I am watching “Inside Polygamy: Life in Bountiful” on the National Geographic Channel. This show documents the polygamous lifestyle in a Mormon church in Canada. The leader of the church, Winston Blackmore, has approximately 25 wives and near 100 children and grand-children. One of their core beliefs is that polygamy, especially with their spiritual leader, will bring them closer to heaven. In some of the interviews with the wives, they freely admit the jealousy that sometimes overcomes them. While some of the woman interviewed had a very positive experience with the other wives, there is one woman who viewed the polygamous relationship as sexual exploitation and tried to leave after being suicidal for two years. However, when she attempted to escape, her husband locked her up in a room and spewed insults and curses at her. While in the room she said to God, “God, if these are your people then send me to hell because I don’t want to be with them.” She eventual was able to escape.
Winston Blackmore answers to a higher power within the church known as the “Prophet” or Warren Jeffs. Within the church, the prophet may provide a preacher with a wife, sometimes a young child of the age of 12 or older. It is seen as a dishonor to the prophet if one does not accept the arranged marriage. Thus, the marriage of underage girls would sometimes happen.
Within the church, it was believed that certain crimes were so sinful that they could only be cured with blood atonement, the act of spilling the sinner’s blood. The Prophet of the church wanted to punish a young girl with blood atonement for running from an arranged marriage to a man twice her senior. The young child was taken in by Winston Blackmore who split from the main church after this event. Winston makes it clear that polygamy is a moral choice and the wives freely admit that it should be a choice.
What was interesting about this show is the way they portray polygamy. Of course, we have to look at this situation in the context of the church. Polygamy within this church comes across as a way for a man to have multiple sex partners and multiple women with whom he can have sexual relations. Perhaps it is even viewed as a test for God as a way to prove their ability to work with and overcome jealousy.
Aside from the polygamous aspect, the show also gave the impression that the Mormon religion full of crazy people. That people in this religion engage in underage arranged marriages and multiple wives for sex exploitation.
In order to understand an idea, we must understand that in life, all things vary, all things have variance. There are variances in the way people view and live polygamy just as there are variances in religion. In religion there are many variances rom fundamental believers to people who may not practice the religion but still believe in the teachings and ideas. It is important that we come to understand this idea and learn not to judge groups of people based on a minority or on a common belief of that group.
I admit, when the show began I felt angry about the way they were portraying polygamy. However, as the show continued, and emphasized this single group as an isolated case and as fundamental believers who had their own problems within the church, I came to realize the importance of not taking this case out of context and not to judge this group for their beliefs. Though I may not agree with their ideas, I can respect that this is the life they have chosen. And I can accept that though this is how they view and live polygamy, not everyone has similar views.
I do hope, however, that the media will someday portray positive views of polygamy and religion and many other topics that are often viewed with negative connotations.
(Note: I am very angry with the way media portrays many things, specifically sex and gender roles/ identity. The media is such a powerful tool and can be used to change people’s views as it has so many times in history.)
I think this show was very informational and provided a small and isolated view at a religion and a way of life that I feel most people are unaware of. And I emphasize again that we must look at everything with the context of the situation. We cannot take this case and say that all Mormons are impractical and that polygamy is simply another word for sex exploitation, because it’s not true. This idea may be true for some people and in some situations, but it is not the case for every situation. It is important that we ask individuals who may practice polygamy or Mormonism, what they personally believe and follow so as to not group them into a preconceived notion.
