Recent events highlight confusion of polygamy

SANDY — "Polygamy is the exception to God's law," scholar and author Valerie Hudson argued this week at a conference in Utah.

The Mormon Church has not practiced plural marriage for more than 120 years, but in the midst of inaccurate and confusing news coverage of the trial and conviction of FLDS leader and polygamist Warren Jeffs, he Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research coincidentally devoted an entire session to Hudson's interpretation of the history of Mormon scriptural teachings regarding plural marriage.

FAIR is an independent, non-profit organization that addresses criticism of Mormon beliefs but has no official tie to the LDS Church.

And despite confusion in some media coverage, there is no relation between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the LDS Church or Mormons, and the polygamist FLDS or Jeffs.

Still, given recent media attention to and misunderstanding of polygamy within the Mormon faith, Hudson's remarks at FAIR were provocative and timely.

"The new and everlasting covenant, colloquially known (by Mormons) as temple marriage, is an eternal principle of the highest importance" and is based on a monogamous relationship between one man and one woman, Hudson said Thursday during her talk, "A Reconciliation of Polygamy."

Hudson, a BYU political science professor, was not speaking on behalf of BYU or the LDS Church. Plural marriage, as Mormons refer to it, was practiced by some members of the LDS Church in the late 1800s, but the practice ended in 1890 after LDS Church President Wilford Woodruff received a revelation.

Drawing from language found in the second chapter of Jacob in the Book of Mormon, Hudson said that "when God commands men to marry, usually he commands them to marry monogamously. Sometimes, as Jacob notes, he will command them otherwise. But eventually he always rescinds polygamy and returns his followers to the established pattern of marriage: monogamy."

"Plural marriage outside the command of the Lord is always a grievous sin," Hudson added. "The Lord speaks of severe punishment for those who practice polygamy without being commanded. No such punishments are noted for those who practice monogamy."

Hudson also explored the language of the 132nd Section of the Doctrine and Covenants, another book of Mormon scripture. She pointed out that verse 34 is referring to polygamy and why it was introduced at the time of Abraham.