Defending the Practice of Plural Marriage

What a hot topic this was! And still is. Daughters in My Kingdom does an excellent job of covering some of women's thoughts in chapter 4 (scroll down to Defending the Practice of Plural Marriage, about 1/3 down the page). Meri Ann shared her struggle with understanding this practice, and how a Deseret News article finally helped her to understand. The article, titled "Recent Events Highlight Confusion of Polygamy," is a well-thought out explanation to a sometimes troubling doctrinal issue.

Valerie Hudson, a scholar and author, talked about polygamy at a conference held in Utah last fall. "In the Lord's eyes," she said, "monogamy is not a sacrifice, but a blessing. But polygamy is a sacrifice. … When God does command polygamy, he understands it is a sacrifice of the joy that would be there for his children if they could live the higher law … the Lord desires all of his children to have the natural joy that comes from living the law of marriage: monogamy."

The practice of plural marriage, or polygamy, was an exception to the rule of monogamy. Meri Ann underscored the fact that an exception, although sometimes required or necessary, does not change or become the rule.