I was talking to an ex-Mormon co-worker this afternoon who was a devout Mormon for over 15 years after she got married to Mormon missionary, but left the church over a decade ago after she discovered her husband was molesting her teenage daughters (his step-daughters) and divorced him. During her tenure as a Mormon she was very involved (in an executive secretarial assistant capacity) with people in the upper levels of The Church of the LDS administration. She claims that it is not widely known by the regular, devout members of the church, but it a fact that the practice of polygamy is much more widespread among those in the higher strata of the church membership than anyone suspects, and that this has been going on for generations in certain influential Mormon families despite the official church position forbidding it.
She is very intelligent and sincere, but is a bit of a conspiracy hound and I have learned to take some of what she says with a grain of salt, but she was adamant that this was a known fact among the more sophisticated Mormons.
Is this complete BS or does it have a kernel of truth?
Yeah, right. No one has noticed that all those elderly guys have harems tagging along on their travels. Fnord.
It may help you to understand that LDS culture is both very close-knit and quite gossipy. The phrase ‘six degrees of separation’ means nothing to us–it’s more like 2-3 degrees. Everyone knows everyone else’s business, and fairly close attention is paid to the guys in charge–what they’re up to, what they say, etc. Rumors fly with the speed of light (and that’s not a good thing). The situation you’re describing would be flat out impossible, on a level of conspiracy theory with the ‘faked’ moon landings.
(FYI–Your co-worker was not married to a missionary (they’re celibate, or retired couples). She was married to a returned missionary, and those are common; it’s pretty standard for a young man to serve a mission. It doesn’t mean he was anyone special, is all I’m trying to say.)
“Fundamentalist groups who believe that the church discontinued polygamy only because of government pressure continued the practice. As they were discovered by the LDS Church, they were excommunicated. Some of these polygamists have appointed leaders and continue to live in groups, including those in Colorado City (formerly Short Creek), Arizona, and Hilldale, Utah. Others, such as Royston Potter, practice polygamy but have no affiliation with an organized group.”
Yes, in very very very VERY rural parts of Utah, and most of those families do not consider themselves Mormon, and in fact, are against the religion entirely.
Mormons do not believe in polygamy. I have friends and many family members (the majority) that are LDS, and the practice is highly frowned upon.
The Mormon faith and polygamy haven’t been one in the same for a while now, update your files.
Cillasi’s own quote is specific about Utah polygamists not belonging to the LDS Church.
Modern Mormons descended from polygamists are proud of their heritage and usually know who they’re related to (my husband is one of them!). They are also very very happy and relieved not to be required to practice polygamy themselves.