FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

This page is a work in progress. We have divided the questions into the type that come from Mormon fundamentalists, and the type that would be asked by people seeking to understand Mormon fundamentalism. If you have a question you would like to see answered, please feel free to write us. We will continually be updating this page as new questions come up!

>>Questions from Fundamentalists

>>Questions from non-Fundamentalists

Questions from Fundamentalists

God is a good God.  It is His character to patiently deal with mankind.  He desires our repentance, eager to forgive us when we do repent.  He treats everyone in the same patient manner regarding sin.  Psalm 103:10 tells us that He does not treat us as our sins deserves.  Although God never gave these men of old their multiple wives, nor commanded any of them to live polygamy, neither as He eager to destroy them so quickly.  He desire everyone to come to the knowledge of the truth and so be saved (2 Peter 3:9).

What about our choice in the pre-existence? Didn't people choose their parents and spouses there?

Contrary to the teachings of early Mormon church leaders and contemporary Fundamentalist/Mormon doctrine, the Bible is clear:  We did not pre-exist in any other state of being before we were born.  Although that is an extremely difficult idea for many, it is nonetheless true.  See Psalm 103:14; Zechariah 12:1; 1 Corinthians 15:46,47.  Proponents of the pre-existence belief hang onto the scripture where God tells Jeremiah  that He knew him before he was born.  But that statement from God is only to teach Jeremiah and all of us that God is Omniscient, that He knows everything - from beginning to end.  Isaiah 46:10. 

Questions from non-Fundamentalists

What is the relationship between Mormon fundamentalism and the mainstream LDS Church?

Officially today, there is no organizational or legal tie between any of the Mormon fundamentalist groups and the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, historically, all Mormon fundamentalists are considered offshoots of the mainstream Church.

In 1890, under pressure from the US Federal Government, the mainstream LDS Church abandoned the practice of polygamy. This outraged many Mormons, many of whom continued to practice polygamy in secret. A few decades later, the Mormon Chruch took an active stance opposing polygamy, excommunicating anyone who were found to be engaging in the practice. This eventually led to the formation of breakaway groups of "fundamentalists," some of which formed early on, and others of which organized much later.

The mainstream LDS Church vigorously disavows any connection with the fundamentalist sects; LDS President Hinckley has even gone so far as to declare publicly that "there are no Mormon fundamentalists." This is of course misleading, as the fundamentalist groups consider themselves to be Mormon (though not members of the LDS Church), and follow the Mormon scriptures and the teachings of the early prophets. It could be argued that Mormon fundamentalism is much more closely related to the pure, original Mormonism than is the mainstream LDS Church.

Why is polygamy so important to Mormon fundamentalism?

Polygamy was a teaching originally developed by Joseph Smith and further propagated by Brigham Young upon the Mormons' migration to the Utah Territory in the mid to late 19th Century. Polygamy is as much a doctrinal issue as it is a matter of practice. According to Mormon doctrine (Doctrine & Covenants Section 132, and others), the practice of polygamy was required for exaltation to godhood. That is to say, a man was required to have more than one wife, presumably in this life, if he were to obtain the status of godhood. The mainstream LDS Church, following the abandonment of the practice, maintains that the requirement of polygamy need only be met in the afterlife. Fundamentalists maintain that it is necessary to be practiced in this life, and therefore shun the mainstream LDS Church's anti-polygamy stance.

Is polygamy illegal?

Strictly speaking, polygamy is illegal in the United States; however, here we must distinguish between polygamy as it is practiced by fundamentalists, and bigamy, which is generally described as a man or a woman having a legally-recognized marriage to more than one wife or husband at the same time (and frequently implies that the arrangement is hidden from one or all spouses). The polygamy as it is practiced by Mormon fundamentalists is done with all marital parties' knowledge, and in theory, all parties' consent. However, usually there is only one legally-recognized marriage in a Mormon polygamist situation; the secondary "marriages" are recognized only by the particular sect or group to which the polygamous family belongs.

Why are not more polygamists prosecuted in the United States?

This is a matter of some debate. Because most polygamist families have only one legally-recognized marriage, generally the husband and the first wife, the remaining "marriages" are essentially just adulterous affairs in the eyes of the law. While adultery and/or fornication (i.e., sexual relations outside a marriage relationship) may be illegal "on the books," these laws are rarely enforced given today's social morés, and so it could be argued that if the state began prosecuting polygamist families for adultery or fornication, then it would require a widescale prosection of the practice among the general public.

