Mormon Polygamy
In the United States, polygamy was introduced into the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) in the late 1800’s by Joseph Smith, a prophet of the Mormon religion who claimed to have had a revelation revealing that it was God’s will for believers to practice plural marriages (Jacobson and Burton 2011:5). As polygamy began to become more common, opposition came down hard on these groups for, as Jacobson and Burton (2011) refer to as, causing “considerable disruption to their societies.” This led to the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act, signed in 1862, which legally banned the practice of polygamy in the U.S. and enforced heterosexual monogamy. Despite the fact that it is still currently illegal, there are over 40,000 people living in polygamist families. Even though many Mormons believe that engaging in polygamy plays a fundamental role in their notions of salvation, religion is not the only reason why people choose plural marriages. There are personal reasons as well, such as wanting to be a part of a large family and satisfaction from an enhanced social life. There are biological reasons, including infertility, procreation and sexual fulfillment. Finally, the cultural factors include the economic importance of large family, which allows for …show more content…
When one’s behavior, actions, or attributes lack conformity to society’s norms, it is viewed as negative deviance and usually results in negative outcomes. A social group contains two or more individuals with similar interest and a feeling of solidarity. Every society has rules and standards that it expects its members to follow. Since Polygamists share ideologies and practices that go against the societal norms, they are labeled as
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Pros And Cons Of George Reynolds Polygamy
741 Words | 3 PagesGeorge Reynolds, was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints living in the Utah Territory under federal laws. Reynolds married Amelia Jane Schofield while still being married to Mary Ann Tuddenham, therefore he was charged with the violation of the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act which is a federal law forbidding polygamy in all federal territories. This act stated that "Every person having a husband or wife living, who marries another, whether married or single, in a Territory, or other place over which the United States have exclusive jurisdiction, is guilty of bigamy, and shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500, and by imprisonment for a term of not more than five years..." Reynolds did not dispute the fact that he had broken the law, but instead argued that it was a religious requirement that he marry multiple women. The Mormon religion supported multiple marriages; in fact, polygamy was even seen as a religious obligation for most Mormon men.
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1582 Words | 7 PagesIt is the basic law of humanity, to say that no man woman or child should be subjugated or degraded by another human. In Flora Jessops (2009) book “ Church of Lies”, we are shown the absolute horror and maltreatment that one must endure when held captive in a hostile polygamist group. Flora Jessop, a former member of the Church of Latter- Day Saints Flora tells her story of numerous captures and her escapes in retaliation, and finally her life after she managed to get away for good. ‘Keep sweet or you will go to hell’, a phrase that nobody in the polygamist groups of FLDS will ever forget, for perfect servitude results in perfect faith. According to the leaders of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FDLS) women
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379 Words | 2 PagesMarriage was very common and a repeated act. Divorce within the Shawnee was common but there is no report of polygamy. When marriage did happen the man had to receive the goodwill of the bride’s family, specifically her brothers, uncle, and then the father; in that order. Gifts were given to the bride’s family. Once the acceptance of gifts were exchanged the marriage could commence.
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A Brief Summary Of The Film Under The Banner Of Heaven
1412 Words | 6 PagesOld fashioned, hand made clothing, reserved lives, playgrounds that only consist of a cement slab, and a school system that only teaches through the eighth grade are peculiar to the outside world. These oddities are just the surface of the unusual practices that take place in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. The FLDS church is one of the largest Mormon fundamentalist denominations and one of the largest organizations in the United States whose members practice polygamy. Polygamy is illegal, in 1890 the Mormon church ended its practice of polygamy, which created a split in the church. Fundamentalists moved to secluded areas where they could continue their practice of plural marriage.
Women's Role In The Middle Ages Essay
1532 Words | 7 PagesMonogamy was insisted upon, divorce and re-marriage became more difficult. Concubinage, though it could not be abolished, ceased to be lawful. A general rule is that respect for women is only found in a society in which monogamy is the rule. We must distinguish between the affected idolatry which was enjoyed by the customs of chivalry and the equality which was upheld by the Church.
Sociological Perspective Family
1672 Words | 7 PagesThe family preforms essential tasks that contribute to societies basic needs and helps to maintain social order (Giddens, 2009). Different societies have rules regarding who can marry who but the majority apply the incest taboo (a cultural norm forbidding sexual relations or marriage between particular relatives). Reproduction between close relatives could have negative effects of mental and physical health of offspring but Macionis and Plummer highlight the social reasons for the existence of this taboo. It minimises sexual rivalry within families by confining sexual relations to spouses. It forces people to form broader alliances by forcing people to marry outside their immediate families.
Social Constructivist Approach In Social Work
895 Words | 4 PagesGreene and Lee (2002) states that when considering the social constructivist approach an understanding of the way individuals function within society is important to appreciate the meaning they ascribe to their experiences of society and culture. Dean (1993 suggests that knowledge and meaning are created and influenced by institutions within the environment. From this individual suffering from mental illness will create their reality and will then view future experiences through this (Dewees, 1999) As previously explored dominate members of society determine values, beliefs and norms that is supported and maintained by that society. Kondrat and Teater (2009) suggest that if individuals do not ascribe to these they are considered ‘abnormal’
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984 Words | 4 PagesPreceding the arrival of Christianity and colonialism, polygyny is widely practiced in Africa, as it signifies the aspect of culture. More reason polygyny is prevalent in African homes is due to the fact that children are considered as a form of wealth by the society and a larger family is considered influential and powerful. Therefore this practice was deliberated as one of the way one could build an empire in Africa. It was after the era of colonialism in Africa that polygamy appeared to be a taboo as it was a norm in ancient times. Polygyny has been linked to the positive (the hustling and survival of the fittest spirit already instilled) and negative causes of child survival, but in general, high mortality and poor health are well-experienced in polygamous families.
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