With the previous commentary establishing some biblical historical groundwork on the doctrine of plural marriage, this might be a good time to give just a bit of non-biblical (yet Old World) cultural commentary. Jedediah M. Grant, a counselor in the First Presidency stated the following:
Celsus was a heathen philosopher; and what does he say upon the subject of Christ and his Apostles, and their belief? He says, “The grand reason why the Gentiles and philosophers of his school persecuted Jesus Christ, was, because he had so many wives; there were Elizabeth, and Mary, and a host of others that followed him.” After Jesus went from the stage of action, the Apostles followed the example of their master … The grand reason [for] the burst of public sentiment in anathemas upon Christ and his disciples, causing his crucifixion, was evidently based upon polygamy, according to the testimony of the philosophers who rose in that age. A belief in the doctrine of a plurality of wives caused the persecution of Jesus and his followers." (Jedediah M. Grant, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1: 345-346; August 7, 1853)
[Quoted from Bruce E. Dana, Mysteries of the Kingdom, pp. 40-41]
“David and Solomon Truly Had Many Wives and Concubines Which Thing Was Abominable Before Me Saith the Lord”
Richard Grant notes that according to the current scholarly view, the Old Testament in its present form is considered to be drawn from the work of four major strands or traditions of Hebrew narration, each with its own agenda. These are identified as the Jehovist, the Elohist, the Deuteronomists, and the Priestly writers, usually referred to by the shorthand, J, E, D, and P. Briefly, these traditions each represent a different view of Hebrew history, each written to achieve a specific objective of the author or authors. The Jehovist (J) was predominantly of Judah, declaring the divine authority of the King, the temple, and the priesthood while E emphasized the role of the individual rather than the priest. Its heroes were Jacob and Joseph. As has been noted previously in the commentary on 1 Nephi 3:3, the brass plates (and thus all subsequent Nephite scripture) are thought to have been primarily influenced by the E tradition.
With this in mind, and according to John Sorenson, it is interesting that the Book of Mormon virtually ignores the Davidic covenant, which is a J element. David is mentioned but six times (twice only incidentally in quotations from Isaiah). Two instances involved strong condemnation of David (see Jacob 1:15, 2:23-24, 31-33). [Richard G. Grant, “The Brass Plates and Their Prophets,” [http://www]. cometozarahemla.org/brassplates/brass-plates.html; see also John L. Sorenson, “The Brass Plates and Biblical Scholarship,” in Nephite Culture and Society, pp. 26-39] [See the commentary on 1 Nephi 3:3]
“Many Wives and Concubines Which Thing Was Abominable Before Me”
In lecturing the Nephites about chastity, Jacob quotes the Lord: “David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord“ (Jacob 2:24). According to McConkie and Millet, by definition, a concubine would be either a woman kept for lewd purposes or a lawful wife of a lower social standing than her husband’s other wife or wives (see also Mosiah 11:2). Hagar, plural wife of Abraham, would be an example of the latter, inasmuch as Abraham did only that which he was commanded (D&C 132:37). The offense to which Jacob made reference was the Nephites’ consorting either with paramours or with wives improperly taken. At issue here is the antecedent to the phrase ”which thing." Those eager to condemn the practice of plural marriage in the early years of this dispensation have used this text to argue that Jacob is denouncing the practice of plural marriage. Such is neither textually nor doctrinally correct. At various times God has called upon his people to enter that marriage discipline given to Abraham, the practice known as plural marriage. There is no indication whatsoever in the biblical account that God was in any way displeased or even concerned that Abraham took Hagar, Sarah’s handmaid, to wife (Genesis 16). We learn, in fact, in modern revelation that God himself commanded it (see D&C 132).
Why then, are the actions of David and Solomon spoken of as abominations? Why does the taking of plural wives by Abraham, Jacob, or Moses go uncondemned? Jacob was denouncing unauthorized marriages, on the part of David and Solomon. Such constituted adultery, sexual sin against the marriage covenant. David’s adulterous actions with Bathsheba were unauthorized and condemned (2 Samuel 11-12). Solomon’s marriage was to “strange wives,” or to foreign women who turned his heart away from the everlasting covenant and the worship of the Lord Jehovah, and was unauthorized and condemned (1 Kings 11). [Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, Vol. II, p. 20]