Why is it that the attorney general of Utah thinks that bigamy isn't a big enough felony to prosecute?

Question

As said by the Mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah, Ross C. "Rocky" Anderson on "Big Love: Family, Go Figure" on HBO the Attorney General of Utah will not prosecute bigamy unless there is another crime committed.

This makes me wonder if the number of Mormon polygamists in Utah is so great that they are unable to prosecute them or if they just think it should be permitted. Something fishy is contaminating the Salt Lake!

...And Mormons say they no longer commit bigamy? Hmm, need I say more?

queenof_tartz,

With your answer you must be FLDS. Are you? How many sister wives do you have?

This question and the answers with be used as the basis and support for further questions dealing with Mormons and Polygamy.

If you are one that is answering in favor of Polygamy please list whether your are LDS or FLDS. Thanks!

Answer 1

Maybe one of his wives asked him not to.

Answer 2

First of all- I lived near Salt Lake City for a while and it is important to note that Rocky Anderson is NOT LDS. He is a former ACLU attorney. He pretty much fights everything that the LDS church stands for. How he keeps getting elected is beyond me. Being that he is a former ACLU attorney shows his mentality to live and let live unless it is hurting others. That is most likely why he won't do anything about the Polygamist's in Utah.

Here are some other interesting facts in regards to what others have stated. The LDS church was NOT persecuted originally because of Polygamy. The church was first Organized in upstate New York, from there they moved to Kirtland, Ohio- then to a few different places in Missouri and then to Nauvoo, Illinois. It was in Nauvoo that the practice of Polygamy was started and quite sometime after the church was organized. When the Mormons moved to Utah, it was not a state and in fact was not even part of the US. THe Mormons came into the Salt Lake Valley in 1847 it was not made a state until 1896. The only other people living in the area were indians, and the two groups seemed to get a long.

Also as many have stated, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints no Longer practices Polygamy has not for over 100 years. Anybody practicing it is excommunicated from the church. Also there was never more than 20% of the membership practicing polygamy at the time when it was practiced by the church.

You make it sound like Polygamists over run Utah and that the government does nothing to stop them. I know that local law enforcement does take efforts to stop it because where I used to live, they was a group living in that neighborhood and the law enforcement chased them out of town and arrested alot of them for sex crimes.

The LDS church is speaking out against it to some extent. The leaders make it very clear that it is not tolerated at all. They also excommunicate anybody who participates in this practice. Any one who is convicted of sex crimes or abuse is also excommunicated.

The problem with msot of these groups is not the multiple wives scenario as much as it is the abuse and lawlessness that seems to accompany the lifestyle, which was NEVER part of the practice when it was part of the LDS church.

THere are many misconceptions surrounding this issue, but people just need to be more educated and really get the facts.

THe churches practicing this are the FLDS church and other smaller groups in rural areas throughout the USA.

Answer 3

There are lots of theories about it. Remember when Green was prosecuted about 6-7 years ago, he had gone onto late night TV and bragged about being a polygamist ... this emabrassed the state into prosecuting him. The most common theory to explain why we don't prosecute is that they're technically not commiting polygamy. They only legally marry ONE person, and basically "shack up" with the others, which isn't a crime ... by the letter of the law. A common defense is that others (non-Mormons) do the same thing ... married to one person, but having a girl friend on the side.

So, unless there's another crime committed, the AG's office believes it's a waste of tax payer money ... won't be able to get a conviction.

Another theory for lack of prosecution goes back to religion. Polygamy was dropped in Utah in the 1890's for political reasons ... the Mormons had to agree to give up the practice in order to be granted statehood. However, the religion still tells Mormons that after they die, men who have lived according to their scriptures will become gods, and they are expected to take "plural wives" (7 of them) to populate the planet they will be given. They will then rule this planet like God rules Earth. There are a few who believe that God will look down on them for prosecuting polygamists on Earth because God never really told them to stop practicing it to begin with.

