Is it true that the church of latter day saints (a.k.a Mormon) permits poligamy?

Question

I'm astonished when a good friend of mine gave an invitation of her FATHER's WEDDING. The fact is her MOM IS STILL ALIVE
And they're all happy of that. How can it be? Doesn't make my sense, christian marriage is monogamous.

#Ever hear of divorce, Einstein?
*Hey Hawkings, her parents were not divorced/ I wouldn't ask if her parents had divorced yet.
Didn't you see the word poligamy?

O, I forgot to tell that I am an Indonesian and my friend, her pa, her ma, and his 2nd step ma are Indonesians.

Our law does not prohibit polygamy. Our 1st president Sukarno had a lot of wives > 100 perhaps, our previous vice pres had 9 wives. Many of state ministers had a lot wives too.

They married this morning (sunday), the party was extravagant. They use the ballroom of JW MARRIOT HOTEL in Jakarta, can you imagine the cost will be. They're not rich at all. Her pa is a just a clerk in a bank, and her ma is a nurse. Her step ma is a clerk too in the same bank another branch.

Her biological mom is very happy (AND SO DOES HER PA & STEP MA) and I cannot stop thinking how this happened.

I am confused, if I had a wife and she cheated on me or ask me to permit her marrying again I can't ever permit her.

Answer 1

In the main church the law of the land forbidding polygamy is strictly followed. In fact if a man marries more than one wife in life he is excommunicated from the church. This know the church still believes in the law of plural marriage. If a man dies his wife can remarry but is not allowed a temple marriage (a life time only marriage) if a woman dies her husband is allow to take a second woman to the temple and be sealed to her for life and all eternity just like his first marriage. They believe that in the hereafter both will be his wives. They also believe that God Himself is married and has many wives. They believe that no one can progress to the fullness of their gospel without having more than one wife. I know they will scream when I say that but it's in their scripture. the 132 section of their Doctrine and Covenants... So unless a man is "lucky" and loses His wife to death he can't get God BEST blessings... Jim

Answer 2

The correct answer is No...and yes, sort of.

"No" is related to the manifesto of 1890 abolishing plural marriages. It was not issued as 'revelation', but mostly as 'good advice'. It was still practiced secretly decades afterwards. Most of the mormon posters will have polygamist grand or great-grandparents. I know I have an incredible amount of aunts.

"Yes" because the doctrine is not abolished - it remains in the Doctrine of Covenants to this day. Why? Because plurality of wives is a requisite to gain godhood. Also, because mormon marriages are 'sealed for time and eternity', a man may remarry after a deceased or divorced spouse, thus increasing his chances of being a god - assuming the next wife is 'sealed' to him.

It's a lot like celestial stepford trophy wives...

Answer 3

Early in the church's history, polygamy was permitted for a time. However, the practice was abolished by church leaders. There were some members who felt the decision to end polygamy was a mistake, and they continued to practice it. They formed separate splinter religions which are based loosely on the Mormon religion but which have some very different beliefs such as polygamy.

As for your friend, isn't it possible that her parents are divorced? If not, and they are polygamous, then they are not following the teachings of the LDS church.

Answer 4

I can't believe some of the answers here. I am a Latter-day Saint (Mormon), and I can tell you that our Church does not permit poligamy in any form whatsoever. Anyone who is a member of our church who practices poligamy will be ex-communicated (kicked out of the church).
Our church stopped the practice of poligamy over 100 years ago. Anyone practicing poligamy now is part of some fundamentalist group--not part of the real Church. So your invitation--if it is a poligamist marriage--is not from a legitimate member of the Mormon church.
For those of you saying that our church is not a Christian church, tell me why the name of our church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Doesn't the name "Jesus Christ" indicate to you that we are followers of Christ? Does that not make us Christian? Or are you coming up with some different definition of what it is to be Christian?

Answer 5

"Some people have supposed that the doctrine of plural marriage was a sort of superfluity, or non-essential to the salvation of mankind. In other words, some of the Saints have said, and believe that a man with one wife, sealed to him by the authority of the Priesthood for time and eternity, will receive an exaltation as great and glorious, if he is faithful, as he possibly could with more than one. I want here to enter my protest against this idea, for I know it is false... Therefore, whoever has imagined that he could obtain the fullness of the blessings pertaining to this celestial law, by complying with only a portion of its conditions, has deceived himself. He cannot do it. When that principle was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith,... he did not falter, although it was not until an angel of God, with a drawn sword, stood before him and commanded that he should enter into the practice of that principle, or he should be utterly destroyed, or rejected....

