Why do people practice polygamy? What’s the history?

What is polygamy?

Some of you may have never heard of polygamy, what does that even mean? So to start with the basic definitions:

• Polygamy – a man marries multiple women, also called polygyny, bigamy, and plural marriage
• Polyandry – a woman marries multiple men
• Polyamory, polyamorous or group marriage – multiple women and men are involved in a marriage

I grew up in polygamy (aka: polygyny, bigamy, plural marriage) so I will focus most of my posts on that practice. There were moments after I left polygamy that I questioned its validity from God, and whether it really was a requirement for me to gain exaltation. Of course, I knew I accepted my fate of eternal Hell by choosing to leave, but looking around at the good people on this earth I kept thinking “this does not add up”. The Order cannot really hold all the answers, and all the tickets to live in Heaven with God. I knew that other religions preached similar things, but why was it easy for me to dismiss the other religions, but significantly struggle when it came to the Order?

I wanted to understand the history of polygamy more than just what I was taught in the Order. Why did polygamy even get started? Again, I know what I was taught in the Order, about how God decided it was the true principle, but I wanted to know more. I was fascinated to learn that there were multiple cultures of polygamy, and in fact, Joseph Smith was not the first person to re-introduce polygamy since Bible times.

The most shocking discovery was learning that polygamy was mostly practiced in Africa and Muslim culture. This was so shocking because of the racism and racial beliefs we were raised with in the Order. I can’t even tell you how many racist jokes, how many times I heard the “n” word growing up, and how much I wanted absolutely nothing to do with someone of color, because that is how we were raised in the Order (I don’t believe like the Order anymore). Yet, here I am learning that the Order and Africa share common practices. #irony

So on my quest for knowledge and discovering the multiple cultures of polygamy, learning that each had their justifications for their practice of polygamy. I’ve been torn if I should break this up into multiple posts or leave it in one because it is a lot of information, even in the very watered down version, but here it goes… I include citations, because I want to share where some of this knowledge comes from.

So how did polygamy even get started?

Sociologist, anthropologist, social scientist, and many professionals have studied the history of polygamy to understand and give theoretical explanations for the historic practice of polygamy..

Some justify it as God’s wish;  some justify it as a way to populate the earth; some believe it was to have multiple children for manpower, economic growth to run a farm, and keep a family going; others say it was a service to the women, who could not find a husband in a shortage of men, or service to widowers with children; there are so many reasons given from multiple different cultures and people over the history of polygamy.

There are stories of polygamist relationships dating back into the bible times justifying God wanted this practice, like with David, Jacob, Abraham and Solomon. There are reports of polygamy practices in the classical China, ancient Greece, the Native Americans, Polynesia, Western Africa, and many Muslim countries (Polygamy.com). Confucianism allowed concubines solely to provide an heir, but they were not to be used for “sexual variety” (Valley, 2010). The Koran also allows men to have up to 4 wives, but also forbids marriages for sexual pleasure (IslamCan, n.d.). But rumor has it that men ignore that part of the rule (Polygamy.com).

Polygamy was sporadically practiced by many different cultures in the history of the world. Again, all for different reasons and different justifications, but let’s not believe that a male sex drive and desire for power did not exist in the ancient days. Really, do people think that the men of “old-times” only made decisions based on what God wanted, or what was in the best interest of humanity, as if they were immune to temptation and desires?

Another interesting note: the practice of polygamy is found in cultures where courting and publicly dating is shunned, and divorce is “not allowed” (Marasinghe, 1995). Makes you wonder if the man searches for a second wife when the first wife is not “enough” then utilizes the concept of polygamy to prevent it from being a “sin”?

Today polygamy is practiced all over the world, it is not just a Utah thing. You have many groups of polygamy on the continent of Africa, many Islamic based groups who practice polygamy all over the world, and Mormon faith-based groups who practice predominately in the America’s.

