A presentation titled Pregnant Possibilities was given by Mark Tensmeyer, Joseph Stanford, Amanda Hendrix-Komoto, John Kidd, & myself (Rick Bennett.) This was similar to a presentation at Sunstone & John Whitmer Historical Association in August, September, & October 2025. We tackled the question on how many children Joseph Smith should have had with his plural wives. (It is a lot less than you think!) Mark gave a history, Joseph outlined the science behind calculating pregnancy, Rick did the calculations on expected number of children & probability Joseph Smith had no children from his plural wives. John ran 1,000,000 simulations of the scenario to randomize women's cycles and coitus, and Amanda discussed birth control & abortion in the 19th century. It's a fascinating presentation that we hope to publish soon. Check out our presentation from August & October. (You may want to view on Youtube to see the slides used in the presentations.)

https://youtu.be/gL0P5F5FZcc

Don’t miss our other conversations about Joseph Smith's polygamy: https://gospeltangents.com/lds_theology/polygamy/

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Pregnant Possibilities
The polygamous unions of Joseph Smith in Nauvoo present historians with a persistent and colorful mystery: the apparent lack of known children fathered by Smith with any of his wives other than Emma. Clearly, Joseph Smith was fertile, having fathered nine children with Emma. This question regarding the lack of progeny was the central focus of the 2025 Sunstone Symposium session, "Pregnant Possibilities: Sexuality and Early Mormon Polygamy," which involved a multidisciplinary approach combining historical research, statistical modeling, and reproductive science.

The presentation drew on the expertise of historian Mark Tensmeyer, JD (focusing on historical claims and Joseph Smith's movements), Dr. Amanda Hendrix-Komoto (discussing abortion and birth control history), Dr. Joseph Stanford (an MD specializing in fertility and the mechanics of pregnancy), Rick Bennett (a biostatistician who hosted the session and developed the mathematical models), and Dr John Kidd (who ran 1,000,000 simulations.)
Does Marriage Equal Sex?
The puzzle of the missing children was vividly encapsulated by Joseph Smith III, who found it "incomprehensible" that his "father should have had such a crew of lusty young women as wives, and not one of them had a baby by him. Not one, not a single baby".

The presentation emphasized that while there are no identified or verified children from these plural unions, historians cannot definitively state that there were no children. Factors such as high infant mortality, stillbirth, or children who grew up under different names could account for unknown progeny.

Mark Tensmeyer examined the foundational question: Does the fact that Joseph Smith married these women mean that he was sexually active with them?. While there is direct testimony of consummation for some wives (such as Emily Partridge and Melissa Lott), for the majority, evidence is absent or scarce.

Arguments supporting consummation included the 19th-century societal norm where a marriage was often not considered complete if unconsummated. Conversely, arguments suggesting limited or no consummation centered on:

* Smith’s lack of cohabitation with many plural wiv...