Why do Mormons today support a church that caused my G. Grandfather to go to prison?

Question

My Great Grandfather was a Mormon polygamist. In 1887 the law put him in a penitentiary in North Dakota because of his polygamous lifestyle.
How do you justify following a church that believes in Heavenly polygamy? I feel your church calls something evil "good".

Because polygamy was practiced in the Old Testament by men who could not control their own lust it does not make polygamy the right thing to do.

I have not read any where in the Bible that God commanded polygamy.

Answer 1

The first instance of polygamy / bigamy in the Bible was Lamech in Genesis 4:19, “Lamech married two women…” Several prominent men in the Old Testament were polygamists. Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon, and others all had multiple wives. Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines (essentially wives of a lower status) according to 1 Kings 11:3. What are we to do with these instances of polygamy in the Old Testament? There are three questions that need to be answered. (1) Why did God allow polygamy in the Old Testament? (2) How does God view polygamy today? (3) Why did it change?

(1) Why did God allow polygamy in the Old Testament? The Bible does not specifically say why God allowed polygamy. The best anyone can do is “informed” speculation. There are a few key items to consider. First, there has always been more women in the world than men. Current statistics show that approximately 50.5% of the world population are women, with men being 49.5%. Assuming the same percentages in ancient times, and multiplied by millions of people, there would be tens of thousands more women than men. Second, warfare in ancient times was especially brutal, with an incredibly high rate of fatality. This would have resulted in an even greater percentage of women to men. Third, due to the patriarchal societies, it was nearly impossible for a woman to provide for herself. Women were often uneducated and untrained. Women relied on their fathers, brothers, and husbands for provision and protection. Unmarried women were often subjected to prostitution and slavery. Fourth, the significant difference between the number of women and men would have left many, many women in an undesirable situation (to say the least).

So, it seems that God allowed polygamy to protect and provide for the women who could not find a husband otherwise. A man would take multiple wives, and serve as the provider and protector of all of them. While definitely not ideal, living in a polygamist household was far better than the alternatives: prostitution, slavery, starvation, etc. In addition to the protection / provision factor, polygamy enabled a much faster expansion of humanity, fulfilling God’s command to “be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth” (Genesis 9:7). Men are capable of impregnating multiple women in the same time period…causing humanity to grow much faster than if each man was only able to produce one child each year. Again, these are only “informed” speculations.

(2) How does God view polygamy today? The Bible says that God’s original intention was for one man to be married to only one woman, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife (not wives); and they shall become one flesh (not multiple fleshes)” (Genesis 2:24). We see in Deuteronomy 17:14-20, that the kings were not supposed to multiply wives. This most definitely puts Solomon in direct disobedience against the Lord.

In the New Testament, 1 Timothy 3:2, 12 and Titus 1:6 give “the husband of one wife” in a list of qualifications for spiritual leadership. While these qualifications are only specifically for positions of spiritual leadership, they apply equally to all Christians. Should not all Christians be “above reproach...temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money” (1 Timothy 3:2-4)? If we are called to be holy (1 Peter 1:16), and if these standards are holy for elders and deacons, then they are holy for all. Ephesians 5:22-33, speaking of the relationship between husbands and wives, when referring to a husband (singular) always also refers to a wife (singular). “…for the husband is the head of the wife (singular) … He who loves his wife (singular) loves himself. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife (singular), and the two will become one flesh … each one of you also must love his wife (singular) as he loves himself, and the wife (singular) must respect her husband.” There is absolutely no allowance for polygamy for followers of Jesus Christ.

(3) Why did it change? It is not as much God disallowing something He previously allowed as it is God restoring marriage to His original intent. According to Genesis 2:24, polygamy was not God’s original intent. God seems to have allowed polygamy to solve a problem…but it was God’s desire for the problem never to have occurred. In most modern societies, there is absolutely no need for polygamy. In most cultures today, women are able to provide for and protect themselves – removing the only “positive” aspect of polygamy. Are there some instances in which the allowance for polygamy would still apply today? Perhaps…but it is unfathomable that there would be no other possible solution. It is our firm belief that polygamy does not honor the intent and sanctity of marriage – and most importantly – does not honor God.

Recommended Resource: Bible Answers for Almost all Your Questions by Elmer Towns.

Answer 2

Kia Sis 1- Great answer!!! Just a few things to add to what she said. Polygamy was only practiced by about 5% of the church, and it wasn't something that the people took lightly. A lot of the men and women in the church didn't like the idea, and didn't practice it. It was a calling in the church, not just something that was done, and it was something that only people who were called to do were allowed.

So, since we now know that more then likely, your great grandfather was actually following what he believed, and doing what he believed the Lord was asking him to do, why should you have a problem with him practicing it? You should be proud that he wanted to live his religion, and wanted to serve the Lord in any way that was asked of him.

It isn't the church's fault he went to jail, it was the lawmakers fault. They are the ones who passed a law that was unconstitutional (see freedom of religion), and who just wanted to cause problems with the church. Blame it on them, not on a man who was following what the Lord asked him to do.

I'm sorry you feel the way you do about the church, but that is no reason to try to make a practice that was OK by God look like a horrible thing. It wasn't horrible, and people gained a lot by practicing it. Just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it's evil.

Answer 3

Wow that was a long time ago. As a former missionary myself I was a representative of the church. So if this is true, it is very sad, Mormon involved or not. Abuse is an evil thing. If this did happen then there would have to be other cases of abuse as well. One doesn't do it once then stop. So if others come forward it would make it a stronger case. But the statute of limitations in the law, so it would most likely be thrown out. It does sound a little fishy.