Polygamy in Africa:

Most polygamy in Africa is either sporadic groups of people in their own communities, or practicing through their Islamic religion. There are many theories why non-Islamic polygamy began in many different communities of Africa, but a standing reason that continues is the opinion that children are seen as wealth. So a man with multiple wives, is able to have multiple children, thus increasing his wealth. Further, on this note, it was also practiced more in the farming regions where more manpower is needed for a family to thrive (Valley, 2010). The children are able to work for the family and help provide for the family, increasing the economic viability of the family. Africa is also well-known for their high rates of infant death, but having multiple child-bearers in a family helps the family grow (Valley, 2010). There is also the justification for widowers to remarry as a plural wife to have economic help raising their children and continue to procreate if they’re still able to, and further bring their family inheritance or current children to the new family (Polygamy.com).

Politically, a man with multiple wives was able to have a hand in multiple families, gain wealth with the multiple manpower from working children, thus gain political status and power within their communities (Polygamy.com). Also, remember the stories in history about women being traded as property or commodity to forge bonds between families, wealth between families, and such? Sounds to me that it has always been about the power for a man, rather than truly benefiting a family. Again, that’s my perspective.

More recent, polygamy in Africa has become taboo, however it is still legal to practice polygamy in Africa (Polygamy.com). Polygamy also can further exacerbate sexually transmitted diseases in Africa such as, HIV and AIDS.

 

Islamic Culture of Polygamy:

The Koran does NOT require polygamy, but rather allows it with stipulations. One of which requires that if a man chooses to have more than one wife, he must financially support both families, providing separate living spaces, and must divide his time equally between all his wives (IslamCan, n.d.) The Koran also forbids men from having multiple wives for sexual pleasure. Moreover, the rules state that if a man is not able to maintain just (fair, equal) treatment toward his wives, he is not allowed to have another (IslamCan, n.d.).

Esposito (2005) suggests that Muslim culture utilized polygamy at times of warfare when men were sparse, and women would rather be a second-wife than no wife at all. He further praises the Koran for “curbing unrestricted polygamy” by restricting it for the welfare of the women and widows (Esposito, 2005)

“Women are described in Quran as being equal to men, and the tenants of Islam enshrine the rights and responsibilities of each member of the human race. Differences between the genders are celebrated. One life or one sex is not worth more than the other is. Islam builds on the respect, tolerance, and morality inherent in the original teachings of Judaism and Christianity and reveals itself as a code of life for all people in all places and at all times. Polygyny is permitted in Islam and it in no way diminishes the rights or the equality of women.” (Stacey, 2010).

Honestly, the practice of Islamic polygamy makes me wonder if polygamy could have a chance. Is the government willing to put such regulations on the practice of polygamy like the Koran does? Is the government willing to enforce that polygamy is being practiced within those restrictions? Also, it makes you wonder, why 4 wives for the Islamic religion?

Furthermore, it’s reported that a very small percent (2%) of Muslims actually engage in the practice of polygamy (Useem, 2007). This is not because it is illegal in America to practice polygamy, but because it is a choice in their religion whether they choose to or not. There are no reports saying the men obtain higher esteem in God’s eye or even the religion’s eyes. There is no pressure to practice polygamy, nor is there pressure or shame if they choose not to practice polygamy.

Again, Islamic polygamy might actually be onto something. Maybe this style of polygamy could actually work without being oppressive and psychologically damaging to those involved.

But in all seriousness, many social scientists studying the varying cultures of polygamy across the globe have found similar results supporting that polygamy leads to women being oppressed, threatened, disempowered, experiencing gender inequality, and more (Bailey, Baines, & Amani, 2006).

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which is experts who study women’s issues around the world, and monitor the progress made for women in multiple countries, issued statements about the practice of polygamy in their sessions.

