I have been called by a counselor who is dealing with some of the young women who were evacuated from the west Texas compound founded by convicted polygamist Warran Jeffs. Here are some observations regarding that group.
I was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for ten years. During that time, I was taught by the Church and fervently believed that, although polygamy had been suspended temporarily as an earthly practice, I would be a plural wife in eternity.
The recent raid on the west Texas compound of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has engendered much curiosity about polygamy. Because this church, the FLDS, has the same founder as the 13-million-member Utah-based Mormon church of a similar name, and because the RLDS and the LDS all have founding leaders with multiple wives, I would like to address some of those questions.
The founder of both churches was Joseph Smith, Jr. Some estimates are that Joseph Smith had some 30 wives, with many of whom he consummated the marriages. Some were teenagers. Some were currently married to other LDS leaders, and the subsequent leaders of the LDS Church through the end of the 19th century continued to practice polygamy. Even after the LDS Church publicly repudiated the practice, some of its leaders continued to marry plural wives for years, and lied about it.
Others who believed this “eternal principle” was indeed eternal went underground, so to speak. There are thousands of people who consider themselves faithful to the church Joseph Smith founded who live in polygamy. Most are in Utah, Arizona, and Mexico.
The group headed by Warren Jeffs moved to a multi-acre tract in west Texas and began to build. Their idea was to provide a temple for their eternal ordinances and living quarters and industry for hundreds of people. Apparently the news reports are accurate about the number of polygamous child brides and young teenagers bearing children to older men.
There are some things that you may not know, however. My research on polygamy as it is currently practiced by Latter-day Saints and Mormons (which two terms are not always necessarily equivalent) has brought to light some interesting things.
Many people who practice polygamy today may not do it in reclusive communities. A man may have families in different cities, for instance. But all would be aware the others.
The most visible cases, however, are the communities where polygamy is practiced. In Utah, neighbors and law enforcement officials who are aware of the illegal activity sometimes have a “live and let live” attitude since they may be descendants of polygamous unions themselves, or at least have polygamous ancestors; and believe that they themselves will be practicing plural marriage in heaven.
The Warren Jeffs compound was evacuated of hundreds of people this week. Photographs of the young women in old-fashioned pastel dresses, many of whom were pregnant or carrying young children; along with reports that there was a bed in the temple, have caused people to assume that this is a situation with lecherous old men marrying multiple young women for sexual reasons only.
In her book, Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist”‘s Wife, Irene Spencer recounts how she was part of a close-knit community. She dreamed all her childhood of being able to “live the principle” and be a good plural wife. She was shocked and dismayed when married at age 16 that her handsome young husband would only have sex with her monthly, and when she was pregnant not at all. She lived in grinding poverty, producing 13 of her husband”‘s 59 children, as one of 9 wives.
That book and my own research and interviews have shown me:
1) Many polygamists operate on strict guidelines. While there may be no restrictions on the age of a plural wife (one of Irene”‘s fellow-wives was 14), the production of children and the living of “the principle” may be more compelling than sexual lust.
2) The young women and others who dress modestly are trying to live Scriptural guidelines of letting their adornments be inner, not outer; and not trying to bring attention to themselves. In fact, they see the sharing of a husband and the great struggles against jealousy and other emotions as refinements of character.
3) The role of the male as patriarch is often unchallenged not just because of tradition but also because most of them claim direct revelation from God to help them deal with their families.
4) Many are third or fourth or even fifth generation polygamists. Not only is it the only life they”‘ve known, they believe it to be morally superior to other forms of marriage.
5) Similarly, many see deception of law enforcement officials and others as being parallel to such Scriptural examples as Shiprah and Puah, the Hebrew midwives of Exodus who lied about the birth of male Hebrew children.
6) Most are deeply committed to and many deeply love their way of life.
Hope this is helpful to readers. My new book, The Mormon Mirage, will be released by Zondervan later this year.
