I don’t think polygamy has ever been “normal”, certainly not in this country.
The topic was the age of marriage, which I also can’t say what is “norm”, which is why I said I didn’t know what the norm was, just that it wasn’t non-existant for younger marriages.
Well, then...the problem for Mormons is that they cite alleged cultural norms (19th century mean age for marriage..albeit, they do not quote it accurately) to justify their prophets' marriages to young teenage girls.
BUT...they can't have it both ways! If societal norms set their marital practice, then polygamy would not have been a doctrine and practice of the prophets and the LDS church in the 19th century.
The topic was the age of marriage, which I also cant say what is norm, which is why I said I didnt know what the norm was,...
It has already been shown that the historical mean age of women at marriage was twenty, or greater, at the time. That was the norm...not fourteen to sixteen.
Joseph Smith lied about his marriages and coerced, at least 14 year old Helen Mar Kimball, his brides into polygamous marriage...Sounds just like the FLDS, today,which is the point of the overall issue.