Answer 4

No, polygamy isn't commanded in the Bible. But it is condoned- God gave David everything that was his predecessor's... including the previous king's wives and concubines.


Sadly, your great grandfather didn't go to prison because of the church. He went to prison because of an un-Constitutional law... un-Constitutional for two reasons:

1) The law that outlaws polygamy was passed for the single purpose of limiting one religion's practices.

2) That law was enforced retroactively. It was applied to already-existing marriages, when in fact, it should have been only applied to marriages that took place AFTER it was passed.


My own family was also affected by that law. My grandfather's grand father had to take his mother to Idaho, build a home for her there... She was never able to see her husband after that.


Regarding heavenly polygamy, I don't know that much has been revealed about it.

Answer 5

In the Old Testament God told people to go forth and be fruitful. They were trying to populate the earth. This was obviously a practice that was instilled due to the fact that there just weren't that many men to choose from, and there were probably more women. This was thousands, maybe millions of years ago, so who's to say it wasn't right then? By New Testament times there were plenty of men to go around and this was no longer necessary. Jesus also saw the need for marriages to be looked upon as a sacred union between 2 people due to the fact that divorce was being treated too lightly and men were not respecting their wives anymore. I do not see how the practice of polygamy would be useful today, when 2 people can't even seem to stay married for very long.

I do however see why you would blame the church for this. Many people may think that your great grandfather chose to live this way and deserved it, however lifelong brainwashing in any religion will cause people to make insane choices that they otherwise would not have.

Answer 6

Ok You really have to set your bitterness aside and really study the facts.

When the Mormons started practicing Polygamy- it was not against the law. We can all speculate as to the reasons polygamy was practiced- but that is not important to answer your question. The law banning polygamy was made AFTER there were many in polygamous marriages. This was a time when women really did rely on their husbands for support. There were only a few limited jobs for women and those were few and far between and did not pay well. So they passed the law that these marriages were illegal and did not include a grandfather clause for those already in these marriages. What were these men supposed to do at this point? Send all the wives except for their first wife out on the street with their children? How would they support themselves? It is not like today- these women could not go out and get good jobs and a nice low rent apartment or something. They had to stay married to these women so they could continue to support them and their children. The people making these laws knew this, they also knew that these men really did care about their wives and children and would not cause them to go hungry or homeless. These laws were made on Purpose and on purpose did not include grandfather clauses- This may make me sound crazy- but they were written the way they were to take down the church- but it did not work. They figured if they could lock up all the men (and this time with cause) they could stop the growth of the church. It did not work because those practicing polygamy were actually a small minority of the church. But I digress.

Do you think that when these laws were passed that you grandfather who was in a polygamous marriage should have dumped all his wives except one and left the rest of them and their children out on the street to fend for themselves? Remember the time- North Dakota was frontier at that time, no where for them to go. The church stopped performing plural marriages shortly after this law was passed, so it is safe to assume that he was already polygamist prior to the law being passed. These men were in a catch 22 situation- your great grandfather included- what were they to do at this point? I don't believe that the majority of these men were pigs who wanted to have unlimited orgies- they were decent men who loved their wives and cared for them the best they knew how. Women could not own properties in those days- and there weren't many rental properties- especially on the frontier.

If you are going to blame someone for him going to jail- blame the men who made the law that they knew would condem good, decent law abiding men.

As for the Heavenly polygamy- I have never heard that taught as official doctrine. That sounds like something straight from the Godmakers. Which by the way is full of lies- it was made by a bitter ex-mormon with an ax to grind. Many anti-mormon groups have discredited him.

Answer 7

Why do you support a country that would imprison your G. Grandfather for practicing his beliefs?

Here's an allowance (not commandment, but certainly not forbidden) for it in the law of Moses
http://scriptures.lds.org/en/ex/21/10#10
http://scriptures.lds.org/en/deut/21/15#15

Answer 8

No one or thing can "cause" someone else to "go to prison" or anything else, that they do not wish to do themselves. That kind of statement suggests we do not have free will. Even with a gun to your head, you still have a choice.

Polygamy was practiced heavily in the Old Testament as has been amply explained above. Old Testament prophets practiced it. There were reasons for polygamy.

During the 1800's, the LDS Church also had reasons for doing so. Women converts were outnumbering male converts, and were left with the prospect of not having a mate. Polygamy allowed that situation to be rectified. Since that no longer is an issue with the current LDS Church, polygamy is no longer practiced. Those who do practice it are not associated with the LDS Church. If it is practiced, they are excommunicated.

Answer 9

As a modern-day Mormon, I of course do not practice or condone polygamy. However, you definitely need to read the Bible more carefully. God clearly commands polygamy on several occasions in Old-Testament times. You're claim that Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, the central characters of the Old Testament and prophets of God, are "lustful" is baseless.

See http://www.allaboutmormons.com for more information about the Mormons.

Answer 10

You you are saying that Abraham was wrong? How about when God said He would give David's wives and concubines to another? Maybe you should read a little more. There is nowhere that says it has to be practiced, but God has His reasons at certain times.

Answer 11

Actually polygamy was fairly widespread in Old Testament times. It was a part of the ancient Middle Eastern culture. And it wasn't just "men who could not control their own lust". Read the Bible sometime. Read about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel), some of the Bible's biggest "heavy hitters". They all practiced polygamy. If it's evil, then Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, all "Abrahamic religions", are evil.

Many of the early saints (I mean really early, like in Jesus's time) were put to death because of their beliefs. Jesus Himself, and most of the apostles also gave their lives for their church. The people of their time called THEM evil.

I understand that you don't like the LDS church. But don't let bigotry cloud your objectivity. The things you are talking about ARE Biblical.