Polygamy

[Scoates]

A simple question for those who believe polygamy is gone for good.

Why does the church allow multiple sealings for men, but not for women?

Why was that doctrine not changed with the other?

Also, for those of you who do not believe polygamy will be practiced in the next life: What will happen to those who have already been sealed to multiple wives?

[SlackTime]

Actually I have heard of instances where that has occurred. But this is third hand to you so accept it as hearsay. Perhaps someone else has more direct information.

Ed

[Orange Zodiac]

Actually I have heard of instances where that has occurred. But this is third hand to you so accept it as hearsay. Perhaps someone else has more direct information.

Ed

I have heard those rumors as well, but I think it was with the understanding that she would have to choose in the next life which one to be with for eternity in the event that both husbands made it to the CK.

[Brackite]

Hello Scoates,

You asked in your Topic Heading:

'Polygamy, Is it a permanent part of the Gospel?'

The simple answer to this question is, Absolutely NOT!.

(Please See Matthew 19:1-4, 1 Corinthians 15:1-6, 1 Timothy 3:1-2 & 12, Titus 1:6, BofM, Jacob 1:15, and Jacob 2:22-3:12.)

Another question that I will ask here is that;

'Polygamy, Was it a permanent part of 19th Century Mormonism?'

Unfortunately, the answer to that question is, Yes!.

Now if any of you will deny the plurality of wives, and continue to do so, I promise that you will be damned; and I will go still further and say, take this revelation, or any other revelation that the Lord has given, and deny it in your feelings, and I promise that you will be damned.

[top_cee]

my own belief with this topic(polygamy) is that it's never been a permanent part of the gospel just a necessary evil..whether or not it'll be practised during the millenium or during some other future time remains to be seen- I kind of agree with everyone here

[juliann]

Why does the church allow multiple sealings for men, but not for women?

Why was that doctrine not changed with the other?

When work for the dead is done, women are sealed to all of the men that they have married just as the men are sealed to all of their wives. Since any descendent can have these sealings done, it is the same process for men and women for all practical purposes. Why it is more difficult to have it done during a woman's lifetime seems to be a relic of the past that I don't understand.

Also, for those of you who do not believe polygamy will be practiced in the next life: What will happen to those who have already been sealed to multiple wives?

What will happen to everyone who has been sealed to everyone? What will happen to the men who were sealed to men in the early days? How much do we know about the afterlife in regards to anything? All this tells me is that it is more important to have the sealing ordinance than to try and force fit our earthly experiences and expectations into something we have been told we can only see "through a glass darkly".

[juliann]

This is my view and testimony in relation to this matter. I believe it is a doctrine that should be taught and understood. (Joseph F. Smith, Vol.20, p.28 - 30,

[rameumptom]

Polygamy is a permanent part of the gospel in the same way that other exceptions to the main rule are a permanent part of the gospel.

Nephi was told to slay Laban - an exception to the rule. Is that exception still a permanent part of the gospel? Yes. But only if God himself reinstitutes it.

As for sealings. I think we get too hung up on the either the sexual side of the relationships or the idea of multiple spouses. As it is, the REAL reason for any sealing is to seal us to the household of God and give us the oppotunity to have all the blessings God would give us. It really shouldn't matter to us as individuals whether God chooses to allow multiple sealings or not. It should matter that we are sealed to the eternal family of God at least once.

[Opaline]

[Flock of (mormon)Seagulls]

my own belief with this topic(polygamy) is that it's never been a permanent part of the gospel just a necessary evil..whether or not it'll be practised during the millenium or during some other future time remains to be seen- I kind of agree with everyone here

I agree it was evil, but why was it necessary? It makes no sense to me, but it could be my narrow minded, western civilazation view of things.

[Log]

I'm (not really) glad to see Dr. Shades is with us again. Why the name change, though?

Moderator: You have identified a sock puppet but it is not Dr. Shades.

[bryan jones]

my own belief with this topic(polygamy) is that it's never been a permanent part of the gospel just a necessary evil..whether or not it'll be practised during the millenium or during some other future time remains to be seen- I kind of agree with everyone here

why was polygamy nessasary?

[juliann]

why was polygamy nessasary?

If we are going to get to those kind of questions, there are an awful lot of preliminaries I'd like answered...like why are we having this mortal experience at all?

It would be nice to have an answer for your question...but we don't anymore than we have answers to so many other things.

[Brackite]

Hello Juliann,

He said it was his view and his belief.    That is what they instructed.  That is what they were required to do at that time.  He believed it and  did as instructed by God.  Now we are instructed not to.  We don't do it and are warned of  consequences for not following that instruction.  I don't see this as a much different situation than the early Christians giving up circumcision as a part of their salvation.

OH, OK!.

I Do have a question here. How come a man in the Church if he goes and divorce his wife civilly without getting a Temple divorce, then can go and re-marry another lady in the Temple for time and all eternity? Why does this still happen in the Church? IMO, This is still a form of Polygamy being practiced in the Church today. This is Spiritual Polygamy that is still being practiced in the Church during this our time.

[juliann]

I Do have a question here. How come a man in the Church if he goes and divorce his wife civilly without getting a Temple divorce, then can go and re-marry another lady in the Temple for time and all eternity? Why does this still happen in the Church? IMO, This is still a form of Polygamy being practiced in the Church today. This is Spiritual Polygamy that is still being practiced in the Church during this our time.

