What is the punishment for polygamy in Utah?

According to Utah Law, polygamy or bigamy is a crime. Polygamy is considered a third degree felony in the state. This means you could potentially spend a long time in prison (up to 5 years) and pay hefty fines (up to $5,000).

Is polygamy still 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 you go to jail for polygamy in Utah?

In 2020, the Utah Legislature passed a law to decriminalize polygamy, reducing bigamy among consenting adults from a third-degree felony, punishable by prison time, to an infraction on par with a speeding ticket.

What is the Utah sister wives law?

The law, Utah Code 76-7-101, states a person is guilty of bigamy if he or she is married and cohabits with or purports to marry another person. A polygamist group, known as “The Sister Wives,” through their syndicated reality show on TLC, challenged Utah's law under the premise that the statute is unconstitutional.

Why is polygamy illegal in Utah?

Utah's laws governing polygamy can be traced back to its unique history. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as Mormons) once practiced polygamy as part of their religion, and fled to the Utah territory when they encountered persecution.

FOX 13 News 360: After Utah decriminalized polygamy, some see a culture shift

Can you have 2 husbands in Utah?

While plural marriage is illegal under Utah's constitution, officials in the state have largely chosen not to prosecute those involved. In 2001, polygamist Tom Green became the first man to be convicted of bigamy in more than half a century over his marriage to five women.

Can you have 3 wives in Utah?

What is Polygamy? 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.

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.

Can you have 2 wives as a Mormon in Utah?

It proclaimed that anyone taking additional wives would be excommunicated from the Church. Existing plural marriages and families were not automatically dissolved, but remained into the 1950s. Today, the practice of polygamy is strictly prohibited in the Church. No one can practice it and remain a member.

Do Mormons have a limit on wives?

The standard doctrine of the Church is monogamy, as it always has been, as indicated in the Book of Mormon (Jacob chapter 2): “Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none. …

Where do most polygamists live in Utah?

Rockland Ranch (also known as "The Rock") is a fundamentalist Mormon, polygamous community in Moab, Utah. The community was founded in 1977 by Robert Dean Foster (d. 2008) as a place for fundamentalist Mormons to live and practice plural marriage out of the public eye.

How many wives can you marry in Utah?

The state of Utah can continue to limit one marriage license to two people, under the same rules it has always followed, just as every other state does. But the problem with Utah's law is that it didn't just outlaw true polygamy, which is the practice of claiming more than one legal spouse at a time.

Which state allow polygamy?

Polygamy among these groups persists today in Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Canada, and some neighboring states, as well as up to 15,000 isolated individuals with no organized church affiliation.

Why did LDS ban polygamy?

The Manifesto

In 1890, church president Wilford Woodruff, fearful that the continuation of the practice of plural marriage would lead to the destruction of all Mormon temples, announced an end to official support for polygamy.

What percentage of Utah are polygamists?

About 15-20% of families were polygamous, and most had only two wives.

What is the difference between polygamy and bigamy?

Bigamy is the act of going through a marriage ceremony while already married to another person. Polygamy is the practice or custom of having more than one wife or husband at the same time. In order to experience polygamy, you have to commit the act of bigamy.

Can Mormons use birth control?

In keeping with the Mormon belief that heaven is full of millions of spirits awaiting an earthly body, birth control and abortion are also forbidden.

What are the Mormon rules for kissing?

Kissing. Church leaders have stated that outside of marriage "passionate kisses", defined as "more intense and last[ing] longer than a brief kiss", and "prolonged kisses that involve the tongue and excite the passions" are "off limits".

What are the Mormon hair rules?

Hair should be kept "relatively short and evenly tapered." Faux-hawk, crew cuts, mullets, spikey styles, and messy hair are prohibited. They can't bleach or dye their hair. Sideburns can't be longer than mid-ear either. "Bathe, shave, and brush your teeth each day.

Can a friend marry you in Utah?

According to Utah Code Title 30, Marriages may be solemnized by the following persons only: Ministers, rabbis, or priests of any religious denomination who are: in regular communion with any religious society; and. 18 years of age or older.

Is polygamy adultery?

Polygamy is the practice where a person is married to more than one woman. Unlike adultery, polygamy is practiced with the acceptance of society. A polygamous union also affects all those mentioned above in an adulterous relationship. The difference is that a polygamous marriage provides legal protection for everyone.

Why is polygamy a crime?

This is because, according to the UN, polygamy undermines the freedom of women to marry who they wish with free and full consent. "Polygamy violates the dignity of women. It is an inadmissible discrimination against women.

Where is polygamy illegal in the US?

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.

How does Mormon polygamy work?

In Mormon polygamy, the husband usually has one legal wife; subsequent marriages are ordained in a religious service, but there's no license on file with any county clerk. In Missouri, you can be convicted of bigamy if a married person “purports”, to quote the statute, to marry another person.

What is the divorce rate for Mormon couples?

According to research cited in a 2000 article in the Los Angeles Times, “in an era of divorce, Latter-day Saint temple weddings are built to last,” with only a 6 percent divorce rate.