'Mormons' and Polygamy
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — often referred to as the “Mormon Church” — has repeatedly asked journalists to make clearer distinctions between the 13-million-member worldwide Church and polygamist groups in Utah and surrounding states.
"Inevitably, media attention will turn once again next week to the topic of polygamy when the trial of Warren Jeffs on polygamy-related charges begins. Jeffs is the leader of a polygamist group that has members in the Intermountain West of the United States and in western Canada. Jeffs is not now, and never has been a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons). Neither does he have any connection or association, official or unofficial, with the Church."
Technorati Tags: Polygamy, FLDS, LDS, Mormon Church, Warren Jeffs, Joshuah's House
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2 comments:
Polygamy is allowed to exist in communities dominated by the Mormon Church. You will NOT find polygamy in areas where the Mormom Church is not dominant. This is because the men running the contemporary Mormom Church just look away when horrible things are done to women, like sharing husbands.
The Mormoms control law enforcement in the areas where polygamy exists. Therefore, it's a cop out to say that today's Mormon Church does not condone polygamy and should be separated from its practice.
BTW,how many wives did Joseph Smith have? How's about Brigham Young? I've heard it was more than 26 wives in each case. I can't imagine a less holy, more repulsive domestic arrangement for the women. Judy in Louisiana.
Hi Judy, and thanks for commenting.
Technically, the Mormon church doesn't condone plural marriage (they gave it up in order to acquire political power), and excommunicates those who live the "principle." Perhaps this is the PR story, and it secretly goes on in the LDS church even today, but I have no evidence to support this theory.
I wonder if you are confusing the Mormon church with the fundamentalist groups, such as the FLDS. There is a difference...both camps would agree, I do believe.
Well, anyway, it is incorrect to say that polygamy doesn't exist where the Mormon church is not dominant, and I'll tell you how I know this: I don't live anywhere near a Mormon dominated area, and it exists right here just fine.
Also, your comment reflects a rather ethno-centric understanding of the issue...I think somewhere near 86% of cultures globally are or have been polygamous, so really the reverse is true, and the majority of the earth's population is polygamous.
In reference to your comments about Young or Smith, I have no knowledge of the number of wives either of them possessed, but I have heard that some of the wives of Brigham Young were widows, i.e. older women, and were married as a means of providing protection or covering to them...I see nothing wrong with this, and can imagine far worse situations, such as widows or orphans needing to fend for themselves. To me, that is repulsive!
Grace & Peace,
Joshuah
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