Polygamy

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Painted scene inside a dim wood-paneled room. On the left, a tall blond angel in a flowing white robe stands with outstretched white feathered wings, holding a long sword whose blade is wrapped in bright orange flame and pointed downward. Behind the angel, projected on the wall, a much larger shadow with curved horns, jagged batlike wings, and a snarling face looms. On the right, Joseph Smith — a man in a brown frock coat and gold waistcoat — drops to one knee on the wood floor with both hands raised in a defensive, pleading posture, his face turned up toward the angel in alarm. A small wooden table with an open book sits to the left; an unmade bed is visible through a doorway on the right.

An Angel with a Drawn Sword Threatens Joseph Smith into Practicing Polygamy
Painted scene inside an opulent Nauvoo parlor lit by a chandelier and oil lamps. In the center, Joseph Smith stands in a dark blue Nauvoo Legion uniform with gold epaulettes, raising a wine glass and smiling. A laughing woman in a floral dress holds up a fan beside him. Other young women in fine period dress and an older butler in a black coat provide them with hors d'oeuvres and wine. Through the large window behind Smith, an orange fire glows in the street where silhouetted men swing tools to smash a printing press.

Joseph Smith Celebrates Polygamy, Power, and Excess as His Mob Destroys the Nauvoo Expositor Press
Painted scene inside a dimly lit Nauvoo parlor at dusk. From left: Joseph Smith leans forward in a dark coat, pointing accusingly toward a young woman while holding out a handwritten letter. In the center, 19-year-old Nancy Rigdon recoils in a gray-green dress with her hands raised in refusal, an alarmed expression on her face. To the right, her father Sidney Rigdon stands grim-faced in a dark suit and bow tie. Onlookers in period dress watch from the shadows. An old wall clock and a window framing the Nauvoo skyline anchor the room.

Joseph Smith Gives 19 Year-Old Nancy Rigdon the 'Happiness Letter' After Her Polygamy Rejection
Painted nighttime scene in a dimly lit barnyard. In the center, Joseph Smith is smeared with black tar and struggles to escape as an angry mob led by Eli Johnson dumps a bag of feathers over him. Smith reaches out toward 16 year-old Nancy Marinda Johnson, with whom he has had an improper relationship. Marinda stands with her hands raised to her face in shame.

Joseph Smith Is Tarred and Feathered for His Improper Relationship With 16 Year-Old Nancy Marinda Johnson
Oil-painted portrait of 14 year-old Helen Mar Kimball in a blue mid-19th-century dress with a white lace collar and cuffs, holding a small bouquet of flowers, and expressing a sad, downcast appearance. She stands beside 37 year-old Joseph Smith, to whom she has recently been plural married. Smith wears a black formal coat, vest, white shirt, and black bow tie.

Joseph Smith Takes 14 Year-Old Helen Mar Kimball as One of His Many Plural Wives
Painted scene inside a dim wooden barn lit by a handheld lantern. From left: Emma Smith, a dark-haired woman in a gray-green period dress with a stern expression, holds the lantern aloft. In the center, Joseph Smith stands in a brown coat, vest, and white cravat, looking caught and troubled. To the right, 16 year-old Fanny Alger in a white bonnet and apron-like dress grips Smith's arm with a frightened look.

Emma Discovers Joseph Smith’s Secret Relationship With 16 Year-Old Fanny Alger