A tender story regarding faith, trust, and challenging relationships. A very interesting parallel story can be found in the Autobiography of Mary Woolley Chamberlain (my grandmother's sister) who also married a man who had wives and children still living. In Mary's case, however, she was married a decade after the Manifesto rather than a decade before it was declared. Her testimony of the Gospel and of the principle of plural marriage as well as her praise and respect for her husband are a wonderful post-script to the words of Lorena Larsen. Both examples highlight the deeper purpose of such an Abrahamic sacrifice.
Lisa G.December 8, 2021
Lorena Larsen is my great-great-grandmother. I stumbled upon her autobiography in college while browsing books in the library at BYU. Often I wanted to share her story when discussions of plural marriage came up online, but I received impressions not to do so because I could not guarantee that her story would be used for good. Later, when the Church shared her story in Saints, Vol. 2, I understood why I had felt impressed to wait until her story could be shared in the right way. I was also pleasantly surprised to see this article in Meridian Magazine.
To the commenter previous who wanted to know "the rest of the story", if you click the link in the footnotes to Lorena's autobiography, you can read in her own words everything that happened afterward.
Douglas E NadybalDecember 6, 2021
This is a wonderful instruction on what to do for and specifically how to pray for and on behalf of those in our circle upon which the Lord has made His decision to take something precious away. Be it marriage or even death, our comfort is ultimately that Person in the Godhead entitled, The Comforter. That said, and I am a bit surprised that such an accomplished scholar and editor would omit the rest of the story, and leave us to wonder what ever happened to Lorena Larsen after her marriage was forcefully terminated. Was she indeed cast out as was Hagar? Did anyone help her and her children? Did the Church do anything for her and others like her?
Gary AndersonDecember 6, 2021
Thank you Brother Harper! I come from plural marriage pioneers who traveled to Utah in the 1800s on both sides of my family and without them, I wouldn't be here. I love them all so much. They were extremely brave and obedient to Heavenly Father's will.
James ScottDecember 6, 2021
I read many accounts of such separations, including that of my own gig other with sadness and disappointment. I’ve never read an account save one of how these women coped with being cut off or how the father related to his children of the abandoned families. Did they visit, did they provide for them?
I do know many refused the government edict and the Manifesto and continued in their course of polygamy and the Endowment House had to be raised.
Are there reports of the fate of these women that abandoned the practice and remarried?
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Harold RustDecember 9, 2021
A tender story regarding faith, trust, and challenging relationships. A very interesting parallel story can be found in the Autobiography of Mary Woolley Chamberlain (my grandmother's sister) who also married a man who had wives and children still living. In Mary's case, however, she was married a decade after the Manifesto rather than a decade before it was declared. Her testimony of the Gospel and of the principle of plural marriage as well as her praise and respect for her husband are a wonderful post-script to the words of Lorena Larsen. Both examples highlight the deeper purpose of such an Abrahamic sacrifice.
Lisa G.December 8, 2021
Lorena Larsen is my great-great-grandmother. I stumbled upon her autobiography in college while browsing books in the library at BYU. Often I wanted to share her story when discussions of plural marriage came up online, but I received impressions not to do so because I could not guarantee that her story would be used for good. Later, when the Church shared her story in Saints, Vol. 2, I understood why I had felt impressed to wait until her story could be shared in the right way. I was also pleasantly surprised to see this article in Meridian Magazine. To the commenter previous who wanted to know "the rest of the story", if you click the link in the footnotes to Lorena's autobiography, you can read in her own words everything that happened afterward.
Douglas E NadybalDecember 6, 2021
This is a wonderful instruction on what to do for and specifically how to pray for and on behalf of those in our circle upon which the Lord has made His decision to take something precious away. Be it marriage or even death, our comfort is ultimately that Person in the Godhead entitled, The Comforter. That said, and I am a bit surprised that such an accomplished scholar and editor would omit the rest of the story, and leave us to wonder what ever happened to Lorena Larsen after her marriage was forcefully terminated. Was she indeed cast out as was Hagar? Did anyone help her and her children? Did the Church do anything for her and others like her?
Gary AndersonDecember 6, 2021
Thank you Brother Harper! I come from plural marriage pioneers who traveled to Utah in the 1800s on both sides of my family and without them, I wouldn't be here. I love them all so much. They were extremely brave and obedient to Heavenly Father's will.
James ScottDecember 6, 2021
I read many accounts of such separations, including that of my own gig other with sadness and disappointment. I’ve never read an account save one of how these women coped with being cut off or how the father related to his children of the abandoned families. Did they visit, did they provide for them? I do know many refused the government edict and the Manifesto and continued in their course of polygamy and the Endowment House had to be raised. Are there reports of the fate of these women that abandoned the practice and remarried?
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