Secret Covenants: New Insights on Early Mormon Polygamy: A Conversation with Cheryl Bruno, Clair Barrus, and Susan Staker

Join host Caroline Kline on this episode of the Dialogue Book Report podcast as she delves into the complexities of early Mormon polygamy with Cheryl Bruno, Clair Barrus, and Susan Staker. The discussion centers around the newly released volume Secret Covenants: New Insights on Early Mormon Polygamy, available now from Signature Books. Cheryl Bruno, the editor of the volume, and all three guests are contributing authors.

Secret Covenants navigates the intricate labyrinth of early Mormon plural marriage, presenting a diverse array of perspectives on the subject. Authored by esteemed scholars and researchers in the field of Mormon studies, the essays delve into Joseph Smith’s involvement in plural marriage, exploring foundational documents and highlighting the complexities he faced. The volume also examines the legal aspects of polygamy in 1840s Illinois, lesser-known details of Smith’s proposals and relationships, and the enigmatic story of Fanny Alger.

This balanced exploration critiques traditional portrayals and provides multiple viewpoints, such as Emma Smith’s vehement rejection of polygamy after her husband’s death, and the societal impact on women within polygamous unions. The authors also address evolving doctrinal debates triggered by the “Marriage Revelation” and its impact on Mormon philosophy and thought.

About the Guests:

Susan Staker is an independent scholar living on Whidbey Island near Seattle. She has edited for Sunstone, Signature Books, and Adobe Systems, and studied narrative theory at the University of Utah. Susan has been studying and publishing about Joseph Smith since the 1980s.

Cheryl L. Bruno resides in the Monterey Bay area of California. She is an independent researcher in Mormon studies and co-author of Method Infinite: Freemasonry and the Mormon Restoration (Greg Kofford Books, 2022) and Come Up Hither to Zion: William Marks and the Mormon Concept of Gathering (Greg Kofford Books, 2024).

Clair Barrus is a recently retired cloud platform/system engineer who enjoys hiking, skiing, and tracking down Barrier Canyon-style indigenous rock art in Southern Utah. Clair has published and presented in many Mormon history venues and manages the daily digest “Today in Mormon History” (todayinmormonhistory.com).

Tune in to this insightful conversation on the Dialogue Book Report podcast and uncover the many layers of early Mormon plural marriage through the lens of expert scholars. Listen now on the Dialogue Podcast Network.