Polygamy
CES LETTER CLAIM
Joseph Smith was married to at least 34 women... The church validates this.
One of the things that also truly disturbed me in my research was discovering the real origins of polygamy and how Joseph Smith really practiced it.
- Joseph Smith was married to at least 34 women, as now verified in the Church’s 2014 polygamy essays.
CES Letter, Page 52
DEBUNKING REPLY
100% Correct... Joseph Smith practiced plural marriage along with over 100 other church members at that time.
Joseph taught that exaltation occurs to worthy couples, not single individuals, so all worthy women will need to be sealed to an eternal husband.
Many of Joseph Smith's sealings were non-sexual "eternity only" ceremonies showing that sexual relations were not the focus of his celestial marriage teachings. None of the 35 women who were sealed to the Prophet ever complained against him. Joseph cared for his plural wives assuring their material needs were met. Joseph followed the Old Testament practice of marrying many wives like Abraham, Moses, and others.
See:
Biographies of Joseph Smith's Wives