Polygamy, the new handbook and the law

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_I have a question
_Emeritus
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Polygamy, the new handbook and the law

Post by _I have a question »

In the new handbook it lists a series of offences that automatically require holding a disciplinary membership council.
Sins That Require Holding a Membership Council
Murder
Rape
Sexual assault conviction
Child or youth abuse
Abuse of a spouse or another adult (as outlined in 38.6.2.4)
Predatory behavior (violent, sexual, or financial)
Incest
Child pornography (as outlined in 38.6.6)
Plural marriage
Serious sin while holding a prominent Church position
Most felony convictions

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/stu ... e_number17
Plural Marriage. A membership council is required if a person knowingly enters into a plural marriage. Some plural marriages may occur in secret, with a spouse not knowing about one or more other spouses. Withdrawing a person’s Church membership is required if a person knowingly enters into plural marriage.


Most of those are obvious breaches of the law, regardless of how the Church feels about them, but plural marriage seems to me to be the odd one out. For instance, both Mr Oaks and Mr Nelson have entered into plural marriage arrangements. They haven't just remarried because their wife has died, they have purposefully entered into a plural marriage arrangement. But no disciplinary membership council for them. It's a bit much excommunicating law abiding loving polygamists simply because all their wives are alive (and that's the only difference between polygamists who will currently be excommunicated and Oaks & Nelson who won't).

The Utah Senate on Friday gave final approval 27-0 to a bill that would reduce polygamy among consenting adults to an infraction — an offense below some traffic tickets — essentially decriminalizing the practice.

https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2020/02 ... turn-days/

Now even Utah is downgrading polygamy to an infraction less than a parking ticket, with the expressed purpose of separating the law abiding loving polygamists from those who abuse wives and children so the police can deal with the latter and leave the former well alone. I'm pretty sure getting a parking ticket isn't going to get you hauled into a disciplinary membership council, so why should plural marriage?
“When we are confronted with evidence that challenges our deeply held beliefs we are more likely to reframe the evidence than we are to alter our beliefs. We simply invent new reasons, new justifications, new explanations. Sometimes we ignore the evidence altogether.” (Mathew Syed 'Black Box Thinking')
_Holy Ghost
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Re: Polygamy, the new handbook and the law

Post by _Holy Ghost »

Auto stop by policeman of a car with a man driving, two adult women passenger--

Officer: Good morning sir, can I see your driver's licence, registration and marriage licenses?

Driver: Marriage licenses? (as he hands the officer his license and registration).

Officer: Yes, sir. This is a one-spouse highway you are driving on, Utah 1.

Driver: Oh, I'm sorry, officer. We're just passing through, on our way to Colorado City.

Driver: Are you writing me a ticket?

Officer: Yes, sir. It'll cost you $50 bucks for bringing more than one woman with you when you pass through Utah.
"There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge." Isaac Asimov
_huckelberry
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Re: Polygamy, the new handbook and the law

Post by _huckelberry »

I have a question wrote:In the new handbook it lists a series of offences that automatically require holding a disciplinary membership council.
Sins That Require Holding a Membership Council
Murder
Rape
Sexual assault conviction
Child or youth abuse
Abuse of a spouse or another adult (as outlined in 38.6.2.4)
Predatory behavior (violent, sexual, or financial)
Incest
Child pornography (as outlined in 38.6.6)
Plural marriage
Serious sin while holding a prominent Church position
Most felony convictions

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/stu ... e_number17
Plural Marriage. A membership council is required if a person knowingly enters into a plural marriage. Some plural marriages may occur in secret, with a spouse not knowing about one or more other spouses. Withdrawing a person’s Church membership is required if a person knowingly enters into plural marriage.


disciplinary membership council, so why should plural marriage?


Because it represents a direct rejection of current leaderships authority I would imagine.
_oliblish
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Re: Polygamy, the new handbook and the law

Post by _oliblish »

The Second Manifesto given by Joseph F. Smith in General Conference April 6, 1904 is still in effect:

Inasmuch as there are numerous reports in circulation that plural marriages have been entered into, contrary to the official declaration of President Woodruff of September 24, 1890, commonly called the manifesto, which was issued by President Woodruff, and adopted by the Church at its general conference, October 6, 1890, which forbade any marriages violative of the law of the land, I, Joseph F. Smith, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, hereby affirm and declare that no such marriages have been solemnized with the sanction, consent, or knowledge of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

And I hereby announce that all such marriages are prohibited, and if any officer or member of the Church shall assume to solemnize or enter into any such marriage, he will be deemed in transgression against the Church, and will be liable to be dealt with according to the rules and regulations thereof and excommunicated therefrom.

Joseph F. Smith,
President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Manifesto
_fetchface
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Re: Polygamy, the new handbook and the law

Post by _fetchface »

huckelberry wrote:Because it represents a direct rejection of current leaderships authority I would imagine.

Bingo! Direct disagreement with top leadership is the worst sin you can commit in Mormonism.
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