1. What is a fundamentalist Mormon?
In general, fundamentalist Mormons base their belief in and practice of polygamy on the Bible, and early teachings and doctrines of the LDS Church. (LDS Church founder Joseph Smith, and many of his contemporaries and successors, taught and practiced plural marriage.)
2. When and how did fundamentalist Mormonism begin?
After polygamy was renounced by the LDS Church in 1890, a few Church members refused to “adjust” to new policies. Over time, the Church made increased efforts to identify and excommunicate such individuals. Separated from the LDS Church, fundamentalist Mormons gradually coalesced into an on-going movement that has endured to the present.
3. Why do fundamentalist Mormons practice plural marriage?
They believe that plural marriage is essential to achieving the highest degree of heaven (exaltation). Contrary to popular belief, they do not believe the practice of polygamy is a requirement for salvation.
4. Do all fundamentalist Mormons have the same beliefs and practices?
No. Fundamentalist Mormons are a diverse people who espouse many different views and philosophies, but are generally rooted in LDS theology.
5. How many polygamists are there in the United States?
With regard to fundamentalist Mormon polygamists, the figures often reported by the media range from 20,000 to 100,000.
Based upon a recent casual survey, we believe a figure of 37,000 refers more accurately to the number of fundamentalist Mormons in the western United States rather than to the number of practicing polygamists. More than half of fundamentalist Mormon families profess a belief in polygamy but are not currently practicing it.
6. Isn’t polygamy against the law?
The simple answer: Yes, polygamy is generally considered equivalent to bigamy (’bi’ means ‘two,’ and ‘poly’ means ‘multiple’), but bigamy has generally been applied to people who obtain multiple marriage licenses with some intent to commit fraud (either upon the state or upon the individual). Polygamists do not obtain multiple marriage licenses for their “spiritual” marriages, and therefore, do not fall into the common definition of bigamy (where fraud is committed when multiple legal licenses are procured).
In Utah, it is not necessary to have more than one legal marriage license to be prosecuted for bigamy. In the last five years, polygamists Tom Green and Rodney Holm were successfully prosecuted for bigamy, neither of whom had obtained multiple marriage licenses. In the case of Tom Green, the state found him to be “common-law” married in order to prosecute him for bigamy because he was not legally married to any woman at the time he was charged. Both men had apparently “married” underage girls as plural wives in spiritual ceremonies.
The Utah Attorney General has said that he is concentrating his state’s limited resources on the prosecution of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, welfare fraud, and other related abuses, enhancing the charges with a bigamy charge where the offender is also a polygamist.
The bigamy conviction of Rodney Holm was upheld by the Utah Supreme Court in May, 2006. The decision basically declared religious, non-legal marriage commitments equivalent to legal marriages, but only for the purposes of prosecution. Chief Justice Christine Durham strenuously objected to this interpretation in a scathing 37-page dissent (http://www.utcourts.gov/opinions/supopin/Holm051606.pdf).
* In some states, bigamy is a misdemeanor, in others, it is a felony. In the state of Utah, the act of a married person merely “cohabiting” with someone other than the legal spouse, or “purporting” to be married to someone other than the legal spouse, is felony bigamy. However, only Fundamentalist Mormons are singled out for prosecution under the cohabitation clause, while married individuals who cohabit for non-religious reasons are ignored.
* Fornication, adultery and unlawful cohabitation are also crimes in the state of Utah.
* Additionally, Utah’s constitution (and a handful of others) contains a prohibition against polygamous marriages.
