Modern Polygamy and Mormon Fundamentalism: The Generations after the Manifesto - Softcover

Hales, Brian C.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1589581091 ISBN 13: 9781589581098

Publisher: Greg Kofford Books, 2006

Synopsis

Winner of the John Whitmer Historical Association’s Smith-Pettit Best Book Award! Under the subject of alternative lifestyles, the issue of polygamous relationships falls squarely in the middle of the debate. Polygamous marriages are a common practice in many other countries, but the United States has vehemently opposed such unions and will no doubt find itself disputing its position on them again in the near future. As with the same-sex marriage issue, a firestorm of controversy surrounds the question since the right to participate in a polygamous union is very much tied to the right to live out one’s preferences, religious or not. Detailed accounts of sexual abuse and child brides are frequently leaked from the various polygamous societies, notwithstanding their extreme efforts to remain under the radar of law enforcement and the press. A by-product of these mysterious societies is that public interest is vitalized by their continuous efforts to gain independence from traditionalist culture. This fascinating study seeks to trace the historical tapestry that is early Mormon polygamy, details the official discontinuation of the practice by the Church, and, for the first time, describes the many zeal-driven organizations that arose in the wake of that decision. Among the polygamous groups discussed are the LeBaronites, whose “blood atonement” killings sent fear throughout Mormon communities in the late seventies and the eighties; the FLDS Church, which made news recently over its construction of a compound and temple in Texas and Warren Jeffs' arrest and conviction; and the Allred and Kingston groups, two major factions with substantial membership statistics both in and out of the United States. All these fascinating histories, along with those of the smaller independent groups, are examined and explained in a way that all can appreciate.

About this title

About the Author:

Brian C. Hales, co-author of the 1992 publication The Priesthood of Modern Polygamy, an LDS Perspective, works as an anesthesiologist at the Davis Hospital and Medical Center in Layton, Utah. An active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a former full-time missionary, he is the webmaster of mormonfundamentalism.com, a website dedicated to provided viewers with a historical and doctrinal examination of Mormon fundamentalist topics including the practice of polygamy. Brian has presented at the Mormon History Association meetings and at the Sunstone Symposium on polygamy-related topics. His articles have also been published in Dialogue, A Journal of Mormon Thought and the Journal of Mormon History. In addition to his historical works, Brian has authored three books on doctrinal themes entitled The Veil (Cedar Fort, 2000), Trials (Cedar Fort, 2002), and Light (Cedar Fort, 2004) He is the father of four children.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

Chapter 1

Plural Marriage Restored

One of the more controversial doctrines taught by the Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith was that, under the proper circumstances, the marriage of one man to more than one wife was sanctified and holy.1 For puritan mentalities of nineteenth-century America, the practice was virtually unheard of except as an exotic practice of the "heathen Turks," and resistance was high.2 Nevertheless, Joseph Smith felt compelled to teach a new form of marriage which he believed the Lord had restored to the earth through him. Called the "New and Everlasting Covenant of Marriage," it described how husbands and wives may be joined together in a bond that transcended death. Included as a part of this new marriage covenant was plural marriage as had been practiced by Old Testament patriarchs.3 Joseph Smith and Plural Marriage

Precisely when Joseph Smith learned of the correctness of plural marriage is not known. He published the Book of Mormon in 1830, which states: "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 2:27, 30). While specifying monogamy, this statement leaves the door open for future polygamy should God command it.

It appears that Joseph Smith may have asked the Lord about plural marriage as early as 1831. In that year Joseph felt inspired to revise the Bible wherein he reviewed the accounts of the ancient patriarchs who practiced polygamy.4 Abraham was married to Sarai (Sarah) and had two additional wives: Hagar (Gen. 16: 1-3) and later Keturah (Gen. 25:1) and concubines (Gen. 25:6). Jacob, (renamed Israel by God), had twelve sons by four wives and concubines (Leah, Rachel, Bilhah, and Zilpah). Moses too was a polygamist (Exod. 2:21; Num. 12:1). Early Church member Lyman E. Johnson recalled that "Joseph ...

About this edition

• Publisher: Greg Kofford Books
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1589581091
• ISBN 13: 9781589581098
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 550