The Salt Lake Tribune reviewed the party affiliation of all 15 apostles for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints including the three-member First This website noted Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner married Joseph Smith in 1842 when she was seven months pregnant and queried whether the child was Adam Lightners or Joseph Smiths. I for one will be getting a civil marriage first, not because of lack of faith or what have you but because it is what God has ordained. If a couple in your ward gets divorced, or a young missionary returns home early, or a teenager doubts his testimony, they do not need your judgment, he warned. Finding out Joseph Smith practiced was a shockas I had not learned this in Church. Ultimately, the hope for Saints who struggle emotionally and spiritually with plural marriage is that a better understanding of the history [Page 76]and doctrine of plural marriage will encourage greater faith and bring solace to the soul. The depth of dismay occurs in part because of the negative publicity attending Warren Jeffss marriages to under-aged brides as well as modernitys changed concept of childhood and adulthood. Though Elder David A. Bednar's father was not baptized until later in life, he was very supportive of his wife and children attending Church meetings. Given the experiences that the participants had, they made recommendations to ward leaders, Stake leaders, fellow members, and ministering brothers and sisters on how to handle future divorcing members. There should, then, be a better historical and doctrinal explanation of plural marriage in adult Gospel Doctrine classes. 3. Brigham Young might have done that, but Joseph Smith never would. I let the subject drop. This is, in As she tried to cope with the loss of her sister, Christy Denney found the connection to family she was craving in an unusual placea cherry cheese pie. As President DieterF. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, taught: We must let go of our grievances. lds "He responded lovingly but firmly each time I pestered him: 'David, I am not going to join the Church for your mother, for you, or for anyone else. There is more of a stigma associated with it. Discovering the details of his polygamous practices was particularly distressing (polyandry, 14-year-old-wives, etc.). In December 2013, the LDS Church published an essay titled, Plural Marriage and Families in Early Utah, accessed January 20, 2014, https://churchofjesuschrist.org/topics/plural-marriage-and-families-in-early-utah?lang=eng. Web3 are often quoted as addressed to his wife, but there is no authority for such a reference. A whole lesson about Doctrine and Covenants 132 and not one mention of plural marriage? E-mail correspondence, August 11, 2011. NEW POLICY ANNOUNCED FOR DIVORCED LDS Her comparisons troubled, even angered, some conference attendees. Those who experience a divorce need a lot of support from others to help manage those high levels of stress. In spite of their migration out of the mainstream Church, discomfort within the Church persisted and intensified over time. 48. His first thought was, What a dumb idea, why would anyone want more than one woman telling him what to do?36 Another convert who did not learn about plural marriage was a woman who was distressed about the very thought of having [to] share my husband with another. It bothered her enough that she discussed it with other members, and she was told to pray about it. For a discussion of Nauvoo Polygamy, see Craig L. Foster, Review of Nauvoo polygamy: but we call it celestial marriage, Mormon Historical Studies 11/1 (Spring 2010), 15558. There After leaving the museum, they tentatively, almost apologetically, asked me about how plural marriage started and what it was like. There were approximately 400 people who participated in the survey with an almost even mix of men and women.32, In spite of the limited number of respondents, there actually was a good variety of people from different ages and backgrounds in terms of marriage status and activity in the LDS Church. Is there somewhere i can look this up? Her expression approximated that of a deer in the headlights, and she replied, Well, his wife., I finally realized that she did not want to discuss Brighams plural wives, especially if I was accompanied by non-members, so I dropped the subject.30, This experience is likely not an anomaly. What is your personal anchor belief? It should be placed within historical and theological context and be available as resource material for Saints with questions or for those who need to respond to questions. Again, in 1952, President Uchtdorf's father opposed the communist East Germany, and it was no longer safe for his family to remain at their home in Zwickau. First of all, those who oppose any divorced man serving as an elder almost universally do so on the basis of the apostle Pauls language in 1 Timothy 3:2. Claire, e-mail correspondence, October 4, 2011. Your Feelings About Mormon Polygamy.. WebThis is a list of well-known Mormon dissidents or other members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who have either been excommunicated or At the very least, it might help dispel the popular [Page 73]perception that plural marriage revolved around sexualityand not only sexuality, but the dominance of male sexuality. 