Martha Brotherton: Pressured by Church Leaders to Become a Plural Wife

In July 1842, the Sangamo Journal published the affidavit of Martha H. Brotherton, a young English convert who had only recently arrived in Nauvoo with her family. In it, she recounts a disturbing encounter where she was pressured by church leaders Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and Joseph Smith himself to become Young’s plural wife.

Brotherton’s statement is remarkable because it provides a firsthand account of how polygamy was introduced—not through open teaching or honest explanation, but through coercion, secrecy, and manipulation.

Miss Brotherton’s Statement

ST. LOUIS, July 13, 1842.
Gen. John C. Bennett.

Dear Sir:— I left Warsaw a short time since for this city, and having been called upon by you, through the ‘Sangamo Journal,’ to come out and disclose to the world the facts of the case in relation to certain propositions made to me at Nauvoo, by some of the Mormon leaders, I now proceed to respond to the call, and discharge what I consider go be a duty devolving upon me as an innocent, but insulted and abused female. I had been at Nauvoo near three weeks, during which time my father’s family received frequent visits from Elders Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball, two of the Mormon Apostles; when, early one morning, they both came to my brother-in-law’s (John Mellwrick) house, at which place I then was on a visit, and particularly requested me to go and spend a few days with them. I told them I could not at that time, as my brother-in-law was not at home. However, they urged me to go the next day, and spend one day with them; the day being fine, I accordingly went. When I arrived at the foot of the hill, Young and Kimball were standing conversing together. They both came to me, and, after several flattering compliments, Kimball wished me to go to his house first. I said it was immaterial to me, and accordingly went. We had not, however, gone many steps when Young suddenly stopped, and said he would go to that brother’s, (pointing to a little log hut a few yards distant) and tell him that you (speaking to Kimball) and brother Glover, or Grover, (I do not remember which) will value this land. When he had gone, Kimball turned to me and said, ‘Martha, I want you to say to my wife, when you go to my house, that you want to buy some things at Joseph’s store, (Joseph Smith’s) and I will say I am going with you, to show you the way. You know you want to see the Prophet, and you will then have an opportunity.’ I made no reply. Young again made his appearance, and the subject was dropped. We soon reached Kimball’s house, where Young took his leave, saying, ‘I shall see you again, Martha.’ I remained at Kimball’s nearly an hour, when Kimball, seeing that I would not tell the lies he wished me to, told them to his wife himself. He then went and whispered in her ear, and asked if that would please her. ‘Yes,’ said she, ‘or I can go along with you and Martha.’ ‘No,’ said he, ‘I have some business to do, and I will call for you afterwards to go with me to the debate,’ — meaning the debate between yourself and Joseph. To this she consented. So Kimball and I went to the store together. 

As we were going along, he said, ‘Sister Martha, are you willing to do all that the Prophet requires you to do?’ I said I believed I was, thinking of course he would require nothing wrong. ‘Then,’ said he, ‘are you ready to take counsel?’ I answered in the affirmative, thinking of the great and glorious blessings that had been pronounced upon my head, if I adhered to the counsel of those placed over me in the Lord. ‘Well,’ said he, ‘there are many things revealed in these last days that the world would laugh and scoff at; but unto us is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom.’ He further observed, ‘Martha, you must learn to hold your tongue, and it will be well with you. You will see Joseph, and very likely have some conversation with him, and he will tell you what you shall do.’ When we reached the building, he led me up some stairs to a small room, the door of which was locked, and on it the following inscription: — ‘Positively no admittance.’ He observed, ‘Ah! brother Joseph must be sick, for strange to say, he is not here. Come down into the tithing-office, Martha.’ He then left me in the tithing-office, and went out, I know not where. In this office were two men writing, one of whom, William Clayton, I had seen in England; the other I did not know. Young came in, and seated himself before me, and asked where Kimball was. I said he had gone out. He said it was all right. Soon after, Joseph came in, and spoke to one of the clerks, and then went up stairs, followed by Young. Immediately after, Kimball came in. ‘Now, Martha,’ said he, ‘the Prophet has come; come up stairs.’ I went, and we found Young and the Prophet alone. I was introduced to the Prophet by Young. Joseph offered me his seat, and, to my astonishment, the moment I was seated, Joseph and Kimball walked out of the room, and left me with Young; who arose, locked the door, closed the window, and drew the curtain. He then came and sat before me, and said, ‘This is our private room, Martha.’ ‘Indeed, sir,’ said I, ‘I must be highly honored to be permitted to enter it.’ He smiled, and then proceeded — ‘Sister Martha, I want to ask you a few questions; will you answer them?’ ‘Yes, sir,’ said I. ‘And will you promise not to mention them to any one?’ ‘If it is your desire, sir,’ said I, ‘I will not.’ ‘And you will not think any the worse of me for it, will you, Martha?’ said he. ‘No sir,’ I replied. ‘Well,’ said he, ‘what are your feelings toward me?’ I replied, ‘My feelings are just the same towards you that they ever were, sir.’ ‘But, to come to the point more closely,’ said he, ‘have not you an affection for me, that, were it lawful and right, you could accept of me for your husband and companion.’

