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==Polygamy==

==Polygamy==

Some controversy about Mormonism centers around its early practice of [[polygamy]], which was sanctioned from 1840 until 1890. It was officially discontinued in 1890 by the main branch of the denomination. A 1998 statement by LDS Present Gordon B. Hinckley states:

Some controversy about Mormonism, and early prejudice against Mormons, centers around its early practice of [[polygamy]], which was sanctioned from 1840 until 1890. It was officially discontinued in 1890 by the main branch of the denomination. A 1998 statement by LDS Present Gordon B. Hinckley states:

:This Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy. They are not members of this Church. . . . If any of our members are found to be practicing plural marriage, they are excommunicated, the most serious penalty the Church can impose. Not only are those so involved in direct violation of the civil law, they are in violation of the law of this Church.<ref>[http://www.mormon.org/question/faq/category/answer/0,9777,1601-1-114-1,00.html What is the Church’s position on polygamy?] LDS website</ref>

:This Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy. They are not members of this Church. . . . If any of our members are found to be practicing plural marriage, they are excommunicated, the most serious penalty the Church can impose. Not only are those so involved in direct violation of the civil law, they are in violation of the law of this Church.<ref>[http://www.mormon.org/question/faq/category/answer/0,9777,1601-1-114-1,00.html What is the Church’s position on polygamy?] LDS website</ref>

However, there are also splinter groups, which consider themselves Mormons and do practice polygamy. The most notable is the "Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" (often called "Fundamentalist Mormons.") This group numbers about ten thousand (compared to the eleven million members of the Mormon church). It broke from the Mormon church in 1890 over the issue of polygamy. It made headlines in 2006 and 2007, when leader Warren Jeffs was arrested by the FBI and indicted by a grand jury on charges of arranging illegal "marriages" between male followers and underage girls.

However, the issue is blurred in the public mind by the existence of small splinter groups, which consider themselves to be Mormons and do practice polygamy. The most notable is the "Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" (often called "Fundamentalist Mormons.") This group numbers about ten thousand (compared to the eleven million members of the Mormon church). It broke from the Mormon church in 1890 over the issue of polygamy. It made headlines in 2006 and 2007, when leader Warren Jeffs was arrested by the FBI and indicted by a grand jury on charges of arranging illegal "marriages" between male followers and underage girls.

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==References==