“Polygamous marriage contravenes a woman’s right to equality with men, and can have such serious emotional and financial consequences for her and her dependants that such marriages ought to be discouraged and prohibited. The Committee notes with concern that some States parties, whose constitutions guarantee equal rights, permit polygamous marriage in accordance with personal or customary law. This violates the constitutional rights of women, and breaches the provisions of article 5(a) of the Convention.” (as cited in Religious Tolerance, 2010).

Social scientists and experts who have also closely studied women in varying societies agreed with the United Nations CEDAW. In a study conducted at the Ahfad University for Women in Sudan about Sudanese women, concluded:

“Women do not like polygamy but cannot do anything about it. Divorce is the de facto right of men in the Sudan, whatever the behaviour of the husband. Only one of the respondents tried to gain a divorce from her husband and she could not make the legal system work in her favour and so gave up. Men can and do divorce women when they want too [sic], although this was comparatively rare among our interviewees. The fact that men can take another wife or divorce their existing wife is a source of insecurity and anxiety for women and helps to ensure their adherence to conservative social norms in areas like reproduction, circumcision, work, etc.” (Mukhopadhyay & Maitrayee, 2001)

Again, this is a look at Islamic culture of polygamy, which is not practiced the same way across the globe. There are varying cultures involved aside from the Islamic laws, many practice within the guidance of the Koran, but just as with every religion, some practice to their own drum.

Mormon Culture of polygamy:

There’s a whole history of its own on the establishment of the Mormon or Latter Day Saint (LDS) religion that you can research. It did not originally began as a polygamy-based religion. It was about a decade after Joseph Smith started the LDS movement/religion that he suggested the practice of polygamy, stating that it was a “true principle” from God (Brooks, 2017). There were multiple reports of this in the LDS newsletter, titled Millennial Star, and a journal published by the Brigham Young University (Pratt, 1869; Pratt, 1878). The autobiography of Mosiah Lyman Hancock 1834-1907 also reports that his father was taught the true principle of plural marriage in the years of 1831 and 1832. I mention these multiple sources to show that it is not just the ramblings of one man to state when polygamy began its practice in the Mormon religion.

This was ironic because the church’s 1835 version of the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 101, p. 251 prohibited polygamy stating that:

“In as much as this church of Christ has been reproached with the crime of fornication, and polygamy: we declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife; and one woman, but one husband, except in the case of death, when either is at liberty to marry again” Here’s the direct link here to see for yourself http://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/doctrine-and-covenants-1835/259#XD4B4D998-901F-440D-8768-5E54D7CAC8C8

Again, note that this version of the Doctrine and Covenants was published after the reported secret meetings of Joseph Smith teaching the “true principle” of plural marriage. Side note- this is actually really frustrating too, because these fundamentalist groups state they are practicing the original teachings of the Mormon/LDS church, but those teachings actually preached monogamy. #arghh

The Doctrine and Covenants 1876 version, Section 132 authorized the practice of polygamy within the religion, and removed the old section. This is the very section that is taught in the fundamentalist polygamist groups today to justify the continued practice of polygamy as the “true principle” of marriage to obtain the highest degree of glory in the Heavens.

Christianity as whole actually condemns polygamy as an offense to the dignity of marriage between two people (Polygamy.com).

………………………………………………………………

So to re-cap, it is reported that the private practice of polygamy in the LDS church began in the 1830’s, the public practice in 1852, and the manifesto to stop the practice of polygamy in the religion was 1890, all in the accordance with God’s will.

So why the manifesto to discontinue the practice of polygamy? Let’s go back down that history lane.

