Polygamy, Mormons, and the TCC Library

Say the word 'polygamy', and most of us probably think of Utah as the central location of plural marriages in the U.S. From 1833 to 1890, polygyny [many wives] was an accepted Mormon doctrine. Mainstream Mormonism disavowed polygamy in 1890 to gain statehood for Utah. Neighboring Arizona also has a history of polygamy, where the infamous 1953 raid on a polygamous enclave was followed more recently by the 2007 conviction of FLDS church leader, Warren Jeffs.

And now, 2008, we watch the return of 400 children taken from the Eldorado, Texas, Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints compound. This latest case has many of us questioning government interference with religious beliefs. If the Federal government can intervene in fundamentalist Mormon practices, then what about other fundamentalist denominations ? Is this a slippery slope that will have far reaching implications for other religious adherents ?

• Polygamy: literally means many acts of marriage
• Polygyny: many wives
• Polyandry: many husbands
• Polyamory: group marriage

Polygamy - polygyny - has been the norm through much of the history of human civilization. The custom of plural wives was found in many ancient cultures, and persists today in Africa, India, Polynesia, and Islamic countries. Americans may be surprised to learn that polygamy is legally practiced in Canada and the Netherlands, while thousands of New York City African immigrants live in traditional polygamous families, covertly and illegally. The current mainstream idea of 'marriage' as we know it is a very recent concept in human history.

The TCC Library has books, e-books, a-v resources and more about polygamy, Mormans, and the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints.

Polygamy in the Library

Polygamous families in contemporary society
by Irwin Altman, Cambridge Unversity Press, 1996. HQ 981 .A45 1996

The twenty-seventh wife. [last wife of Brigham Young]
by Irving Wallace,Simon and Schuster, 1961. BX 8641.Y7 W3
Polygamy on the pedernales: Lyman Wight’s Mormon villages in antebellum Texas, 1845 to 1858
by Melvin C.Johnson, Utah State Univ Pr, 2006. LINCC eResources eBooks

Polygamy in other cultures

The pastoral continuum : the marginalization of tradition in East Africa
by Paul Spencer, Oxford Univ Press, 1998. GN658 .S64 1998

Women and the Koran : the status of women in Islam
by Anwar Hekmat, Prometheus Books, 1997. BP134.W6 H45 1997

Islam questions and answers. Volume 24, Jurisprudence and Islamic rulings.
MSA Publication Ltd.,c2004 LINCC eResources eBooks

Books on Mormons and FLDS

Under the banner of heaven : a story of violent faith
by Jon Krakauer, Doubleday,2003. BX 8680.M54 K73 2003

Contemporary Mormonism : Latter-day Saints in modern America
by Claudia L. Bushman, Praeger Publishers,2006. BX 8611 .B83 2006

An introduction to Mormonism
Douglas James Davies, Cambridge University Press,2003. BX 8635.3 .D38 2003

Building the kingdom : a history of Mormons in America
by Claudia L. Bushman, Oxford University Press,c2001.BX 8611 .B84 2001

Latter days : a guided tour through six billion years of Mormonism
by Coke Newell, St. Martin’s Press, 2000. BX 8611 .N49 2000

Mormon America : the power and the promise
by Richard N. Ostling, HarperSanFrancisco, 1999. BX 8635.2 .O88 1999

Our search for happiness : an invitation to understand the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints
Russell Ballard, Deseret Book Co.,c1993. BX 8635.5 .B35 1993

Encyclopedia of Mormonism
NY: Maxwell Macmillan International REF BX 8605.5 .E62 1992

The Mormon experience : a history of the Latter-Day Saints
by Leonard J Arrington,Univ Illinois Pr, 1992. BX8611 .A78 1992

The politics of American religious identity: the seating of Senator Reed Smoot, Mormon apostle by Kathleen Flake,Univ NC Press, c2004. BX8695.S74 F57 2004

Brigham Young : American Moses
by Leonard J. Arrington,Univ Illinois Pr, 1985. BX8695.Y7 A85 1986

Joseph Smith and the beginnings of Mormonism
by Richard L. Bushman, Univ Illinois Pr, 1984. BX8695.S6 B87 1984

e-Books in the Library

Polygamy on the pedernales: Lyman Wight’s Mormon villages in antebellum Texas, 1845 to 1858
by Melvin C.Johnson, Utah State Univ Pr, 2006. LINCC eResources eBooks