1. Copy in authors possession. A manual focused on the present-day application of doctrine might understandably devote little attention to plural marriage, but complete silence may heighten the sense that we are ashamed and that there is actually something to hide.29, [Page 57]I remember being about 15 or 16 years old and visiting Brigham Youngs Winter Home in St. George. Is that true? I thought he was joking. One man commented, I see a lot of men in the Church who have become a little too complacent in pat (but unsatisfying) answers to questions about polygamy and womens issues in the Church, which causes some understandable frustration for women trying to see how theyre still of equal importance.56 In response to that comment, a woman wrote, I have watched a current thread about polygamy on the message board. V. H. [Valerie Hudson] Cassler, Polygamy, <LDS . When Jesus Christ came to earth, He organized His church. Questions & Answers: My parents were married in the temple, but now theyre divorced. "When she tried to find the train, the train was gone with her four children in there.". No they can't. Polygamy in the Spotlight, e-mail correspondence, July 14, 2011. Interpretation 2 seems to be the strongest, primarily because Scripture allows for divorce in exceptional circumstances (Matthew 19:9; 1 Corinthians 7:1216). If my parents were sealed in the temple and then got The midwestern United States also had a good representation, as did Canada (especially western Canada). Often times in our anxiety to live Gods commandments, we focus on everything we should avoid to remain righteous. Many, when they saw me coming, would look the other way, one participant shared. Our Father in Heaven loves His children. [Have] concern for my children, especially Young Men and priesthood leaders. Members were stung by the presence of those who had chosen to continue plural marriage outside of the Churchs control.3 This constant reminder to both members and the outside world has embarrassed and bothered Church officials and members alike. WebA civil marriage first is God's will, and was specified as a requirement in the original Doctrine and Covenants. TRUTH: Scripture shows that God gives permission for divorce. This holds true whether they were married civilly or in a temple. Some noted that they asked for a break because of the new demands they faced after their divorce. "I was blessed with an extraordinary mother, Elder Oaks says. 57. One female survey respondent commented, I dont feel a need to defend the original practice, and I dont think it is an eternal principle. This is the average score out of 7 for those support systems: Divorce is the second-most stressful life event, with death of a spouse being the most stressful, according to the Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory. All who have been through divorce know the pain and need the healing power and hope that come from the Atonement. I know they're on there, cause i've done it before. Was the Apostle Paul married? Beyond an overall dislike for plural marriage expressed by those who had negative views, there were several factors that seemed to particularly distress them. As already noted, Joseph Smith entered into plural marriage before the Nauvoo period. [Page 47]This essay will examine the uncomfortable relationship between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its polygamous past and the effect this discomfort has had on its members. WebBecause of the beliefs that (1) celestial marriage is required for exaltation, and (2) that Jesus is exalted, some leaders of the LDS Church have hypothesized that Jesus must have been married, possibly to Mary Magdalene, Mary, sister Another active Latter-day Saint responded: Are you suggesting that what is making you pleased is the denial of relationships in the Celestial Kingdom? During a conversation regarding Mormon history, I mentioned in passing that Joseph Smith had plural wives. Separated but not Divorced: The LDS Churchs Uncomfortable Relationship with its Polygamous Past, Complexities in the English Language of the Book of Mormon 2015, http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2003_Unchanging_Ways_of_Anti-Mormons.html, http://en.fairmormon.org/Joseph_Smith/Polygamy/Polyandry, http://en.fairmormon.org/Joseph_Smith/Polygamy/Marriages_to_young_women, http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=12564307&itype=storyID, http://townhall.com/columnists/stevechapman/2011/07/14/kody_brown_and_his_four_wives, http://www.christianpost.com/news/will-same-sex-marriage-lead-to-legalized-polygamy-57640/, http://www.patheos.com/blogs/getreligion/2011/12/picturing-polygamists/, https://www.deseret.com/2011/10/20/20224517/sarandon-calls-pope-a-nazi-maher-calls-mormonism-ridiculous, http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/52568348-78/mormon-mormons-polygamy-percent.html.csp, http://www.fairmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/2010-Craig-Foster.pdf, http://eugenedailynews.com/2011/09/16/duck-football-from-one-mission-to-another, http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=126371&page=1, http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/blog-21-7669-idaho-bans-ogdens-five-wives-vodka.html, https://churchofjesuschrist.org/topics/plural-marriage-and-families-in-early-utah?lang=eng, https://churchofjesuschrist.org/general-conference/2011/10/the-importance-of-a-name?lang=eng, http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2011