If Mormon Fundamentalists cannot cure Covid-19 with Ivermectin, why do they think they can fix monogamy with plural marriage.

Cristina Rosetti, former Director of Cherish Families Awareness campaign, who lobbied in 2021 to decriminalize polygamy in Utah, explained her opinion in “The Conversation” about the mistrust between Mormon polygamous communities and vaccines.

As former Mormon Fundamentalist women, it is true; we distrusted the government because we were taught everyone other than “us” was unchosen, mostly wicked. We followed the roots of our religion, which included polygamy, never considering there were laws to protect us from it or that our religious leaders, who happened to be men, were using fear as a way to control us.

In many ways, as fundamentalists, we felt vindicated when we believed the gentiles hated us.

This belief system originated from early leaders of Mormonism who believed once the spirit of hatred stopped, it was a sign that we had apostatized and made friends with the wicked. (Brigham Young, J.D. 4:327)

As far as immunizations, it was uncommon to have our children vaccinated. It would be better for our children to become infected with measles from head to toe and swelter with a fever and mumps than trusting the government. Unless, of course, God and our religious leaders didn’t come through for us, and we needed a doctor or the hospital.

We abstained from modern-day medicine because relying on science and doctors was viewed as putting trust in the arm of flesh. Instead, we believed the gifts of the spirit would heal our sick; the only thing we had to do was believe. And we did.

The problem was Mormon Fundamentalists were dying and not being healed; we weren’t expecting anything grandiose; just getting better would have been nice. But, instead, diseases ravaged polygamous communities: strange diseases, unexpected diseases, including disturbing congenital disabilities. It didn’t seem fair.

If a loved one or community member did not recover on their own, it was anyone’s guess: “Did God test them? Did they not have enough faith, or was it the person praying and anointing them that lacked faith?”

We told ourselves, “God had other plans,” while wondering if he had other plans, why should we pray in the first place.

We never thought that God was not intervening because he wanted us to learn from the consequences of our actions or to get along with others, regardless of skin color, gender, or beliefs.

As Mormon Fundamentalists, the only time we broke weak was when a family member was deathly ill, and the Lord did not receive our fasting and prayers. Instead of cursing the government during these times, we were grateful for ambulances and free medical services. None of the doctors or nurses asked us about our religious beliefs, and there was something called H.I.P.P.A., which protected us from outsiders knowing our business. The hospitals were clean; the nurses were kind. Nobody was following us in the middle of the night, trying to arrest us. We picked up our prescriptions and headed home, observing the dying and withered bloom again. Instead of being grateful for a miracle from the gentiles, we felt the need to complain and undermine what had happened, never considering God could work miracles through doctors and modern medicine.

We followed sermons of the dead prophets: Mormon leaders Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were unwilling to consider that doctors knew more about the human body than themselves. Brigham warned his followers “doctorcraft” was one of “the four grand crafts that uphold Satan’s Kingdom.” (Brigham Young, Deseret News, July 12, 1863)

Modern medicine has evolved dramatically since early Mormonism, and if Brigham was alive today, he might consider going to a surgeon (he died of a ruptured appendix). Maybe not.

Joseph Smith told his followers not to follow science or doctors but to live by faith and trust in God. (T.P.J.S., p. 190)

We did precisely that; trusted our religious leaders and put our faith in their teachings, which we believed was from God.

If we were Mormon Fundamentalists and lived in a polygamous community, no doubt we would fear Covid-19 vaccines, not because of efficacy or lack of long-term testing. None of that would matter. We would be concerned because of what early Mormon leaders like Brigham Young said, “Doctors and their medicines I regard as a deadly bane to any community.” (Brigham Young, J.D. 14:109)

As Cristina Rosetti stated, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Russell M. Nelson, a retired surgeon, advocated that mainstream members receive the Covid-19 vaccine calling it a “literal godsend.”

True enough.

Today we can make our own medical decisions concerning our body, including prevention, treatment, practices, and medicine from Western, Eastern, Walgreen Pharmacy, ancestors, and our gardens. Our body is ours alone, and no religious leader has the authority to tell us what to do with it.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Mormon Fundamentalists may disagree on their approach to Covid-19. Yet, their stance on women and polygamy is similar.

The polygamy revelation in Doctrine & Covenants 132, which they both support, is an equally dangerous virus that affects the mind; there is no vaccination to prevent transmitting this form of discrimination unless it is to wake up, take accountability, and stop doing it.

Mormon men have made polygamy the victim and use women to lobby the “evil” government to support it. Not too difficult a feat considering Utah’s majority leaders are Latter-day Saint members who share many of the same common beliefs about women.

We are all in this together, whether we like it or not.