Posted on 11/07/2009 6:05:47 PM PST by restornu
In the April 23, 2008 online-edition of The New York Times, Timothy Egan wrote a post on the Outposts blog claiming that the way polygamy is practiced today by members of the FLDS sect in Eldorado, Texas is the same as it was practiced by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) in the 19th century.
While most people know that Mormons abandoned the practice of polygamy at the end of the 19th century, it's also important to understand that the conditions surrounding the practice of polygamy in Texas today bear little resemblance to the plural marriage practiced by Mormons more than a century ago. In fact, a closer look at history contradicts the simple reductive characterizations of "Mormon polygamy" offered by Egan. As thoughtful historians know, a serious study of history does not impose contemporary understandings and sensibilities onto an interpretation of earlier time periods.
Much of the argument Egan makes for similarities between FLDS polygamy and early Mormon marriage practices relates to the claim of "sexual manipulation" of children as evidenced by the age of marriage. In fact, men and women often married at a much younger age in the 19th century than we find acceptable today. Historian Kathryn Daynes, who has studied the subject in depth, says that although the female average age at marriage in the United States during the nineteenth century was twenty or older, a girl marrying at age 15 was not uncommon and certainly was not considered abused. The common-law marriage age for women was 12. Historically, outside of northwestern Europe, women at 14 to 16 were assumed to be ready for marriage.
Egan also seeks to equate the stereotypical view of 19th century Mormon women as timid, subservient, and backward, to the image of FLDS women portrayed in recent days in the media. History, however, paints a different picture. Nineteenth-century Mormon women, in both plural and monogamous marriages, were not just interested in raising families and blindly following their husbands. They were politically active and participated in territorial elections. Many were well connected with national women's organizations. These women also taught school and were active in publishing and literary activities. Some even served their communities by going to medical school and becoming skilled physicians. Because of their competence and level of self-reliance, they did not have to resort to public assistance.
Unlike the contemporary practice of polygamy in Eldorado, Texas, 19th century plural marriage among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was not controlled by the arbitrary authority of one individual. On the contrary, decisions related to marriage were settled by consideration of the feelings of all interested parties. Furthermore, the consent of individual women was always honored in any marriage proposal. Though there was some social and cultural pressure, it was not determinative. Both men and women were free to refuse offers of marriage they found unacceptable.
Brigham Young did not arrange marriages unless he was asked to, and he readily granted divorces. Far from the misconceptions of life-long servitude to the absolute power of the patriarchy, this non-legalistic system of divorce allowed women considerable autonomy.
In distinction to the cloistered isolation of today's polygamous groups, including the FLDS, Mormon culture in the 19th century was characterized by a vibrancy of productive activity in various fields of endeavor: education, industry, politics, community-building, agriculture, and many professions. Latter-day Saints strived to move apace with the rapid demands and changes of life and sought to embrace modernity, not thwart it. They sought to take advantage of the ideas and innovations of modern life by establishing schools and universities of higher education. In this they followed the advice of Joseph Smith: "One of the grand fundamental principles of 'Mormonism' is to receive truth, let it come from whence it may."
Marriage in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is sacred and ordained of God. The family is the basic social unit in this life and in the next. The social, emotional, and spiritual health of all family members was (in the 19th century) and is today the primary concern of every Latter-day Saint mother and father. Mr. Egan's cavalier comparison of FLDS polygamous practices with those of 19th century Latter-day Saints is historically unsupported and simply wrong. By implication, he also unfairly impugns the integrity of all Latter-day Saint marriages and families, the very institutions they hold most dear.
Elder Marlin K. Jensen Church Historian, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
CTR
Is a caucus designation warranted given its defensive posture rather than staking and explaining a doctrine?
I’m not LDS but was invited to the thread.
I really wish LDS would quit cringing and apologizing every time polygamy is brought up. It worked well for the community at the time, probably because a much larger number of women were joining than men, and the people who practiced it were following their sincere religious beliefs.
No doubt there were examples of very young women/girls being unduly pressured into marriage, but there were also plenty of examples of that in monogamous communities of that era. Many a 14 or 15 year old girl became the only wife of an older man because her own family couldn’t really afford to support her any more, and there were simply no “career” opportunities. Many were “pressured”, both by their own parents, and by a man who’s eye they’d caught and who appeared capable of supporting her and forthcoming children.
In many of the polygamous Mormon marriages, the opportunity for a wife to have a career outside the home, without giving up on having a husband at children at all, was made possible by the presence of multiple wives. The work of maintaining a home, cooking, and caring for children could be done by one wife, while another went out to become an accountant or teacher or whatever. And yes, there was at least one who took the opportunity to head “back East” to attend medical school.
The practice of wives and children being “reassigned” to new husbands, when their previous ones fall out of favor with the prophet or prophet-proxy, or die, is uniquely FLDS. It’s often done en masse, like the several dozen women and all their children who were reassigned from Warren Jeffs’ father Rulon, to Warren aftr Rulon died. And there have been many cases of abrupt reassignment when a husband/father is booted out for not being sufficiently subservient to the leaders. Literally, kids have been pulled out of school in the middle of the day to pack up with their mother and siblings to move to a new father — with no advance warning at all, and often never to see their father/husband again. Anybody who thinks this sort of thing has ever gone on in the mainstream LDS Church is simply clueless.
“probably because a much larger number of women were joining than men”
I don’t know if that was the case (it’s likely given the same pattern exists today) but there were also a lot of widows due to persecutions etc.
“there was at least one who took the opportunity to head “back East” to attend medical school”
As I recall, she didn’t just attend, she became a doctor and returned to Utah where her medical practice was a great blessing to many more women.
In this case, the beliefs of FLDS are mentioned in contrast with LDS. As I understand it, the LDS does not consider FLDS under its umbrella. The FLDS, on the other hand, does.
For that reason, I'm letting the Caucus designation stand.
“As thoughtful historians know, a serious study of history does not impose contemporary understandings and sensibilities onto an interpretation of earlier time periods. “
Finally!! Thanks for this post.
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