Mormons and Polygamy

Do Mormons practice polygamy? No. 

President Gordon B. Hinckley, the previous prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, made the following statement in 1998 about the Church's position on plural marriage:

"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."

"But..but..but..Brigham Young and Joseph Smith were polygamists! And the people in 'Big Love' are polygamists!" Correct.  Now let me explain.

First of all,"Big Love" has nothing to do with Mormons. Also "Sister Wives" aren't Mormon either.  Warren Jeffs isn't Mormon. If you ever find anyone today practicing polygamy, they aren't Mormon.  

At various times, the Lord has commanded His people to practice plural marriage. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and Solomon were all prophets in the Bible who had multiple wives. At other times, the Lord commands His people not to practice polygamy.  In The Book of Mormon, the prophet Jacob said to the people: "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"(Jacob 2:27); The Lord is all-knowing and His ways are always right. If He commands us to have multiple wives or pay tithing or love our neighbor, we do it because He is the God of the whole earth and knows what is best. It is not our place to question His wisdom.

The Lord commanded some of the early Saints to practice plural marriage. The Prophet Joseph Smith and those closest to him, including Brigham Young, were challenged by this command, but they obeyed it. Brigham Young recounted his struggle with this commandment as such: "I was not desirous of shrinking from any duty, nor of failing in the least to do as I was commanded, but it was the first time in my life that I had desired the grave, and I could hardly get over it for a long time.  And when I saw a funeral, I felt to envy the corpse its situation, and to regret that I was not in the coffin." 

I don't know all the reasons why the Lord commanded polygamy at that time nor will I pretend to. But I have an assumption. It is that the Mormons were constantly being persecuted and as a result many Mormon men were killed. There weren't enough men for the women to marry and have children with in the Church and most if not all men outside of the Church wouldn't want to marry a Mormon woman anyway. This helped support all of the women who were left without husbands to provide for them.

Church leaders regulated the practice. Only about 10% of the members practiced polygamy and those entering into it had to be authorized to do so. In 1890, President Wilford Woodruff, prophet and president of the Church at that time, received a revelation from the Lord that the leaders of the Church should cease teaching the practice of plural marriage.

Mormons do not practice polygamy. Yes we used to just like they used to in the Bible.  However it has not been allowed in over 120 years. I have one mom. I will be my future husband's only wife.

Amen.