Having visions: the Book of Mormon translated and exposed in plain English
by Susan Stansfield Wolverton, Algora Pub, 2004 LINCC eResources eBooks

An introduction to Mormonism
by Douglas James Davies, Cambridge Univ Pr, 2003LINCC eResources eBooks

Mormons and the Bible: the place of the Latter-Day Saints in American religion
by Philip Barlow, Oxford University Press, 1991. LINCC eResources eBooks

The politics of American religious identity: the seating of Senator Reed Smoot, Mormon apostle
by Kathleen Flake, Univ of NC Press, 2004. LINCC eResources eBooks

Recollections of past days: the autobiography of Patience Loader Rozsa Archer
by Patience Loader Archer, Utah State Univ, 2006. Life writings of frontier women seriesLINCC eResources eBooks

Islam questions and answers. Volume 24, Jurisprudence and Islamic rulings.
MSA Publication Ltd.,c2004 LINCC eResources eBooks

Audio-visual resources

The Mormons
Frontline, PBS, 2007.
240 min, dvd set
Media Collection A-V CVR 1067

How rare a possession: the Book of Mormon
Intellectual Reserve, 2000, 1987.
63 min, video
Media Collection VIDEO BX8627 .H668 2000

The mountain of the Lord
72 min, video
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 1993.
Media Collection VIDEO BX8685 .M68 1993

Web sites of relevance

Utah History: New polygamy, Pioneers & cowboys,
historytogo.utah.gov/utah_chapters/utah_today/thenewpolygamy
historytogo.utah.gov/utah_chapters/pioneers_and_cowboys/historyofpolygamy

Tapestry against Polygamy: Creating a choice and a voice through education and support
"Tapestry Against Polygamy is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Tapestry advocates against the human right violations inherent in polygamy and provides assistance to individuals leaving polygamous cults."
http://www.polygamy.org/

Loving More: New Models for Relationships
Loving More explores and supports many different forms of family and relationships, such as open marriage, extended family, and multi-partner marriages. It also serves as a national clearinghouse for the multi-partner movement. The organization publishes the quarterly magazine Loving More
http://www.lovemore.com/

Polygamy.com - [pro polygamy]
"The webs comprehensive source for information regarding modern polygamy. Articles for and against polygamy, an extensive library on polygamy and polygamists, and a free polygamy forum with many spirited discussions and opinions. "
http://www.polygamy.com/

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Official Web sites of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
http://www.lds.org/
http://www.mormon.org/

Brigham Young, PBS
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/people/s_z/young.htm

Search our Online Catalog for more resources

Polygamy
Mormon Church
Mormon families
Mormon fundamentalism
Mormon pioneers
Mormons - United States
Mormon [keyword]
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Book of Mormon
Branch Davidian [Waco]
Polygamy - Islamic law

Databases with information on polygamy

NewsBank. SIRS. Opposing Viewpoints. Academic Search

access to TCC databases requires a TCC ID card or on-campus access.
selected articles available from campus computers, available in NewsBank

Jeffs may be put away for life, but polygamy's at large in Utah.
by Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times, Sept 27, 2007.
"with an estimated 37,000 residents living polygamous lifestyles" it would be impossible to "prosecute people solely for multiple marriages"

Polygamy, practiced in secrecy, follows Africans to New York City.
by Nica Bernstein, New York Times, March 23, 2007
"Immigration to New York and other American cities has soared from places where polygamy is lawful and widespread, especailly from West African countries..."

Movement grows to legalize polygamy
by John Pomfret, Miami Herald, The (FL) - November 23, 2006
"In their quest to decriminalize bigamy, practitioners have had help from unlikely quarters. HBO's series Big Love, about a Viagra-popping man with three wives, three sets of bills, three sets of chores and three sets of kids, marked a watershed because of its sympathetic portrayal of polygamists. The U.S. Supreme Court's 2003 decision in Lawrence vs. Texas, which voided laws criminalizing sodomy, also aided polygamy's cause because it implied that the court disapproved of laws that reach into the bedroom. "===============================