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# Plural marriages increased competition in the marriage market, so the "slacker" and "loser" men had to work to improve their standing to compete. They had to clean up, try to get good jobs, and treat the women with respect. It gave the women more options as to whom to marry. | # Plural marriages increased competition in the marriage market, so the "slacker" and "loser" men had to work to improve their standing to compete. They had to clean up, try to get good jobs, and treat the women with respect. It gave the women more options as to whom to marry. | ||
# Out on the frontier in 19th century life expectancy was low and women were not as economically independent as they are today. Therefore there was a large amount of widows (and orphans coming of age) that needed to be taken care of. Furthermore Brigham instituted the most liberal divorce in the country so women (but not men!) could get out of unhappy marriages. Kathryn Daynes estimated that 30% of plural marriages came from married-before women. {{ref|daynes110}} | # Out on the frontier in 19th century life expectancy was low and women were not as economically independent as they are today. Therefore there was a large amount of widows (and orphans coming of age) that needed to be taken care of. Furthermore Brigham instituted the most liberal divorce in the country so women (but not men!) could get out of unhappy marriages. Kathryn Daynes estimated that 30% of plural marriages came from married-before women. {{ref|daynes110}} | ||
− | # Church Historian Elder Jensen | + | # Church Historian Elder Jensen observed how Mormon polygamy enabled women more freedom to earn college degrees and join national women's rights organizations at the time. {{ref|jensen1}} |
# Polygamy helped integrate foreign immigrants into Mormon society. With the marriage market operating so efficiently and women highly sought after, Utah men had to sometimes marry outside their preferred cultural boundaries. This provided a great way to redistribute the wealth to the immigrants families coming. {{ref|daynes97}} | # Polygamy helped integrate foreign immigrants into Mormon society. With the marriage market operating so efficiently and women highly sought after, Utah men had to sometimes marry outside their preferred cultural boundaries. This provided a great way to redistribute the wealth to the immigrants families coming. {{ref|daynes97}} | ||
# Plural marriages provided a social support network while the husbands were off on missions. | # Plural marriages provided a social support network while the husbands were off on missions. |
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Plural marriage |
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Joseph Smith era:
Post-Joseph Smith:
Post-Manifesto–present |
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Why would the Lord have commanded the 19th century Saints to implement plural marriage? What purpose(s) did polygamy accomplish?
Note: Some critics provide their own reason—they claim Joseph Smith and the Mormons implemented plural marriage because of lustful motives. That charge is addressed elsewhere. See: Polygamy because of lustful motives
It is often not the Lord's pattern to give reasons for His commandments. Any "reasons" which we attach, in retrospect, to plural marriage can only be based on supposition and intelligent deduction.
It seems clear, however, in retrospect that plural marriage accomplished several things. Any or all of these things could have been intended by the Lord for the benefit of the Church and the Saints. Other benefits which we do not yet see or understand could also have been intended. We should remember the caution of Elder Dallin H. Oaks:
Any such list as this is tentative. But, it reminds us plural marriage may have accomplished more than we sometimes appreciate. Some benefits which have been suggested include:
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