Smith and Sarah Whitney agree to
preserve themselves for each other and from all others forever—a puzzling agreement
considering Smith’s complex marital situation. But a caveat is given to his
arrangement to accommodate Joseph Smith’s other relationships. The revelation
continues, “reserving only those rights which have been given to my servant
Joseph by revelation and commandment and by legal Authority in times passed.”
It appears that Smith’s reserved rights have to do with his plural wives that
were designated by command/revelation, while the “legal Authority” reference
refers to his legal marriage to Emma Smith. Joseph is to preserve himself from
all others, except for his legal and revelation-designed plural marriages, past
and future. (Clair Barrus, “Prologues to Plurality: A Study of Joseph Smith’s
Revelations on Marriage,” in Secret Covenants: New Insights on Early Mormon
Polygamy, ed. Charyl L. Bruno [Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2024], 22)
Rights are again mentioned regarding
Whitney and Smith’s relationship: “If you both agree to covenant and do this,
then I give you S. A. [Sarah Ann] Whitney my Daughter to Joseph Smith to be his
wife and observe all the rights betwe[e]n you both that belong to that
condition.” Note that Sarah is given to Joseph, but Joseph is not given to Sarah.
The same practice continued later in sealings. The revelation invokes ancient
priesthood lines, which will “concentrate” through their posterity. (Ibid.,
22-23)