Is the Jeffs deadline this week? If so, nothing happening down here as far as I can tell.
Posted on 01/01/2012 4:51:53 PM PST by Colofornian
n Utah, the issue of polygamy is a very sensitive topic. Should the topic of one man marrying more than one wife somehow come up in a conversation, watch the eyes roll and folks run away from the conversation. So, needless to say, this is not an issue generally dealt with over the picket fence.
However, when a Mormon is willing to discuss the issue, it’s amazing how many folktales are used. For one, it is commonly asserted that polygamy was necessary back in the pioneer days of Brigham Young because there were not enough men for the women. (Note: According to all statistics I have seen, there NEVER was a time when Mormon men outnumbered Mormon women at any time in the Utah Territory.) Thus, having a man take two or more wives is somehow touted as actually being helpful to the women, as otherwise they would have ended up as Old Maids. (In case you’re wondering, being single for many years is NOT a good thing in Mormonism.) The men who sacrificed themselves in this way are almost made out to be heroes, as if they were taking one for the team so that women would have a chance at the celestial kingdom. I once had one Latter-day Saint tell me that the male/female ratios actually became close to 50/50 in the 1890s when the Manifesto abolishing polygamy was given, so the practice had somehow served its purpose and was no longer needed. Really.
Hence, imagine my surprise when I discovered that, according to a recent survey from Trinity College called “Mormons in the United States, 1990-2008” (Salt Lake Tribune, 12/15, p. A1), there appear to be many more Mormon women than Mormon men in the state of Utah. Consider these statistics: In 1990, a total of 53 percent of the Mormons in Utah were females (55% in the rest of the country). Eighteen years later, though, in 2008, there were 60% LDS females in Utah compared to 40% males (52% in the rest of the country).
In other words, if you’re female in Utah, there’s a good possibility you will be sitting home on Saturday night. Imagine, this equals three women for every two men in Utah. Go to a Saturday night dance and there are 60 girls to only 40 boys. Some are getting left out. For returning 21-year-old male missionaries, these are some pretty good odds when coming home. I can only wonder if there will soon be an influx of Mormon males moving to SLC from other parts in the country as well? Even with Vegas so close, these odds have to look pretty good.
Since Utah Mormons have a problem of too many females and not enough males, the question needs to be asked: Should the Mormon Church propose making polygamy legal once more? After all, there are possibly some women who won’t be able to attend the temple as married women unless willing men can lend a hand. There must be some willing married Mormon males out there who might be willing to do their duty and get married to two, maybe even three women. After all, if God intended polygamy back in the old days to provide assistance to the women, it seems like this practice ought to be reconsidered once more.
Of course, this is not going to happen. But the next time a Mormon uses the “too many women, not enough men” argument for support of 19th century polygamy, ask if they believe Mormonism’s prophet will soon be told by God to reinstitute this practice because many LDS women don’t have worthy husbands. Odds are, they’ll say “no.”
Thanks for that, good info and I can believe you write a book a week for a living.
Is the Jeffs deadline this week? If so, nothing happening down here as far as I can tell.
Living Prophets
-or-
Public relations correct material
Few outside the active mormon population sit like zombies through GC speeches - so they are geared for the faithful
common areas for non-mormons to encounter the ‘living prophets’ are carefully sculpted for content and presentation IMHO.
Can ANYone just wander into the GC speechs?
Do they check IDs or TRs?
I've killed more trees than Dutch Elm disease. At least on Free Republic I'm not required to use appropriate punctuation and correct spelling and grammar, nor do I need to annotate every substantive thought. And I can start sentences with 'and' and 'but.' And I'm allowed to spew things from memory, which is only 93.4% accurate. Or 86.9%. I don't remember which.
Well if the Apocalypse happens, ping me. Running joke in our family when we can’t get ahold of anyone is “Did the Rapture happen and I missed it? I HATE when that happens!”
Televised over an lds cable channel that can be subscribed to by the public iirc
Few outside the active mormon population sit like zombies through GC speeches - so they are geared for the faithful
- - - - - -
Clarification few outside the active Mormon population CAN sit through General Conference. Once, when we lived in Phoenix, MrR wanted to watch Conference because of the organ and MoTab choir. So, I agreed. 15 minutes in, he fell asleep he was so bored and the tone so monotone. He realized then just what an avenue for brainwashing conference is.
Back in the day (when I was LDS) and Conference was held in Tabernacle you needed tickets to watch in person, in Utah it was on BYU TV, and outside Utah you went to the local Stake Center and watched via sattelite. Now, most cable/satellite companies carry BYU TV so you can watch it on there. I am assuming you still need tickets to watch it in person.
Do the 15%ers wail like North Koreans when the Dear Leader dies?
pretty close.
That Conference is PURE CHLOROFORM!!!
I get sleepy just trying to remember it...
Ok then; DON’T take our word for it!
Watch one yourself!!
http://lds.org/general-conference?lang=eng
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