#apologists will be like 'the available evidence proves this was almost certainly an eternity only sealing' *ignores other evidence*

[alliluyevas]

y’all wanna see some whack polygamy discourse...

In the past few decades, researchers have scrutinized Sylvia [Sessions Lyon]’s relationship with Joseph Smith, perhaps more than any of his plural marriages. Many review the limited available evidences and assume that her daughter Josephine Lyon was fathered by Joseph Smith. In fact, Brian Hales [the author of this article] was largely convinced this was the case until recently.

Josephine Lyon was born February 8, 1844, which correlates with a conception date of approximately May 18, 1843, if she were full term. In 2016, Dr. Ugo Perego shared the results of his painstaking analysis of DNA data showing Windsor [Sylvia’s legal husband] was Josephine’s father. For many, this was not the expected result, but it makes it easier to understand Joseph’s sealings to legally married women. 

The 2016 DNA evidence supports that Windsor was the only husband with whom Sylvia experienced conjugality in Nauvoo and that her sealing to Joseph was a non-sexual, eternity-only relationship like that of Ruth Vose Sayers, who was to be Joseph’s wife only after death. Despite this indisputable finding, the issue is not settled and probably never will be.

The primary evidence for possible sexuality is a document that recounts how shortly before her 1882 death, Sylvia called Josephine to her side. Josephine reported in 1915: “She then told me that I was the daughter of the Prophet Joseph Smith.” Generally, this language would be interpreted to mean physical paternity. However, an eternity-only sealing between Sylvia and Joseph would have made Josephine his daughter in a spiritual sense automatically, since she was born-in-the-covenant of that sealing.

i’m sorry but this is insane like the DNA evidence doesn’t prove they didn’t have sex it just proves they didn’t have sex on the particular occasion that led to the conception of baby Josephine. also why would you do a whole deathbed confession over “spiritual paternity” that’s a frankly ridiculous assertion. if we take Josephine’s word that this conversation occurred, which I see no reason not to, the indication would be that Sylvia believed he was Josephine’s biological father even if it turned out that wasn’t the case. (Also would just like to point out the obvious that Sylvia seems to have named Josephine after him)

the apologist narrative is so obsessed w trying to prove that there was no sex involved in as many of his plural marriages as possible, esp those involving either underage wives (which Sylvia was not) or wives that were also legally married to other men (which Sylvia was) and it’s like come on guys! you sound delusional.