Do people in Utah have more than one wife?

Polygamy is the practice of having more than one spouse at the same time. This practice is illegal across the United States – Utah included – yet tens of thousands are still living in such communities and continue to fight for their rights to do so.

Can you have more than 1 wife in Utah?

No, polygamy is not legal in Utah. It is a serious crime in the state today. Plural marriage was decriminalized only very briefly just two years ago (in 2020), which reduced the level of offense on conviction of polygamy to the seriousness of only the most minor civil infractions.

What are the marriage laws in Utah?

You must be at least 16 years old to be married in Utah. If you are 18 or older, you do not need consent of a parent or guardian to get married. If you are 16 or 17, you need signed consent from a parent or guardian. This must be given in-person to the county clerk.

What is the biggest polygamy family in Utah?

The Darger family (Joe, Vicki, Valerie, and Alina Darger) is an independent fundamentalist Mormon polygamous family living in Utah, United States.

When did Utah abolish polygamy?

In 1890, President Wilford Woodruff issued the Manifesto, which led to the end of plural marriage in the Church. The end of plural marriage required great faith and sometimes complicated, painful—and intensely personal—decisions on the part of individual members and Church leaders.

'My Five Wives': A Different Look at Modern Polygamy

How many wives can a Mormon marry?

Mormon men can lawfully have one wife. The practice of polygamy (polygyny or plural marriage), the marriage of more than one woman to the same man, was practiced by Church members from the 1830s to the early 1900s.

Is Sister Wives illegal in Utah?

Where is Polygamy Legal? Polygamy is illegal in all 50 states, but it has been decriminalized in Utah and the punishment is essentially a traffic ticket everywhere else.

What states allow polygamy?

Polygamy as a crime originated in the common law, and it is now outlawed in every state. In the United States, polygamy was declared unlawful through the passing of Edmunds Anti-Polygamy Act of 1882.

What state has the highest rate of polygamy?

Utah has had some of the most severe laws on polygamy in the nation. It also has the greatest number of people living in plural marriages – estimated to be in the thousands, though it's impossible to get precise numbers because many live in hiding.

How common is Mormon polygamy?

The Book of the Law of the Lord, a part of the Strangite canon, sanctions polygamy, but the church reports that "there are no known cases of polygamy currently in the church".

What is the dating law in Utah?

The age of consent in the state of Utah is 18. There are exceptions to this; a minor who is 14 or 15 can consent to having sex with a person that is less than four years older. In other words, a 15-year-old girl can legally consent to sexual activity with a 17-year-old boy.

Can you date while legally separated in Utah?

While the laws of legal separation and dating can be somewhat foggy in Utah, the consistency of it all lies within the fact that a separation agreement is legally binding. Until a judge makes your divorce final, you are technically married and sex while dating would be considered adultery.

What are the benefits of getting married in Utah?

Legally married couples enjoy a variety of benefits including tax breaks, inheritance and survivor rights, spousal Social Security benefits, and spousal privilege rights. Either party in an unmarried couple can petition the court for recognition, and often this occurs at the end of the relationship.

Can you have 2 wives as a Mormon in Utah?

No. Polygamy is illegal since the 1890's when the Mormons were forced to give up polygamy in order to become a state. There are still some break-off sects of Mormonism that still practice polygamy but it is illegal to be married to more than one wife at a time.

What religion allows multiple wives in Utah?

Other recent church documents point to an increase in children as being why Mormons believe God commanded them to practice polygamy. An article on the church's website states that early Mormons believed that they would receive blessings from God by obeying the commandment of polygamy.

Can Mormons marry multiple wives?

Today Church members honor and respect the sacrifices made by those who practiced polygamy in the early days of the Church. However, the practice is outlawed in the Church, and no person can practice plural marriage and remain a member.

Why is polygamy illegal in Utah?

In order to get statehood, Utah had to prohibit polygamy (it's in the state constitution). Polygamists were imprisoned. In 1953, authorities raided "Short Creek" (the name for the border towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz.) and split apart families, putting polygamists in jail.

How many people have multiple wives in Utah?

Pro-polygamy groups estimate there are about 30,000 to 40,000 people in Utah who live in polygamist communities.

What is the largest polygamist family?

Zion-a (76), believed to head the world's largest family, with 38 wives and 89 children. Mizoram and his village at Baktawng Tlangnuam has become a major tourist attraction in the state because of the family.

Is polygamy a felony in Utah?

Practicing polygamy in Utah is no longer a felony crime for the first time in 85 years under a bill that passed the Legislature on Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. | April 13, 2022, 5:00 a.m.

Can a man marry two wives legally?

All U.S. jurisdictions prohibit polygamy by invalidating marriages involving more than two spouses. State laws against bigamy—getting married to someone while still legally married to another person—are usually grounds for an annulment. Similar to divorce, an annulment results in the termination of a marriage.

What does the Bible say about polygamy?

New Testament. Three passages in the pastoral epistles (1 Timothy 3:2, 1 Timothy 3:12 and Titus 1:6) state that church leaders should be the "husband of one wife." This has been read by some Christian denominations as a prohibition of polygamy.

How many wives can you marry in Utah?

Polygamy is the practice of having more than one spouse at the same time. This practice is illegal across the United States – Utah included – yet tens of thousands are still living in such communities and continue to fight for their rights to do so.

Is Sister Wives a Mormon thing?

The Brown family practices polygamy or “plural marriage” based on their belief system taught by the Mormon fundamentalist group called the Apostolic United Brethren (Aub). The Aub is known as “The Group” or “The Principle” and boasts over 10,000 members, spreading throughout Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, Montana, and Mexico.

Is it illegal to marry your first cousin in Utah?

There are other States which allow first-cousin marriages, but have restrictions. For example, the States of Utah and Illinois allow first-cousin marriages, but only if the wife is infertile or both are over the age of 65. See here for a Wikipedia chart that shows a state-by-state comparison. What Does This Mean?