Polygamy in Romney Family History
February 26th, 2007 by eric
Saturday, February 24th, 2007, an article was put out by Associated Press writers Jennifer Dobner and Glen Johnson which read like a deliberate attempt to embarass Governor Romney. It was titled, “Romney Family Tree Has Polygamy Branch”.
I find it interesting anyway the negative connotations still attached to the word “polygamy” or polygyny. For an example of what I mean, look at Hugh Hefner, founder of Playboy magazine. Hugh lives with three women that share his bed. American society thinks he is “cool” and our law finds no harm in what he and the three women are doing. If Hugh had done the more decent thing and married each one of these three women (thereby making Hugh Hefner a polygamist) American society would then consider him “strange” and he would be somewhat ostracized.
In other countries polygamy is quite normal. Take Iraq for example where a man can take up to four wives. There are many other countries besides Iraq where it is still practiced today. There are also contract style polygamist marriages called mutaah that are common in the Middle East.
So why do we view polygamy so negatively here in the United States besides the fact that it is against the law? Because it’s a sin? No, Jesus never spoke against it. It’s not a part of the ten commandments. Adultery you say? No, the word adultery or na`aph in Hebrew simply means - a woman breaking her wedding agreement or betrothal. In fact, some or most of God’s most trusted men, his helpers on earth, his prophets, had multiple wives.
- Prophet Moses (who delivered the ten commandments) had two wives, Zipporah and an Ethopian wife (name not given)
- Prophet Abraham had three wives Sarah, Hagar, and Keturah.
- David, King of Israel, prophet of God had at least 10 wives.
“David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him to wife. 1 Samuel 25:39
“David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel; and they were also both of them his wives.” 1 Samuel 25:43
“And David took him more concubines and wives” 2 Samuel 5:13, 1 Chronicles 14:3
“And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.” 2 Samuel 12:7-8
There are many other prophets of God in the Bible that I could mention who had multiple wives. Such men, if they were sinning in such practice, would never have been called by God to be prophets.
In the book of Exodus, God lays down a law about a man taking a second (or third, or fourth) wife.
“If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.” Exodus 21:10
In the 1800’s in Utah, there were more women than men due to the fact that many of the Mormon men died in the trek to Utah, in wars, and also in defending their families and property from mobs. The church allowed polygamy to give support to those single women and also to quickly populate and build generations of righteous families. At that time, the Utah territory was seeking statehood. As a condition of statehood, there were laws passed against the practice of polygamy. Since the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints teaches to obey the laws of the land, the practice of polygamy was discontinued. Not all Mormon men entered such marriages anyway, only a few.
You’ve got the history all wrong! Joseph Smith implemented polygamy while the sect was still in Missouri or Illinois- it had NOTHING to do with deaths during the trek to Utah.
Further- Smith’s wife, shortly after he was murdered by the mob at the jail, tried ( along with several other church officials ) to get the polygamy program eliminated. They were in midst of accomplishing this when Brigham Young returned for a trip and essentially implemented a coup where HE bacame the new “prophet”.. and subsequently kept polygamy and moved them to Utah.
“For an example of what I mean, look at Hugh Hefner, founder of Playboy magazine. Hugh lives with three women that share his bed. American society thinks he is “cool†and our law finds no harm in what he and the three women are doing. If Hugh had done the more decent thing and married each one of these three women (thereby making Hugh Hefner a polygamist) American society would then consider him “strange†and he would be somewhat ostracized.”
I never did understand why having lots of girlfriends is fun but a second wife and the guy becomes a federal criminal. If the women accept a common husband this is the same or better than the women accept a common boyfriend (Uncle Hugh). Also Uncle Hugh is in his 70’s while his current 3 girlfriends are in their 20’s. Uncle hugh also lives next door to his wife and children
wt