Mormon Polygamy
The late Mormon prophet Gordon B Hinkley answered the question about Church policy on Mormon polygamy:
“This Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy. They are not members of this Church. . . . If any of our members are found to be practicing plural marriage, they are excommunicated, the most serious penalty the Church can impose. Not only are those so involved in direct violation of the civil law, they are in violation of the law of this Church.”
Mormons do not practice polygamy or plural marriage and have not since 1890 (118 years ago), when Utah became a state. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are often called “Mormons” or “Latter-day Saints,” wishes to be distinguished from groups that practice polygamy. In 2008, one such group (which in the 1990s registered itself as The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) made the headlines because of underage marriages and possible child abuse occurring within the sect. The sect itself claims to be affiliated with the Mormon Church, but in reality it has no connection. Press reports have repeatedly referred to sect members as Mormons who are practicing Mormon polygamy. This is understandably very confusing to the public. The Associated Press style guide tells its reporters that the term Mormon “is not properly applied” to other churches that resulted from schisms occurring after founder Joseph Smith‘s death. Such breakaway polygamist sects are small, reclusive, and have no prophetic guidance or priesthood authority.
Mormon polygamy, however, was an important part of the teachings of the Church for fifty years. The practice began during the lifetime of founder and prophet Joseph Smith but became publicly and widely known during the time of 2nd prophet, Brigham Young. In 1831 Joseph Smith made a prayerful inquiry to the Lord regarding the ancient Old Testament practice of plural marriage. This resulted in the divine instruction to reinstitute the practice as a religious principle. The reason for this is that the current dispensation is the dispensation of the “fulness of times,” or the last dispensation before the second coming of Christ. It is a dispensation of the “restoration of all things,” when all gospel principles are to be restored in their fulness. The law of plural marriage, often called Mormon polygamy, is that it is right only when the Lord orders His children to keep the law, usually to raise up a righteous generation of offspring unto the Lord, or to provide for a large population of women.
Joseph Smith, though he received the revelation regarding plural marriage in 1831, did not share the principle immediately. He himself was reticent and perhaps even fearful of living or causing other people to live according to the law. But the Lord made known that once the principle was revealed, it had to be kept. The revelation is recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 132:
Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servant Joseph, that inasmuch as you have inquired of my hand to know and understand wherein I, the Lord, justified my servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as also Moses, David, and Solomon, my servants, as touching the principle and doctrine of their having many wives and concubines– Behold, and lo, I am the Lord thy God, and will answer thee as touching this matter. Therefore, prepare thy heart to receive and obey the instructions which I am about to give unto you; for all those who have this law revealed unto them must obey the same. . . . Abraham received concubines, and they bore him children; and it was accounted unto him for righteousness, because they were given unto him, and he abode in my law; as Isaac also and Jacob did none other things than that which they were commanded; and because they did none other things than that which they were commanded, they have entered into their exaltation . . . David also received many wives and concubines, and also Solomon and Moses my servants, as also others of my servants, from the beginning of creation until this time; and in nothing did they sin save in those things which they received not of me. . . . I am the Lord thy God, and I gave unto thee, my servant Joseph, an appointment, and restore all things.
After God revealed the doctrine of plural marriage (Mormon polygamy) to Joseph Smith and commanded him to live it, the Prophet, over a period of years, cautiously taught the doctrine to some close associates. Eventually, he and a small number of Church leaders entered into plural marriages in the early years of the Church. The doctrine of Mormon polygamy and its practice were extremely difficult to accept, even for Joseph Smith. Brigham Young, after hearing the doctrine, said he envied the corpses in funeral processions, wishing he could trade places with them rather than embrace the doctrine of polygamy. Those who practiced plural marriage at that time, both male and female, experienced a significant trial of their faith. The practice was so foreign to them that they needed and received personal inspiration from God to help them obey the commandment. When the Saints moved west under the direction of Brigham Young, more Latter-day Saints entered into plural marriages, and yet, plural marriage was only practiced by a fraction of the membership of the Church.
