Book of Mormon Commentary, Reynolds & Sjodahl, 1:330,332
“‘In that day,’ (14:1) when the judgments will have removed so many men that there is a great scarcity of them, ‘seven women’ (meaning simply a lot of women) will request a man’s hand in marriage. Economic problems will be such that these women will be willing to provide their own food and clothing, contrary to the usual marriage customs. According to the Hebrew scriptures (Ex. 21:10), a man was required to provide a wife with food and clothing; but in this case Isaiah observes that the women are willing to waive that right. Having a good knowledge of the importance of marriage, they request a man to take away their reproach. In Isaiah’s day and, indeed, in many parts of the Near East today, it was and is a disgrace to remain unmarried.” (Sidney Sperry, Book of Mormon Compendium, pp.183-184)
“Many years ago I attended a large gathering of Church members in the city of Berlin, Germany… . The majority of those who sat on crowded benches were women about middle age—and alone. Suddenly it dawned on me that perhaps these were widows, having lost their husbands during World Was II… . So I asked the conducting officer to take a sort of standing roll call. When he asked all those who were widows to please arise, it seemed that half the vast throng stood. Their faces reflected the grim effect of war’s cruelty. Their hopes had been shattered, their lives altered, and their future had in a way been taken from them.” (Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, Nov. 1994, p. 68)