D&C 132:64-65: Facilitate Sex Slaves?
The worst of the D&C 132 verses?
64 And again, verily, verily, I say unto you, if any man have a wife, who holds the keys of this power, and he teaches unto her the law of my priesthood, as pertaining to these things, then shall she believe and administer unto him, or she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord your God; for I will destroy her; for I will magnify my name upon all those who receive and abide in my law.
65 Therefore, it shall be lawful in me, if she receive not this law, for him to receive all things whatsoever I, the Lord his God, will give unto him, because she did not believe and administer unto him according to my word; and she then becomes the transgressor; and he is exempt from the law of Sarah, who administered unto Abraham according to the law when I commanded Abraham to take Hagar to wife.
A Common Practice of That Time
The text of Genesis doesn’t say that God was involved or commanded Abraham to take Hagar. Only Section 132 creates this made-up version of the story. It was a common practice of the time, but this action showed lack of faith that God would fulfill His promise. Calling it the law of Sarah makes sense since it was Sarah’s idea.
The Law of Sarah
However, this is the ONLY place in all of scripture where the law of Sarah is mentioned. BYU professor Steven Harper says:
“…having been taught the doctrine, Emma is supposed to facilitate Joseph in taking plural wives as Sarah did Abraham.”
What the Bible says
In Genesis 16, Sarai (later Sarah) gave her Egyptian handmaid Hagar to Abram (Abraham) so that she might bear a child for him, since Sarai herself was barren. The wording is important:
Genesis 16:3 says:
“Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar her maid the Egyptian … and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.”
This shows that Hagar was indeed regarded as a wife or concubine in that act. Sarai formally gave her to Abram.
Why Still Called Sarai’s handmaid?
Even though Abram took Hagar as a wife (concubine):
After Hagar became pregnant and Sarai was resentful, he said, “Your slave is in your hands. Do with her whatever you think best.” (Gen. 16:6)
When Hagar fled after tensions arose, the angel of the Lord told her: “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand” (Gen. 16:9).
Paul in Galatians 4 uses Hagar and Sarah symbolically: Hagar as representing slavery (the old covenant) and Sarah as representing freedom (the covenant of promise).
Surrogate or Sex Slave
While Hagar was a wife, she was a lower-class wife and remained Sarai’s servant. In today’s terms, she met the conditions of a surrogate or a sex slave.
Based on the Genesis story, a better definition of the Law of Sarah would mean that, having been taught the doctrine, a wife is supposed to facilitate her husband in obtaining sex slaves, as Sarah did Abraham.