Do you have any Mormon friends that condemn polygamy?

Question

Most LDS Mormons that I speak to always ramble off that they don't practice polygamy openly anymore because it's illegal. But one thing they are not willing to mention is the fact that polygamy is evil and goes against the Ten Commandments.

They try to defend it by saying that the ancients practice polygamy but they also practiced incest and ritual killings. Not a valid agrument Latter Day's!

"Thou Shall Not Commit Adultery"

Since it was never legal to marry more than one wife marriage beyond the first is bigamy and by the Christian church is considered Adultery! I can't get one of my Mormon friends to admit that adultery is wrong but in the Christian church it is a sin!

Polygamy practiced by Joseph Smith and Brigham Young not only mocked marriage but it mocked RELIGION!

Answer 1

I'm LDS. Adultery is wrong and the LDS church hasn't practiced polygamy for over a hundred years. Polygamy practiced today? wrong.

Answer 2

I don't think Joseph Smith ever had more than one wife.

Also, whats the difference today. There are many men who never "marry" but have how many multiple partners at a time. Or marry and divorce and get married again and again. The first is okay because even though he's sleeping with all the women he's not "married" to them. No adultery or sin there. The second well he's not "married" to all of them at the same time so it's not adultery. And then there's guys who are married but get a little "somethin' somethin'" on the side. That's adultery but at least its not polygamy!!

I mean there's guys out there (if you watch the Maury show) that have children with two to five different women but was never married to any of them, let alone all of them at the same time. And never take care of any of them. Is that better or different because it doesn't fall under the term "polygamy"
At least Brigham Young took care and seemed to love of all of his wives and children (even if it were "wrong") Besides if you read anything on the acutal history of it, the way Brigham Young and others that practiced polygamy at time, wasn't in the sense you are intending it in the first place so. Try watching the PBS special on Mormons.

I'm not saying that polygamy was good in the least in the sense your meaning it. I'm just saying there are many people in many religions that are practicing the same thing (in one way or another-as stated above), just it doesn't have that label and legality around it like the word polygamy.
But somehow that's okay though?? No mockery there?

Answer 3

Adultery is sexual relations outside of marriage. To Mormons, this is a Sin.

Polygamy has been followed by many of those mentioned previously (David, Moses, etc), and currently polygamy is frowned upon and not followed.

Polygamy, when it was instituted in the early days of the Church was not allowed for any member. It was a practice that was used to build keep the first commandment, "Multiply & Replenish the Earth". Not to endulge in human behaviors. Just the opposite, only those who had shown that they had reasonable control over their urges and impulses were allowed to follow the practice. Some statistics show that even less than 5% of Mormon men were allowed to follow that practice. Only those that were able to take care of their families. In fact, many members received Church discipline because of their abuse in the practice.

HOWEVER, theoretically & theologically, although unlikely, the Church could reinstitute polygamy in areas where it is not Illegal (like it is in the USA), and Mormons, even though most would not like this, would still follow it after receiving their own confirmation that this is what the Lord wants. After all, Mormons don't teach that we should follow blindly but rather fast and pray for confirmations of Church teachings.

As Christ taught, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things..."

Answer 4

Thou shalt not commit adultery

Then Moses the one who wrote down the ten commandents, Abraham, Isaac, Solomon, and David and a whole more old testament historic figures practiced polygamy.

Who says it was never legal? hmmmmm

Mormons don't practice polygamy and haven't for over 100 years. The ones who are pradticing polygamy today are not in the church but a different sect all together.

Answer 5

you will be able to desire to be a sort of Fundamentalists who've some key scriptures memorized and ignores something of the Bible, when you consider which you appear to be particularly blind to the reality that polygamy substitute into practiced in Biblical cases via very almost everybody. Abraham, Jacob, Issac, and the checklist is going on practiced polygamy so if polygamy is Satanic, then so is the Bible. i presumed you fundamentalists weren't meant to gamble.

Answer 6

I have a Mormon friend that is a deacon or whatever they call it in their organizational structure. All he has ever said on the practice of polygamy is God only gave him one wife. He does not know the heart of other Mormons.

Answer 7

You are incorrect when you say that it was never legal to marry more than one wife. These were not just ordinary men practicing polygamy anciently but chosen prophets of God practiced polygamy anciently. Abraham practiced polygamy. Paul says this about Abraham:

"Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham." (Galatians 3: 7-9) If Abraham was an adulterer and a sinner why does Paul say he is faithful and why did God promise him such wonderful blessings?

The prophet Nathan said to David, "Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom." (2 Samuel 12:7-8) From this verse we can learn that God gave David many wives. God giving David his wives is an endorsement of the marriages that God gave him.

It is not adultery if multiple marriages are approved of God. Currently God does not approve of plural marriage but to deny that God ever did approve of plural marriage is to deny the Bible.

Answer 8

Then why do so many men in the bible have multiple wives?

All the Mormons I've known have said polygamy is wrong, and they've all been more pleasant than most of the Protestants here.

Answer 9

Adultery IS a sin, in our church, one that gets people excommunicated.

Plural marriage also. God has excused us from practicing it. If any member of te Church of JESUS CRIST of al-latter sainn

Answer 10

You are speaking strictly from a judeo-christian reference of the past 2 milennia. Historically and genetically males have tended to hoard and dominate harems of females similar to primate tribes. Greeks practiced sexual ambiguity for hundreds of years, Minoans practiced more public nudity than a Buenos Aires beach. Romans observed 'marriage' from an economic standpoint and had 'affairs' as much as we have cell phones. I'm willing to bet you've never seen Roman 'suburban' art.

Christianity is a recent thing, and hopefully it'll die out as people realize they don't need an invisible deity to tell them 'right from wrong', who to bed or what to drink. Civilization will continue in spite of, not because of religious bias.