just "spiritual"), but they though nothing wrong of it. Look up Louisa Beaman for a well documented case.

Lying haters like Lawrence O’Donnell who purposely misrepresent the facts about Mormonism should consider one fact according to a local Mormon leader. That fact is that no matter what the reporting is about their church, “There is no bad publicity.” His reasoning is because in the last several months more sincere inquires about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (The Mormons) have been made then would have been made if Mitt Romney had not run for president.

Seems like fair game to me. President Obama is consistently considered a Muslim falsely. Shouldn't Romney's faith be investigated when he is indeed a Mormon? Even though there is NO litmus test according to the Constitution for president, many are making it an issue. Either even the playing field or game on!

to those who suggest reading outsider looks at the origins of mormonism i suggest you read the Book of Mormon with an open mind and then we can talk. as for o'donnells comments one of the things that i find the most ridiculous is that joseph smith was fourteen when he received the First Vision and was called as a modern day prophet, he wasn't married so he couldn't have been using the church as an excuse to have sex with the maid. his family couldn't have afforded a maid anyway. i wish that people would take a moment to get the facts about something that means so much to so many, and which teaches them to be better people and to be followers of Christ. these false facts are very hurtful, especially because there is no truth behind them. yet people still accept them as truth. you don't have to share the beliefs, but you should at least be tolerant of what it really means to be a member of this church, not the crap that someone makes up to discredit it.

When you oppose them they punnish you and your children severly. They worship Old Joe Smith and he is put above the God of the Universe, they love money and not to be questioned. Their answers are always "It's a sacred mystery/secret, etc. " My father was in the Bishop Riech and Mother was El Primary Presidente. My father and mother were child abusers, dad was a pedophile. Never excommunicated and Mother got her Temple marriage after Dad died. My Uncle was a bishop and was a molester/abuser also, never removed him from their ranks. The saying goes: Rape my wife, kill my children but don't steal my money". My Step grandfather was a molester related to the Prophets and they attended his funeral. He put his dead daughter in the trunk of his car and drove her to Tooele for a private burial. My life behind the Zion Curtain was a living Hell. I'm free and this information is the truth. My sisters/cousins will verify it also.

Romney's family moved to Mexico so they could keep their wives and beliefs. The church is racist and bigoted, I was raised as a Mormon and couldn't understand why they hated the blacks so much until I read up on history. Mormonism still embraces plural marriages in their all white heaven. A woman can't be sealed to plural men but the men can accumulate many wives in their heavenly world. Now what does that sound like? Islam? Their baptism for the dead is another story. Obama knows this double standard and that's why women dislike Romney so much. Their newer converts or followers are called Rice Christians, they are more or less paid to sit in church for financial and for food orders supplied by the church. I know my Mother received these care packages. I dislike their racism and bigotry so much I left in 1974 and the Elders came to me in Oregon, I had a interracial couple present, they said to me, & my husband and the blackmans wife "but we love you & want you to be saved. He (Blackman) was totally ignored and shunned by these holier than thou men in suits. Religion is the base for Romney and he will reward his followers for their large contributions. The Mormons are one of them.

I am appalled by this article, and the subsequent comments by some. The article and some of the subsequent comments accuse Joseph Smith of having sex with a maid and also insinuating that he was married to many wives and having sex with them also. If this was so, where are all his illegitimate children. I have heard of none. They had no birth control back then. Explain that. Joseph was "sealed" in marriage to other woman, but my understanding is that none of them were sexually consummated and also that many sealings took place after his death. I have been a defender of the faith all of my life and have never heard these allegations before. Nobody has sunk that low as to pretend to know what went on over 180 years ago and with such indefensible claims. And now, in one article and the following comments, these people put this slanderous trash forth as if it is some kind of accepted fact that everybody knows. Shameful! Who are these people anyway? If someone tells a lie and 100 say it is true... it it still a lie. The scriptures say that "by their fruits ye shall know them (whether they be of Me). There is no comparison between the fruits of David Koresh and his Branch Davidian Church and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Once again, who are these people making these allegations, what is their intention, and why should anyone believe anything of what they say without verifying their sources. I have never heard of any such statement made by Oliver Cowdry lending credence to these claims either. If it was out there, and verifiable, I would have heard of it over and over for the last 50 years. Believe me, anti-Mormon propagators would never have missed something like that.

I am appalled by the comments of those accusing Joseph Smith of having sex with a maid and insinuating that he was married to many wives and having sex with them also. If this was so, where are all his illegitimate children. I have heard of none. They had no birth control back then. I have been a defender of the faith all my life and have never heard these allegations before. Nobody has sunk that low as to pretend to know what went on over 180 years and my such indefensible claims. And now, in one article and the following comments, these people put these slanderous trash forth as if it is some kind of accepted fact that everybody knows. Shameful. Who are these people? By their fruits ye shall know them. Their is no comparison between the fruits of David Koresh and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Once again, who are these people making these allegations, what is their intention, and why should anyone believe anything of what they say without verifying their sources. I have never heard of any such statement made by Oliver Cowdry. If it was out there, and verifiable, I would have heard of it over and over for the last 50 years. Believe me, anti-Mormon propagators would never have missed something like that.

In so many ways people like O'Donnell are the very reason i will not watch nor support anything MSNBC ever says or does. If O'Donnell was speaking of Jews, Blacks, or even Gays, he would be with out a job right now. Some how with freedom of speech hanging out there people can say what they want no matter how incorrect, misleading, and plain just down right stupid (O'Donnell) they might sound like. As a Mormon I would never say anything like this about some one else, even though I have the right to do so. We fear what we do not understand, so maybe ignorance is not a right to be mean and hateful. Try to know something of what you talk about.