Why Decriminalizing Polygamy Is A Bad Idea

            I will first build a foundation for my thesis. 

            Brooke Adams filed a story in The Salt Lake Tribune Sept. 26, 2009 entitled, “Survey shows fundamentalist Mormon numbers up.”  Brooke apparently covered the “legal conference” (Sept. 25, 2009) hosted by Principle Voices in which Attorney General Mark Shurtleff was a featured speaker.

            Anne Wilde of Principle Voices apparently conducted the “informal” survey and estimated that there were 38,000 Mormon fundamentalists in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.  Although I think Anne’s figures are a little inflated, let’s use her figures:

            Independents 1500, FLDS 10,000, AUB 7,500, Centennial Park 2,000, Davis County Cooperative Society (Kingstons) 2,000, other groups 1,500.

            By other groups I assume she means the TLC, Righteous Branch, etc.  Nascent groups come and go like pimples.

            The Mormon fundamentalist groups are schisms from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Sociologist, Randy Stark* says most established religions have the seeds of schisms built in them.  A schism may be a sect or cult that is motivated by power.  In other words, power is the impetus behind a schism; and what differentiates the schisms from the mother church is “tension” and “compensators.”  A compensator is a promise or doctrine that substitutes as a reward.  A compensator may be a reward in the form of esoteric information.  Information is power. Without going into too much detail, high tension fundamentalist compensators would be plural marriage - calling & election made sure - becoming god of your own worlds, one for each wife – God actually came down from heaven, had sex with his daughter Mary, and Jesus was born.

            Stark differentiates between a sect and cult according to the degree of passion, tension, magic and acceptability of a compensators.  Keep in mind a compensator is a “unit of information” or an idea – something intangible that doesn’t materialize until sometime in the future.

            In view of the above, the reason there is so many Mormon schisms is because of a want of power.  In that regard each group ( sect or cult) is in competition with each other over power.  The conquest for power and authority cannot be overestimated in this equation.

            In essence what Principle Voices is attempting to do is reduce the tension between Mormon fundamentalism and mainstream society by strategically using politically powerful politicians like Mark Shurtleff as tools.  In that regard they have been reasonably successful.  We see a similar strategy used by the homosexuals.  The battle for same sex marriages is a strategy for easing tension and establishing an acceptable compensator that homosexuality is a normal, natural sexual orientation.

            Mormon fundamentalism is an authoritarian, male dominated, priesthood ruled enterprise.  Their power comes from the believability of their authority, the giving of rituals and sealing (merchandising) plural wives.  They are very jealous of this “power and authority” which is closely guarded and defended.

            Principle Voices is an ad hoc, independent, female, adhominen organization meaning that it emphasizes emotion over intellect and is not controlled by a prophet or priesthood.  Principle Voices has created the illusion of mass fundamentalist unification, in other words, a coming together of all the groups.  There is unification among the independents and a few individuals in each of the groups showing up at the Safety Net meetings.  But Principle Voices will never be able to bring together the ruling arms of the groups.  Paul Kingston, J. LaMoine Jenson, Warren Jeffs, James D. Harmston will never allow themselves to be led around by women or relinquish power and authority to any other fundamentalist leader. 

            Decriminalization will tend to create the illusion of reducing tension between Mormon fundamentalists and mainstream society but it will not reduce the tension between the LDS Church and fundamentalism, or between the fundamentalist groups.  It will only mean that the fundamentalist groups will have more freedom to take steps to solidify their power and authority.  How do they do this?

            They do it by controlling information which is the primary reason they tend to isolate themselves from mainstream society.  Scholars, lawyers, pundits and intellectuals have argued that the fundamentalists isolate themselves because of the laws against polygamy.  That posit is only marginally true.  Using the FLDS as an example.  When there was only one group under Joseph Musser, a fraction immigrated to Short Creek to establish a place of refuge where they could ostensibly practice their religion unmolested.  The other faction stayed in Salt Lake County which evolved into AUB.  What occurred was a split over power, compensators and rewards.  The laws against polygamy had very little to do with it.  Schisms are a natural sociological phenomenon.  Centennial Park split from the FLDS.**  The Reorganized Church split from the LDS Church.  Power was the impetus, compensators the strategy and excuse.

            Decriminalization will only embolden the prophets and their priesthoods.  They will interpret it as the work of God.  In time they will succumb to the “illusion of invulnerability.”  They will continue to isolate themselves because the more isolated they are the more they can control information.

            The Kingston Group has operated elbow to elbow with mainstream society for many years.  On occasion they have been the focus of law enforcement but each time survived.  Partially due to their close association with “gentiles” a few Kingston adherents fell away and repudiated Kingston doctrines.  But they only represent a tiny fraction.  Due to cerebral isolation, that is “compensators” and the stake or investment adherents have in the Kingston enterprise, the vast majority stayed unified.  Law enforcement assisted in this unification but not for the reason pundits believe. 

            The fundamentalist groups need a devil probably more than they need a god.  They need someone or something to hate.  They will forever be victims for they need persecution to survive.  Persecution validates the compensators and unifies.

            I will end with a few examples of how power and authority mixed with irrational beliefs (compensators) can lead to deviant and criminal behavior.  Ervil LeBaron was responsible for dozens of murders.  The FLDS forced under aged girls into unwanted polygamist marriages.  James D. Harmston did the same thing with Rachael Strong.  AUB sought God’s permission to steal 1.5 million dollars.  There is probable cause to suspect that incest is a serious problem among the Kingston oligarchy. 

            These are atrocities that occurred while the bigamy statute is intact.  The reluctance of prosecutors to use the bigamy statute has made it impotent.

            Do we really think corruption and abuse will mysteriously evaporate when bigamy is no longer a crime?

            I welcome opposing views.  I know there are many sincere people who think decriminalization will benefit the public at large.  Lets hash it out and see what we can learn.

* Rodney Stark is the author of The Rise of Christianity, The Rise of Mormonism, and A Theory of Religion, and other enlightening books dealing with religion.

** See Colorado City Polygamists by Benjamin G. Bistline for an excellent and accurate history of the FLDS.