Polygamy
In discussing sexual and emotional relationships, the topic of polygamy and its taboo qualities often arises. Polygamy involves a person's engaging in a marriage with several spouses, whether the relationship includes many wives or many husbands. Though the issue of polygamy may be a hot topic of conversation, many people argue points without proper information on the subject. In an effort to quash some rumors -- and provide conclusive evidence for others -- here is a breakdown of polygamy information, ranging from polygamy's presence in religious sects to legislation condemning the lifestyle. Most of the news in the United States pertaining to polygamy focuses on the prevalence of its practice in certain sects of the Mormon Church, such as The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (also known as FLDS). This was made salient recently, when a polygamist compound was found in El Dorado, Texas in April of 2008. There was a further uprising of anti-polygamy sentiments when Elissa Wall -- a woman who escaped from a polygamist compound in Utah -- came forward about her marriage to her first cousin in a tell-all book titled Stolen Innocence. Wall's efforts to liberate women trapped in FLDS compounds and bring justice to the men in the colonies -- who commit rape and statutory rape -- put a major ring leader in the FLDS church, named Warren Jeffs, behind bars. Though the coverage of polygamy in the Untied States is predominantly negative and demeaning, there are several cultures throughout the world that practice polygamy, in its different forms, as a normal way of life.
There are two different types of polygamy; polygyny and polyandry. Let us contrast them.
Polygyny
Polygyny is the most common form of polygamy, and it occurs when one man is married to several women, or carries on sexual relationships with several women, simultaneously -- with everyone's knowledge of the polyvalent relationships. This is the form of polygamy associated with the FLDS church, and was more commonly connected to the Mormon Church in the 19th century.
Polyandry
Polyandry is the less familiar form of polygamy, and it occurs when one woman is married to, or is involved in sexual relationships, with several men at the same time. This form of polygamy is relatively uncommon and occurs more often in cultures where the scarcity of resources forces several men to join together to buy one bride. This lifestyle serves as a method of population control.
In Western form of logic it is difficult for people to grasp the concept of polygamy, so people often look at the lifestyle with a comedic mindset.
Polygamy and the Mormon Church
Though polygamy is condemned by heads of the modern Mormon Church, there was a time when the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) -- Joseph Smith – proclaimed he had a revelation from God stating that men of the church were to practice "plural marriage" (where plural marriage is defined in the same manner as polygyny). Mormon leaders such as Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball all took plural wives – following the word of God from Smith's revelation. Before the doctrine of plural marriage was added to the Book of Mormon, a separate doctrine was released condemning polygamy.
Polygamy and the Law
The forefathers of the United States were not faced with the concern of polygamy, so it was not originally included or deliberately excluded from the United States Constitution. However, when it became a "problem" in the 19th century, congress took it upon themselves to act. In 1862 the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act was passed – which stated that the practice of polygamy in any United States territory was illegal. At the time of this piece of legislation's passing, followers of the LDS Church felt that their right to practice polygyny was protected by the Constitution. In the verdict of the Reynolds v. United States, the Supreme Court judged that polygamy was not protected by the Constitution.