Unlike the reclusive and male-dominated polygamous sects of today, 19th century plural marriage among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was not controlled by the arbitrary authority of one individual. On the contrary, decisions related to marriage were settled by consideration of the feelings of all interested parties. Furthermore, the consent of individual women was always honored in any marriage proposal. Though there was some social and cultural pressure, it was not determinative. Both men and women were free to refuse offers of marriage they found unacceptable, and prophet Brigham Young, as governor, readily granted divorces. Women were granted considerable autonomy. In distinction to the cloistered isolation of today’s polygamous groups, Mormon culture in the 19th century was characterized by a vibrancy of productive activity in various fields of endeavor: education, industry, politics, community-building, agriculture, and many professions. Latter-day Saints strived to embrace modernity, not thwart it (Marlin K. Jensen, Church Historian).
In 1889 in the face of increasing hardships and the threat of government confiscation of Church property, including temples, Wilford Woodruff, president of the Church at the time, prayed for guidance. He was inspired to issue a document that officially ended the sanction of plural marriage by the Church. The document, called the Manifesto, was accepted by Church members in a general conference held in October, 1890 and is published in the Doctrine and Covenants as Official Declaration 1. Describing the reasons for the Manifesto, President Woodruff told Church members, “The Lord showed me by vision and revelation exactly what would take place if we did not stop this practice. If we had not stopped it, you would have had no use for . . . any of the men in this temple . . . for all (temple sacraments) would be stopped throughout the land. . . . Confusion would reign . . . and many men would be made prisoners. This trouble would have come upon the whole Church, and we should have been compelled to stop the practice.”
Since the Lord has commanded that the practice of plural marriage should be stopped, plural marriage is now against the law of God, even in countries where civil or religious law allows the practice of a man having more than one wife. The Church does not accept into membership those practicing plural marriage (LDS.org:Gospel Topics:Polygamy).
The standard doctrine of the Church is now, and always has been, monogamy. In the Book of Mormon it says, “Wherefore my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none. . . . For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things” (Jacob, chapter 2). In other words, the standard of the Lord’s people is monogamy unless the Lord reveals otherwise. Latter-day Saints believe the season the Church practiced Mormon polygamy was one of those exceptions.
October 17th, 2010 at 3:50 am
I am a member of the church and have been all my life. However recently I have been trying to find some answers about the “mormon” involvement with polyamy.The above has helped a fair deal but I was just wondering, what happened to all those families who were practising polygamy after a stop was put in place? What happened to the additional wives and children to those men including the prophet?
October 19th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Polygamy was officially ended under Prophet Wilford Woodruff in 1890. President Woodruff presented the situation to the membership of the Church after receiving a vision from God. However, the Saints were slow to give up responsibility for extended families and to break them apart. Under Prophet Joseph F. Smith, the punishment of excommunication was added in 1904. At that point, it was up to individual families to handle their own circumstances. Some men continued to give financial support to their ex-wives and their children. A few families moved to Mexico in order to continue practicing polygamy. A few apostate sects broke away in order to continue the practice. There is no polygamy in the Mormon Church today, only in these apostate sects, many of which call themselves “Mormons,” causing confusion. You can read more at http://www.mormon-polygamy.org.
March 15th, 2011 at 8:57 pm
if you have nothing to do with polygamist and do not want to be associated with them then how come you study from the book of joseph smith who was a polygamist thats a little two sided. you are associated no matter how you look at it.
March 21st, 2011 at 1:03 pm
I recently read that polygamy will be practiced in the Celestial Realm, is this true? And if so, who does this apply to…all men? Will they have a choice?
Thank you
March 21st, 2011 at 1:25 pm
You’ve gotten a little mixed up. For fifty years, Mormons obeyed a commandment from God to practice polygamy, at great sacrifice to themselves. In 1890 another commandment came from the Lord ending the practice. Since then, Mormons have followed God’s directive and forbid the practice with excommunication as the punishment for those who engage in polygamy. People who practice polygamy and call themselves Mormons are actually not members of the Church. This has nothing to do with the fact that Joseph Smith obeyed the original commandment.
March 21st, 2011 at 2:12 pm
Sorry, this is untrue. Joseph Smith received the revelation from God that polygamy should be practiced and he had polygamous wives, but no offspring from them. Joseph Smith tried for years to teach the doctrine, but the Latter-day Saints wouldn’t receive the information. You can learn more at http://www.mormon-polygamy.org
March 21st, 2011 at 2:17 pm
Well, look at it this way. Virtually all of the ancient prophets, including Abraham and Jacob, had more than one wife, and they are, of course, now in heaven, so there must be some polygamist families in heaven. We always have choice. Agency is an eternal law.