/s3342583.htm, https://churchofjesuschrist.org/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-and-Church-history-gospel-doctrine-teachers-manual/lesson-31-sealedfor-time-and-for-all-eternity?lang=eng, https://www.deseret.com/2011/8/6/20208124/recent-events-highlight-confusion-of-polygamy, http://www.fairmormon.org/perspectives/fair-conferences/2011-fair-conference/2011-a-reconciliation-of-polygamy, http://squaretwo.org/Sq2ArticleCasslerPolygamy.html, http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/25/sister-wives-explained-a-fundamentalist-mormon-polygamy-primer/, http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/darwin-eternity/201108/are-people-naturally-polygamous-0, http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2013/06/slippery-slopes, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Media Library. Copy in authors possession. 52. It is television shows and books like these that confuse non-Mormons. But sexual relations and procreation were only one aspect of plural marriage. Foster, Like Two Crazy Aunts in the Attic., 31. WebIn their examination of the divorce rate within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, using both civil and temple marriages combined, McClendon and Chadwick While others shared what kept them going: I wonder if I would have continued going to church if I [didnt] have children. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can get divorced. 37. These included the lying about plural marriage, the apparent polyandrous marriages of [Page 61]Joseph Smith, the teenage wives of Joseph Smith, and the idea that plural marriage will be practiced in the celestial kingdom. They need the healing power and hope that come from the Atonement of Jesus Christ. As they grew up, we would point to pictures of ancestors on the wall and explain how they came from his fifth wife or that the lady in the photograph was the plural wife of the man in [Page 70]the photo hanging next to hers. That healing power and that hope are there for them and also for their children.. Even some of those who became aware of plural marriage at a young age approach the subject through a 21st-century prism that warps their understanding. That would be incorrect, divorced men can be bishops. "We always talk about fathers blessing their children and performing the ordinances, and those are wonderful experiences. They know they are in violation of the law. Fortunately, most former spouses learn to cooperate for the benefit of their children. And, like plural marriage itself, they are not going away.68. The Church, of course, has no jurisdiction whatever in this matter.26, LDS Apostle M. Russell Ballard stated in a Semiannual General Conference session, Let me state clearly that no polygamist group, including those calling themselves Fundamentalist Mormons or other derivatives of our name, have any affiliation whatsoever with The Church of Jesus Christ [Page 56]of Latter-day Saints.27 LDS Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland was even more outspoken in referencing the fundamentalists, We havent practiced polygamy for over a centuryand its a little frustrating to have these fundamentalist groups resurface.28, Discomfort about the Churchs polygamous past is particularly noticeable in Church-produced literature and at Church-owned historical sites. Most definitely not true. Dianne Chryst Ormond, It Started with Science, MormonThink.com, 2006, accessed October 15, 2011, http://mormonthink.com/itstartedwithscience.htm. Even more tragically, accidental discovery and/or inadequate teachings about the Churchs history and relationship to plural marriage have caused crises of faith which have alienated members of the Church and, in many cases, led to their eventual departure from the faith. She surely was one of the many noble women who have lived in the latter days (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, "What are Prophets and Apostles: Elder Dallin H. Oaks,"lds.org). This weapon must be neutralized. If two men are available to be bishop and they are equally qualified in every way except one man is married and the other is not, you can expect the married man to receive the call. That sounds [Page 52]like The Prime Directive in Star Trek.16 Is there any wonder a 2011 poll undertaken by a California polling company found that almost half of those polled thought Mormons either definitely or probably practice polygamy?17. There was not, unfortunately, a good representation of race and ethnicity: almost all of the respondents were Caucasian, with just a few identifying themselves as Hispanic or Asian/Pacific Islander.33 Respondents lived all over the United States as well as in Canada and several other countries. have 27. Their surprise at divorce can lead to a feeling of instability. Your previous content has been restored. They call it The Principle. But, on the other hand, the Church and its members will never be able to divorce themselves from historical plural marriage. Even so, 12 other countries were represented, most from European countries.34, Over 47% of survey respondents heard about polygamy as a child while another 39% heard about it as teenagers, for a total of over 86% learning about plural marriage while in their childhood or youth. Increase and Maria Van Dusen published a series of tell all pamphlets about the temple ceremony and polygamy during the 1840s and early 1850s. It was