"If then, this principle was of such great importance that the Prophet himself was threatened with destruction,... it is useless to tell me that there is no blessing attached to obedience to the law, or that a man with only one wife can obtain as great a reward, glory or kingdom as he can with more than one,...

"I understand the law of celestial marriage to mean that every man in this Church, who has the ability to obey and practice it in righteousness and will not, shall be damned, I say I understand it to mean this and nothing less, and I testify in the name of Jesus that it does mean that." (Journal of Discourses, vol. 20, p. 28-31)

Joseph F. Smith, the 6th president of the church

Answer 6

The Church itself does not allow poligamy and will excomunicate anyone. But that does not stop people from doing it and saying that they are Mormon even if they are not a member of the Church.
Christ told us to follow man's law and any Mormon will know that, and Man's law says that poligamy is illegal thus not allowed at all.

Answer 7

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints does not practice polygamy. Your "friend" may be a member of a Mormon Fundamentalist group where they do practice polygamy.

gw

Answer 8

Here's the history of Polygamy in LDS:

1852
Polygamy is openly taught in specially convened conference in Salt Lake City. Revelation dated July 12, 1843, which teaches, even commands, plural marriage to be practiced, is publicly read, then expounded on by Apostle Orson Pratt and President Brigham Young (Smith, Essentials in Church History, p. 394). The revelation is incorporated twenty-four years later (see 1876) into the Doctrine &Covenants. (See 1838c cross-dates.)

1855
Brigham Young preaches a sermon on polygamy in which he explains, "Now if any of you will deny the plurality of wives, and continue to do so, I promise that you will be damned; and I will go still further and say, take this revelation, or any other revelation that the Lord has given, and deny it in your feelings, and I promise that you will be damned" (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 3, p. 266). (See 1838c cross-dates.)

1866
Brigham Young states, "The only men who become Gods, even the sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy" (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 11, p. 269; see 1852b, 1855b). (See also 1838c cross-dates.)

1876
First edition of Doctrine & Covenants without revelation prescribing monogamous marriage is published. Section 132 (current editions) which authorizes polygamy is added (Temple Lot Case, p. 309). (See 1838c cross-dates.)

1879
Mormon Apostle George Q. Cannon declares, "If plural marriage be divine, as the Latter-day Saints say it is, no power on earth can suppress it, unless you crush and destroy the entire people." At the October General Conference Apostle Franklin D. Richards declares, "...the government has determined that polygamy shall be abolished, but the government of heaven had previously determined that polygamy should be established..." (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 20, pp. 276, 314; see 1843b, 1856c, 1866c). (See also 1838c cross-dates.)

1890
(a) "The final blow for Mormon polygamy was the Supreme Court's decision in The Late Corporation of the Church of Jesus Christ vs. United States which upheld the seizure of Church holdings by the federal government" (Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Vol. 21, No. 1, p. 120; see 1887, 1890b). (See also 1838c cross-dates.)

(b) Wilford Woodruff issues the Manifesto in which it is stated, "We are not teaching polygamy or plural marriage, nor permitting any person to enter into its practice ... Inasmuch as laws have been enacted by Congress forbidding plural marriages ... I hereby declare my intention to submit to those laws ... 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" (Doctrine &Covenants, "Official Declaration-1", 1981 ed., p. 291-92). Following Joseph Smith's earlier example (see 1835c, 1838c, 1844b), Church leaders continued to practice polygamy for many years after the manifesto, while lying about the subject to the government, the public and even church members (see 1898b, 1906). (See also 1838c cross-dates.)

1898
October 17, "The Presbyterian synod of Utah, at its closing session in Ogden, passed resolutions declaring that polygamy was still practiced by the 'Mormons' in Utah" (Jenson, Church Chronology; see 1890b, 1906). (See also 1838c cross-dates.)

Answer 9

Well first LDS is not a Christian group not at all. The Mormons (LDS) are a strange lot. Their Prophet (which ever is the current leader) makes doctrine up as the mood strikes.

Joseph Smith their first "Prophet" said God said it was all right after he was caught cheating on his wife. Then another said it as not when the US government was leaning pretty heavy on them to change it.

Answer 10

Yes, Mormons practice polygamy. But of course, only the MEN get to have multiple spouses.

The idea of monogamy has integrated itself into Jewish and Christian marriage. It was not always thus.