So prosecutions of polygamists have generally focused only on cases where minors are involved, or where there are other legal problems (tax evasion, fraud, etc.).

Nevertheless, the states where polygamy is most common (particularly in Utah), the states have been criticized for their lack of initiative in prosecuting polygamists even on these viable charges of child sexual abuse and fraudulent activities. In Utah especially, the LDS Church still holds a great deal of sway over state politics, and it is presumed by many that the prosecution of polygamists would run the risk of bringing more visibility to a problem rather embarrassing to Mormonism--something the Church would just as soon avoid. So the LDS Church has been frequently criticized for pretending that the problem does not exist.

Shouldn't the polygamists be left alone, to practice their own religion in freedom?

First of all, we as a Christian ministry are dedicated to proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ to all who will hear it. So while we recognize and value religious freedom, even more, we love Jesus and want to share him with the world. So in a sense you could say we are all about religious freedom--or more accurately, freedom from religion and freedom in Jesus Christ!

Secondly, the issue with polygamy is not religious freedom, but rather, religious enslavement. The victims of fundamentalism, particularly in the more oppresive ranks on the fundamentalist continuum, are not free. They do not have choices. They cannot up and leave on their own, or even display any disagreement with the authorities, without facing serious repercussions. Fear of reprisal from leaders or fear of displeasing God (portrayed as a demanding, spiteful ogre), is what keeps most people "towing the line."

Thirdly, the controlling and authoritarian structure of many fundamentalist groups lends itself to very elevated levels of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of women and children. In some cases, this abuse is not just a by-product, but an actual working component of the fundamentalist lifestyle. We, both as Christians and citizens, have a moral obligation to speak out against these atrocities, and do whatever we can to protect those who have been victimized by this abuse.

What is the typical lifestyle of a polygamist or fundamentalist?

There is no strictly typical lifestyle; some polygamist families live entirely under one roof, others live in multiple houses (in some cases duplexes or tri-plexes). Some polygamist families live in compounds or small towns that are entirely or almost entirely composed of members of their sect; others live scattered among the general population (and generally work hard at keeping their lifestyle a secret). A few of the polygamist men are substantially wealthy businessmen (or are high-ranking officials in their sect), and so therefore can afford to maintain several wives comfortably. The majority of polygamist families, however, live very frugally, and many live in utter poverty. Some fundamentalists live an almost Marxist lifestyle, in which everyone works for the sect's industries and no one owns any personal property, while others may have their own property and jobs in the secular world. So there are many different "brands" and degrees of control that a fundamentalist sect has over the day-to-day lives of their membership; nevertheless, the adherence to polygamy and other early teachings and practices of Mormonism are what they all have in common.

I've heard that many fundamentalists are white-supremacists. Is this true?

To the best of our knowledge, there is no connection between any of the Mormon fundamentalist groups and any organized neo-Nazi or white supremacist group. However, the Mormon fundamentalists almost universally condemn the Mormon Church's decision in 1978 to allow men of African decent to hold the priesthood. In fact, for many fundamentalists, this was the "straw that broke the camel's back" as it were, and the final evidence that the mainstream LDS Church was apostate.

So Mormon fundamentalists as a whole tend to take a very dim view of non-white races, and hold to the racist teachings of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young (for example, that blacks cannot hold the priesthood, that intermarriage with non-white races is an abomination, etc.)

What about that new HBO series, "Big Love"? How accurate is its portrayal of polygamy?

While we are opposed to the glorification of immorality and prurient interests as is sometimes portrayed in the popular media, including shows like "Big Love," it is clear that the writers and creators of the show have "done their homework." While this is a fictive account, the program presents many of the problems, jealousies and strife that are typical of polygamist families; it portrays the secrecy of the lifestyle and the contentious relationship with the mainstream LDS Church and society at large; it demonstrates the culture of fear and authoritarianism found in fundamentalist compounds. It also presents a fairly accurate portrayal of the doctrines, terminology, & culture of polygamy.

However, it also portrays a somewhat "sanitized" version of fundamentalism. The primary difficulty in the show (aside from the inclusion of offensive content) is that it makes protagonists and even heroes out of the main characters, who are polygamists, and tends to encourage sympathy for their lifestyle. It tries to show "good polygamy" versus "bad polygamy." (We hold that there is no such thing as "good polygamy.") So even while it presents many of the difficulties inherent in polygamy, the lifestyle itself is somewhat normalized and even glorified.