a journey that almost ended in disaster. Given the lack of available information from official sources, it isnt surprising that members like this woman would believe Brigham Young was the prophet who introduced plural marriage. You cannot paste images directly. By the end of these few decades, a number of members had doctrinally and physically separated themselves from the body of the Church because they continued to teach and practice plural marriage. "It is intended that this requirement will help to re-emphasize the significance and sacredness of the temple marriage covenants. My wife and I, for example, would explain to our children about their own ancestors from the time when they were able to understand. Elder Baxter says his mother was "happy, content, and fulfilled until overtaken by mortality" during her marriage for nearly 25 years until she passed away. E-mail correspondence, August 11, 2011. Excommunication in Mormonism Indeed, some even try to dress like 19th-century Mormons, except in neo-pioneer style pastel dresses topped off with a bizarre hairstyle. It is human nature, explained one Mormon blogger, to choose aspects of our past that we feel define us. But unfortunately, this would not be the last time President Uchtdorf's family would have to leave behind everything. Death, war, financial insecurity, divorce, Church inactivity, there are many circumstances that can shake a family to its core and try each family member's testimony. That makes me sad. Another wrote, In general I was OK with polygamy, thinking it was instituted by Brigham Young. WebOn their own initiative, some couples separated or divorced as a result of the Manifesto; other husbands stopped cohabiting with all but one of their wives but continued to provide financial and emotional support to all dependents. Throughout his childhood, Elder Bednar would ask his father several times a week why he was not baptized. 67. Unfortunately, such an outcome is not the case for Latter-day Saints and their polygamous history. If you keep your covenants, your relationships in the next life will be fair and right. ? on the 12 apostles - LDS Gospel Discussion - ThirdHour No, Divorce currently disqualifies a man from becoming a Bishop, Stake President, Seventy, Apostle or Prophet. No one is entirely immune to difficult family situations like these, including the general authorities of the Church. If someone believe[s] differently is it really worth getting upset over and offended? Im angry that they have broken up our family. While another, more up-to-date survey was not conducted before publication, anecdotal evidence suggests attitudes have not changed between fall 2011 and winter 2014. All but one of the contributing authors can speak from personal experience about divorce. They are subject to its penalties. 17. Would a menace make a good Bishop? The LDS believe: After the deaths of the Savior and His Apostles, men corrupted the principles of the gospel and made unauthorized changes in Church organization and priesthood ordinances. I would think not.60, Not surprisingly, the ambivalence among even active, faithful Latter-day Saints regarding plural marriage continues. So if you were born to your parents after they were sealed in the temple (born in the covenant) or were sealed to them in the temple yourself, you are still sealed to themboth of themeven after a divorce. Married or widowed are okay. WebFor Latter-day Saint children of divorce, questions like this can add to the sadness and uncertainty that divorce brings. Bill Frost, Idaho Bans Ogdens Five Wives Vodka, City Weekly, May 29, 2013, accessed January 20, 2014, http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/blog-21-7669-idaho-bans-ogdens-five-wives-vodka.html. To help provide for her family, Elder Oaks's mother went to New York to continue her education while Elder Oaks and his siblings stayed with their grandparents. Raised on Essentials in Church History and similar volumes and never hearing of Joseph Smiths own plural relationships in general conferences or in other official publications, the new public memory began to take root.22. For example, the Public Affairs Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has, over the years, issued a number of press releases explaining that the Church does not practice or allow plural marriage and has differentiated between the LDS Church and fundamentalist Mormons.25 There have also been comments by Church leaders. No we didn't see President Hinckley remarry. 30. DallinH. Oaks, Divorce, Ensign, May 2007, 70. We know that some look back on their divorces with regret at their own partial or predominant fault in the breakup. Elder Scott's parents would later serve in the Washington DC Temple for many years, and Elder Scott served as an apostle until he passed away Septemeber 22, 2015. not true. He was baptized on 10 March 1998 in Reyjavik, the capital city of Iceland, while serving on active duty in Keflavik Iceland with the United States Navy. Feelings About Plural Marriage. There was one who chose Native American as an identifier while there were no African-Americans represented. Yes, she responded, relieved that I had understood at last. However, some participants didnt have that same support system from their church friends. It was during WWII, and President Uchtdorf's family was no longer safe in Czechoslovakia.
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