Why some Mormon groups kept practicing polygamy long after the mainstream church abandoned it

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: While the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially renounced plural marriage in 1890, a breakaway movement known as Mormon fundamentalism refused to follow suit. These groups believe their original doctrine remains divinely mandated, leading to isolated communities and a complex, often contentious history with the U.S. government.

The roots of this divergence trace back to the 19th century. Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, introduced plural marriage in the early 1840s, and by 1852, it was official doctrine. For early adherents, these eternal bonds were not merely social but a prerequisite for exaltation in the highest level of heaven. However, the practice drew intense scrutiny from the U.S. government, which viewed it as a political threat. After the Supreme Court upheld anti-polygamy laws in 1879 and the 1887 Edmunds-Tucker Act allowed the government to confiscate church property, LDS president Wilford Woodruff issued the 1890 Manifesto, officially ending the sanctioning of plural marriage.

Not all members accepted this shift. Fundamentalists argued the Manifesto was a politically expedient capitulation to American norms rather than a true revelation. They pointed to a reported 1886 revelation where Jesus Christ and Joseph Smith allegedly assured LDS president John Taylor that plural marriage must continue. This belief system solidified in the 1920s when Lorin C. Woolley, one of the men supposedly charged by Taylor with maintaining the practice, settled in the Short Creek area on the Arizona-Utah border. This region, encompassing Colorado City and Hildale, became the movement's historical base.

Today, the movement is fragmented, with no single governing authority. Unlike the Apostolic United Brethren (AUB), which utilizes a council structure and allows for partner choice, the FLDS is known for one-man rule and arranged marriages. While the LDS Church now excommunicates those who advocate for or enter into plural marriages, these fundamentalist sects persist, maintaining communities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

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