Polygamy is the practice of having multiple husbands or wives at the same time, and in our society, the Mormon faith is mandated in many cases. This is the area I set my sights on, and the results I found were surprising.
This subculture is made up of 60,000+ individuals. This number of men, women, and children is appalling, especially since polygamy is illegal under the law. The greatest concentration of Polygamists exists in Utah, and many of these families also exist in Colorado, Virginia, and several other places. Globally, Polygamy is legal and practiced in many parts of the Middle East and Africa.
Why are there so many polygamous families in Utah, and why are they tied to the Mormon faith? “Mormon doctrine states that those who enter the highest heaven will live in polygamy.” (www.absalom.com/mormon/polygamy/faq.htm) Part of the old Mormon system is that men should have up to seven wives in order to please God. Polygamy He lived publicly from 1852 to 1890 in Utah through the Church of Latter Day Saints< (LDS), the official practice of polygamy in Utah at the time kept UtahTerritory from receiving full statehood. In 1890, Mormon Church President Woodruff signed an edict called "The Manifesto" that allowed Mormons to claim polygamy ( (www.polygamy.com/Mormon-Revelations-Of-Polygamy.htm) Although polygamy was still practiced in secret and against the laws of the land, those who practice polygamy are excommunicated by the official church (LDS), and are often forced to leave their homes ="https://e-info.vn/tag/plurales-marriage">hide plural marriages.
Why does polygamy still exist today? Traditions are often difficult to break, and so it is in Polygamy. Many people who live in Utah today had polygamist parents and decided to practice the traditions and practices of their religion regardless of the consequences. People who openly live in plural marriages do not usually associate with the LDS church. There are many different religious Mormon sub-groups who have broken away from the official church to practice their beliefs without the use of shame or discrimination. They include the Fundamentalist Mormons, a group that feels it is more important to obey the word of God than the word of the earth. Independent Mormon Fundamentalists also believe that neither the church nor the state should interfere with domestic affairs. While polygamy is technically against the law and is not protected by religious freedom, polygamy is practiced and rarely prosecuted.
So what does a typical American family that lives in polygamy look like? From my research I have found that many children in polygamous families are often homeschooled. Polygamous husband Bryan Tate said, “Our children are being homeschooled because of the growing violence and bad influence in our school systems.”
(www.polygamy.com/Families/Tate.htm). Since this is a viable option for his children to not families from a page set up as some “singles” space people looking for potential families to join. What was said to Tate; “We are looking for a woman who is 18-30. These are our only specialties. All physical characteristics are given by God and we celebrate the diversity of all.” This request seemed to me rather cunning and shows that he only sees a woman joining her family outside her hands, the baby machine outside, the cook and the world outside. Since there was no interest in the potential of living or the hobbies of the wife’s life, whether she liked it or not, then it was a sign to me that there were no interests in that person.
There is rarely a negative testimony about a man who lives in polygamy. Divorce is very harsh in Mormonism, and many women seem to love the situation. Not only does it not seem probable that each wife is even a little jealous of the other. Polygamous wives are not all stereotypical stay-at-home mothers as some have the image. Elisabeth, a journalist, lives in a polygamous marriage with her husband and eight other women. She wrote an article entitled “Polygamy: The Ultimate Feminist Lifestyle” and here is what she said:
“I have often said that if polygamy did not exist, the modern American woman would have invented it. As a journalist, I work countless hours… because of the plural arrangement of marriage, I do not work… my eight year-olds has never seen inside a day-care center, and my husband never eats a TV dinner… It is a rare day when all eight husbands and wives are tired and together confirmed”. (www.polygamy.com/Practical/Ultimate.htm).
I think his ideas on feminism and polygamy are a little twisted. This woman, an intelligent journalist, lives within a plural marriage and denies herself the right to have one man to love and care for her alone.
People like Elisabeth Joseph lead people to think that polygamists are little crazy, have bad habits, and their followers are brainwashed. While this is not entirely true of all polygamists, there is a danger to women and children in polygamy. Mental abuse, repression and loss of independence are often common pitfalls in healthy family units. These are just a few of the danger signs within a polygamous relationship;
*Government of private lives: where people should work; waiting for his attendance in the many offices and works of the church.
*The highest power lives in the members every day.
* Exclusivity and solitude
* Development of uncontrolled emotional dependence
* The departure of free and independent study of education
* Sexual demands
*Threats: threats to “remove” husbands from work for “perverse behavior”.
* The group seems perfect: it willingly agrees and follows all orders
* Men are believed to have more intellectual rights than women
* The guide is never shared
For these reasons, polygamy can be dangerous and serious. In addition, there are often many cases of child brides, such as fourteen-year-old Ruby Jessop, who are exploited through polygamy. Because these children are traded and exchanged under polygamy, they are often overlooked and their abusers are not punished.
It seems to me inconvenient that such an ancient practice of accepting multiple spouses is practiced today in the modern day. It is difficult for me to understand why a woman wants to share her husband with other women, and why men cannot be satisfied with only one wife. However, polygamy is a dangerous sub-culture, shrouded in tradition and faith. In a way, polygamy allows people to have a nice rabbit and spread their seed and inheritance. While on the surface, those who engage in polygamy praise God and emphasize family values and morals, underneath they oppress their women and children and go against the rights of the land.
