why do mormons think that their religion isn't polygamous? Joseph Smith was a polygam
Mormons are taught to say that they are different than the FLDS (i.e. Texas polygamist ranch). But Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Hyram Smith and many more early church heads- all had multiple wives. And don't take my word for it - go look up this information yourself. Question the teachings of your church - because the FLDS are following the teachings of Joseph Smith better than the LDS who are so quick to shy away from it. The only reason the LDS church stopped practicing polygamy was so that they could qualify for Utah to become a state. Don't be afraid to look critically at your religion's teachings.
Most of the contributors are missing the point. I do not judge polygamy as wrong or right. I judge the validity of the LDS for so conveniently saying that it is 'no longer needed as a part of the religion'...are you seriously telling me that your god just determined that a major premise of the church he set up through Joseph Smith was simply no longer valid? Why don't you see that your religion just changed something to follow popular belief so that they could gain more followers? The Mormon church is all about propaganda...and don't pretend like I'm simply a hater. I grew up LDS and 18 years in the church taught me to look more critically at every type of religion - where it came from and what it's true goals are. You should, too.
Mormons know their religion and know that we have this thing called continual revelation and prophets and apostles that lead this church today Thur the priesthood authority of God.
So we know that when its revealed the practice is no longer needed on earth then its no longer a Mormon practice.
But thanks for telling us what we believe.
and yes, part of the reason was so Utah would be a state because God knew that for the church to grow as fast and as well as it did it would need the religious freedom and economic growth of the US. Gods pretty smart, isn't he.
FLDS is NOT following the teaching of Joseph Smith because Joseph Smith knew the priesthood authority and the calling of being Prophet and an apostle had to be done a specific way and the FLDS did not have that authority passed on to them to speak on behalf of the church.
It might have something to do with the manifesto that ended the practice of polygamy in the LDS church in 1890.
Don't forget that Old Testament prophets like Abraham and Jacob practiced polygamy.
More recently, President Gordon B. Hinckley has reiterated that plural marriage is ?against the law of God. Even in countries where civil or religious law allows [the practice of a man having more than one wife], the Church teaches that marriage must be monogamous and does not accept into its membership those practicing plural marriage? (?What Are People Asking about Us?? Ensign, Nov. 1998, 72).
question the sources you are getting your information from
Do you see any members of the LDS church now having multiple spouses???? If not, then wouldn't it stand to reason that it is no longer a polygamous religion??? And the book of Mormon actually speaks against polygamy!!
If polygamy is so wrong, then why did so many people in the Bible have multiple wives??? Even king David, who is says was a man after God's own heart??? The only reason I see anything wrong with having more than one wife in the US is because it is illegal, and the Bible says to obey the law of the land!!
How many LDS polygamists do you know?
I'm not a Mormon. But one of my pet peeves is when people try to force a characteristic on a group. If the LDS are polygamists, call them polygamists. If they are against polygamy, then find something else to complain about.
We acknowledge that polygamy was taught and practiced in bible times and by latter-day Prophets. We simply state that we do not practice it on earth at this time, and have no since 1890.
Did you know that Martin Luther did not view polygamy as wrong? Look up the bigamy of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse, and you will find that Luther ruled that it was okay for Philip to have more than one wife, according to the bible.
It was revealed to Joseph Smith that he should take other women as his wives during that time because, as settlers, there was a lot of disease and hardship, and also a lot of the women's husbands were killed by people who hated Mormons. As a result, a lot of women were left homeless. It wasn't like in our day where a woman could support herself. Joseph Smith and his apostles did those women a huge favor by marrying them and taking care of them. They would have been homeless and destitute if they hadn't. They didn't even live with the majority of their wives, they were just legally married to them to help them out and provide for them.
The Mormon church teaches that we should not practice things which are against the law of the land, so when the United States government declared that polygamy was illegal, the church stopped that practice. The church to this day hasn't practiced polygamy since it was outlawed in 1890 .
The fundamentalist church refused to take the commandment of God to obey the law of the land because of fleshly lusts, and continued the practice of polygamy. Thus, they formed their own church separate from the LDS church, calling themselves fundamentalist LDS, or FLDS.
So yes, they are a different church, and NO, true Mormons do not practice polygamy.
why do mormons think that their religion isn't polygamous? Joseph Smith was a polygam