My feelings at that moment were indescribable. God only knows them. What, thought I are these men, that I thought almost perfection itself, deceivers? and is all my fancied happiness but a dream? It was even so; but my next thought was, which is the best way for me to act at this time? If I say no, they may do as they think proper; and to say yes, I never would. So I considered it best to ask for time to think and pray about it. I therefore said, ‘If it was lawful and right, perhaps I might; but you know, sir, it is not.’ — ‘Well, but,’ said he, ‘brother Joseph has had a revelation from God that it is lawful and right for a man to have two wives; for, as it was in the days of Abraham, so it shall be in these last days; and whoever is the first that is willing to take up the cross will receive the greatest blessings; and if you will accept of me, I will take you straight to the celestial kingdom; and if you will have me in this world, I will have you in that which is to come, and brother Joseph will marry us here today, and you can go home this evening, and your parents will not know any thing about it.’ ‘Sir,’ said I, ‘I should not like to do any thing of the kind without the permission of my parents,’ ‘Well, but,’ said he, ‘you are of age, are you not?’ ‘No, sir,’ said I, ‘I shall not be until the 24th of May.’ ‘Well,’ said he, ‘that does not make any difference. You will be of age before they know, and you need not fear. If you will take my counsel, it will be well with you, for I know it to be right before God, and if there is any sin in it, I will answer for it. But brother Joseph wishes to have some talk with you on the subject — he will explain things — will you hear him?’ ‘I do not mind,’ said I. ‘Well, but I want you to say something,’ said he. ‘I want time to think about it,’ said I. ‘Well,’ said he, ‘I will have a kiss, any how,’ and then rose, and said he would bring Joseph. He then unlocked the door, and took the key, and locked me up alone. 

