In my experience with the men, I have determined they all are true believers in Joseph Smith, the BOM, the D&C and all the rest. They compete for the girls in a strange Prophet (profit) driven way. I truly find it hard to believe that the main stream Mormons really believe in the same way, however when I asked a stalwart LDS member here regarding that, he said that if the lord commanded polygamy again, he would obey. Sad part of that is that none of the young women would be safe.
I have my genealogy posted on my homepage. It is filled with men who had multiple wives. It’s so sad to read the journals of these young women who were forced to wed elderly men with multiple wives.
It is sad to read journals of the older wives who were abandoned by their husbands for younger wives. It’s sad to read the plight of the men who were forced into attempting to feed all these hungry mouths in the heart of the desert wilderness.
It hasn’t left us yet. Part of the reason it still exists is the secrecy. The admonition to “not talk about it.” I suppose soon we will face the irony of accepting the horrible practice because to refute it would be bordering on “hate mongering.”
I thought we would see men walking the streets, multiple women, loaded with children trailing behind. :)
No such luck.
Depressing little settlements, everyone was hidden behind fences and walls. We saw only a few people. We got snow cones at a small stand, they didn’t even advertise on the main highway, only a dollar for a large! The girl who served us was there with a bunch of younger boys. She was wearing a homespun dress, her hair in some type of french braid, clearly uncomfortable serving us.
I wanted to tell her to run! Run away from the pervs! But I held my tongue. We didn’t venture very deep into the settlement, I’m still not sure we even saw the main part of town. Dusty streets, and an eerie stillness, we were kinda creeped out.
I laughed and laughed at the name of the local cafe. Merry Wives Cafe!
My husband and son were not impressed with me forcing them to go down there. LOL