In the Past...
When did the US Government enact laws to make polygamy illegal?
1860-1880
Name one purpose the Lord gave for instituting plural marriage.
To increase the number of children born in the gospel covenant in order to “raise up seed unto [the Lord]” (Jacob 2:30).
Were women expected to join in plural marriage?
No.
Women were free to choose their spouses, whether to enter into a polygamous or monogamous union, or whether to marry at all.
This person wrote the "Manifesto", known as "Official Declaration #1"
Who is Wilford Woodruff
What year did the government begin making laws against plural marriage/polygamy?
1862
Did plural marriages disband after Official Declaration #1 was given?
No, but no new marriages were approved by the Prophet.
All church members were expected to live in plural marriages
No.
Church leaders viewed plural marriage as a command to the Church generally, while recognizing that individuals who did not enter the practice could still stand approved of God.
Could women get a divorce if they were unhappy in a plural marriage?
Yes.
Divorce was available to women who were unhappy in their marriages; remarriage was also readily available.
What would have happened if the church continued to practice plural marriage?
All ordinances would be stopped.
Confusion would reign.
Men would go to prison.
What happened after the US Supreme Court declared polygamy unconstitutional (1879)?
Federal officials began prosecuting polygamous husbands and wives during the 1880s.
Jail time, fines, denied the right to vote, denied privacy in their own homes. Families endured poverty, stress, hunger, etc.
Who held the keys authorizing the performance of new plural marriages?
Only one - the Prophet
True or False: Men had plural wives selected for them by church leaders.
False.
Some men entered plural marriage because they were asked to do so by Church leaders, while others initiated the process themselves.
True or False: 25% of men practicing plural marriages had only two wives.
False.
66% of men practicing plural marriages had only two wives.
The Lord will never allow the President of the Church to ___________.
Lead the people astray.
What did women do to help their husbands avoid prosecution?
Plural wives often separated into different households or went into hiding under assumed names, particularly when pregnant or after giving birth.
What year did the church publicly announce the practice of plural marriage?
1852
True or False: A man could enter into plural marriage at any time.
False.
All were required to obtain the approval of Church leaders before entering a plural marriage.
True:
For their part, many Latter-day Saint women publicly defended the practice of plural marriage, arguing in statements that they were willing participants.
What question did the prophet ask the saints about the Manifesto?
Which is the wisest course for the Latter-day Saints to pursue
What would have happened to the temples if the the practice of plural marriage continued
They would have been confiscated by the government, and temple work would cease.
What consequence comes to those who married multiple wives after the Manifesto was given?
Excommunication.
What would you say to a friend who asks about polygamy in our church?
Church members practiced plural marriage for a time in obedience to the Lord’s command, but that practice ended long ago, also according to the Lord’s command. Marriage between one man and one woman is God’s standard for marriage unless He declares otherwise.
By 1870, _________ percent of the population lived in polygamous households.
25-30%.
It decreased over the next twenty years.
When was this Official Declaration accepted as authoritative and binding?
October 6, 1890
What would you have done if you had to decide between obeying God's law, and obeying the Law of the Land?
?????