why do Mormons believe it is ok to have more than one wife?

Question

I have a few friends that are mormon and I always wanted to know but i didn't want to offend them. I just wonder why the religion approves of it. Also, why are the girls ok with that?

Answer 1

Mormonism: (1) Jesus was a polygamist, (2) only polygamists become Gods, (3) the LDS Church denies the practice, and (4) Joseph Smith denies the practice, even while being married to several women.
http://www.irr.org/MIT/WDIST/wdist-polygamy.html

Mormon men are Luciferic and want to become gods of their own universes and believe they need multiple wives to populate these planets. They also believe that our God is a polygamist and that the Messiah was, also. Mormons believe that there is polygamy is heaven and that when Jesus Christ returns to earth they will again pratice polygamy with His blessings. I almost married a Mormon back in the 1980's and he wanted to make sure I was okay with polygamy. As the first wife (and BTW, I didn't know at the time, but my family was Mormon polygamists in the 1850's with Brigham Young) I was willing to accept it. Stupid, stupid me. Shame on the Mormons for being so ignorant, lustful, and perverted.

(Mormon scripture reference: Doctrine and Covenants
section 132)

Mormons allow a living man to be sealed again after the death of his wife, or after divorce. This leads to the obvious situation of establishing multiple sealings on earth that will mean polygamy in heaven. President Joseph Fielding Smith remarried after the death of his first wife, and in his book, Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 2, page 67, he remarked: "...my wives will be mine in eternity."

Harold B. Lee, the 11th president of the church, also remarried, and was sealed to another woman, after his wife's death and was looking forward to a polygamous relationship in heaven. He, in fact, wrote a poem in which he reflected:

"My lovely Joan was sent to me:
So Joan [his second wife] joins Fern [his first wife]
That three might be, more fitted for eternity.
'O Heavenly Father, my thanks to thee' "
(Deseret News 1974 Church Almanac, page 17)

The Mormon church leaders realize the quagmire their doctrine of 'eternal families' becomes with blended families, but don't have any good answers.

"Family members need not worry about the sealing situation of blended families as it might be in the next life. Our concern is to live the gospel now and to love others, especially those in our family. If we live the gospel to the best of our ability, the Lord in His love and mercy will bless us in the next life and all things will be right.

"I have seen some new blended families become torn apart by worrying about who will belong to whom and who will be with whom in the next life. My mother, who is sealed to my deceased father, is married to a widower who is sealed to his first wife, who died childless. My mother and her second husband have a son, who is my brother. We are not concerned about who will be sealed to whom. We simply trust in the Lord's wisdom and love and try to live righteously. . . ." (Ensign, Aug. 1997, p.24)

I know that when my grandfather remarried after the death of my grandmother, the family certainly believed that the new wife, sealed to him in the temple, would be an equal wife with my grandmother in heaven. The official LDS Church Handbook of Instruction says:

"Living Women -- A living woman may be sealed to only one husband. . . .

"Living Men -- If a husband and wife have been sealed and the wife dies, the man may have another woman sealed to him if she is not already sealed." (Church Handbook of Instruction, p.72)

Obviously, the LDS Church continues to believe polygamy will be practiced in heaven, they just don't want to admit it publicly for fear of looking strange.

Mormon Apostle Orson Pratt argued that "if plurality of marriage is not true or in other words, if a man has no divine right to marry two wives or more in this world, then marriage for eternity is not true, and your faith is all vain, and all the sealing ordinances and powers, pertaining to marriages for eternity are vain, worthless, good for nothing; for as sure as one is true the other also must be true" (Journal of Discourses, vol. 21, p.296).

While the Mormon people are no longer allowed to practice polygamy, they have not repudiated the doctrine. They still teach that polygamy is practiced in heaven. Mormon writer John J. Stewart explains:

The Church has never, and certainly will never, renounce this doctrine. The revelation on plural marriage is still an integral part of LDS scripture, and always will be. If a woman, sealed to her husband for time and eternity, precedes her husband in death, it is his privilege to marry another also for time and eternity, providing that he is worthy of doing so. Consider, for instance, the case of President Joseph Fielding Smith of the Council of the Twelve, one of the greatest men upon the earth.... After the death of his first wife President Joseph Fielding Smith married another, and each of these good women are sealed to him for time and all eternity (Brigham Young and His Wives, 1961, p.14).

Answer 2

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The reason why so many people believe that Mormons are polygamists is because during the early days of the church--back in the 19th century--polygamy was a part of the church. I have heard various reasons why polygamy was needed from increasing the population of the Saints to protection for widows from persecution. The church no longer practices polygamy, but it is a recognized part of our past. I'm happy that you are investigating the church. The gospel is the most wonderful, life-changing gift anyone can be offered. As for what I think about the church, basically I think it is incredible. As you study and grow in the gospel, you will find you look at the world differently. We call it an "eternal perspective." I feel like I have so much direction in my life because the Plan of Salvation makes so much sense. Also, the Mormon church believes that we can all have a personal relationship with the Savior and our Heavenly Father--that we can even receive personal revelation. Other things that are amazing: the temple (wonderful place where the Spirit fills your entire body), eternal families, patriarchal blessings, the gift of the Holy Ghost, testimony meetings, priesthood. It is definitely not a church where you can just practice on Sundays, but it is true. It really is. Don't let all this controversy and stereotypes dissuade you from investigating. Ignore what others say, and just open your heart. Pray to the Lord. What do you feel when you read the scriptures? When you sit in sacrament? If you feel the Spirit, if your heart burns, then don't let anything make you deny it. Even rumors about Mormon men having seven wives. That's in the past. My mom would never let my dad have another wife!

