"The Peace Maker" is a pamphlet

Pamphlet

A pamphlet is an unbound booklet . It may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths , or it may consist of a few pages that are folded in half and saddle stapled at the crease to make a simple book...

 written by the Latter Day Saint author Udney Hay Jacob in 1842. The original two-chapter "Peace Maker" pamphlet was published in Nauvoo, Illinois

Nauvoo, Illinois

Nauvoo is a small city in Hancock County, Illinois, United States. Although the population was just 1,063 at the 2000 census, and despite being difficult to reach due to its location in a remote corner of Illinois, Nauvoo attracts large numbers of visitors for its historic importance and its...

 with Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement

Latter Day Saint movement

The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...

, listed as the printer. The pamphlet advocated polygamy

Polygamy

Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...

. While Smith quickly and publicly disavowed any connection to the work, historians continue to debate the possibility that some aspects of the pamphlet may have represented Smith's thought.

The history of this pamphlet is still shrouded in mystery. Udney Hay Jacob was not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints when it was published. However, Jacob and his family had lived among the Latter Day Saints in Chautauqua, Co. NY in the early 1830s and in the Latter Day Saint region of Illinois (Hancock County

Hancock County, Illinois

Hancock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 19,104, which is a decrease of 5.1% from 20,121 in 2000. Its county seat is Carthage. Hamilton is the largest city in Hancock County, with Carthage being the second largest...

) throughout the period of settlement

History of Nauvoo, Illinois

The known history of Nauvoo, Illinois starts with the Sauk and Fox tribes who frequented the area. By 1827 white settlers had built cabins in the area and the area became known as Commerce, Illinois. In late 1839 arriving Mormons bought the small town of Commerce and in April 1840 it was renamed...

 there. Additionally, Jacob was baptized into the church in 1843, the year after his pamphlet appeared.

Joseph Smith denounced the pamphlet in the December 1, 1842, issue of Times and Seasons

Times and Seasons

Times and Seasons was a 19th-century Latter Day Saint periodical published monthly or twice-monthly at Nauvoo, Illinois, from November 1839 to February 15, 1846...

, the official church newspaper of the day, writing:

There was a book printed at my office, a short time since, written by Udney H. Jacobs, on marriage, without my knowledge; and had I been apprised of it, I should not have printed it; not that I am opposed to any man enjoying his privileges; but I do not wish to have my name associated with the authors, in such an unmeaning rigmarole of nonsence, folly, and trash. JOSEPH SMITH.

However, other sources raise the possibility that this statement may have been misleading. In particular, John D. Lee

John D. Lee

John Doyle Lee was a prominent early Latter-day Saint who was executed for his role in the Mountain Meadows massacre.-Early Mormon leader:...

's 1877 "Confessions" states, speaking about the 1842-43 period:

During the winter Joseph, the Prophet, set a man by the name of Sidney Hay Jacobs to select from the Old Bible scriptures as pertained to polygamy, or celestial marriage, to write it in pamphlet form, and to advocate that doctrine. This he did as a feeler among the people, to pave the way for celestial marriage.

This two chapter pamphlet deals in substantial part with Biblical

Bible

The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...

 marriage

Marriage

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 laws. The text offers several defenses of polygamy that were later used extensively by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS Church), the Latter Day Saint sect who latter migrated to Utah, in defending the practice, arguing for example that polygamy produces greater marital unity than monogamy. The pamphlet also argues vigorously that male authority over females should be absolute and is of divine origin. The text has been influential in the development of 20th- and 21st-century Latter Day Saint polygamous movements.

External links

• Online Copy of "The Peace Maker"
• "The Peace Maker", digital scan of an original copy held by the Harold B. Lee Library
  Harold B. Lee Library
  The Harold B. Lee Library , located in Provo, Utah, is the main academic library of Brigham Young University, the largest religious and second-largest private university in the United States. The library has approximately of shelving for the more than 6 million items in its various collections, as...
  
  , Brigham Young University
  Brigham Young University
  Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...