are mormons ashamed of poligamists?

Answer 1

Anyone who is practicing polygamy today is not from my church.

gw

Answer 2

I think "ashamed" is the wrong word. What we should feel is sadness. I believe that most of the so called "fundamentalists" are well intentioned but have been misled from the true intentions and directions of the Lord. I know they feel the same way about everybody else. We would welcome them as well as anybody else back into the congregation upon condition of repentance and making themselves worthy of the covenants and ordinances of the Priesthood. All the publicity they are garnering could be seen as embarrassing but I don't think we have anything to be ashamed of. We followed what the Lord told us to do according to the directions of our prophets, from Joseph Smith through Wilford Woodruff down to the present day with Gordon B. Hinckley. The Holy Ghost confirms to each member, the truthfulness of the Prophets direction. Those that seek to know, will know and that is why the Church continues to grow.

Answer 3

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LdS) issued a Manifesto ending new polygamous relationships in 1890. Some groups didn't accept the Manifesto as being God's word so they broke off from the LdS and still practice polygamy today.

Most LdS I know aren't ashamed of polygamy per se (my own 3rd great grandfather had 12 wives), but rather don't want to be associated with the polygamy-related crimes of the FLDS (Foundamental Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) and other offshoots. The FLDS is the largest Mormon sect practing polygamy. It's prophet Warren Jeffs is being tried for forcing teenage girls (as young as 14) into polygamous relationships. He was charged with accessory to statutory rape.

Answer 4

Of the modern-day polygamist, absolutely.

Of our ancestors who practiced it, not really.

Those who currently practice polygamy are not doing it with the approval of God. They're also not doing as God directed.

When God asked select "Mormons" men to take 2nd and 3rd wives, He gave very specific instructions on who and how that was to happen. The first wife must approve second wife. First AND second wives must approve third, and so on. All wives must be adults and the marriage must be consentual to all spouses. The husband was encouraged to have a separate home/address for each wife (Anyone who's seen more than one adult woman in a home understands the wisdom of this!!!).

I'm not sure how much of this current polygamists are following. When the Manifesto came out, God-sanctioned polygamy was no longer. When Utah became a state, it also became illegal.



I don't like how the anti-polygamy law was put into place. I feel it was originally passed to cause problems for my church. It was applied incorrectly. The law forced men to abandon parts of their families and their duties as husband and father.

When polygamy was outlawed, my own great-something grand father took his mother (a second wife) to another state, got her settled in a house and she never saw her husband again. Whether they actually got a divorce or not, I'm not sure...

Answer 5

Well, the ones that practice it today aren't part of the church. They have branched off into their own church. They don't even follow the same principles as the church does, so I'm not ashamed of them. They have made the choice to stay and practice something that God commanded us not to practice anymore. They have broken one of God's laws, so they are the ones who will have to answer for that.

As far as when polygamy was in effect, It was a time in church history where it was needed. There was a war going on, a lot of men of the church joined the military, or were called to fight. They had to leave their families, homes, everything behind. A lot of them were killed, leaving their wives and kids with nothing. At that time, women couldn't own land or houses, so they would have been thrown out of the houses and off their property by the government. One way to avoid this was to marry someone else.

As Annie said, most multiple wives didn't even live with their husbands. They were married in name only. The men would take care of them, give them the things they needed to survive, but if the woman didn't want to have relations with the husband, it wasn't forced on her. It was all done consentualy and within the laws of the land.

When Joseph Smith was commanded to start practicing polygamy, the laws in his state were such that the age of consent was 9. No, he didn't marry anyone that young. They were all in their late teens, early twenties. He would also ask the male family members if they agreed with the marriage, before the woman was even approached. He didn't rip them away from their families and force them to marry him.

You also have to understand the dynamics of the community back then. Most were poor farmers, and the girls married young, usually around 16-17 years old. That was thought of as normal back then.

I know people say that polygamy is against what God has said, but there are times when it has been commanded of different men to take more then one wife. Look at David, Solomen and Jacob. They all had multiple wives, as God told them to. The problem with David is that he got greedy. He wanted a woman to be his wife that was already married. That was against what God wanted, and so God punished him for that.

If done in the right spirit, with the right intentions in mind, it can work. I sometimes think it would so nice to have another woman who liked to do the cleaning!! That way, I could take care of the kids and cook and she could clean. It would all work out! Would I want my hubby sleeping with another woman? Heck no!!! So I'm not totally able to let myself think it would be a good thing. But if the Lord asked it of me, I would find a way to be OK with it. I'm sure the same applied to the woman who were asked to live it.

Here's a site that explains it in detail, why it was in effect, how it ended, and other info.

Answer 6

ISHAQ:166 “‘You have recited to the people that which I did not bring to you from Allah, and you have said that which He did not say to you.’ The Messenger was grieved and feared Allah greatly.

Sahih Bukhari V7, Bk 62, Nr 64
Aisha: that the Prophet married her when she was six years old and he had sex with her when she was just nine years old.

Sura 17:90
They say: "We will by no means believe in you until you cause a fountain to gush forth from the earth for us.,"…- Sura 17:93 Say: "Am I anything but only a man,- a messenger?"
Bukhari, Vol 2, No. 167 "The sun eclipsed and the prophet jumped up terrified that it might be the Hour (of Judgement)"

This powerless ‘prophet’ who fingered little girls, said the sun sets in a muddy spring, had incest with his own daughter-in-law and spoke up for the devil was startled by an eclipse!...why? because he knew in his heart that he will be doomed on judgement day for his blatant lies.

Answer 7

I look at them the same as anyone else. I think it's disgusting that they are marrying these very young girls and would never choose that lifestyle. Those men are brainwashing these young girls. My family has been part of the LDS church from the beginning of it, and none of my great-great grandfathers had more than one wife, so it's not part of my family history. Our church doesn not practice polygamy, those groups/cults who do are not LDS.

Answer 8

Not sure what you mean, but polygamy is not something the church allows. It was "outlawed" in the late 1800s, I believe. I think you can be excommunicated for being a polygamist.

Answer 9

Most of the ones I have met are a bit. I do not believe they should be however since there is nothing wrong with it. How other people want to live their lives and how they want to love another IS NONE OF MY OR YOUR AFFAIR!

Answer 10

No skin off my teeth.