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Polygamy and the Latter-day Saints

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discontinued polygamy over a century ago and excommunicates anyone who practices it.

The reason many people associate Mormonism with polygamy is that the Church did support plural marriage until 1890.

Joseph Smith introduced plural marriage early in the history of the Church as the result of a revelation from God. He first wrote about it in 1843, although the revelation had occurred much earlier.

Although many justifications were offered for the practice of plural marriage, there was really only one reason for it: God had told the Mormons to do it.

It took great courage to introduce this practice, as Smith was aware that it would expose the Church to ferocious attack, as well as putting himself in personal danger.

The early Mormons were often unwilling to enter a plural marriage, and many only did so after much prayer and anguish.

1852

The revelation of plural marriage was proclaimed by Brigham Young in 1852, and the practice became more common after that. It was held that a person could only attain the highest level of the celestial kingdom after death if they had been a partner in a plural marriage.

Despite this, the popular idea that Victorian Mormon husbands had many wives is untrue. Except for Church leaders, Mormon men rarely had more than three wives.

An end to plural marriage

The outside world was unanimously hostile to plural marriage. After increasingly punitive laws and a coordinated federal campaign against polygamy, the Church gave way in order to preserve its existence.

In 1890, following a revelation to President Wilford Woodruff, a proclamation called the Manifesto banned new plural marriages. Those who were already in plural marriages were not forced to end them.

Some devout Mormons did not want to end the practice and a few new plural marriages were contracted, resulting in President Joseph F. Smith issuing the more strongly-worded Second Manifesto in 1904. The Church's stance changed to its present policy of excommunicating members who practise polygamy or openly advocate it.

Plural marriage is illegal under Utah's constitution and throughout the United States.

Polygamy in the 20th Century

There are said to be over 30,000 people practising polygamy in Utah, Idaho, Montana and Arizona, who either regard themselves as preserving the original Mormon beliefs and customs, or have merely adopted polygamy as a desired way of life and not as part of the teachings of any church.

In the past, the Utah government has taken action against polygamy by raising the age of consent and hiring an investigator to probe "secret societies". Polygamists responded by lobbying for the right to practise plural marriage as part of their First Amendment rights.

The Coalition for Religious Freedom and Tolerance went to the state Capitol in January 2002, unsuccessfully demanding a constitutional amendment that would legalise polygamy.

The state has taken occasional action against polygamists, notably Tom Green. Green was sentenced to five years in prison for bigamy in Utah in August 2001, despite arguing that he was permitted several wives because of his beliefs. (Read the .) Mr Green had been excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1980.

Find out more

• Mormon marriage
• The historical difficulties around polygamy
• Polygamy in Islam