Again, everyone is sealed to everyone after death. So perhaps it should be called spiritualist polygamy? It only counts during our lifetime and unless the guy is channeling his first wife he still only has one at a time. Also, even the men have to get permission to remarry now. The process is the same. My friend had a husband who abandoned them, got in trouble with the law, yada yada and then decided he wanted to remarry in the temple. It was denied. Women do have to get a cancellation...why I don't know. I see no purpose for it and think that both situations should be treated the same. But in the end...it is. (And having gotten a cancellation myself...it is quick and easy. Not to mention cool to get letters signed by the first Prez)

[Orange Zodiac]

why was polygamy nessasary?

It wasn't. The stories of an abundance of women with no men to marry are bogus.

[Orange Zodiac]

The simple answer to this question is, Absolutely NOT!.

Please see:

"DC 132:4 For behold, I reveal unto you a new and an everlasting covenant; and if ye abide not that covenant, then are ye damned; for no one can reject this covenant and be permitted to enter into my glory."

And I don't buy the rationalization that 'everlasting is just one of Gods names' excuse to try and get out of the intended meaning of this statement. The church only issued the manifesto under duress because they feared the government would confiscate all of their possesions. It continued in seceret for decades to come (see Reed Smoot case). I don't think it will ever come back because the members of the church now are even more opposed to the doctrine than many were back then. But that doesn't mean that the legalization of polygamy wouldn't put the church in an interesting and likely uncomfortable doctrinal position. Right now they can hide behind the excuse that it is illegal. If that was removed they would have to think of other reasons such as there isn't a need for it in our time.

Thanks for the JofD stuff!

[Heidi]

What will happen to everyone who has been sealed to everyone?  What will happen to the men who were sealed to men in the early days?

What do you mean by everyone being sealed to everyone; I've never heard that before and I'd love for you to explain. I've also never heard of men being sealed to other men in the early days. Please elaborate.

[juliann]

What do you mean by everyone being sealed to everyone; I've never heard that before and I'd love for you to explain. I've also never heard of men being sealed to other men in the early days. Please elaborate.

Are you not LDS? I'm surprised at the number of LDS who obviously have not done any work for their ancestors. No one who has would ask. There is no committee that meets to decide which husband an 18th century woman in Spain gets...or which of his three wive's grandpa gets. Anyone who was married to anyone is sealed.

I just assumed the men sealed to men in the beginning was common knowledge. I can't elaborate further.

[juliann]

It wasn't. The stories of an abundance of women with no men to marry are bogus.

As a general rule...yes, but not in all areas and eras and circumstances. People make the mistake of thinking polygamy was an unchanging event.

[Moksha]

I think of polygamy as being a nearly permanent embarrassment to the LDS Church. I wish they would just say 'we just don't know much about it', and let it's doctrine slide quietly into oblivion.

Monogamy can work well on Earth, it should work well enough in the hereafter.

[KevinG]

Oh yeah, we are doing splendidly with Monogamy...

Serial Monogamy (divorce and remarriage)

Infidelity

Pornography

Spousal and child abuse

Workaholism and neglect of family

Even if the laws were changed I don't see the Saints much less the world in general being ready to balance more complex familial relationships given our uneven treatment of the relatively simple monogamous ones.

[Orange Zodiac]

As a general rule...yes,  but not in all areas and eras and circumstances. 

What numbers do you have that suggests that polygamy was performed to help take care of an overabundance of single women and not just because JS and others wanted to be able to have sex with a large number of women? One of my own ancestors went on a mission only to return to find JS had made her one of his spirtual wives. This was not a girl who had no prospects or was some old widow women in need of protection.

Can you imagine getting a Dear John where your girl is dumping you for the prophet!

Sacred Loneliness indicates that some of the women sealed to Joseph were already married to other men. So clearly they weren't in desperate search of a man to take care of them.

[Orange Zodiac]

Oh yeah, we are doing splendidly with Monogamy...

Serial Monogamy (divorce and remarriage)

Infidelity

Pornography

Spousal and child abuse

Workaholism and neglect of family

And polygamy would solve these issues how?

Please provide evidence from Colorado city that there is a complete absence of infidelity, pornography, spousal and child abuse (these men "marry" children and you think that is not abuse of children), family neglect

[KevinG]

Oh yeah, we are doing splendidly with Monogamy...

Serial Monogamy (divorce and remarriage)

Infidelity

Pornography

Spousal and child abuse

Workaholism and neglect of family

And polygamy would solve these issues how?

Please provide evidence from Colorado city that there is a complete absence of infidelity, pornography, spousal and child abuse (these men "marry" children and you think that is not abuse of children), family neglect

You miss my point... I am saying we could not handle the Principle given our bad treatment of monogamy. Polygamy isn't a cure for these ills, it would be more difficult because of them.

My point is that the arguments presented against Polygamy are the same problems we have with the abuse of monogamous marriages.

I believe that even if the law allowed for multiple marriage partners the Church would not reinstate the practice (even though the doctrine was never done away with) because we (as a people) could not handle it well enough to succeed.

We are doing a mediocre job with the law we practice today.