He was absent about ten minutes, and then returned with Joseph. ‘Well,’ said Young, ‘sister Martha would be willing if she knew if was lawful and right before God.’ ‘Well, Martha,’ said Joseph, ‘it is lawful and right before God — I know it is. Look here, sis; don’t you believe in me?’ I did not answer. ‘Well Martha,’ said Joseph, ‘just go ahead, and do as Brigham wants you to — he is the best man in the world, except me.’ ‘Oh!’ said Brigham, ‘then you are as good.’ ‘Yes,’ said Joseph. ‘Well,’ said Young, ‘we believe Joseph to be a Prophet. — I have known him near eight years, and always found him the same.’ ‘Yes,’ said Joseph, ‘and I know that this is lawful and right before God, and if there is any sin in it, I will answer for it before God; and I have the keys of the kingdom, and whatever I bind on earth is bound in heaven, and whatever I loose on earth is loosed in heaven, and if you will accept of Brigham, you shall be blessed — God shall bless you, and my blessing shall rest upon you; and if you will be led by him, you will do well; for I know Brigham will take care of you, and if he don’t do his duty to you, come to me and I will make him; and if you do not like it in a month or two, come to me, and I will make you free again; and if he turns you off, I will take you on.’ — ‘Sir,’ said I, rather warmly, ‘it will be too late to think in a month or two after. I want time to think first.’ ‘Well, but,’ said he, ‘the old proverb is, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained;” and it would be the greatest blessing that was ever bestowed upon you.’ ‘Yes,’ said Young, ‘and you will never have reason to repent it — that is, if I do not turn from righteousness, and that I trust I never shall; for I believe God, who has kept me so long, will continue to keep me faithful. Did you ever see me act in any way wrong in England, Martha?’ “No, sir,’ said I. ‘No,’ said he; ‘neither can any one else lay any thing to my charge.’ ‘Well, then,’ said Joseph, ‘what are you afraid of, sis? — come, let me do the business for you.’ ‘Sir,’ said I, ‘do let me have a little time to think about it, and I will promise not to mention it to any one.’ ‘Well, but look here,’ said he; ‘you know a fellow will never be damned for doing the best he knows how.’ ‘When, then,’ said I, ‘the best way I know of, is to go home and think and pray about it.’ ‘Well,’ said Young, ‘I shall leave it with brother Joseph, whether it would be best for you to have time or not.’ ‘Well,’ said Joseph, ‘I see no harm in her having time to think, if she will not fall into temptation.’ ‘O, sir,’ said I, ‘there is no fear of my falling into temptation.’ ‘Well, but,’ said Brigham, ‘you must promise me you will never mention it to any one.’ ‘I do promise it,’ said I. ‘Well,’ said Joseph, ‘you must promise me the same.’ I promised him the same. ‘Upon your honor,’ said he, ‘you will not tell.’ ‘No, sir, I will lose my life first,’ said I. ‘Well, that will do,’ said he; ‘that is the principle we go upon. I think I can trust you, Martha,’ said he. — ‘Yes,’ said I, ‘I think you ought.’ Joseph said, ‘she looks as if she could keep a secret.’ I then rose to go, when Joseph commenced to beg of me again — he said it was the best opportunity they might have for months, for the room was often engaged. I, however, had determined what to do. ‘Well,’ said Young, ‘I will see you to-morrow. I am going to preach at the school-house, opposite your house. I have never preached there yet; you will be there, I suppose.’ ‘Yes,’ said I. The next day being Sunday, I sat down, instead of going to meeting, and wrote the conversation, and gave it to my sister, who was not a little surprised; but she said it would be best to go to meeting in the afternoon. We went, and Young administered the sacrament. After it was over, I was passing out, and Young stopped me, saying, ‘Wait, Martha, I am coming.’ I said, ‘I cannot; my sister is waiting for me.’ He then threw his coat over his shoulders, and followed me out, and whispered, ‘Have you made up your mind, Martha?’ ‘Not exactly, sir,’ said I; and we parted. I shall proceed to a justice of the peace, and make oath to the truth of these statements, and you are at liberty to make what use of them you may think best.

Yours, respectfully,
MARTHA H. BROTHERTON.

Sworn to and subscribed before me, this 13th day of July, A. D. 1842.

Du. BOUFFAY FREMON,
Justice of the Peace for St. Louis county.

Sangamo Journal, July 22, 1842
https://idnc.library.illinois.edu/?a=d&d=SJO18420722.2.91&e=——-en-20–1–txt-txIN———-

Martha H. Brotherton, a young English convert visiting Nauvoo, Illinois, published this sworn statement in The Sangamo Journal (July 1842). It is one of the earliest public accounts alleging that Mormon leaders — including Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and Heber C. Kimball — were secretly teaching and practicing polygamy before it was publicly acknowledged.

Invitation and Setup

• While staying with her sister’s family in Nauvoo, Martha was frequently visited by Apostles Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball.
• One morning, they persuaded her to visit them at Kimball’s home.
• On the way, Kimball told her to pretend she wanted to buy items at Joseph Smith’s store — a ruse to arrange a private meeting with the Prophet.