• There was the 1857-1858 Utah War (aka Mormon War or Rebellion) where the federal government sent troops, and after a year, successfully transferred Utah’s governorship from LDS church president Brigham Young to a non-Mormon named Alfred Cumming. There is a lot of history and details on this war you can research for yourself, but the federal government had a problem with Brigham Young appointing men into Utah’s government leader roles based on their standing in the church. The LDS records state this was not how things were going, and one man with a dispute wrote a letter to the federal courts telling “lies”, and the federal courts believed him. Of course, I was not there, I don’t know exactly what happened. So again, research for yourself, but be aware there are many sides to the war, why it happened, and such, but the result was the exchange of governmentship from the church to a non-member.  
• The 1862 Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act, was issued by President Abraham Lincoln, which forbade the practice of polygamy in the U.S. Again, there is much history around this too with multiple sides. Comments from the President saying he will not enforce the act, comments from non-member immigrants to Utah about the church having political power in the state, and the LDS leader Brigham Young stating that Utah will just not gain its statehood if it needs to abolish polygamy to do so.
• The 1874 Poland Act was issued to address some of the loopholes in the 1862 Morrill Anti-Bigamy act, specifically, having cases tried at the federal level so that mormon judges or juries could not dismiss the case.
• The 1882 Edmunds Act, which enhanced the crime of polygamy to a felony punishable by 5 years in prison and a $500 fine. Further, that “unlawful cohabitation” (because it was a crime of the time to live together without being married) was a misdemeanor punishable by 6 months in jail and a $300 fine. It also took away their right to vote.
• The 1887 Edmunds-Tucker Act, which disenfranchised the LDS church, beginning the process to seize their property and freeze their assets. With leaders in hiding, the church found it difficult to operate, so Wilford Woodruff assessed and put out the 1890 Manifesto. Again, lots of versions of how this went down and why, some saying he coward to the government. There is even a statement where Woodruff claims it was a choice between plural marriage and losing the temples (which is a big deal because there are God’s ordinances that take place in the temples). Woodruff’s accounts of the event are in the Official Declaration 1. For those interested, here’s the link https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/od/1
• The 1890 Manifesto from the LDS church banning plural marriage. Again, there is discord whether LDS church President Wilford Woodruff received revelation from God, or acted on his own accord. Some members complied, while others continued to enter into polygamous marriages.
• The 1904 Second Manifesto was issued in the LDS church under the leadership of Joseph F. Smith to completely ban new plural marriages and excommunicate those members who continued that practice.
  

  Portrait of Mormon polygamists in prison, at the Utah Penitentiary, including:
  George Q. Cannon (1827-1901), an Apostle for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  Elijah Funk Sheets (1821-1904)
  Lorenzo Argyle (1852-1940)
  Winslow Farr (1837-1913)
  Pleasant Green Taylor (1827-1917)
  James Campbell Hamilton (1846-1920)
  Abraham Alonzo Kimball (1846-1889)
  Levi James Taylor (1851-1935)
  John Jardine (1830-1903)
  Herman Frederick Ferdinand Thorup(1849-1929) Far Right, not in Striped Suit

So there you have the very watered down history of the practice of Mormon polygamy. Unlike Islamic polygamy, God did not regulate the practice of polygamy for the LDS church. There are multiple reports of how many wives Joseph Smith had; it’s unclear because of the secrecy. There are multiple reports of Mormon leaders marrying teen girls, decades younger than them. There are reports of women being forced into marriages for fear of damnation, punishments, etc. There are even reports of Joseph Smith married women who were already married. This would be considered polyandry for these women to have more than one husband. (This was not group marriage or polyamorous because the wives and husbands were not all in marriages together.) 

All of this happened way before the break-offs of the current Mormon faith-based polygamist groups who still practice today.  

So what does the Mormon/LDS church say today about their history with polygamy?

“The Bible and the Book of Mormon teach that the marriage of one man to one woman is God’s standard, except at specific periods when He has declared otherwise.” (LDS.org, 2017). here’s the link for those interested https://www.lds.org/topics/plural-marriage-and-families-in-early-utah?lang=eng

I won’t lie, I find the history of Mormon polygamy to be so sexually driven it’s almost disgusting to me. I believe the men used religion as front to justify their sexual desires. I don’t even care that it was Joseph Smith, who was supposedly a prophet, because again, I don’t see him to be Christ and free from sin and temptations. This could probably get me kicked out of the LDS church for saying that (yes, I am a member), but truly it’s what I believe. Being LDS myself, I was very hesitant and wanted to exclude some of that history, but bottom line is polygamy has a very shady history in this religion. Further, I see the LDS religion as ones who created the polygamy problem, and stepping away doesn’t mean they can wash their hands of the responsibility to fix it. 

