The Values Of Polygamy

Polygamy, also called plural marriage, is the practice of having more than one spouse at one time. Mormon Fundamentalist believe and practice polygamy. In FLDS communities it is the male that has many wives and from these wives comes many children. Most people look down upon Polygamy, because they believe it to be degrading of the women. However, within Mormon Fundamentalism, polygamy serves a great part of their religion and helps with family dynamics.

Mormon Fundamentalist believe and practice polygamy because it is a large component of their religious beliefs. Mormons believe that there are trapped souls in heaven and every time a child is born one of the souls gets to come down to earth. After all the souls are free God will come back to the earth. Because of this philosophy Mormons try to have as many children as posible to free the "lost souls." If a women and her husband were trying to have, for example, nine children it would be a lot of pressure and work for her. However if a man has three wives each wife can have three children and it would be much quicker and easier. If they still wanted more children each of the wives could have one or two more kids therefore increasing the number of kids to twelve or more. Having many wives insures having many children and therefore makes polygamy a sure way to salvation. "Mormon Fundamentalists passionately believe that Saints have a divine obligation to take multiple wives," writes Jon Krakauer in his novel Under the Banner of Heaven (Krakauer 5). Joseph Smith received a revelation from God telling him that Polygamy was an important part of being a Mormon. By being polygamist Mormons are following out the orders of God, increasing their statues in the afterlife, and maintaining a part of their culture.

Not only are they being faithful to God but Mormon Fundamentalist view polygamy as a desired way of life. My mother's roommate in collage, who was a Mormon, would tell my mom that she would be "honored" to be chosen to be part of a polygamist relationship. She said that women in polygamist relationships were highly "respected" because "God had chosen them" to be part of that relationship. Describing polygamy Udney Hay Jacob writes,