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Yes, I am a podcast junkie – big time. I subscribe to a ton of mormon related podcasts across a spectrum of levels of belief, tons of science podcasts. More than I could ever listen to. But I will bring up one series I have just finished. I can say that as of last night I have listened to the entire
Year of Polygamyseries podcast http://www.yearofpolygamy.com/http://www.yearofpolygamy.com/” class=”bbcode_url”> I actually started listening to the new episodes as they came out starting about a year ago as they were also being released on feminist mormon housewives podcast. Just a few weeks ago I started over from the start until I caught up to where I started listening.
I think the best way I can summarize how I feel is the following. I am not going to tell God he can’t allow or even command Polygamy, but I do not get any feelings of God telling me what I have learned that it was at his command. I even see huge violations of the rules laid out in the alleged revelation in D&C 132. I also see some grotesque abuses of power and position, some of which can be considered criminal by today’s standards (and by standards of the time). There were exceptions, but overall it put a HUGE burden on these polygamous women. Some men am sure loved the power and sex that came from polygamy, but many of them struggled with it and with being able to support that many wives/families. It broke many hearts and many of the women gave up having the opportunity for a loving relationship with their spouse, so of whom they only occasionally saw. Most of the women were “for” it only as it was an Abrahamic test of their belief in God and it seems most of them felt the more pain the more they would gain in the afterlife. It has turned me to feeling that Abrahamic tests should not ever be called on by another person. I am OK with these only if the person feels the call from God directly. Otherwise there is just too much room for abuse. The one thing that I didn’t expect to get was one thing that Lindsey Park (the author of the podcast series) brings up and I now fully agree with and that is that our polygamous past still influences the church significantly today. Just like the temple and priesthood ban on the blacks, until the church (both leaders and members) are ready to put this all behind us and call a spade a spade it is going to be influencing us going forward for quite a while.
Has anybody else listened to any of this series?
I’m a fellow Mormon podcast junkie and yes, I too have listened to every podcast in the Year of Polygamy series. I’ve always had a problem with polygamy, and listening to this series did nothing to help me feel better about it. I do not think that this practice was ordained of God and although we did officially abandon the practice in 1890, it still haunts us and influences us today. The series is very well researched and presented, IMHO.
I find it quite ironic that our church that has so much non-traditional marriage (1 husband and 1 wife) in its past is so against SSM.
I have listened to several episodes, not all. I have also read a lot on our practice of polygamy, and have polygamous ancestors. Everyone has their slant, I see some things a little differently than Lindsay, and several things different from Brian Hales – while agreeing with Brian on a few other things.
I agree it is very difficult to see the hand of God in our polygamous history. Most of us would have no idea what Jacob 2:31,32 is talking about if we didn’t have polygamy in our history the way we do (or if we remained ignorant of the history). I think it presents us with an important lesson that I hope we can collectively hold on to.
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