Polygamy

Imprisoned Mormons

February 18, 2019 Sacred Liberty

This is a picture of Mormons who were arrested for the crime of polygamy. From 1882 to 1892 nearly 1,000 Mormons were jailed for practicing what they considered an important element of their faith, “plural marriage.” Federal agents scoured Utah for Mormons unlawfully cohabitating. A polygamist wife described the feeling of desperation: “It is difficult to picture the unsettled conditions in Utah and Idaho during the raid against polygamists. Homes were broken up and families scattered among relatives or friends.……

Reynolds v. United States

January 21, 2019 Sacred Liberty

United States Supreme Court 1879 The Mormons argued that since polygamy was not only a belief but also a religious duty, it was protected by the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause. On January 6, 1879, the Court ruled, unanimously, against the Mormon Church. Reynolds v. United States upheld all of the anti-Mormon legislation. The opinion of Chief Justice Morrison Waite stated: […] Laws are made for the government of actions, and while they cannot interfere with mere religious belief and opinions,…

Speech of Hon. Justin S. Morrill, of Vermont, on Utah Territory and Its Law—Polygamy and Its License

January 21, 2019 Sacred Liberty

Justin S. Morrill February 24, 1857 We are told, because our Constitution declares that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” that we must tamely submit to any burlesque, outrage, or indecency which artful men may seek to hide under the name of religion! But it is impossible to twist the Constitution into the service of polygamy by any fair construction. The fullest latitude of toleration in the exercise of religion…