Posted for NoMorePolygamy: "The Bible gives accounts of polygamy in the Old Testament. However, none of those accounts are cast in a postive light. The end result of polygamy (or the practice of having plural wives) is always negative. Solomon's many wives led him into idol worship, David's multiple wives led him into trouble and sin, Jacob's wives never got along and their jealousy impacted their sons; Abraham's venture into polygamy was a real mess for all. Just because the Bible mentions something does not mean it condones it. And we are to glean insight and wisdom from the stories. The postive picture of marriage that God presents is always between one man and one woman. Even in the metaphor of Christ as the Bridegroom, His bride is the Church - singular- not churches - plural. Even if one is to set aside the over-all bent of Scripture in regard to polygamy, I have to speak out and say that polygamy has touched my family. A member of my family married a woman who grew up in a polygamous Mormon household. I can attest first hand to the fact that polygamy within the FLDS is abusive in every way. It is abusive thru the inbreeding (cousin marriages) which results in a higher rate of fumarose disease within the FLDS community, it is abusive in the higher rates of incest which goes unreported, it is abusive in that sex is taught to be for propogation and never for pleasure, it is abusive in the high rate of child brides given to older men, it is abusive in that women are taught to stuff down their emotions (resulting in fragmented personalities) and keep sweet (obey without question their husbands and their prophet). Women are taught they will not go to heaven unless invited by a husband who has 3 wives. The man thus total control over a woman's eternal fate and demands perfect obedience. It is abusive to our system to government in their ongoing "bleed the beast" mentality that says you should soak the government via the "non-legal" wives. The women and children are taught not to question, not to think, and to do so is to defy the prophet. Young boys are excommunicated because boys are a surplus, so boys as young as 14 are out on the streets - their mothers told not to communicate w them. Young girls who do escape polygamy will have deep psychological issues including PTSD, multiple personalities, sexual deviant behaviors, alcohol and drug abuse, suicidal thoughts, anger etc. In our personal family, polygamy has touched us and created irrepairable damage but with God all things are possible. Please pray for our family and the women and children trapped in polygamy. Most do not know they need help. Most have no idea they have been told a big lie. Do not buy into that lie. I hope you hear me and believe me. Polygamy is abuse to women, to children and to young boys."

I think it's fair to say that "biblically" speaking, what was once acceptable is no longer. Incest was acceptable and normal in those times. However, a father or brother having intimate relations with his daughter or sister would be intolerable. Polygamists may believe that as consenting adults they should have that freedom but if polygamy were to be legalized, people would marry without letting their spouses know. This is something that seriously needs to be thought out. We are becoming to liberal. Next, our 8 year olds will be telling us they have a right to chose to have sex and have babies. Then their lawyers will argue because they know right or wrong, they should be given that right. When will this end??

The Mormons were right in abandoning polygamy. The Mormon prophet at the time envisioned the destruction of his faith and culture if they forced the issue in the United States and probably also saw a practical reality of the difficulties for those living in polygamy in having to deal with issues never anticipated when it was introduced. His prophecy of destruction to those who practiced it against the "will of the Lord" seems to have come true with the corruption of Warren Jeffs, and the related abuses now found in these isolated communities. Like homosexuality, the concept of all is available to consenting adults is a very slippery slope when one considers that children are the true victims -- and society definitely has a role in raising our next generation.

I don't have much enthusiasm for the idea of polygamy, but I do have to ask myself what, biblically, I have against it. Abraham, Moses, David etc had multiple wives. They are held as exemplory examples of lives committed to God, they shaped the history (and benchmark) of faith, BUT if they were alive today, they wouldn't hold authority in our churches because they live a life that's contrary to ideal marital practice So our these dear contributors/founders of our faith would find themselves, today, as much an outsider to the church, as the "Will and Graces" of society. so, yes, probably our forefathers had non-ideal marriages. but was it sinful? Moses parents, too, appear to be aunt and nephew when we meet them, which is against Levitical Law (communicated by their own son, Moses)...a non-ideal marital union. Sinful even, but then why are they listed in the heroes of the faith? If they are heroes, then they were accepted by God. Perhaps we just don't know everything.

And we can also visit our local courthouse and hear testimony of people who have experienced monogamy first hand and are now in divorce proceedings.