The Bible and Polygamy: Does the Bible Sanction Polygamy?

John Philip Newman

1826–1899

A leading Methodist minister of the 19th century, he rose to become a bishop and was known in Washington, D.C., as a prominent preacher with ties to national public life. His career blended church leadership, writing, and pastoral work during a period of major change in the United States.

Orson Pratt

1811–1881

A restless thinker and early Latter-day Saint leader, he became known for blending religious conviction with a sharp mathematical mind. His writings and public sermons helped shape key debates in the nineteenth-century church.

George Albert Smith

1817–1875

A key early leader in the Latter Day Saint movement, he helped shape the church's growth in the American West and is remembered for his long service as an apostle. His life connected missionary work, frontier settlement, and church leadership during a formative period in nineteenth-century Mormon history.