The existence of other boards is just an urban legend.
Wasn't Utah's statehood contingent on a ban of polygamy? It'd take an amendment to the Utah constitution or a federal law overriding Article 3 thereof, which reads in part:
Perfect toleration of religious sentiment is guaranteed. No inhabitant of this State shall ever be molested in person or property on account of his or her mode of religious worship; but polygamous or plural marriages are forever prohibited.
Pretty blunt. The cult might be able to rally the penis holders to amend it, but their wives would cancel every last vote.
It's my recollection that a mormon'ish polygamist has a reality TV show. The show started in Utah, but reliance on Article 3 had local authorities trying to prosecute him. So they moved to Vegas, but in the meantime a federal remedy was sought, and a federal judge ended up ruling that Utah could prosecute bigamy, where a man got two marriage licenses (or more), but could not prosecute a guy who had one legal wife and one or more additional 'pretend' wives.
That created the theoretical possibility of a TBM to have one Utah wife and one or more additional mormon wives, to whom he was sealed in the temple. But there could be no attempt gain state approval of the additional marriages. These would just be agreed upon private contracts.
The church has been trying to distance itself from polygamy the past couple of decades (maybe more). If it wants to practice polygamy again I think they'll do it gradually, not out of the blue.
poin0 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The church has been trying to distance itself from > polygamy the past couple of decades (maybe more). > If it wants to practice polygamy again I think > they'll do it gradually, not out of the blue.
Gradually? I'm actually curious as to how this would work.
They would quietly let polygamous members join without punishment or excommunication. Very similar to baptizing illegals even though they are breaking the law.
All they need to do is send out a directive to stake leaders saying not to anything. Once polygamy is declared officially legal in the state, then you would start to see changes.
As members attitudes slowly change around the polygamists in their wards, the church eventually would announce that it does not encourage members to practice polygamy but that any members that are polygamous are still in good standing. After a few more years an announcement would come after much prayer and fasting that the lord has permitted those who wish to practice polygamy can do so and that they would receive the lords blessings. Monogamous marriage would still be the standard and polygamy would be for those who think they are "ready". There would be no directive to push members into the practice.
There's been such a polar shift of it during the 20th century. I don't know if they can go back? It is the same for a lot of doctrines. Think about consecration. It would be a cold day in Hell before the Bretheren would share with the Mexicans. Or encourage the "gathering" once again.
Can you imagine the GA's giving up their mansions?
Polygamy is legal. Recent court decisions have made that plain. The old Edmunds-Tucker act would be declared unconstitutional today. The prohibition in the Utah constitution wouldn't hold up in a federal-court challenge.
That's why they don't enforce it any more.
The church was started by wild-eyed radicals who broke from the surrounding culture. Polygamy was part of that break.
The Modern church is run by old men who were conservative businessmen and church functionaries. They are embarrassed by our polygamous history. They are trying to get the Church to look respectable. The last thing they would consider is a return to polygamy.
But if it were publicly confirmed as legal, bloggers could then argue that TBMs could practice polygamy because it is not against the law and in accordance with section 132.
Although the declaration bans it, it was only because of the action being threatened by the USA.
Making all of this public and news worthy, getting coverage on national news as a freedom issue would spook some TBMs.
The end game is to put the church into yet another complex position. Polygamy and polyandry are apparently doctrinal. With all legal restrictions removed they'll have to come up with reasons not to live that higher law. It will expose the stupidity of the cult again.
Further it will frighten some TBMs if the counter arguments are weak.
Heck, I wish they would - it'd be a public opinion bullet in the gut from which they'd never recover.
They'd instantly alienate every other mainline religion in the world, especially those in the US they've been trying so hard to suck up to for the last 50 years. The religious rightwing would immediately put them into the same bucket as Islam, and the talk radio waves would light up making that very connection. Best of all, longtime members would find it impossible to swallow - they'd be unable to ignore the cognitive dissonance any more and and leave in droves. Yes, I think it would be a fine thing indeed.
The church is not at all interested in polygamy, if they could find a way to purge it from their history they would. They hate polygamy and see it as a PR disaster that distracts the media from the image they wish to portray...
LDS Inc has spent the last 60 years reimagining itself as the defender of the traditional nuclear family. If they were to abandon that and go back to their roots it would unleash a nast schism within the church.
Want to help push the teetering So Called Church over the cliff? Get a court ruling on the books that polygamy is protected by the first ammendment of the constitution and watch the ultra conservative members start questionong why the church hasn't returned to this once core doctrine which was only abandoned as an accomodation to disinfranchisement and statehood.
Their are weird mormons, but their are also a lot of successful mormons. A lot of time and energy has been spent trying to project a mainstream, "American as apple pie" image, they are not about to go back to being social outcasts.