Polygamy

There was a federal law against bigamy in 1862 and quite a few territories weren't yet states.

Most Judeo-Christian and Muslim cultures believe that polygamy began in Biblical times, as it is recorded in several stories of the Bible and Quran, most noteably those of Abraham and Jacob.

It is recognized by scholars as a common practice in ancient times, but as very few records exist from that long ago, we don't know the first person who practiced polygamy.

At one time during the early years of the church there were many widows that needed to be taken care of. For this reason, and a few others, the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith that he and other men in the church should take more then one wife. So yes, Joseph did have more then one wife. We don't know how many because of the reason listed above--since so many of the marriages were political contracts with older widows to allow them to keep their property, to assure that he would pay their mortgages, etc., it is assumed that there were many polygamous relationships that were not only non-sexual, but where the two may have never met one another. The church hasn't practiced polygamy since 1890.

The answer above gives an apologetic view to Mormon Polygamy and in some areas not 100% accurate. There is no historical evidence for the amount of widows compared to men in the Church in the early 19th Century. That argument is not accepted by historians and holds no water. The reason for the revelation calling Joseph Smith to live "the Principle," as it is called among some Fundamentalist groups, or Polygamy is contained in the revelation itself. He received the revelation because he was inquiring of the Lord concerning David, Solomon and Abraham's practice of plural wives. Historian Todd Compton in his book "In Sacred Loneliness" provides ample evidence that Joseph Smith had at least 28 plural wives and possible up to about 32 maximum. So, to answer your question, yes, Joseph Smith did have more than one wife. The argument above that Joseph Smith was married to them only to help them financially also holds no water, he was steeped deeply in debt and could not have rendered much, if any, financial support for those women. Joseph Smith did meet his wives and there are arguments for sexual relations between the two. However, the sexual relations must have been few and rare because in that time period there were no serious contraceptives and if Smith were running around with nearly 30 women on a regular basis there would be nearly dozens of documented and plausible illegitimate children. The thing is there are none. No one has found evidence supporting that any one person was an illegitimate child of Joseph Smith through any of his wives other than Emma Hale Smith. There are possibly 3 cases that could argue to be Smith's illegitimate children however none are accepted by scholars as plausible, let alone true. While many Latter-day Saints would like to think that all polygamy ended in 1890 there were many Members who did not accept the Manifest from President Wilford Woodruff and continued to perform and engage in Polygamous marriages. This is why we see so many fundamentalist Mormon sects today like the one Warren Jeffs once lead.

There are two camps to this question; (1) Brother Joseph was only married to Emma, and (2) Brother Joseph had between 40 to 80 other wives. From my high level of scholarly research, I have found not one single shred of credible historical evidence that Brother Joseph had more than one wife. While it is "cool" to say that he did, a rigorous academic investigation will show that claims that he had more than one wife hold no historical weight.

The Brown Family's home used to be in Lehi, Utah. Before moving near the family, Robyn lived in St. George, Utah. Christine delivered her baby in American Fork, Utah (the nearest hospital to Lehi). Kody took Meri to an anniversary dinner at LaCaille in Sandy, Utah. They have also shown a few scenes in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The Browns currently live in Las Vegas, Nevada, so their show is filmed at various schools, restaurants, shops, and other sites around Las Vegas.

It depends on whether there are provable fault grounds for a divorce or whether you are divorcing on no fault grounds. If it is for fault you can proceed immediately to file for a divorce and there is a 90 day waiting period. If it is no fault the parties have to live separate and apart for a period of one year.

The reason polygamy is illegal in some countries because it is seen as immoral and unfair against women, the laws regarding polygamy tend to relate to the historical traditions of the area or country. Most Christian religions forbid bigamy and polygamy, others have seen to harm in it for hundreds of years. The role of religion in opposing polygamy is important but should not be overstated. The ancient Greeks outlawed polygamy long before the spread of Christianity. While not actually illegal in the early Roman Empire, it was strongly discouraged. Modern secular societies with no heritage of Christianity, such as China, also outlaw polygamy. Even some Islamic countries have moved to limit the rights of Muslim men to practise polygamy. So, while religion plays a part, the prohibition of polygamy is clearly more broadly based than religious beliefs. A further, credible reason for the widespread prohibition is the public good. Polygamy inevitably results in lowering the status of women, since women in plural marriages have a lower status than their shared husband, while female polygamy (polyandry) is seldom permitted and even more seldom practised. Also, the rich and powerful can corner the supply of eligible young women, leaving a proportion of other men unable to legally have intimate relations with a woman. This creates the circumstances for infidelity, rape and general crime born out of frustration and resentment.

Early members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the "Mormon" church) practiced polygamy because they believed that God had revealed to Joseph Smith that the Biblical practice of polygamy was to be restored. They ended the practice in 1890 after a later prophet, Wilford Woodruff, said he had received a revelation from God to end the practice.

You can read the official answer to this question from the Church, as well as answers from Mormon church members at the "Related Links" below. You can also read the revelations restoring and ending the practice of polygamy in the Church.

Countries under shariah (Islamic) law permit a second marriage under special circumstances, such as an illness of the first wife or her inability to bear children. In this case, with the first wife's consent, a man may marry again. This is polygyny, a subset of polygamous marriages. Many other countries recognise polygamy for cultural, religious or historical reasons.

See the related links for a list of many of those which allow polygamy.

There is no issue with polygamy except with those that are opposed to it. It is perfectly legal and moral in some regions of the world.

