I have been L.D.S. all my life and I've never heard of that one. Is this something that you heard or read? Before I can answer the question, I need more info. on where you found this, but to my knowledge there were never any angels with swords sent to enforce polygamy. Polygamy was something that mormons in the 1800's chose to do because they believed that God commanded it, not because angels made them.

The truth of the matter is that Joseph Smith was very disturbed by this doctrine when God first informed him of it in the early 1830's and was very reluctant to practice it when God later commanded that it be instituted. According to his own accounts, he was reluctant for a number of reasons. First of all, he had been raised with traditional values that said that monogamy was the proper form of marital union. Secondly, Joseph knew what kind of ammo this practice would hand over to the persecutors of the Saints if they ever found out about it. So, Joseph dragged his feet on instituting the practice the first couple of times he was commanded to do so. Finally, God sent an angel with a bared sword who told Joseph that, if he did not do as he had been commanded, then God would remove him from his position as the President of the Church and put another in his place who would do as God commanded. It was only after this visitation that Joseph Smith actually started teaching the doctrine and instituted its practice. (Edited for typos.)

Glenn is correct in his statement. However, allow me to elaborate a little bit, if I may. Very few people understand that Polygamy was and is a principle of God and always has been. And when Joseph Smith was called to restore the Gospel, it was his responsibility to restore the whole Gospel of Jesus Christ. That means he was to restore everything which had been had on earth once but had been lost. From Adam, right through the New Testament Church. One of the things that needed to be restored was The New and Everlasting Covenant of Marriage. Polygamy is part of this particular Covenant. And therefore needed to be restored. And it needed to be practiced for a period of time in order to be fully restored. And as Glenn said, Joseph just needed to be prodded into doing the Lord's will, or else, he would have been removed. In 1890, the Lord told Wilford Woodruff the Church was released from practicing this part of the Covenant. Today we still believe in this principle, but we do not have a need to practice such, unless the Lord commands otherwise...Later

EXCUSE ME. I'm having a little problem with this. God said not to commit adultery but then said it was okay for joe to marry a couple of his follower's wives? Isn't there something wrong with this picture? Or is it just me?

BECAUSE THEY ARE MORMONS.

Well, Whew, we now have an even bigger problem. You say the answer is true and God sent an Angel to threaten Joe so he could institute polygamy. Now, providing this really is the case, aren't you worried about those Angels coming back and doing some real damage to those who said to stop it??? And to all of those who now refuse to do it? They must be in real danger. LOL I mean, the Bible says God is the same, all the time. Right?

in all my years of bible study and research, i have never read such a thing! this does not exist in the bible nor in the ancient manuscripts.

Why? So that a few old goats could have sex with plenty of young women. (I bet I'm in trouble now)....!

Don't believe everything you hear.

SHORT ANSWER: Q: Is it true that Joseph Smith claimed that an Angel with a flaming sword commanded him to commit polygamy? A: Yes. Q: Why do they believe He did this? A: It was clearly done by Joseph Smith to manipulate the woman (Zina Huntington) into committing adultery (she was married at the time) with him via the act of polyandry (one woman married to more than one husband). http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/05-ZinaHuntingtonJacobs.htm Q: Is there any historical record of this? A: Yes. See below. LONG ANSWER: "The same God that has thus far dictated me and directed me and strengthened me in this work, gave me this revelation and commandment on celestial and plural marriage, and the same God commanded me to obey it. He said to me that unless I accepted it, and introduced it, and practiced it, I, together with my people would be damned and cut off from this time henceforth. We have got to observe it. It is an eternal principle and was given by way of commandment and not by way of instruction." - Prophet Joseph Smith, History of the Church, Vol. 5, p. 259 "When that principle was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith ... he did not falter, although it was not until an angel of God, with a drawn sword, stood before him; and commanded that he should enter into the practice of that principle, or he should be utterly destroyed, or rejected, that he moved forward to reveal and establish that doctrine." - Prophet Joseph F. Smith, "Plural Marriage for the Righteous Only-Obedience Imperative-Blessings Resulting", Journal of Discourses, Vol.20, p.28 - p.29 "I know whereon I stand, I know what I believe, I know what I know and I know what I testify to you is the living truth. As I expect to meet it at the bar of the eternal Jehovah, it is true. And when you stand before the bar you will know. He preached polygamy and he not only preached it, but he practiced it. I am a living witness to it. It was given to him before he gave it to the Church. An angel came to him and the last time he came with a drawn sword in his hand and told Joseph if he did not go into that principle, he would slay him." - Sister Mary Lightner, Address to Brigham Young University, April 14th, 1905, BYU Archives and Manuscripts See: http://www.ldshistory.net/pc/merlbyu.htm "His brother, Hyrum, said to me, "Now, Brother Benjamin, you know that Brother Joseph would not sanction this if it was not from the Lord. The Lord revealed this to Brother Joseph long ago, and he put it off until the Angel of the Lord came to him with a drawn sword and told him that he would be slain if he did not go forth and fulfill the law." He told my sister to have no fears, and he there and then sealed my sister, Almira, to the Prophet." "Soon after this he was at my house again, where he occupied my Sister Almira's room and bed, and also asked me for my youngest sister, Esther M. I told him she was promised in marriage to my wife's brother. He said, "Well, let them marry, for it will all come right."" - Elder Benjamin F. Johnson, My Life's Review See: http://mormonlore.freeservers.com/johnson1.htm "He there and then explained to me the doctrine of plurality of wives; he said that the Lord had revealed it unto him, and commanded him to have women sealed to him as wives; that he foresaw the trouble that would follow, and sought to turn away from the commandment; that an angel from heaven then appeared before him with a drawn sword, threatening him with destruction unless he went forward and obey the commandment." "He further said that my sister, Eliza R. Snow, had been sealed to him as his wife for time and eternity. He told me that the Lord would open the way, and I should have women sealed to me as wives. This conversation was prolonged, I think, one hour or more, in which he told me many important things." "I solemnly declare before God and holy angels, and as I hope to come forth in the morning of the resurrection, that the above statement is true." - Prophet Lorenzo R. Snow, sworn affadavidt. See: http://www.mormons.org.uk/celest.htm "19 year-old Zina remained conflicted until a day in October, apparently, when Joseph sent [her older brother] Dimick to her with a message: an angel with a drawn sword had stood over Smith and told him that if he did not establish polygamy, he would lose "his position and his life." Zina, faced with the responsibility for his position as prophet, and even perhaps his life, finally acquiesced." (In Sacred Loneliness, page 80-81) "An Angel of God Stood by him (Joseph Smith) with a drawn Sword and told him he should be slain & Cut off from the Earth and the kingdom of God if he did not obey that Law (of polygamy). George Q Cannon was of the same opinion, that a man must have more then one wife at a time in order to obey that Law." - Prophet Wilford Woodruff, Wilford Woordruff's Journal, Vol. 8, p.235 CONCLUSION: The Historical Record clearly indicates that Joseph Smith made this case - it is not rumor, not innuendo, but a fact.

I would doubt that. The angels would likely provide unwelcomed competition for the available babes, no? ;-)

Sorry....you asked IF this is true?