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Leaving Polygamy - Look The Other Way? - Page 2

LDS, I agree that President Hinckley's statement should be the position of the Church officially. I remember hearing it when he made it as well. I agree with him.

What I find interesting though is whenever civil authorities do take steps to clamp down on polygamy, the people in the surrounding communities end up voting them out of their offices. This happened to the sheriff in the 1950's raid on that polygamous community in Arizona and recently to the DA that prosecuted some polygamous men for child abuse. So, even though the Church as an official body does and rightfully should leave prosecution to civil authorities, it certainly seems as though the local Church members don't want the civil authorities involved.

Also, it is worth noting that the Church has taken political stands on matters involving non-members in the past. Homosexual marriage for one. The passage of the Equal Rights Amendment for another. So, I think it wouldn't be unprecedented for a Church leader to speak out and say how horrible it is that polygamy is forced on young teenagers and that it should be stamped out. Perhaps if they did, their membership would be more supportive of the local authorities when an attempt to clamp down was made. Now, I am not sure I really want them to take a stand, I am just saying it is something to consider when it appears that their membership is looking the other way and in fact, to some extent demanding that civil authorities look the other way.

I love President Hinckley. I think he exudes love. When you are in his presence you can feel his love for people. I really feel like he is as close to the Savior as I will ever get on this side of the veil. Yet, his statement almost sounds like a convenient way to just avoid the issue. I am not sure he or the other Church members really want to see it clamped down on because they feel it is a matter of religious choice, but he knows what would happen in the media if he were to make that kind of statement. I also am not saying I disagree with this position EXCEPT when it comes by way of force.

Way The - Polygamy Leaving

But how you come to the conclusion that are local LDS members who vote out these persons from those offices?. There are big communities of polygamists in Utah and Arizona, they can be the ones who are voting those people out, I don't know how you reach the conclusion that are the LDS members.

The examples you are given are not proper ones, homosexual marriage is something that goes against the basic Plan of Heavenly Father and put in danger the most important body in the Church, the Family. Polygamy in this case is a religious issue and one of our articles of Faith perfectly states :

"We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

I want to give emphasis on "how and what". They can worhsip a rock, satan or anything they want, the Church allow them the same privilege we have and that's exactly what they are doing. If there are children being abused, then the police and social services should take care of that. It has nothing to do with the Church, why President Hinckley should make a statement about how other people chooses to worship? even if its a wicked practise!.

You see, the Church is tired to be connected to Polygamy, President Hinckley's statement is for me a way to say 'Come on guys, let's move on. For how long we will continue talking about the Mormons and Polygamy'. I'm not saying it's okay but remember he is also a man who express how he thinks and feels about certain matters.

Leaving Polygamy - Look The Other Way? Studies Doctrine Mormon

Two reasons. One, the source I got my information from indicates it is so. Two, and more telling to me, these are not local positions, but county and in the counties involved, the vast majority of people are not members of the fundamentalist groups. My understanding is that these groups aren't large enough on their own to sway the vote one way or another. Yes, they have complete control of the communities in which they live, but there numbers really aren't that large when compared to all the other people living in those counties.

I agree with you here. I was just looking for discussion from others to see if you all saw it the same way.

Edited: tenaheff on 22nd Aug, 2004 - 11:01am

Page 2 Way The - Polygamy Leaving

No matter what the Mormon church does they can never escape their past connection to polygamy and all the troubles associated with it.