Why do Mormons have more than one wife?

Why did some early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints practice polygamy? Some leaders and members of the Church practiced polygamy during the mid 1800s because they were commanded by God to do so. So marriage then between one man to several women was according to God's will.

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How many wives can Mormons have?

The standard doctrine of the Church is monogamy, as it always has been, as indicated in the Book of Mormon (Jacob chapter 2): “Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none. …

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What percentage of Mormons have multiple wives?

Best estimates suggest that men with two or more wives made up only 5 to 15 percent of the population of most LDS communities. Even though only a tiny minority of Latter-day Saints practiced plural marriage, many church leaders were very reluctant to abandon it, arguing that to do so would destroy the LDS way of life.

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Why do Mormons stop polygamy?

The Manifesto

In 1890, church president Wilford Woodruff, fearful that the continuation of the practice of plural marriage would lead to the destruction of all Mormon temples, announced an end to official support for polygamy.

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Do Mormons believe in birth control?

In keeping with the Mormon belief that heaven is full of millions of spirits awaiting an earthly body, birth control and abortion are also forbidden. Since the female body is regarded as the tabernacle of the spirit and the residence of God's spirit children, a high priority is given to prenatal care.

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Why Did Mormons Have Multiple Wives (Mormon Polygamy)?

21 related questions found

Do Mormons have more than one girlfriend?

Polygamy is condemned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Latter-day Saints believe that monogamy—the marriage of one man and one woman—is the Lord's standing law of marriage.

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What is a Mormon husband called?

…a Latter-day Saint husband or father presides over his wife and family in much the same way a bishop, stake president, or elders quorum president presides over the specific group to which he is called….

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Are Mormons allowed to divorce?

Mormon marriages are different from most marriages because they are considered eternal. If a husband and wife are sealed together in the temple, they can be together on into the celestial kingdom. However, the church does have a process for annulment and sees divorce as an unfortunately necessary evil.

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What is forbidden in Mormonism?

Alcohol, tobacco, tea, coffee and drugs

These are all specifically banned in the Word of Wisdom, except for drugs. The prophets have made it clear that drugs, other than for medical use, are also banned. Mormons are also strongly discouraged from drinking soft drinks containing caffeine.

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Do Mormons marry cousins?

Marriage to a direct relative (a daughter, brother or sister, or niece) would be incest. However, marrying a wife's relative would not. The relation of first cousins represents the fourth degree of consanguinity and was allowed by Utah law, though forbidden by the traditional standard of Anglican canonical law.

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Can Mormons marry outside?

Marriage outside of the Temple

The Church understands it and will allow a marriage done by legal authority, but it should be sealed in the temple as soon as possible. By following and living God's commandments, a couple who was married outside the temple can ready themselves for the sealing in the temple.

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What is expected of a Mormon woman?

Mormon women have the specific responsibility to be righteous daughters of God; good, faithful wives; and loving mothers. A woman should give her greatest priority to her home: her husband, her family, and the opportunity to child-bearing. That is her divine mission.

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What do you call a female Mormon?

Molly Mormon (sometimes abbreviated MoMo) is a term for a popular stereotype of a female member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

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What do Mormon men call each other?

2.1 Latter-day Saints

Latter-day Saints form an ideal community for a study on address forms because there are strong cultural norms for members to refer to each other by the titles Brother or Sister followed by the person's last name.

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Which religions allow multiple wives?

For example, in some Islamic, Hindu, and even Christian countries, polygamy is a normal practice or is otherwise tolerated. Some Native American, Indigenous Australian, and Mongolian peoples practice “group marriage,” where the nuclear family consists of multiple husbands and multiple wives.

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What is the average age for a Mormon to get married?

Outside the church, the average marriage age in the U.S. is 29 for men and 27 for women. According to the Next Mormons Survey (NMS), a study used in a new book “The Next Mormons: How Millennials are Shaping the LDS Church” by Jana Riess, the median marriage age for Mormons is 22.

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How does Mormon polygamy work?

In Mormon polygamy, the husband usually has one legal wife; subsequent marriages are ordained in a religious service, but there's no license on file with any county clerk. In Missouri, you can be convicted of bigamy if a married person “purports”, to quote the statute, to marry another person.

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Do Mormons celebrate Christmas?

For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Christmas season is a special time to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. Every year, Latter-day Saints gather with family and friends and recall the tender scene of “the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12).

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What are Mormon missionaries not allowed to do?

While on their mission, missionaries can call home only on Christmas and Mother's Day; they must be with their missionary companion 24 hours a day; they cannot come within arm's length of the opposite sex; they cannot watch television or films; and they are only allowed to listen to music and read books that are of a ...

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What do Mormon people call themselves?

But the proper term for what to call the faith and its followers is a mouthful. In an announcement on Thursday, President Russell M. Nelson insisted that Mormons and non-Mormons alike stick to the term “the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

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Can Mormons go swimming?

According to the church, adult Mormons are required to wear special garments, a type of underwear that covers the shoulders and upper thigh, at all times after their first temple visit. However, Section 21.1. 42 of “Handbook 2” states that the garments may be removed for swimming.

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Can a woman wear pants to a Mormon church?

And the answer now includes female Mormon missionaries. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints updated its dress code for missionaries. Women are still supposed to wear skirts and dresses to worship. But women at more than 400 missions worldwide may wear dress slacks at other times.

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What age can Mormon girls date?

“Do not date until you are at least 16 years old. Dating before then can lead to immorality, limit the number of other young people you meet, and deprive you of experiences that will help you choose an eternal partner.” For the Strength of Youth, 24. “The Lord has made us attractive one to another for a great purpose.

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Do Mormons believe Jesus had a wife?

Because of the beliefs that (1) celestial marriage is required for exaltation, and (2) that Jesus is exalted, some leaders of the LDS Church have hypothesized that Jesus must have been married, possibly to Mary Magdalene, Mary, sister of Lazarus, and/or Martha.

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Why can't Mormons attend weddings?

The Temple Ceremony

Only faithful members of the Church are allowed to attend. All your guests must have a temple recommend issued by their bishop to enter the temple, which means your ceremony will likely be smaller than it would be in a non-temple wedding (usually it's just family and close friends).

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