In American there are several groups of polygamists.

There are tens of thousands of Mormons in small sects like FLDS. They are based in the Intermountain West and British Columbia.

There are uncountable numbers of Christian groups and families and non religion based families as well. These people are widely spread.

More and more immigrant men are importing extra wives from their home country. Estimates begin in the tens of thousands. They are mostly in large cities.

Since polygamy is illegal in the US, these people live under the radar and don't stand up to be counted.

Genesis 4:19 And Lamech took unto him two wives. Genesis 16:1-4 Now Sarai Abram's wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. And Sarai ... gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived. Genesis 25:6 But unto the sons of the concubines, which Abraham had.... Genesis 26:34 Esau ... took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Bashemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. Genesis 28:9 Esau .. took ... Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael ... to be his wife. Genesis 31:17 Then Jacob rose up, and set ... his wives upon camels. Genesis 32:22 He [Jacob] ... took his two wives, and his two womenservants. Ex.21:10 If he take him another wife.... Dt.21:15 If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated.... Judges 8:30 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives. 1 Sam.1:1-2 Elkanah ... had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. 2 Sam.12:7-8 Thus saith the LORD God of Israel ... I gave thee ... thy master's wives.... 1 Kg.11:2-3 Solomon ... had seven hundred wives ... and three hundred concubines. 1 Chr.4:5 And Ashur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. 2 Chr.11:21 Rehoboam ... took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines. 2 Chr.13:21 But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives.... 2 Chr.24:3 Jehoiada took for him two wives.... Mt.25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

A polygamous family is one in which one man who is married to several women at the same time, and the wives and their children are aware of this.

Sometimes a man will marry several women but make each think she is his only wife. Then a polygamous family has not been created, and the man is merely a polygamist.

Yes, the Lakota were polygamous until the US government outlawed it for Native people in 1904. This caused a loss for children of families for children of of second or third wives who were now delcared not legal.

Joseph Smith had 11 children with his wife Emma, only 5 of them lived to adulthood. They were:

Alvin Smith (died on day of birth)

twins Thaddeus and Louisa Smith (died on day of birth)

twins Joseph and Julia Murdock (adopted - Joseph died in his first year, Julia lived to be 69)

Joseph Smith III (lived to age 82)

Fredrick Granger Williams Smith (lived to age 26)

Alexander Hale Smith (lived to age 71)

Don Carlos Smith (Died at 14 months)

a stillborn male was born in 1842

and the youngest, David Hyrum Smith, was born 5 months after Joseph was killed. He lived to be 60)

It was previously alleged that Joseph had children through other women as well, but DNA evidence proved these allegations false in 2007.

In the Arabian Peninsula at the time when Mohammed came to spread the message, many men had dozens of wives and it was unfair to the women because they simply could not be treated fairly. So Islam came in to make it more moderate and God knows that the most wives a man can have and be fair to all of them is 4 at a time.

Polygyny is the condition of having more than one female mate.

Polygamy is the condition of having more that one spouse.

Polyandry is the condition of having more than one husband.(Rare but exists) Muslims allow up to four wives. Fundamentalistic Mormoms allow no upper limit.

Yes. Polygamy is forbidden by the Book of Mormon. Verses mentioning polygamy are:

Jacob 2:27

Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none.

Jacob 3:5

Behold, the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye hate because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins, are more righteous than you; for they have not forgotten the commandment of the Lord, which was given unto our father-that they should have save it were one wife, and concubines they should have none, and there should not be whoredoms committed among them.

It was Banned in the United States by the Merrill Act in 1862

Uh, no. there is no such thing as the Merrill act. it is called the Morrill act of 1862 and has nothing to do with polygamy. The United States federal government does not ban polygamy. However every state does ban it in one form or another.

Reynolds v. Sims, 377 US 533 (1964)

Reynolds v. Sims established the "one man, one vote" rule (also called "one person, one vote") that held state political districts of unequal size resulted in under-representation of some citizens' interests and over-representation of others'. This was considered "unrepublican," per Article IV, Section 4 of the Constitution, and unconstitutional under the Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection Clause. In order to meet constitutional standards, districts had to be reapportioned so each had approximately equal population.

Wesberry v. Sanders, 376 US 1 (1964), a case heard slightly earlier the same year as Reynolds, applied the equal apportionment principle to Districts of the US House of Representatives.

Both the Wesberry and Reynolds decisions were predicated on the landmark ruling in Baker v. Carr, 369 US 186 (1962), in which the US Supreme Court decided reapportionment of state legislative districts was not a "political question" that should be resolved through legislation. The Court found legislative conflicts of interest raised justiciable issues that could be addressed and resolved by the Federal courts.


For more information, see Related Questions, below.

The practice of plural marriage was officially abandoned in 1890, and the church issued an official manifesto ordering an end to polygamy.

The Mormon Church no longer supports the practice of plural marriage, and requires its members to abide by the law.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons or LDS Church) ended the practice of polygamy in 1890, making an official public declaration against plural marriage. There are small groups that have left the LDS Church who have resumed the practice. The LDS Church excommunicates any person who practices polygamy.

Groups of Mormons that have splintered from The Church of Jesus Christ of

Latter Day Saints allow polygamy. The main body of the church is in no way connected to what are called "Mormon Fundamentalists" and does not practice polygamy.

Polygamy (specifically Polygyny or one man having more than one wife) is also permitted in most forms of Islam.