Bridge of Reason

The February 2010 edition of National Geographic takes a close look at Colorado City and Hildale, major centres for the polygamous, fundamentalist FLDS Mormons. The photos are a remarkable record of a usually secretive sect. The Polygamists — National Geographic Magazine

Mormons often complain about their victim role in American history but a selection of quotes from state of the Union addresses from various presidents shows how concerned the government was and perhaps has reason to continue being. This quote is from Chester A Arthur, 21st American president. For more click through to the American Creation blog. “The fact that adherents of the Mormon Church, which rests upon polygamy as its corner stone, have recently been peopling in large numbers Idaho, Arizona, and other of our Western Territories is well calculated to excite the liveliest interest and apprehension. It imposes upon Congress and the Executive the duty of arraying against this barbarous system all the power which under the Constitution and the law they can wield for its destruction. Reference has been already made to the obstacles which the United States officers have encountered in their efforts to punish violations of law. Prominent among these obstacles is the difficulty of procu...

Now here’s the thing. If you ask a Mormon about polygamy they will patiently and firmly explain that a few Mormons did that ‘back in the day’ and for reasons best known to God (population problems, culture, who knows) but it is such a long time ago and so passé’ that   you should even ask. If you press them about the inclusion of definitive teaching on polygamy as a church dogma in Mormon Scripture ( D&C 132 ) as well as definitive statements by early Mormon prophets ( Brigham Young et al )they will say that the benefit of having prophets is that they can tell you God’s will for today and Mormons don’t practice or teach polygamy today. Its the classic evasive argument. So here’s the Mormon Church baptising dead ‘apostate’ polygamous fundamentalists and sealing them in a proxy temple ceremony to their polygamous wives – even the ones from whom they were divorced while alive. The truth is that polygamy is part of the very fabric of Mormonism just as monogamy is fundament...