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Joseph Smith - Honest Seer or Lying Polygamist

16. Jacob 2:30 can't be used to support plural marriage.

1. Review what Jacob 2:23-30 says:

23 But the word of God burdens me because of your grosser crimes. For behold, thus saith the Lord: This people begin to wax in iniquity; they understand not the scriptures, for they seek to excuse themselves in committing whoredoms, because of the things which were written concerning David, and Solomon his son.
24 Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.
25 Wherefore, thus saith the Lord, I have led this people forth out of the land of Jerusalem, by the power of mine arm, that I might raise up unto me a righteous branch from the fruit of the loins of Joseph.
26 Wherefore, I the Lord God will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old.
27 Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none;
28 For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts.
29 Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lord of Hosts, or cursed be the land for their sakes.
30 For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things.

Jacob 2:30 should be read as follows:

For if I will, saith the Lord of hosts, raise up [righteous] seed unto me, I will command my people [the Lord will be their commander—He will give them commandments to obey]: otherwise [if the Lord is not their commander; or they do not obey His commandments], they shall hearken unto these things [they shall practice the sins of polygamy].

Basically, the "these things" are the evils of polygamy that these people might hearken to because they don't obey the Lord.

2. June 2015 Analysis of Jacob 2:30 - Entry 34 Be True To Your Wife

3. January 2017 - A Proposed Reinterpretation of Jacob 2:30

4. A January 2022 analysis of Jacob 2:30 - "Raising Up Seed" and the Polygamy Question

What was the transgression by the Nephites that is mentioned in 3 Nephi?
“And behold, I am called Mormon, being called after the land of Mormon, the land in which Alma did establish the church among the people, yea, the first church which was established among them after their transgression.” (3 Nephi 5:12)

Jacob 3:5-6 tells us that by keeping this one commandment (to have only one wife) the Lamanites will not be destroyed.

5. Another evaluation of Jacob 2:30 showing the chiasmic structure