Why is the Mormon church embarrased by polygamy?

Question

It's the hottest rage in the word today. Will the LDS church decide to reinstitute it, now that it might attract more new members?

Answer 1

This Sounds Like a TROLL QUESTION


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Answer 2

No it won't be coming back. In fact, Joseph Smith was very reluctant to bring it into practice in the first place.

"Joseph was reluctant to introduce the practice and did so only after divine warning. He first taught the principle privately in the 1840s. The Church began teaching it publicly in 1852. Plural marriage brought public hostility against the Church and eventually federal antipolygamy legislation that stripped Latter-day Saints of their rights as citizens, disincorporated the Church, and permitted the seizure of Church property. Plural marriage challenged those within the Church also. Early participants first wrestled with the prospect and then embraced the principle only after receiving personal spiritual confirmation that they should do so. Studies suggest that a maximum of 20 to 25 percent of Latter-day Saint adults were members of polygamous households during this era. Again by revelation, Church President Wilford Woodruff issued the Manifesto in October 1890 announcing an official end to the Church practice of plural marriage. Since 1904, it has been uniform Church policy to excommunicate any member either practicing or openly advocating the practice of polygamy."

abstracted from "Plural Marriage," in Encyclopedia of Mormonism, ed. Daniel H. Ludlow, 4 vols. (New York: Macmillan, 1992), 3:1091–95.

Answer 3

There's a problem with your question. The Mormon (aka LDS) church is not embarrassed by polygamy. --Well, no embarrassment that I've seen or heard, or noticed anyway. I've never once heard any general authority in this church say "We are embarrassed and ashamed of that former practice polygamy".-- We don't practice polygamy. It was banned way back in 1890.

My question to you is: How can a church be embarrassed by something it no longer practices?

Answer 4

The LDS church believes in obeying the laws of the land. I doubt that would ever happen, however, for it to happen it would have to be decriminalized.

The LDS church isn't embarrassed by their past or their history in this regard, however most people don't have the facts straight. for instance.

-At it's peak, less than 5% of the members of the church practiced polygamy.
-It was not used as a "recruiting" tool
-Members were asked to do so by the leaders (and not the other way around)
-The vast majority of those asked to do so, didn't want to
-LDS leaders have not supported polygamous marriages for over 100 years.
- For much of the polygamist history of Mormonisms, Utah was not part of the US. When it was admitted to the Union, they were no longer practicing polygamy.
-Polygamy is something that isn't necessarily easy to understand. Most members today really hope that we're never asked to practice it....men included. I have a wife...I can't imagine how hard it would be to have a couple of others. not to mention the social stigma that goes with it.

In a nutshell, I think it would hurt the missionary effort, not hurt it.

Answer 5

Mormons believe polygamy is only acceptable on very rare occasions when God authorizes it (i.e. Abraham, Issac, Jacob, etc.). Otherwise, monogamy is the rule. Because God commanded Mormons to stop practicing polygamy in 1890, Mormons believe that modern-day polygamists are acting contrary to God's will. It is not that Mormons secretly want to practice polygamy but that the law/social norms/societal pressure prevent them. Mormons sincerely are not interested in practicing polygamy, because God has said it is no longer authorized. Even in cultures where polygamy is acceptable (some Muslim countries, for example), Mormons NEVER have more than one wife. I do not foresee that changing, even if it does become "the hottest rage in the world today."

I don't think it's accurate to say that Mormons are embarrassed by polygamy. We're just not interested in it, because God has not authorized it.

To learn more about Mormon polygamy, visit my site at http://www.allaboutmormons.com/misconceptions_mormon_women_polygamy.php#Polygamy .

Answer 6

I am a Mormon and do not feel "embarrassed" by polygamy. There are instances of it in my family tree. However, I accept that it is no longer a part of the church's doctrine and accept it as such.

In many ways, I see polygamy as being more "acceptable" than a woman being with several men and having children by several different fathers, none of whom ever stay with her and raise their child or children. At least in polygamy there is a father in the home.

Answer 7

We are not embarrassed by it. It happened because at the time (the 1800's) it was commanded by God. It was banned in the 1870's when God deemed it no longer necessary. What mormons get upset about is that people think that we still practice it. It has not been practiced for over 130 years! We don't like false claims against us. As anyone wouldn't. As far as embarassment- there is nothing to be embarassed about- no one except unlawful fundamnetalist groups who are NOT affiliated with the LDS church, have practiced it for over 13 decades!! Can't be embarrassed about something i've never done!

Answer 8

The church isn't embarrassed by polygamy, they just want people to understand what really happened and what didn't. It was never a matter of what's "the hottest rage" and it would not serve a purpose today.

I explain this in my answer to this other question http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ao0DYYFWglBVxjs274u.ZPjty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071001145438AAKPtb9&show=7#profile-info-qKnowhMsaa

Answer 9

It's something that about 2% of LDS members did over 100 years ago. Those who do it today are not part of our church.

Answer 10

Well polygamy is illegal in most (all?) countries that have a reasonable size of LDS followers. Most countries that allow polgamy - legally - usually do because of their own religion.
I don't think we're going to see anyone encouraging it openly in most Western countries (where the vast majority of LDS followers reside) unless it becomes legal first. And that's not to say that LDS church would encourage even if it were legal.

Answer 11

I couldn't "control" one wife so why would I want another? That is why I got rid of the first one and got a better one that wanted to help the family instead of hurt the family.