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Unhappiness associated with plural marriages
Critics of polgamy in the early LDS church claim that plural marriages often produced extreme unhappiness in some wives. LDS historian Todd Compton, in his book Sacred Loneliness, described many instances where some wives in polygamous marriages were unhappy with polygamy.

Church apologists note that many women were very satisified with polgamous marriages, and many - such as Zina Huntington, a wife of Brigham Young - went on speaking tours as part of the sufferage movement touting the joys and benefits of plural marriage.

Plural marriage used as an excuse for multiple sexual partners
Critics of polygamy in the early LDS church claim that church leaders established the practice of polygamy in order to further their immoral desires for sexual gratification with multiple sexual partners. Critics point to the fact that the church had an official doctrine (section 101 of D&C) dating from 1835 establishing monomgamy as the only acceptable form of marriage, but that church leaders changed that doctrine to polygamy in 1876 (inserting a 1843 revelation, and deleting the section on monogamy).

Church apologists note that the church believes in continuing revelation, and that prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation in 1843 that authorized polygamy under certain circumstances.

Plural marriage used to justify immoral behavior with young girls
Critics of polygamy in the early LDS church claim that church leaders sometimes used polygamy to take advantage of young girls for immoral purposes. LDS historian George D. Smith studied 153 men who took plural wives in the early years of the Mormon Church, and found that two of the girls were thirteen years old, 13 girls were fourteen years old, 21 were fifteen years old, and 53 were sixteen years old. LDS historian Todd Compton documented that Joseph Smith married several girls of age 13 or 14. Historian Stanly Hirshon documented a cases of girls aged 10 and 11 being married to old men.

Church apologists point out that underage marriage was not an issue in the 1800s. Legal marriage age for many places was as young as 10 or 12. There are many famous women who were married under the age of 17. It was a common practice, and at the time, no one blinked an eye at the age of the brides.

Shortage of wives caused by plural marriage
Critics of polygamy in the early LDS church point out that polygamy may have caused a shortage of brides in the early LDS community, citing quotes by church leader Heber C. Kimball who said (addressing departing missionaries): "Brethren, I want you to understand that it is not to be as it has been heretofore. The brother missionaries have been in the habit of picking out the prettiest women for themselves before they get here, and bringing on the ugly ones for us; hereafter you have to bring them all here before taking any of them, and let us all have a fair shake.”  On another occasion, he said "You are sent out as shepards to gather sheep together; and remember that they are not your sheep.... do not make seelctions before they are brought home and put into the fold".

Church apologists point out that polygamy was relatively rare in the early church community, involving only 2% to 5% of church households, and thus any alleged shortage of wives was negligible.

Coercion and deception related to plural marriage
Critics of polygamy in the early LDS church have documented several cases where deception and coercion were used to induce marriage, for example citing the case of Joseph Smith who warned some potential spouses of eternal damnation if they did not consent to be his wife. In 1893, married LDS church member John D. Miles travelled to England and proposed to Caroline Owens, assuring her that he was not polygamous. She returned to Utah and participated in a wedding, only to find out after the ceremony that Miles was already married. She ran away, but Miles hunted her down and raped her. She eventually escaped, and filed a lawsuit against Miles that reached the Supreme Court and became a significant case in polygamy case law. Ann Eliza Young, nineteenth wife of Brigham Young, claimed that Young coerced her to marry him by threatening financial ruin of her brother.

Church apologists point out that these were isolated cases, and the vast majority of wives consented willingly to plural marriage.

Plural marriage and incest
Critics of polygamy in the early LDS church claim that polygamy was used to justify marriage of close relatives that would otherwise be considered immoral. In 1843, Joseph Smith's diary records the marriage of John Bernhisel to his sister, Maria. In 1886, church president Snow said that brothers and sisters should be able to get married. LDS church member Fanny Stenhouse wrote in 1875: "It would be quite impossible, with any regard to propriety, to relate all the horrible results of this disgraceful system.... Marriages have been contracted between the nearest of relatives; and old men tottering on the brink of the grave have been united to little girls scarcely in their teens; while unnatural alliances of every description, which in any other community would be regarded with disgust and abhorrence, are here entered into in the name of God."