Let's see if this is true or not.
The argument: Mormon's definitely practice polygamy, I hear about it on the news all the time! (read an article here)
The response: Mormon's used to practice polygamy, but abandoned the practice over 100 years ago and now if anyone who is a member of the LDS Church is found to practice polygamy, they will be immediately excommunicated from the church.
Evidence to support the response: excerpts from the Official Church Declaration 1 (read it here) states " I, therefore, as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, do hereby, in the most solemn manner, declare that these charges are false. We are not teaching polygamy or plural marriage, nor permitting any person to enter into its practice, and I deny that either forty or any other number of plural marriages have during that period been solemnized in our Temples or in any other place in the Territory."
It continues with:
"There is nothing in my teachings to the Church or in those of my associates, during the time specified, which can be reasonably construed to inculcate or encourage polygamy; and when any Elder of the Church has used language which appeared to convey any such teaching, he has been promptly reproved. And I now publicly declare that my advice to the Latter-day Saints is to refrain from contracting any marriage forbidden by the law of the land."
Wilford Woodruff
President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Salt Lake City, Utah, October 6, 1890.
So what this is saying is that the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in 1890 (which is almost 120 years ago), declared officially an end to the practice of plural marriage among Mormon's.
However, although this declaration was made, a few splinter groups arose (such as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) which continued to adhere to the doctrine of plural marriage and continue to do so today, despite federal laws and the teachings of current LDS Church leadership.
Now, did the original Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ever practice polygamy? Certainly. Though there is some disagreement as to when LDS Church leaders started the practice, it is generally considered to have been a part of the church between 1852 and 1890 (the year the official declaration was issued).
Now the question remains, why did the church ever have this practice? The answer to that is, simply, because God commanded them to. Is this a new thing among Christian church leaders and prophets? No. In fact, the great prophet Abraham had many wives and "concubines" (a term used in ancient days for legal wives of lesser social standing). This is referred to in Genesis Chapter 25 verse 6 (read it here).
Getting back to the myth, are Mormon's polygamists? Well as we can see, the answer depends on what you mean by Mormons (which by the way is not an official title of a member of the LDS Church, it is only a nickname). If by Mormons you mean members of the LDS Church from 1890 till now, then obviously no, they are not polygamists, the practice was abandoned 118 years ago. Now if when you say Mormon's you mean any member of a church that is rooted in basic LDS theology but that had splintered off to start their own church (churches such as the FLDS church, and a few others), then yes, there may be some few groups who practice polygamy.
But for purposes of this myth, because the mainstream church, the large organization that everyone usually thinks of when they say Mormon, because they do not practice polygamy, we have to call this myth totally busted! Mormon's in general absolutely do not practice polygamy.
President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Salt Lake City, Utah, October 6, 1890.
So what this is saying is that the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in 1890 (which is almost 120 years ago), declared officially an end to the practice of plural marriage among Mormon's.
However, although this declaration was made, a few splinter groups arose (such as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) which continued to adhere to the doctrine of plural marriage and continue to do so today, despite federal laws and the teachings of current LDS Church leadership.
Now, did the original Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ever practice polygamy? Certainly. Though there is some disagreement as to when LDS Church leaders started the practice, it is generally considered to have been a part of the church between 1852 and 1890 (the year the official declaration was issued).
Now the question remains, why did the church ever have this practice? The answer to that is, simply, because God commanded them to. Is this a new thing among Christian church leaders and prophets? No. In fact, the great prophet Abraham had many wives and "concubines" (a term used in ancient days for legal wives of lesser social standing). This is referred to in Genesis Chapter 25 verse 6 (read it here).
Getting back to the myth, are Mormon's polygamists? Well as we can see, the answer depends on what you mean by Mormons (which by the way is not an official title of a member of the LDS Church, it is only a nickname). If by Mormons you mean members of the LDS Church from 1890 till now, then obviously no, they are not polygamists, the practice was abandoned 118 years ago. Now if when you say Mormon's you mean any member of a church that is rooted in basic LDS theology but that had splintered off to start their own church (churches such as the FLDS church, and a few others), then yes, there may be some few groups who practice polygamy.
But for purposes of this myth, because the mainstream church, the large organization that everyone usually thinks of when they say Mormon, because they do not practice polygamy, we have to call this myth totally busted! Mormon's in general absolutely do not practice polygamy.
This is a video from the late LDS Church president Gordon B. Hinckley re-affirming the official stance of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with regard to the practice of polygamy.
4 comments:
Well stated post. Keep up the good work.
I am very confused about the current LDS Church and polygamy. I grew up around Mormons, and generally thought of them as "pro child", in spite of the history of polygamy, which I feel was repugnant.
A clergyman friend of mine, who has worked with victims of the FLDS, encouraged me to do blog searches by Mormons on the FLDS. I was shocked to see the number of people who identify themselves as practicing Mormons who felt Texas violated the FLDS's rights. Trust me, having worked with CPS, they had every right to remove those children.
And this same clergyman who works in Utah, believes the Mormons in government have turned a blind eye to the child abuse of polygamist cults in their own state.
I assume all this means is that children are very expendible to the followers of Joseph Smith.
Thank you for setting everyone straight. Just one clarification: it seems to me that most of the groups that broke off from the church, such as FLDS and Community of Christ members don't refer to themselves as mormons. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are the only true mormons.
I'm so relieved to see that there were only 2 myths about the LDS Church needing de-bunking.
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