Polygamous marriage in the early Mormon Church

The New York Times has an article identifying the fact that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has posted an essay online confirming that its founder, Joseph Smith, practiced polygamous marriage, with up to 40 wives. The Times article is at www.nytimes.com/2014/11/11/us/its-official-mormon-founder-had-up-to-40-wives.html.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, aka the LDS Church, aka the Mormons, is one of the main worldwide drivers of generating family history content provision, through its Family History Library set up and its online FamilySearch website at https://familysearch.org. Its members have a theological requirement to research their ancestry, for reasons including posthumous or 'vicarious' baptism, and the permanent 'sealing' of relationships from their point of view in the afterlife.

Personally speaking, I'm not at all interested in whether Joseph Smith did or did not practice polygamous marriage. What I do find interesting, however, from a family history perspective, is the discussion about the practice of polygamous marriage in the early church, which was practised from 1841-1890. As many from the British Isles migrated to the US to help found the church, it may be an issue of interest to those here with Mormon connections and/or ancestry. The article, entitled Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo, is freely available to read online at https://www.lds.org/topics/plural-marriage-in-kirtland-and-nauvoo.

(With thanks to Thomas MacEntee via Facebook)

Chris

Stuck for a Christmas gift?! I have a series of genealogy books available in the UK, Australia and Canada, on Scottish, Irish and British based subject areas. Further details at http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html. Santa approves!

Unlock the Past - British Isles cruise speakers announced

I'm looking forward to taking part in the 4th Unlock the Past genealogy cruise in Australia in February 2014, but the company's cruise plans don't end there! I've previously announced that Unlock the Past is planning a 5th cruise from 19th-29th July 2014, this time in our neck of the woods around the British Isles - see http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/unlock-past-british-isles-discovery.html.

Now, however, I can reveal the line up of speakers! There are nine in total from four different countries, as follows:

• Paul Blake (England)
• Jackie Depelle (England)
• Marie Dougan (Scotland)
• Jayne Shrimpton (England)
• Lisa Louise Cooke (USA)
• Rosemary Kopittke (Queensland, Australia)
• Mike Murray (Western Australia)
• Lesley Silvester (Western Australia)
• Helen Smith (Queensland, Australia)

I've previously heard presentations from Marie, Rosemary, Mike, and Helen, and have also heard some of Lisa Louise Cooke's excellent Genealogy Gems podcasts, so on that billing alone it's well worth signing up! But you also get Paul, well known in the English family history scene, Jackie, well known in the north of England and equally famous for her big hats at WDYTYA Live (!), Lesley, equally well known in the west of Oz, and Jayne, who probably knows more about historic clothing, photography and portraiture than anyone on Earth! It's a great line up, and full biographies on all of the speakers can be found at http://www.unlockthepastcruises.com/5th-cruise-presenters-2/.

Details on the full programme of talks will be announced soon (it's intended that there will be about 40 topics over 25 sessions), but be warned that the 5th cruise is booking up fast(much faster than previous ventures by the sounds of things), so if interested the best bet is to drop Alan and the team a note as soon as possible.

Have fun!

Chris

My latest book, Discover Scottish Civil Registration Records, is now available from http://www.gould.com.au (print) and http://www.gen-ebooks.com/unlock-the-past.html (ebook), whilst Tracing Your Irish Family History on the Internet is available at http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Tracing-Your-Irish-History-on-the-Internet/p/3889/. My next Pharos Scottish course, Scotland 1750-1850: Beyond the OPRs, starts Nov 13th - see http://pharostutors.com.

FamilySearch remoulds British Isles

Remember when FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org) had us in Europe? There we were, happily munching onions, eating escargots, frankfurt and spaghetti, when without so much as a by-your-leave, they came along and kicked us out, achieving what no Tory politician had ever dared to do. A people seemingly without an identity, we strolled merrily on our longboats and car ferries through the North Sea (or is that the German Ocean?!) and thus did we settle to form the British Isles, a happy new category on the website.

But a restless people we must be, for now we have been redesignated once again, this time to a new category, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Of course, that means Northern Ireland should be well covered!

Think of the fun and games that will ensue if Scotland chooses to go independent in two years time. The SNP may need to think this one through a bit more...! lol :)

Going off now to have a minor identity crisis....

Chris

British GENES on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BritishGENES and Twitter @chrismpaton

Scotland's Greatest Story research service www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk and www.facebook.com/ScottishGenealogyResearch