I also believe it was a way to advance the population of the new Mormon religion at rapid rates. Again, a personal belief, and I don’t believe the other claims that there was an abundance of women and lack of men; husbands died while crossing the plains leaving widowers destitute; men married the un-married/unwanted women to give them a marriage…(so why are the subsequent wives typically much younger, rather than the old widows or never married women??)  just all the rumors and reasons I was taught for the justification of polygamy. I don’t believe them, because I am one to question everything, and none of those arguments really hold up. I get if God says to do something then we do it, so I guess the question is whether you believe it was justified by God or erection is up to each to determine for themselves….

 

References:

Bailey, M., Baines, B., & Amani, B. (2006). Expanding recognition of foreign polygamous marriages: Policy implications for Canada. Status of Women Canada. Retrieved from http://www.religioustolerance.org/polyprac.htm

Baird, A. E., Jackson, V. H. & Wassell, L. L. (daughters of Mosiah Hancock). Autobiography of Mosiah Lyman Hancock 1834-1907, typescript, BYU-S. Retrieved from http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/MHancock.html

Brooks, J. (2017). Explaining polygamy and its history in the mormon church. The Conversation. Retrieved from https://www.salon.com/2017/08/27/explaining-polygamy-and-its-history-in-the-mormon-church_partner/

Esposito, J. L. (2005). Islam the straight path (3rd edition). Oxford, NY Oxford University Press

IslamCan. (n.d.). Why does the Qur’an allow Muslim men to have four wives? IslamCan.com. Retrieved from http://www.islamcan.com/common-questions-about-islam/why-does-quran-allow-muslim-men-to-have-four-wives.shtml

LDS.org. (2017). Plural marriage and families in early Utah. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/topics/plural-marriage-and-families-in-early-utah?lang=eng

Marasinge, L. (1995) Conversion, polygamy and bigamy: Some comparative perspectives. Asia Pacific Law Review, 4(2), 69-89.

Mukhopadhyay, & Maitrayee. (2001). Muslim women and development: Action research project. Sudan: Ahfad University for Women.

Polygamy.com (2015). History of polygamy. Retrieved from https://www.polygamy.com/articles/24411273/history-of-polygamy

Polygamy.com (2015). Polygamy in Africa. Retrieved from https://www.polygamy.com/articles/89746509/polygamy-in-africa

Pratt, O. (1859). Celestial marriage. Journal of Discourses, 13, 192 Brigham Young University. Retrieved from http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/JournalOfDiscourses3/id/4951

Pratt, P. P. (1878). Report of elders Orson Pratt and Joseph F. Smith. The Latter-Day Saint’ Millennial Star, 40(50), Manchester, England

Religious Tolerance. (2010). The practice of and reasons for polygamy. ReligiousTolerance.org. Retrieved from http://www.religioustolerance.org/polyprac.htm

Stacey, A. (2010). A marriage option with a long and valid history. The Religion of Islam. Retrieved from https://www.islamreligion.com/articles/3879/polygamy-an-alternative-way-of-life/

Useem, A. (2007). What to expect when you’re expecting a co-wife. Slate. Retrieved from http://www.slate.com/articles/life/faithbased/2007/07/what_to_expect_when_youre_expecting_a_cowife.html

Valley, P. (2010). The big question: What’s the history of polygamy, and how serious a problem is it in Africa? The Independent News. Retrieved from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/the-big-question-whats-the-history-of-polygamy-and-how-serious-a-problem-is-it-in-africa-1858858.html