March 25th, 2011 at 9:46 pm
Gale mentioned that there must be polygamist families in heaven. Now, I am not Mormon. I have some friends that are Mormon, so I thought I’d do some research, since I don’t really know much about this belief system. I am, however, familiar with standard protestant teachings. Does the church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints believe that the family unit will be preserved in heaven? If so, how far would that extend? Just the nuclear family or extended family as well?
March 29th, 2011 at 2:28 pm
Good question, and a lot of Mormons wonder the same thing. The Lord reveals things to modern prophets, but even prophets receive information line upon line. We know several things… First, that through faith in Christ and higher sealing ordinances, husband and wife and children may be sealed eternally as a family unit. Second, we can be sealed to our ancestors in an unbroken chain. Third, people who have partaken of sealing covenants and have remained true to those covenants can be eternal families. Fourth, people who are sealed in eternal covenants may be exalted to the highest kingdom of heaven where Christ and God the Father dwell, and they are then sealed as part of their own family, becoming co-heirs with Christ.
Now, with our puny minds, we try to picture a community with mansions in which our nuclear and extended families dwell, and we all are just one, big, happy family. But the truth is, this is all we know. We don’t know how it will look or work in heaven.
May 27th, 2011 at 12:23 pm
Dear Janet,
Actually the book to which you are refering is called ‘The Book of Mormon’, written by ancient Prophets in America, just like Prophets in the Bible. Joseph Smith did not write it, but he was an instrument in the hands of God, translating these sacred words. I have read it, and have prayed to God to know if it is true. I know it is true, and I also know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God in our days. I invite you to read and find out for yourself, if you have not already done so.
June 3rd, 2011 at 1:42 am
are you assuming everybody is going to heaven? Jesus said “their will be no marrying or giving in marriage in heaven”!
June 7th, 2011 at 4:04 pm
There is no marrying in heaven. It’s a covenant that is performed on earth, but marriages can last eternally.
June 20th, 2011 at 10:47 pm
Although I’m not a Mormon, my girlfriend is. Does this mean that I must convert to Mormonism if I want to marry her? I didn’t really want ask this to her directly so please help me out guys
p.s. – this article is very helpful and did clear up some negative understandings with Mormons.
June 28th, 2011 at 2:54 pm
That decision is up to you and your girlfriend. Membership in the Mormon Church offers rich blessings for married couples and parents that most wouldn’t want to be without. Your girlfriend may have always dreamed of a Mormon temple marriage where eternal covenants are made. Or she may not have. We are all at different places in our dedication to the Church. However, if she is willing to marry you and be less active in the Church, that’s one thing. But what if now or later, she desires to be very active, serving in volunteer positions and taking your children to church. Those are decisions you should make now. Come to an agreement on respecting each others’ beliefs and child rearing.
September 5th, 2011 at 11:42 am
Are there any Black members in your Church and are they welcome freely with open arms? Do you allow Interracial Dating and Marriages in the Church as well?
September 23rd, 2011 at 1:45 pm
There are many Black members in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and they are loved. The Church has never, ever segregated congregations. The Church is also growing by leaps and bounds in Africa. You can learn all about this at http://blacklds.org
There is no policy in place regarding interracial marriage. We can marry whomever we want, and interracial marriages occur more and more, just as they are in society in general. Utah, which is about 62% Mormon now, has the highest rate of adoption of Black children by white parents in the U.S.
October 11th, 2011 at 9:11 am
Was the black race cursed until 1978?
October 12th, 2011 at 10:55 am
No, but perhaps the white race wasn’t ready to perform well under black leadership until then.
November 5th, 2011 at 10:51 pm
Yes, there are many Black members in our church and we absolutely open them with open arms. Anyone who doesn’t is not living the gospel as they should. And yes interracial dating and marriages are allowed although probably not encouraged as there tends to be a high percentage of interracial marriages that end up divorced.
March 3rd, 2012 at 8:27 am
Ran there is no policy in place concerning interracial marriage. As Gale said, we are free to marry whomever we choose. The Church encourages temple marriages no matter what race the bride and groom are.