Polygamy Background Information

Definitions

Bigamy (bigamy) n. 1. The criminal offense of marrying one person while still legally married to another. From Late Latin bigamous twice married Latin bi- two; See bi- 1 Greek gamos marriage; See -gamous [Often the criminal nature of this offense was not as much multiple wives, but a man leaving a wife in one town, moving for work to another and pretending to be single, courting a woman and marrying her, while neither of the women knew of the other wife.]

Plural marriage n. 1. See polygamy. [In Mormon terms it not just more than one spouse, but Celestial marriage (or more than one wife) through special permission, authority, sanction, vow, covenant and sometimes command, by or on behalf of God.

Polygamy (polygamy) n. 1. The condition or practice of having more than one spouse at one time. Also called Plural Marriage.

Polygyny (polygyny) n. 1. The condition or practiceof having more than one wife at one time. [Joseph F. Smith, while testifying to a Congressional Subcommittee, rationalized that Mormons were no longer living polygamy, as he had rationalized in his mind that they were technically living polygyny. However this ruse did not cover all of his less than forthright testimony under oath.]

Polyandry (polyandry) n. 1. The condition or practice of having more than one husband at one time.

Utah Law

UTAH CONSTITUTION

Article 3 Section

The following ordinance shall be irrevocable without the consent of the United States and the people of this State: [Religious toleration -- Polygamy forbidden.] First: -- Perfect toleration of religious sentiment is guaranteed. No inhabitant of this State shall ever be molested in person or property on account of his or her mode of religious worship; but polygamous or plural marriages are forever prohibited.

Article XXIV, Section 2.

[Territorial laws ]
All laws of the Territory of Utah now in force, not repugnant to this Constitution, shall remain in force until they expire by their own limitations, or are altered or repealed by the Legislature. The act of the Governor and Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Utah, entitled, "An Act to punish polygamy and other kindred offenses," approved February 4th, A.D. 1892, in so far as the same defines and imposes penalties for polygamy, is hereby declared to be in force in the State of Utah.

Utah State Code

76-7-101. Bigamy -- Defense.
(1) A person is guilty of bigamy when, knowing he has a husband or wife or knowing the other person has a husband or wife, the person purports to marry another person or cohabits with another person.
(2) Bigamy is a felony of the third degree.
(3) It shall be a defense to bigamy that the accused reasonably believed he and the other person were legally eligible to remarry.

History

Time has not permitted us to add to our site some of the pertinent information we would like. We have provided links to this material for your convenience.

In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith Written by Todd Compton
A CHRONOLOGY OF FEDERAL LEGISLATION ON POLYGAMY
Mormon Polygamy: A History Written by Richard S. Van Wagoner
Mormon Doctrine
The Role of Women in Mormonism
COVERING UP MORMON POLYGAMY
Polygamy Isn't Pretty
Polygamy's Entrepreneurial Empire
Post 1890 Manifesto Polygamist
Fundamentalist Mormon Blood atonement Doctrine
The L.D.S. Manifesto of 1890
Known Polygamous Groups in Utah
Mormon Fundamentalism and Violence: A Historical Analysis