Taken to a Locked Room

• At the church’s tithing office, Kimball led Martha upstairs to a locked room marked “Positively no admittance.”
• Brigham Young met her there, locked the door, closed the window, and began questioning her privately.

Brigham Young’s Proposal

• Young asked about her “feelings” toward him and whether she could accept him as a husband “if it were lawful and right.”
• He told her Joseph Smith had received a revelation that it was lawful for a man to have more than one wife, “as in the days of Abraham.”
• He promised her “the greatest blessings” and said if she accepted him, Joseph would marry them immediately, secretly, that very day.
• When she hesitated, saying she wanted her parents’ permission, Young insisted she was of age and that “if there is any sin in it, I will answer for it.”

Joseph Smith Joins

• Brigham Young brought Joseph Smith into the room.
• Smith confirmed the teaching, saying, “It is lawful and right before God — I know it is.”
• He claimed divine authority to bind and loose on earth and in heaven, promising blessings if she married Young.
• Both Smith and Young urged her to decide quickly and not to tell anyone. They extracted promises of secrecy.

Martha’s Refusal

• Martha asked for time to “think and pray about it.”
• They reluctantly agreed but pressured her not to speak of the encounter.
• She later wrote down the full conversation and shared it with her sister.

Aftermath

• The next day, Brigham Young asked if she had “made up her mind,” but she again declined.
• Martha then swore an affidavit before a St. Louis justice of the peace on July 13, 1842, publicly exposing the proposal.

Context

• This affidavit is one of the first contemporary documents alleging that Joseph Smith personally taught and promoted plural marriage years before its official announcement (1852).
• Church leaders, including Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, denied the accusations at the time, and Martha and her family were denounced.
• Later historical evidence confirmed that both Young and Kimball were indeed secretly practicing plural marriage by this period, supporting many aspects of Martha’s account.

Martha Brotherton’s affidavit details how, as a teenage convert, she was lured into a locked room and propositioned for secret plural marriage by Brigham Young with Joseph Smith’s direct approval and participation. When she refused and later publicized the encounter, church leaders branded her a liar, though later history corroborated her claims about early secret polygamy in Nauvoo.

In her 1842 affidavit, 19-year-old Martha Brotherton described being taken by Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball into a private meeting with Joseph Smith in Nauvoo. The men locked the door and explained to her that God had revealed a new order of marriage in which a man could have multiple wives, and that she was being asked to become Brigham Young’s plural wife. Joseph Smith told her she should accept the proposal without hesitation and promised she would receive blessings if she complied. Feeling trapped and pressured, Martha asked to have time to think. After being released and sharing this with her parents, they “instantly lost their faith” and fled Nauvoo.

Despite Joseph and Brigham’s explanations, Martha remained unconvinced. She requested time to think it over and the leaders agreed. In the following days, Martha refused the offer of marriage and informed her parents, who instantly lost their faith. Together they moved to St. Louis, Missouri. It is apparent that rumors of the conversation spread about Nauvoo. Weeks later, on April 6, in General Conference, the Prophet “spoke in contradiction of a report in circulation about Elder Kimball, B. Young, himself, and others of the Twelve, alleging that a sister had been shut in a room for several days, and that they had endeavored to induce her to believe in having two wives.” The gossip may have contained elements of truth, but on the whole, was not entirely accurate.

Brian C. Hales, LDS Apologist, Joseph Smith’s Polygamy: Other Church Leaders Practice Polygamy
https://josephsmithspolygamy.org/history/mormon-leaders-polygamy/

Her sworn statement was published soon after, providing one of the earliest public exposures of Joseph Smith and his apostles secretly practicing polygamy, despite their repeated public denials.

Public Denials and Private Pressures

When Martha’s affidavit was published, church leaders denied her story. Brigham Young dismissed it as a fabrication, and Joseph Smith claimed no such proposition had ever been made. Defenders of the faith at the time—and many apologists since—argue that Martha invented or exaggerated the account, possibly under the influence of John C. Bennett, a known critic of Smith who publicized her affidavit.