Answer 3

Oregon Flower- you have said in the past that you have family members in the Mormon church so wouldn't you know they aren't allowed to have more then on wife? And if they are a Cult like you say they are how many millions members do they have? Do Cults help out the needy when in need? I don't think they would You need to grow up and come up with something more original then using they are a cult when in fact you have no idea what one is. I'm not a Mormon I also don't believe in an organized religion but I have respect for what others beliefs are so maybe you should do the same.

Answer 4

The simple answer:

THEY DON'T!

Mormons, or more specifically The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, do not practice plural marriage. They did, MANY years ago. But they do not now. And anyone who tells you they have more than one wife is NOT a Mormon. They are also breaking the law.

As for the "why", I think I can shed some light on that.
The Bible says that if your brother has a wife and children, and then your brother dies, you should care for his wife and children as if they were your own. Not such a bad idea, is it?

Now.... ask a REAL Mormon girl if she would be okay with her husband marrying another women or two... you will get a very vehement answer, I promise.

Read up a bit on actual Mormons... you may be surprised by a few of the actual facts.

Microbioguy74 has given the best answer by far, and has quoted a wonderful source. My kudos to him!

Answer 5

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RE:
why do Mormons believe it is ok to have more than one wife?
I have a few friends that are mormon and I always wanted to know but i didn't want to offend them. I just wonder why the religion approves of it. Also, why are the girls ok with that?

Answer 6

MORMONS DO NOT BELIEVE IT IS OKAY. In fact, if you practice polygamy in the LDS church, you will surely be excommunicated. This is a very common misconception in the modern world. Please take this from me because I am actually Mormon and I know what my church believes. If you'd like to find out more, visit mormon.org or lds.org

Answer 7

no hun we do not practice polygamy nor do we believe if we didnt that we would go to hell now thats just foolish they used back then because remeber the human race population was very little so there was a need for reproduction also during the war there were many women and children who were left alone bc there husbands died so so of the members would take them in to help them out now would they do the nasty idk but those were the only reasons ans women Are aloud to remarry if the former husband dies. but our church nno longer practices it because we do have a rule that says that god sais that it had to be stopped and we had to obey the law of man and no longer do that NoW the ones who do still practice are NOT part of our church and are a shame to us its just men being perverted and finding a loop whole in getting with more women #ijs

Answer 8

Everytime this question comes up I have to put out the following: Here we go again :o)

Statement from President Gordon B. Hinkley of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

Question: Do you have sympathy for polygamists, and are you therefore turning a blind eye to polygamy? Do you privately wish that polygamous groups were just left alone, because you know how it felt to be on that side of the law?

President Gordon B. Hinckley stated the following about polygamy in the Church's October 1998 general conference:

“I wish to state categorically that this Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy. They are not members of this Church. Most of them have never been members. They are in violation of the civil law. They know they are in violation of the law. They are subject to its penalties. The Church, of course, has no jurisdiction whatever in this matter.

"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. An article of our faith is binding upon us. It states, 'We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law' (Articles of Faith 1:12).”

Question: Has the Church ever taken a stand on issues of polygamy? Did the Church support legislation that would raise the age of marriage?

The Church actively encouraged the raising of the marriage age.

The Church’s obligation is to raise its moral voice, which it has done repeatedly over decades.

Question: The perception is that the Church could shut down polygamy if it wanted. Is this a sin of omission?

We don’t accept the premise. The Church cannot assume the role of government or law enforcement. It is not charged with doing the job of elected officials. We would not expect such an action from any other church in American society. The Church can only raise its voice and explain its concerns, which it has done.

Question: Do you feel pressure now that the abuses of polygamist communities are coming out in the press?

The Church welcomes any attention that leads to the serious problems of abuse being addressed. President Hinckley said as early as the 1980s that he was glad a hue and cry was being raised over the issue of child abuse. No church has done more than we have to address this terrible issue of abuse. President Hinckley has used the most forceful and sober language to condemn the evils of abuse.

Question: Is polygamy gone forever from the Church?

We only know what the Lord has revealed through His prophets, that plural marriage has been stopped in the Church. Anything else is speculative and unwarranted."

Answer 9

LDS does not permit it. There are sects that have broken away and do it claiming to follow Joseph Smith's teachings. Towns like Centenial Park Az and Colorado City Az have many there. They get around the law by only actually putting one wife on a marriage license, the rest are in vows only.

Answer 10

Most mormons do not believe that plural marriage is ok or correct, if they were honest.

It is a principle that was originally taught by the founder Joseph Smith but after his murder (at the hands of his own friends), was twisted and corrupted by Brigham Young and his successors. It has become a corrupted doctrine of men for their own self-aggrandizement and power over women.

Common sense would dictate reasonable girls are certainly not ok with it.

Answer 11

good grief, I don't know why anyone would want more than one wife/husband one is enough to handle.