Answer 4

My, my you non Mormons sure do get bored easily!
Any one who practices bigamy or polygamy is excommunicated as soon as it is apparent!
Nor does any official tolerate it! II know nothing of the manner that the Attorney General for Utah does his work, but if he doesn't do his job, he needs to be replaced with a person who will! the church obeys the law of the land, and respects them!
Oh, and by the way, speaking of something smelly? There is something rotten in Questions and Answers when it comes to Mormons, there seem to be a lot more , shall we say disturbed people, always asking about us! We don't mind answering legitimate questions, but you guys go overboard on ignorance of another's right to believe as we choose! Why can't you people get a hobby or something!
I am really getting tired of turning my other cheek! Find another church to pick on for a while! Try the Catholics! They have a lot of good stuff you could ask questions about!
Priests, ect!
What about the Baptists, or the Lutherens? There are so many! It boggles my mind! GO FIND SOME!

Answer 5

You have to understand that Mormon`s controlled Utah Since it was a territory. Utah was not accept as a state because of the Mormon religion and polygamy. That is why most Mormon Churches do not practice having multiple wives. But there are still a few Churches of the Mormon religion that still do. They are not the main steam Mormon but get most of the media attention as if they where.
Seconal do you think it is Worth the money to go after these people.

Answer 6

First of all it's only the FLDS church that commits crimes like this and they are a very small, reserved, private community located mainly in southern Utah, and getting the evidence to prosecute them in their very hard otherwise many more probably would be prosecuted. As for Mormons they DO NOT commit bigamy anymore.

Answer 7

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (commonly referred to as the Mormons) does not condone nor allow polygamy. Any member practicing such will be excommunicated . Those practicing polygamy in Utah are not affiliated with the church and are considered apostate. There is no such thing as a Mormon polygamist. The polygamists in Utah tend to keep to their own isolated communities where local jurisdictions will not prosecute them.

Answer 8

When the mormon faith was started in the 1800's they were prosecuted everywhere because of their beliefs in polygamy. After being kicked out of Missouri, and a number of other states, they found their haven in Utah.

What they do and what they say are entirely different things.

When I took Missouri History back in high school (it was required for graduation), I thought it was hilarious that the textbook that was used in the class actually said that the religion was started by someone who was notorious for being the town drunk. How is it that a religion, such as that, have any kind of credibility knowing that little tidbit of info?

Answer 9

Not all mormons are practicing pologymy or bigamy. BUt, they are sitll under the infeleucne of the curse of it being all over their area . And when they wont stand up against it and fight it, they are fot it.
Bigamy goes against all God stands for, so does Pologamy. and its against the law and should be eliminated it by sending them to jail. But, if the politicians wont do this in that state, then the feds need move in and do it. Most of these scanrios end up with the guy marrying really young kids too. pedophilia, and done in the name of God. God forbid. If they want to practice this and feel its above the law, then they need move somewhere to a remote island that doesnt care and live together with all the women they want. Do note that a man wrote that religion. and few man can handle one wife, let alone many. Only a man would write that religion and it sure has zero to do with God. IF they read scripture they would know that. But when you place your church organization above the word of God, you can say anything is ok. There you go.
But, most in Utah are mormons and few will speak out for whatever the reason, even if they are against this. They could lose all their family and freinds that way, you cant speak against the church.
All we can do really is pray and God will do the rest. Disobedience to God leads to curse and that state is cursed from all of this. Jesus is coming soon and it will all end.
They can believe as they please but when they break the laws, it needs to be dealt with. And if they wont prosecute it, then make it not against the law. if laws arent enforced, why have them. the american public has laughed at this for years.
But< God is not laughing....

Answer 10

Fifty years ago people were prosecuted for all sorts of offenses that are ignored today such as adultery and sodomy. Since the culture accepts that consenting adults can do what ever they want, why single out bigamy? If there is another crime, then this offense can be added.

Answer 11

Basically because the "plural marriages" are never legal ceremonies, only religious ones. So even by their standards, they aren't actually "married" to more than one person. They are married to one, but "sealed" to about ten, like Joseph Smith was.

The only way they can prosecute it is if the girl being "sealed" is under 18, in which case it's accomplice to rape, not bigamy.