If you didn't know...

If you didn't know....




I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. If you were unaware that is the official name of the "Mormon" church. Thus making me Mormon.

Now when it comes up in conversation what religion I affiliate myself with there are some rather standard issues that come up. One of which I would like to address in this post.

"You're a Mormon? Don't they do polygamy?"

Polygamy, also known as plural marriages can be found in Mormon history.

History, as in over. No longer.


An official declaration was issued in October of 1890 abolishing the practice church wide. Did you read that year correctly? 1890.


That means it has been 121 YEARS since the practice was used!


Here is an excerpt from the official declaration. You can read it for yourself-

"...We are not teaching polygamy or plural marriage, nor permitting any person to enter into its practice, and I deny that either forty or any other number of plural marriages have during that period been solemnized in our Temples or in any other place in the Territory...


Inasmuch as laws have been enacted by Congress forbidding plural marriages, which laws have been pronounced constitutional by the court of last resort, I hereby declare my intention to submit to those laws, and to use my influence with the members of the Church over which I preside to have them do likewise.


There is nothing in my teachings to the Church or in those of my associates, during the time specified, which can be reasonably construed to inculcate or encourage polygamy; and when any Elder of the Church has used language which appeared to convey any such teaching, he has been promptly reproved. And I now publicly declare that my advice to the Latter-day Saints is to refrain from contracting any marriage forbidden by the law of the land."

~Wilford Woodruff~
President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.


Now that we have established it is no longer going on in the official Mormon church I would like to briefly touch on the fleeting time period when it was in deed practiced.

The revelation to Joseph Smith, the prophet who restored the gospel, or if you like better "founded the Mormon church", mentions it is to "multiply and replenish the earth."

If you do research on the subject you will find that most of the men involved didn't actually like the idea. However, it then boils down to " Is God real? Does he actually issue commandments?" If you don't think that God is really there or that he doesn't actually care what you are doing, than it doesn't matter much what goes on in your life. On the other hand though, if God tells me to do something I'd like to end up on his side when the dust settles.

Polygamy was a test of faith. It was not popular and actually not even that widely practiced. Only certain men were asked to become polygamists. It was not something just anyone could do because it sounded fun.


Gordon B Hinckely, LDS prophet from 1995-2008 said,

“This Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy. They are not members of this Church.... 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.

In this dispensation, the Lord commanded some of the early Saints to practice plural marriage. The Prophet Joseph Smith and those closest to him, including Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball, were challenged by this command, but they obeyed it. Church leaders regulated the practice. Those entering into it had to be authorized to do so, and the marriages had to be performed through the sealing power of the priesthood. In 1890, President Wilford Woodruff received a revelation that the leaders of the Church should cease teaching the practice of plural marriage (Official Declaration 1).”

So let's move past the polygamy, whatever your opinion on the topic may happen to be. Let's move to issues and events happening now!
I am going to try harder to set a great example.That way when people hear "Mormon" they will think of something more like "She was so honest, or generous. So firmly committed to Christ."