Wilford Woodruff issues the 1890 Manifesto ending official polygamy

Background. By 1890, the LDS Church faced severe anti-polygamy pressure from the U.S. Congress. The government had disincorporated the church, escheated its assets to the federal government, and imprisoned prominent polygamists. Woodruff had already begun refusing permission for new plural marriages in April 1889 and publicly admitted this in October 1889, stating the church intended to obey the law.

Issuance and Revelation. Woodruff stated that on the night of September 23, 1890, he received a revelation from Jesus Christ instructing the church to cease the practice of plural marriage. The Manifesto, also known as the Woodruff Manifesto, was issued in September 1890. It officially advised against any future plural marriage, marking a shift from previous practices.

Church Acceptance. At a general conference in Salt Lake City on October 6, 1890, the Manifesto was read. Lorenzo Snow, president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, moved that the church accept Woodruff's declaration as authoritative and binding. The membership formally accepted it, though many held reservations or abstained from voting.