Polygamists Fight to Be Seen As Part of Mainstream Society
The Washington Post published an article last week titled “Polygamists Fight to Be Seen As Part of Mainstream Society”.
Like many articles dealing with polygamy, this one seemingly obfuscates the distinction between religious organizations that practice polygamy and the LDS Church, which does not. The Church does not practice polygamy, and members of the Church found to be in this situation are excommunicated.
In the article the author takes an authoritative stance, claiming to know the reasons why the Church renounced polygamy in 1890. As a related example:
One reason [for the so-called "don't ask, don't tell" policy] was that the politically powerful Mormon Church, while officially opposing polygamy, did not want the bad press strict enforcement might bring.
Far from understanding the myriad of other reasons (as Pres. Wilford Woodruff comments in the Official Declaration) involved in the Church’s decision to renounce polygamy, the author thinks that the Church did so, and that it currently ignores those who continue to practice it, out of hoping to avoid “bad press”. This idea is unsupported and weak.
The fact remains that all those who practice polygamy are not members of the LDS Church. While their religious organizations may bear similar names and profess similar origins, these so-called “factions” are in no way related to the LDS Church.
Such an example is shown in the article here:
Nat was raised in a monogamous household but converted to Mormonism and decided to become a fundamentalist and a polygamist.
The ambiguity in this statement leads the reader to associate Mormonism with the “fundamentalist” groups, and those that practice polygamy. This is misleading, as Mormonism is not to be associated with such groups.
Any news article discussing the issue of polygamy should make clear that such groups have nothing whatsoever to do with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Since the LDS Church is sometimes known as the “Mormon” Church, and since many news reports cite the Warren Jeffs incident as concerning “Mormon fundamentalists”, the Church has responded by issuing an article to clarify the proper use of the word “Mormon”.
On page two of the online article, the author also calls the Church “The Church of Latter-day Saints”, while the correct name of the Church is “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”.
The article’s author, John Pomfret, can be reached via email, or you may contact the Washington Post directly.
Well said. The Washington Post should be more responsible before blabbering on about that which its authors apparently know nothing about.
Nice web site.
Left by Wade on 11/29/2006[...] The letter is in response to the Post’s article titled “Polygamists Fight to Be Seen as Part of Mainstream Society”, which LDS News Watch previously reported about. The text of the letter is as follows: [...]
Left by LDS News Watch » No Place for Polygamy in Mormon Church on 11/30/2006[...] and alleged arranging of marriages between adult men and minor girls.As LDS News Watch has previously indicated, Warren Jeffs is a leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), [...]
Left by LDS News Watch » Titles Matter at the Editor & Publisher on 05/31/2007Do members of the LDS church practice polygamy in other countries? I ask because Mitt Romney is the 1st generation of his family to be born in the U.S. His ancestors were born in Mexico because his great-great-great grandfather and his brother fled to Mexico to be able to practice polygamy when JS outlawed it. They refused to accept that God made a mistake when JS said that lifestyle was commanded, because the bible states that God doesn’t make mistakes.
Left by Deb on 02/17/2008Interestingly, Orson Pratt is Romney’s ggg uncle! Anyway, Romney’s grandparents were the first generation to not commit polygamy, their son (Mitt’s father, George) was born in Mexico. They moved to the U.S. (I wonder if they crossed the border legally?!) and George, of course, became Gov. of Michigan. I assume Mitt still has many relatives who are Mexican. Interesting piece of trivia!
Oddly enough, the LDS church claims it stopped practicing polygamy over 120 years ago. Actually, it mostly ended in the early 1900’s not with the Official Declaration 1. But, polygamy is allowed in Nigeria by the LDS Church, but shhh don’t tell the members anywhere else. They actually believe the church excommunicates all polygamists and they do in the U.S….mostly.
Left by David on 05/16/2008David: Not sure where you got that idea about Nigeria. Do you have evidence of that? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints excommunicates polygamists if they are discovered.
Left by Richard on 05/16/2008