The Church of Latter-Day Saints-- sometimes called the “Mormon” church-- is an American sect of Christianity that became famous for its practice of plural marriage, or polygyny. Even today, certain sects of the Church of Latter-Day Saints (referred to hereafter as the LDS church or Mormon church) practice plural marriage, or, more specifically, polygyny: the plural marriage between one man and multiple wives (Land, Schippers). Before discussing the current Mormon policies on polygyny and plural marriage, however, it is important to understand the historical structure of polygyny in the Mormon church.
Mormonism, as a religion, is quite a young one; it was founded in the 1820s by a young American man named Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith claimed to have received word from an angel, who directed him to a set of golden tablets. Contained on these tablets was the word of God, and a series of theological rules that God wished for Joseph Smith to bring to the people (Land). Included in these rules was the law of polygyny-- although it was not included in the initial set of instructions that Smith received from the angel. However, Smith and his followers were openly discriminated against by society, and as a result, they moved westward, eventually settling in Utah, with a new leader named Brigham Young (Land).
Brigham Young was the first leader to openly embrace polygyny and plural marriage in mainstream LDS society, and mainstream American society did not respond well to the inclusion of plural marriage in Mormonism (Land). Despite the deplorable way in which American women were considered by the law at the time, there was a backlash against Mormonism in the United States as a result of their plural marriage practices.
Interestingly, women were some of the primary movers behind the discussion on polygyny in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Women were just gaining a foothold in the political sphere, and one of the ways in which they gained political power was to write prolifically (Land). Land writes, “the literacy practices employed in Ann Eliza Young and T.B.H. Stenhouse's memoirs as they challenged their former religion on the grounds that it was hurtful to women. Likewise pays special attention to those women who rallied in defense of polygyny with the guidance of the Woman's Exponent, a bimonthly Mormon women's magazine. Although both groups were diametrically opposed to one another, they employed very similar literacy practices in an attempt to persuade Protestant middle-class Americans that their view of Mormon femininity was correct” (Land). Because women-- especially middle and upper-class women-- had more free time to spend on pursuits like writing, much of their effort was poured into pursuing social justice. The fight for social justice in terms of polygyny, Land suggests, is indicative of a growing societal trend at the time.
As time went on, the LDS church abandoned the policy of plural wives; it became too controversial for mainstream society, and the LDS Church already faced a number of other social pressures (Land). Often seen as backwards by mainstream society, the LDS church has long been on the tail end of most major social justice causes; it was not until the late twentieth century that African-American men were allowed into the clergy, for instance, and some policies of the church remain racially exclusionary to this day (Davis). Today, polygyny is practiced only by members of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), not the LDS Church as a whole (Davis). Not all members of the FLDS practice polygyny or plural marriage; however, any member of the LDS church caught practicing polygyny is excommunicated from the Church immediately (Davis).
Schippers suggests that polygamy and polyamory are not inherently harmful to women, nor are they inherently patriarchal. Schippers writes, “Part of the problem is the conflation of polygamy and polygyny. Polygamy is a plural marriage that includes one man and multiple wives (polygyny) and one woman and multiple husbands (polyandry). Anthropological and sociological research shows a consistent correlation between compulsory polygyny and male dominant gender structures where men have greater access to status, authority, and resources. The majority of polygamist societies and cultures in the world practice polygyny and do so in the context of severe and institutionalized gender inequality” (Schippers). The FLDS is no exception to this rule, according to research done into the effect of polygyny on individuals within the FLDS church.
In the parts of the FLDS church that practice polygyny, there is a value placed on a man based on how many wives he has and how he can provide for those wives (Jorgenson). Because the practice of polygyny in the FLDS church is conflated with a number of other issues, women become, essentially, property; although they may have certain freedoms that they would not have had in the past, they are still chattel (Jorgenson). Jorgenson suggests that women in the FLDS church are not oppressed because of the presence of the doctrine of polygyny, but that polygyny is a symptom of a larger systemic illness in the church. Jorgenson points to cases of child abuse and child brides within FLDS sects, as well as oppressive policies towards clothing and behavior for women within these compounds (Jorgenson). One of the policies that Jorgenson points to as heavily oppressive is the idea of “keeping sweet,” which was popularized by the erstwhile “Prophet” Warren Jeffs before his incarceration (Jorgenson). This policy reminds women and children that they must obey unquestioningly-- and with apparent happiness-- every order that is given to them by a male of higher stature (Jorgenson). Jorgenson goes on to investigate the impact of the show Sister Wives on the American psyche. He suggests that the show idealizes the idea of polygyny, and does not present a fair representation of what a polygamous marriage would look like in practice; like all reality television, it is subject to gratuitous editing (Jorgenson). This editing removed some of the problematic scenes, and also added drama where there was not any to begin with; in short, it was typical editing for a reality television show, and did not demonstrate an accurate picture of plural marriage.
Plural marriage does not necessarily have to be a negative thing for a community; although the media often portrays it as a strange practice, it does not necessarily have to be a practice that is inherently harmful. As Schippers and Phillips write, the problem is not in the practice of polygamy or plural marriage, but in the uneven and unnecessarily draconian policies that oppress women and children within the FLDS community. Unfair applications of policies that favor men allow men more power, and deprive women of the power to make decisions regarding their own bodies and autonomy.
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It is easy to get caught up in certain beliefs that one holds; for instance, anyone who grows up in mainstream society accepts that polygyny is outside the normal scope of behavior. However, it is much more difficult to consider how one would act if placed in a situation where polygyny is the norm-- when one’s family and friends are all participating in this lifestyle, it seems as though the critical thinking that we take for granted may be shifted in another direction. It is always fascinating to consider where I would be if I had grown up inundated with another form of thought; would I have developed the same ideals, goals, and dreams that I have today? Somehow I doubt it-- there is too much power in a cloistered community with an ironclad mindset.
I tried to pick readings that investigated both sides of the issue-- surprisingly, there is plenty of sociological evidence in favor of plural marriage and polygamy when it is equal and two sided. When it strays into one-sided territory, one member of the relationship begins to accumulate power and the other members begin to lose it. I expected less support for the practice, but after reading the discussion, I have come to accept that it may work in certain circumstances, but that polygyny as a policy is incredibly harmful to the marginalized members of the relationship.
References
Davis, Adrienne D. 'Regulating Polygamy: Intimacy, Default Rules, And Bargaining For Equality'.SSRN Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.1480906.
Jorgenson, Derek A. 2014. 'Media And Polygamy: A Critical Analysis Of Sister Wives'.Communication Studies 65 (1): 24-38. doi:10.1080/10510974.2013.792853.
Land, Robin Jeremy. 2014. 'Defining Themselves : Literacy Practices, Rhetoric, And Identity Among Mormon, Polygamist Women'. Beardocs. http://hdl.handle.net/2104/9170.
Phillips, Dana. 2014. 'THE PRUDE IN THE LAW: WHY THE POLYGAMY REFERENCE IS ALL ABOUT SEX'. Dana Phillips.
Roth, J., L. Chambers, and D. Walsh. 2013. '"Your Girls That You All Love Are Mine Already": Dracula, Mormonism And New Women's Degenerate Polygamy'. Law, Culture And The Humanities. doi:10.1177/1743872113483093.
Schippers, Mimi. 2014. 'Plural Relationships, When Consensual And Gender-Neutral, May Actually Help Reduce Gender Inequality - LSE Research Online'. Eprints.Lse.Ac.Uk. http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/58848/.
White, Ryan. 2008. 'Two Sides Of Polygamy'. J.L. & Fam. Stud. 11 (449).