Martha’s affidavit primarily claims that Joseph Smith and Brigham Young attempted to persuade her that God approved polygamy and to become Brigham Young’s wife. In response to her affidavit, Heber C. Kimball and Brigham Young issued their own affidavits to claim her statements were false. Joseph Smith called for volunteers to distribute the broadside containing these affidavits.

Brigham swore to the following statement in August. Two months prior, in June 1842, he had successfully taken Lucy Ann Decker for his first polygamous wife. Joseph Smith had at least 13 wives by this time.

AFFIDAVIT OF BRIGHAM YOUNG – Nauvoo, Aug. 25, 1842

I do hereby testify that the affidavit of Miss Martha Brotherton that is going the rounds in the political and religious papers, is a base falsehood, with regard to any private intercourse or unlawful conduct or conversation with me.

BRIGHAM YOUNG

Affidavits and Certificates Disproving the Statements and Affidavits Contained in John C. Bennett’s Letters
https://archive.org/details/AffidavitsCertificates/page/n1/mode/1up

Heber C. Kimball took his first polygamous wife early in 1842.

AFFIDAVIT OF H. C. KIMBALL

… the affidavit of Miss Martha Brotherton, which has been published in sundry newspapers, is false and without foundation in truth, and further this deponant saith not.

HEBER C. KIMBALL

Affidavits and Certificates Disproving the Statements and Affidavits Contained in John C. Bennett’s Letters
https://archive.org/details/AffidavitsCertificates/page/n1/mode/1up

Nearly thirty years later, not to be denied, in 1870, after she died, Brigham had Martha Brotherton sealed to him by proxy.

Brotherton eventually returned to England, where she died in 1864. But on August 1, 1870, in Salt Lake City, Brigham Young achieved his romantic pursuit when he had Brotherton sealed to him for eternity. Her sister, Elizabeth Brotherton Pratt, plural wife of Apostle Parley Pratt, acted as proxy for the deceased.

George Smith, Nauvoo Polygamy: “… but we called it celestial marriage”, 2011, Page 271-272

The details of Martha’s story line up all too closely with other testimonies from women who later admitted they had quietly entered into plural marriages during this same period. In fact, all three men she names—Smith, Young, and Kimball—would go on to take multiple plural wives in Nauvoo, many of them much younger than themselves.

So why would Martha, a newly baptized and faithful convert, suddenly invent such a tale? What could she possibly gain from exposing herself to ridicule, slander, and the wrath of church leaders? Her affidavit rings true not only because of the detail she provides, but because it matches what we now know was happening behind closed doors. And the Apostolic affidavits ring false, due to the facts we now know about these men and their plural wives, which today, even the church admits to. Is the church admitting these men, in essence, lied in these affidavits? Just more examples of church leaders lying for the Lord.

Manipulation as Revelation

This was not a proposal of marriage in any ordinary sense. It was spiritual coercion backed by the highest religious authority, targeting a young woman who was vulnerable, isolated, and expected to submit to male leadership. Martha’s story reveals the pattern of manipulation that polygamy often involved:

• Isolation: She was taken into a locked room under the guise of visiting Joseph Smith.
• Flattery and Authority: She was told she would be “blessed” if she obeyed the Prophet and the Apostles.
• Secrecy: She was required to promise never to tell anyone.
• Spiritual Leverage: Joseph Smith himself assured her that plural marriage was a revelation from God, and that if she accepted Brigham Young, she would be guaranteed exaltation.

To a teenage girl fresh from England, trusting the men she had believed to be holy apostles and prophets, this would have been an overwhelming and terrifying experience.

One Known Story Among Many Unknown

Martha said no. She resisted the pressure, and she made her story public. That is why we know it today. But how many other women said no quietly, and their refusals disappeared into silence? How many said yes out of fear, or loyalty, or a desperate hope for blessings, and their stories were never written down?

