The Mormons have thrown their weight behind proposition 8, a law that would effectively ban gay marriage in California. By taking this position, the Mormons have opened themselves up to scrutiny. I have, thus, taken a historical overview of the U.S. government, the Mormons, and marriage. It's a long, weird history, folks.
The highlights:
Joseph Smith's second wife was Fanny Alger, a sixteen year old girl. He had married several other wives including two fourteen year old girls in Nauvoo, Illinois.
The Mormons officially gave up polygamy 1890, partly as a way of getting statehood for Utah. Secret polygamous marriages went on for awhile.
Mormons still believe in polygamy, and in their way of seeing the world, they still practice it in the following limited way: Mormon men can marry again if the first wife dies, but both wives are "sealed" to him in the temple to be his wives in this life and the next one.
Modern Mormons haven't really come to grips with the doctrine or history of polygamy. If you don't believe me, try asking one of your Mormon friends about it. Up front, I'd like to see them catch some flack over their bullshit support for Proposition 8. The best way might be to remind them of their own history.
Here are the important dates and events surrounding Mormons and polygamy:
1830, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery became the first two members of the "Church of Christ." The modern name dates from 1838. It is "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints."
~1833, Joseph Smith was caught with the sixteen-year-old Fanny Alger. At the time, she lived with Joseph and his wife Emma. Oliver Cowdery called it a "dirty, nasty, filthy affair."
~1843, Joseph Smith and the Mormons had settled in Nauvoo, Illinois. Joseph was mayor of Nauvoo and lieutenant general and ranking member of the city's militia. Polygamy was practiced in secret. Joseph married several women, including two 14 year old girls. An inner circle of trusted advisors knew about it but publicly lied about it.
1844, Joseph Smith's polygamy was described publicly in the only issue ever printed of the Nauvoo Expositor (June 7). Joseph Smith and the Nauvoo city council order the press destroyed (June 13). Tensions escalated, and two weeks after the press was destroyed, Joseph Smith was killed by mob violence (June 27). The Mormons left Nauvoo. After they had committed to make the trek west (they ended up in Salt Lake City, Utah), the secret practice of polygamy was revealed to the rank and file Mormons.
1847, the Mormons arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah.
1852, Polygamy was practiced in public.
1857, The U.S. Government sent an army to Utah.
1878, The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the constitution does not protect the practice of polygamy
1890, Mormons officially gave up the practice of polygamy with a "Manifesto" but they secretly continue the practice. One of the reasons was to secure statehood for Utah.
1896, Utah became the 45th state in the USA.
Much later, the Mormons really gave it up. Nowadays, most Mormons don't actually like to discuss polygamy at all because it is a constant source of embarrassment. Many groupshave broken with the modern Mormon church over the issue. These are the ones you'll see on TV getting arrested for marrying 14 year olds. Mormons would like you to believe that those groups have nothing to do with the Mormons, but that's a pretty silly lie. It's a simple matter of history.
The doctrinal basis for polygamy actually goes far deeper. Polygamy is described in the "Doctrine and Covenants" of the LDS church, which they regard as scripture. (Read it online HERE, if you can stay awake). It is called a "new and everlasting covenant" and it is one of the most cherished beliefs of the Mormons because it says that marriage lasts beyond this life and that "families are forever." It's one of the reasons why the Mormons emphasize "family" so much. Yes, all those warm fuzzy cartoons about families have really got polygamy buried underneath them.
What the doctrine also says and what the Mormons used to regard as part of their core doctrine is that a man has to take several wives to make it back into the presence of God, and that a woman has to be married to a man with several wives (the Mormons believe in a multi-tiered heaven; polygamy is required to make it back into the very top tier).
So that's it folks. The Mormons do believe in polygamy, but they don't practice it, except in the limited way I described above.
Now, after all that, I'd like to know where the Mormons get off telling gay people that they can't marry when the Mormons were persecuted by the U.S. Government for their own marital practices. And what kind of post-spiritual stress disorder from a holy hand grenade makes the Mormons think they can preach to anyone about what marriage ought to be when they squirm about their own history and their modern ambiguity about polygamy? Why not live and let live?
The Mormon church is the worst kind of political beast. The Mormons helped to kill ERA and they didn't extend the full privileges of membership in the church to anyone with African ancestry until 1978. It's not a progressive organization.
About me and my views: I was raised in Utah under the shadow of Mount Timpanogus. I was raised Mormon and believed for the first 25 years of my life. When I turned 19, I went on a Mormon mission. I have not been to church since 1993. WRT sexual orientation, I'm attracted to the opposite sex. With respect to marriage, I wouldn't care if the state got out of the marriage business--let religions grant or deny marriage as they will. I'm strongly in favor of equal protection under the law -- if the state is going to grant any privileges to a marriage-like arrangement for monogomous couples, it MUST extend those rights to gay couples.