Would I ever be a pleural wife? No... most likely not. But I do not really look down on it. Most of the families that do live the polygamist lifestyle are pretty normal. It's the families that try and scam the welfare system and government that are not cool in my book.

The official Mormon church renounced polygyny over a century ago. They never allowed full polgamy (which encompasses polgyny and polyandry), as polyandry was only allowed in certain, specific, male-initiated cases. Neither polygyny or polyandry are currently embraced. Practicing it is grounds for excommunication. "In the Mormon context, there are two twists to these definitions. First, the term polygamy is often used informally, to mean polygyny. Second, the term polyandry is typically used to refer to the practice of male-initiated marriage and sexual relations with already-married women. As a definitional matter, “polyandry” need not be limited to male-initiated bonds, and in some polyandrous societies, women have freedom to choose their mates. However, Mormon polyandry as practiced in Nauvoo (and later to a lesser degree in Utah) did not accord women such freedom. Rather, a small subset of already-married women were approached and asked to become the plural wives of other men, while simultanously remaining in their existing marriages." http://www.feministmormonhousewives.org/?p=697

From my year in Utah surroundedby LDS'ers Polygomy is not allowed unless you are an FLDSer. Polyandry isn't allowed in any of the books they hang their belief in. Isn't that just calleed a 3-some???

Actually, the Mormon church renounced polygamy about a century ago. Now only small, unrecognized pockets practice it. Most look down on such misstatements and are offended. Those who do practice are often seen as a threat to the church and the progress it has made.

Few sects of the Mormon faith allow polygamy. The True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days and the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are probably the most well-known. In all instances of polygamy among Mormon sects (past and present), the practise has been limited to polygyny (more than one wife). No Mormon sect that I know of has ever practised polyandry.

The LDS church NEVER allowd polyandry -- a man may have multiple wives, but a woman may not have multiple husbands. The LDS church rejected the *practice* of polygamy in 1890, but they (we) never rejected the *principle* -- you see the difference?

Ummmm Mormons don't practice polyandry.

totally unacceptable!

Your question states a falsehood, The Mormon Faith which is the LDS church does not allow Polygamy. it hasn't since late 1800's, It also doesn't allow polyandry. Any LDS member practicing this would be excommunicated. However there are break offs from the LDS faith that still practice Polygamy. They are not LDS they are Break offs. Just like Protestants broke off from Catholics. To give you an example the FLDS still practices Polygamy they are numbered at about 6000 to 10,000 they are one of the larger break offs from the mormon church which numbers 13 million.

