Singular Devotion: The 1838 Elders’ Journal and the Public Teaching of Monogamy in Joseph Smith’s Church

In August 1838, under the editorial oversight of Joseph Smith, the Elders’ Journal published a clear statement on the duties of marriage. Titled “On the Duty of Husband and Wife,” the piece uses consistently singular language that leaves no room for plurality.¹ This primary source aligns directly with the revelations and scriptures that defined marriage in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints during Joseph Smith’s lifetime. It provides further evidence that the Church he organized publicly taught and promoted monogamy as God’s standing command.

Here is the full excerpt as it appeared:

ON THE DUTY OF HUSBAND AND WIFE.

It is the duty of a husband to love, cherish, and nourish his wife, and cleave unto her and none else; he ought to honor her as himself, and he ought to regard her feelings with tenderness, for she is his flesh, and his bone, designed to be an help unto him, both in temporal, and spiritual things; one into whose bosom he can pour all his complaints without reserve, who is willing (being designed) to take part of his burden, to soothe and encourage his feelings by her gentle voice. It is the place of the man, to stand at the head of his family, and be lord of his own house, not to rule over his wife as a tyrant, neither as one who is fearful or jealous that his wife will get out of her place, and prevent him from exercising his authority. It is his duty to be a man of God (for a man of God is a man of wisdom.) ready at all times to obtain from the scriptures, the revelations, and from on high, such instructions as are necessary for the edification, and salvation of his household.— And on the other hand, it is the duty of the wife, to be in subjection to her husband at all times, not as a servant, neither as one who fears a tyrant, or a master, but as one, who, in meekness, and the love of God, regards the laws and institutions of Heaven, looks up to her husband for instruction, edification and comfort. “Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord, whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.”—1st Peter, 3rd 6th.

Notice the deliberate singular phrasing throughout: “his wife,” “cleave unto her and none else,” “she is his flesh,” “rule over his wife,” “the duty of the wife,” “her husband.” The title itself is “Husband and Wife,” not “Husband and Wives.” There is no provision, exception, or hint of additional partners. The command to “cleave unto her and none else” is absolute. This language mirrors the exclusive bond described in the revelations Joseph Smith had already received and published.

This teaching stands in perfect harmony with earlier revelations and the Book of Mormon. Doctrine and Covenants 42:22, given in February 1831, declares: “Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else.” Doctrine and Covenants 49:16, received in May 1831, states that “it is lawful that he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh.” The 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants included Section 101 (the Statement on Marriage), which explicitly affirmed: “we declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband, except in case of death.”² The Book of Mormon, in Jacob 2, is equally clear: “there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none,” while condemning the unauthorized plural marriages of David and Solomon as an abomination.

Only one month earlier, in the July 1838 issue of the same Elders’ Journal, Joseph Smith answered a direct question: “Do the Mormons believe in having more wives than one?” His reply was unambiguous: “No, not at the same time.”³ The August article on marital duties simply elaborates the practical outworking of that same monogamous standard. Together these sources form a consistent public record. Marriage in the Church organized by Joseph Smith was presented as a sacred, exclusive covenant between one husband and one wife.

This singular emphasis stands in sharp contrast to the post-1844 developments in the Brighamite branch. After Joseph Smith’s death, leaders in Utah introduced and publicly defended plural marriage, eventually replacing the 1835 monogamy statement (D&C 101) with what became Doctrine and Covenants 132 in the 1876 edition. The language of exclusive fidelity—“cleave unto her and none else,” “one wife,” “husband and wife”—was set aside in favor of a system that permitted and later required plurality for some. The 1838 Elders’ Journal article, however, belongs firmly to the earlier period when the official, published teaching of the Church remained monogamous.

For a fuller examination of these pre-1844 sources—including additional statements from the Times and Seasons, the Liberty Jail correspondence, Relief Society minutes, and the consistent scriptural foundation in the Book of Mormon and early Doctrine and Covenants—readers are invited to explore the compiled historical analyses on my Substack available at Exploring the Origins of Polygamy. That directory gathers primary documents showing that the public doctrine taught under Joseph Smith’s leadership upheld monogamy as God’s command, in keeping with the revelations he received and the scriptures he restored.

The wording of the 1838 article is not ambiguous. It teaches a husband to love, cherish, and cleave to his wife—singular—and none else. In doing so, it provides one more clear window into the marriage doctrine that the early Church publicly proclaimed.

Explore the full Polygamy Origins Directory

If this topic interests you, I’ve compiled a comprehensive master directory of all my research on the origins of polygamy in early Latter Day Saint history:

👉 Exploring the Origins of Polygamy in Mormonism: A Directory of Historical Analyses and Denials

It organizes primary sources, pre-1844 official statements, testimonies, RLDS responses, and deeper analyses showing that Joseph Smith neither taught nor practiced plural marriage. Bookmark it as a one-stop resource for the evidence.

Disclaimer: This article is not in any way affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its leaders, or its official organizations. It represents my personal analysis and reflections as an independent student of the Restoration and its scriptures. The views expressed here are solely my own.

1. Elders’ Journal 1, no. 4 (August 1838): 61, The Joseph Smith Papers, https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/elders-journal-august-1838/13.

2.

3.