The power dynamics at play meant that church leaders could pursue young women with impunity, hiding behind the claim of “revelation.” This structure of unchecked spiritual authority creates an environment where men can easily become sexual predators, convinced they are entitled to whatever they want in the name of God.

The Same Authority Today

The church still claims the same kind of authority today—that leaders speak for God, that obedience brings blessings, and that questioning them is tantamount to sin. While polygamy has officially ended, the structure that enabled this kind of abuse has not. Members are still taught to defer to leaders, to trust them over their own doubts, and to believe that God will reveal His will only through His chosen prophet.

Timeline of Martha Brotherton’s Story

• 1839–1840 – Martha H. Brotherton and her family are introduced to the LDS church in England through missionaries.
• 1840 – Martha is baptized a member of the church in Manchester, England, along with her parents and siblings.
• 1840–1841 – The Brotherton family immigrates to Nauvoo, Illinois, to gather with the Saints.
• Early 1842 – Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and other leaders begin secretly introducing plural marriage in Nauvoo.
• Spring 1842 – Martha recounts being taken by Young and Kimball to meet with Joseph Smith, where she is pressured to become Brigham Young’s plural wife. She refuses.
• July 13, 1842 – Martha writes and signs an affidavit in St. Louis describing the encounter.
• July 22, 1842 – Her statement is published in the Sangamo Journal (Illinois), exposing the secret polygamy proposals.
• Summer 1842 – Church leaders publicly deny Martha’s story, claiming it was fabricated. Joseph Smith calls accusations of polygamy slanderous lies.
• 1842–1844 – Despite public denials, Smith and apostles like Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball continue secretly marrying plural wives in Nauvoo.
• 1844 – Joseph Smith is killed in Carthage Jail. By this time, he had secretly taken between 30 and 40 wives.
• 1847 – Brigham Young leads the Saints west to the Salt Lake Valley. He and other leaders continue the practice of plural marriage privately.
• August 29, 1852 – At a special conference in Salt Lake City, Orson Pratt publicly announces the doctrine of plural marriage under Brigham Young’s direction, marking the first official public acknowledgment of polygamy by the church.
• 1852 – Polygamy becomes openly practiced and defended in Utah under Brigham Young, who eventually takes more than 50 wives. Heber C. Kimball also takes dozens of wives.
• 1864 – Martha dies in England
• 1870 – Brigham Young posthumously seals Martha to him as a wife for eternity.
• Today – Historians confirm that all three men named in Martha’s affidavit were active polygamists at the time of her encounter, aligning her story with the broader historical record.

Martha Brotherton’s story is a sobering reminder of how dangerous unchecked spiritual authority can be.

Share Your Story

Many who leave Mormonism do so because they see through the manipulation, the dishonesty, and the abuse of spiritual power. For some, it is the history of polygamy and the exploitation of young women like Martha that finally tips the balance. For others, it is personal experiences of being silenced, shamed, or pressured by leaders in the name of God.

At wasmormon.org, we provide a platform for those who have gone through a faith crisis to tell their stories in their own words. Together, these stories stand as a witness against the false narratives the church tells about us—that we are weak, lazy, or sinful. In reality, many of us are stronger and freer than ever after leaving behind the high-demand control of Mormonism.

If you have a story to tell—about polygamy, about spiritual manipulation, or about your journey out of the church—we invite you to share it. Your story matters, and by telling it, you help others see that they are not alone.

• https://www.analyzingmormonism.com/martha-brotherton/
• https://josephsmithspolygamy.org/history/mormon-leaders-polygamy/
• https://github.com/faenrandir/a_careful_examination/blob/main/documents/polygamy/denials/brotherton-affidavit.md
• https://www.yearofpolygamy.com/year-of-polygamy/episode-94-polygamy-controversies-women-who-said-no/
• https://www.analyzingmormonism.com/martha-brotherton/
• https://www.wherewillyougo.life/martha-brotherton/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/mormon/comments/uobz5z/how_do_you_feel_about_martha_brothertons/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/mormon/comments/17v8ytb/conjecture_martha_brotherton_and_brigham_young/