Polygamy (more precisely, polygyny; or as we LDS folks prefer to call it, plural marriage) was NOT practiced by Mormons over a century ago for the reasons that the reprobates of our society have fantasized. It was NOT meant as a way to increase a man's ability to gratify himself sexually and simultaneously repress females to keep them under his control. Quite the contrary, in fact. The institution of plural marriage by Joseph Smith was really just a restoration of the same doctrines governing marriage that existed in the days of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Joseph Smith's mission was to restore all things...ALL things...which included the biblical practice of plural marriage lived by the noble patriarchs. In those ancient times, the world at large gave no status or property to widowed or single women. That was a contributor to the "world's oldest profession" of prostitution. The math didn't work out for every righteous man to have just one wife, so the Lord allowed for plural marriage under strict conditions. As with many things in our spiritual and temporal lives, not everyone who lived the doctrine of plural marriage did so perfectly, and those mistakes were recorded in the Old Testament for posterity's sake. Hence the modern-day confusion about seeming contradictions about the practice and what it means. In addition to the need to restore all things, the same conditions of an imbalance of status for men and women existed in early America. When the Church was restored, the Lord allowed plural marriage to be instituted. The Book of Mormon clarifies the on-again-off-again nature of this doctrine and what is and is not allowed by the Lord. Jacob 2 (http://scriptures.lds.org/en/jacob/2) Jacob denounces the love of riches, pride, and unchastity—Men should seek riches to help their fellow men—Jacob condemns the unauthorized practice of plural marriage—The Lord delights in the chastity of women. Between 544 and 421 B.C. Jacob 3 (http://scriptures.lds.org/en/jacob/3) The pure in heart receive the pleasing word of God—Lamanite righteousness exceeds that of Nephites—Jacob warns against fornication, lasciviousness, and every sin. Between 544 and 421 B.C. As you read those chapters, notice how the focus is always on the welfare and purity of women, not on the sexual desires of the men. On the contrary, the men are taken to task repeatedly for going outside of the marriage covenant to take "concubines". There is a world of difference between the doctrine of plural marriage and concubinism. The former involves a sacred covenant to protect and care for one another and to stay within the covenant of marriage. The other is self-centered, has no covenantal obligations, and causes women to be treated with disrespect and contempt. To cut through the hype and misinformation that always circulates around this topic, here are two concrete, well-documented, first-hand accounts from my own family history... === Jeremiah Bingham and Minerva Dixon Keele === A settlement had been made on the Peteetneet Creek in Utah Valley in 1850 and was first called Peteetneet. Later it was called Payson. It was here that the Keele family made their home. The settlers had experienced trouble with the Indians. At the outbreak of the Walker War in 1853, a guard was maintained at all times. On July 18, 1853, Alexander Keele was standing guard at dusk when an Indian, pretending friendship, approached. The sharp report of a rifle was heard in the direction of the southern outpost. Alexander Keele was found dead, shot by one of Arapeen’s warriors. The Indians fled to the canyons and the next morning fired on some men who were working at the sawmill where settlers were getting out wood. They were warned of the danger by Joseph and George Curtis and returned to Payson. The story was told that early on the evening of July 18, an Indian had called at the home of James McClellan, located outside the fort. He asked for food. Sarah, a young girl, let him in. Her mother prepared something for him to eat. He seemed friendly, but upon leaving he went around the corner and shot Alexander Keele. His young widow, Minerva was left with four little sons. She was not yet 30 and was expecting her fifth child. Alexander Keele, Jr. was born in Payson on December 14, 1853, about six months after his father was killed. Two of Alexander Keele’s sisters lived in Payson. They were the plural wives of Jeremiah Bingham, a blacksmith. He had married the sisters before the family came to Utah in 1853. Susan, Sarah, and Alexander Keele were children of Eleanor McColough and Richard John Keele. Sarah Keele and Jeremiah Bingham had two children born in Council Bluffs, Iowa: Jeremiah in June of 1847 and Abiga[i]l in August of 1848. After they settled in Payson, they had a daughter, Sarah Eleanor, in September of 1857. Susan Keele and Jeremiah Bingham had one son, Alpheus Bingham, born in Payson on February 19, 1959. His mother died shortly after his birth. Minerva Dixon Keele was married to Jeremiah Bingham, following the church teaching that the kinsman should care for the widow and her family. They were married on the 5th of March, 1855. Minerva was a wonderful helpmate to her husband and assisted in rearing the children of his other wives. Minerva was Jeremiah’s fifth wife. His first wife, Abigail Harrington, had died before the migration to Utah. Abigail had seven children. The Keele sisters were Jeremiah’s second and third wives. In Utah he was married to Mary Reece who had four children, only one of whom lived to adulthood. === Thomas Henry Wilson and Caroline Annie Merchant === Caroline was a very tall woman and Mr. Wilson was a rather short man so she was the taller of the two. Although she was taller than her husband, Mr. Wilson was the dominant one in the relationship. He was of the old school that believed a woman's place was in the home. Emma came from a home where the father catered to his wife and daughters so it was difficult to accept some of the practices the Wilsons took for granted. The wife was expected to get up first and build the fires, do chores, and prepare breakfast before the husband got out of bed. Choice food was often reserved for the husband only. Sons were valued more than daughters. Emma came from a family of girls, which tended to be matriarchal, but the Wilson home was patriarchal with the husband clearly in charge. Mr. Wilson considered taking another wife at one time in keeping with the then approved LDS teachings about polygamy. Since permission of the first wife was required, he told Caroline he had a lady in mind. Caroline invited the woman to dinner at the Wilson home. She prepared a fine meal, which she served to the family and guest without sitting down with them. When she served dessert, she got the milk pail and egg basket and addressed the lady under consideration. She is supposed to have said, “It will be nice when you marry Mr. Wilson. Then I can sit down at the table and be waited on as you serve the meals you have prepared. And you can milk the cow and gather the eggs, and do the other chores.” Needless to say, Mr. Wilson never took a second wife. Whatever the nature of the family relations the marriage lasted more than sixty years. The couple celebrated their 60th anniversary in July of 1919, a few months before Caroline's death. === There. Some more actual facts for people to chew on. :) http://americantestament.blogspot.com

Mormons used to practice polygamy over a century ago, but that was later repealled. Now, if a mormon were to practice polygamy, he would be excommunicated immediatly. However, there are some off shoot groups living in northern utah who still practice polygamy. Many of them claim to be mormon, but really have no affiliation with our church. Polyandry is also out of the question with mormon beliefs.

The mainstream LDS church rejects the practice of polygamy, although the "new and everlasting covenant" of plural marriage (which didn't last long, did it?) still exists for all to see in today's Doctrine and Covenants, Section 132. Although polyandry is not specifically mentioned, it certainly occurred with a number of the wives of Joseph Smith, who were already married to other, living men. Smith justified it on the grounds that being "sealed" to a woman in a temple marriage overwrote a simple or civil marriage. Though many enjoyed the benefits of plural marriage, supposedly sanctioned and commanded by God, more were outraged and affronted, and many were excommunicated for taking umbrage; one of the promises that Smith made was that his church would never break U.S. law, which it did with this practise. It could be argued that his martyrdom was largely the result of this particular debacle. So- though a threesome with this chap and your "wife" would be illegal, doctrinally it could be justified as long as only one of you were sealed to her in a temple marriage. Joseph Smith managed to get away with it, after all. Until they shot him.