Prats in Power
In 2021, I did a 10-day series of posts leading up to Thanksgiving to share resources, quotes, and stories about how I deconstructed the doctrine of LDS Mormon Polygamy, or as the early Latter-day Saints called it “the Practice.” I used the hashtags #givethanks for each of these posts because then-Prophet Russell M. Nelson had just hyped up members to receive a modern day prophecy which consisted of him suggesting that all members of the Church do some humble-bragging missionary work with that hashtag in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. As far as I know, Church Members are still circulating this hashtag around Thanksgiving as a way to signal their loyalty to the Church when posting about the holiday.
These posts were a bit more passive aggressive than normal for me, since I generally try/tried to be very gentle with Church Members. I know how it feels to be in that tender balance of earnestness + cognitive dissonance while being overloaded with Church chores and family duties. My goal even as I deconstructed, was to be hard on the system but soft with people. However, getting a full face of gushing gratitude about Temples and the General Authorities and Joseph Smith every day when I went to Social Media was pretty grating and ultimately, these 10 posts were an attempt to communicate with the community I come from by using the “in-speak” of the Church while inviting critical thinking, rather than herd-compliance.
The #Givethanks Anti-Polygamy Posts
Day 4
Full quote from Orson Pratt, July 18, 1880:
“All these principles that I have treated upon, pertaining to eternal marriage, the very moment that they are admitted to be true, it brings in plurality of marriage, and if plurality of marriage is not true or in other words, if a man has no divine right to marry two wives or more in this world, the marriage for eternity is not true, and your faith is all vain, and all the sealing ordinances and powers, pertaining to marriages for eternity are vain, worthless, good for nothing; for as sure as one is true the other also must be true. Amen.”
orson pratt
Let that sink in.
Of all the principles or doctrines of “the Gospel,” polygamy was the hill that Church leaders–from Brigham Young and his counselors in the First Presidency through the Quorum of the 12 to the stake presidents and bishops of the local areas–were willing to die on.
Not kindness.
Not charity.
Not forgiveness.
Not agency.
Not any Christian, humanist, or decent human value or endeavor.
Polygamy.
That’s the essence of the LDS/Mormon Church.
They said stuff like this over and over and over and over.
And, they only stopped saying (from the pulpit) when they were called before Congress and forced to stop it. (–>Reed Smoot hearings in 1904, which led to the second manifesto) After that, it went underground to the Sunday School lessons and side hallways and camp settings.
If you want to dismiss this and think that the Church doesn’t practice/believe this anymore–you should probably be aware that you have invented your own private Church.
The Church has never disavowed polygamy, never apologized for the immense harm it has done and is still doing to women in the Church, has never even suggested recanting this.
It is still doctrine;
still canonized in LDS scripture;
still practiced in the rules around temple sealings;
still modeled to us through President Nelson and first counselor Oaks, who both see themselves as eternally polygamous, already.
Today, I #givethanks that these early leaders made the situation so excessively clear that this was Mormon-god’s priority. It’s been very helpful in allowing me to deconstruct and recognize that my spiritual experiences with deity have been from a very different source.
Transcribed Quotes from Church Leaders:
“…if a man has no divine right to marry two wives or more in this world, the marriage for eternity is not true, and your faith is all vain, and all the sealing ordinances and powers, pertaining to marriages for eternity are vain, worthless, good for nothing;”
LDS Apostle Orson Pratt, July 18, 1880
I know just as well what to teach this people and just what to say in order to bring them into the celestial kingdom…I have never yet preached a sermon and sent it out to the children of men, that they may not call Scripture. Let me have the privilege of correcting a sermon, and it is as good Scripture as they deserve. The People have the oracles of God continually.”
LDS prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol 13, 95
All those who would enter into my glory must and shall obey my law. And have I not commanded men that if they were Abraham’s seed and wound enter into my glory, they must do the works of Abraham. I have not revoked this law [plural marriage], nor will I, for it is everlasting, and those who will enter into my glory must obey the conditions thereof; even so, Amen.”
LDS Prophet John Taylor, revelation given September 27. 1886
They may break us up, and rout us from place to another but by and by we shall come to a point where we shall have all the women, and they will have none. You may think I am joking about this, but I can bring you the truth of God to demonstrate it to you.”
LDs Apostle Orson Hyde, October 1854 General Conference
Discover more from Laura Randle
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
