Edmunds-Tucker Act of 1887

19 February

February 19, 1887

One hundred and twenty six years ago today the US Congress passed an anti-polygamy act – two weeks later (March 3) it would be signed into law.

The Edmunds-Tucker Act became the official law against polygamy in America, giving the government power to seize assets and dis-incorporate the LDS Church.  The Church’s refusal to truthfully testify about their polygamous activities and their refusal to stop practicing it had been a thorn in America’s side for over a half century.

In 1862 President Abraham Lincoln signed a federal enactment into law banning bigamy and limiting churches and non-profits in America to $50,000 in assets. It was targeted to stop Mormons from practicing polygamy and curb their dominance in Utah Territory. While Lincoln gave Brigham Young unspoken permission to ignore the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act in exchange for not getting involved in the Civil War, the issue wouldn’t quietly go away.

Twenty years later in 1882 the Morrill Anti-Bigamy Act was amended with the Edmunds Act and amended again becoming the Edmunds-Tucker Act of 1887.

Fast forward another three years to May 1890 and we see in the annals of history how the feds lived up to their side of the bargain. The US Supreme Court filed a lawsuit to confiscate holdings of the Church and start pressing charges because they were still breaking the law.  As it was the government ended up seizing a mere tenth of what the Church owned and five months later the Church miraculously had a revelation to stop polygamy.

We see their white flag if you will, in the Doctrine and Covenants with the 1890 Manifesto. Ironically not even that promise and revelation from the Mormon god could put a halt to it. It wasn’t until May 1904 when the Church officially stopped marrying multiple wives.

The Manifesto of 1890 allowed Utah to become a state of the Union, but another manifesto was needed in 1904 to completely and formally declare before Congress that no one in the Church could perform multiple marriages. The first manifesto, known as the Official Declaration 1, was canonized and Mormons today consider it to be a direct revelation from God.

I’ve often wondered about the history of the Church and their refusal to obey the laws of the land when they’ve so clearly announced it’s their duty to be honest, law abiding citizens – Articles of Faith 12-13.

“We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law. 13 We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men…”

Why did Church members have to vote on sustaining the Manifesto? If this was a direct revelation from God who are they to vote on something God says to do?

Why were Church members still practicing polygamy and lying about it to the US Government? Is this behavior mandated by God?

How did they justify these lies to their children?

EPSON MFP image EPSON MFP imageThe pictures I’ve included here are my grandparents who willingly practiced polygamy after the first manifesto was issued. My great-great grandfather sailed to England, married two sisters in April 1904 and brought them back here to America with him. It was one month before the second manifesto was issued and the Church testified about to Congress.

Whether or not one or both sisters knew they’d be living in a polygamous situation is unknown, suffice it to say one of those two sisters became my great-great grandmother.  One of her sons, Samuel, became my favorite grandpa who always placed a quarter on top of his television set for me when I’d visit.  I grew up listening intently to his memories of what it was like growing up in a polygamous household and how everything the family owned and did was for the Church.  He explained how a pecking order ruled the multiple homes and how his mum ranked dead last because she was the fifth and last wife.

Times are always hard for polygamous families, especially more than a hundred years ago. Children never knew the luxury of a new pair of shoes or trousers, having your own home usually entailed a wooden shack at the back end of the property and it wasn’t until the 1950’s before my family saw indoor plumbing.

But more important than the absence of physical luxuries is the absence of truth. When ordained men of God say one thing and do another it makes for a mind twisting game of rationalizing.

From birth Mormons have it ingrained in them that loyalty to the Church holds prominence above all else so when I made the decision to leave it came with my own set of memories.  Memories of large family get-togethers, larger than life family reunions and working to exhaustion on the family orchard farms served the purpose of tying the knots that bind.  Those tangible things will be sacrificed for many who leave, making the decision all the more difficult and the true fruits of salvation appreciated more than words can express.

Loyalty to the Church, family and traditions all held a magical allure for a feel good moment in life, but they couldn’t hold a candle to the loyalty I had to Jesus!  Misplaced priorities and mistranslated English all play their parts in this religion that’s contributed to America’s history but the real story is what’s behind the veneer.

If polygamy was ordained of God and it’s still the only way to the Celestial Kingdom to become a god then why has the Church abandoned the principle?  Where is the loyalty and to what or whom does it go? Is it the Church, the principle, to the god of Mormonism or to the Jesus of the Bible?

A couple of US Congressmen from the late nineteenth century probably didn’t realize the impact they’d have upon thousands of people and so far into the future. Thank You Jesus for Your steadfastness and loyalty to Your children!

By and large when the American people today think of Mormonism I’m certain that images of people hiding in their basements and prison-striped clad prophets don’t come to mind! On the same token it’s obvious neither Joseph Smith nor Brigham Young would recognize the Church of today; in fact neither would be temple worthy.  Hmmm…go figure…

My prayer is for the Mormon people to stop and think about its long tumultuous history with the US Government and wonder if this type of behavior is something the Lord would condone.

We’ll be posting an historical chart of the Church’s behavior towards the government this week so check in on that! And don’t forget – pray for my people!

With Love in Christ;

Michelle Grim

1 Cor. 1:18

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6 Responses to “Edmunds-Tucker Act of 1887”

  1. Trevor April 29, 2014 at 2:00 am #

    My brother and friend…

    The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true and perfect. The members (including prophets) are not perfect. Your argument is that the members of the church are not true, therefore, the church is not true. Your argument is flawed. There is no LDS doctrine that states that the members of the church (including prophets) are perfect in every action. I think if you sit through any LDS 3 hour Sunday meeting you’ll see who the Church is centered around. Even so, I believe that the only person that can help you understand the truth is our Heavenly Father through the feelings of the Holy Ghost. That is, if you ask Heavenly Father with sincerity and real intent (you’ll act accordingly if you receive an answer) with faith… you can come to know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true and living Church of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know this is true. I have felt it through feelings of happiness. I have seen it through action driven faith. There is no other happiness as great as this. Heavenly Father wants us to have this happiness. He loves us. We can live with him again. This is ONLY possible through faith and repentance in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. The dark spirit would love nothing more than to see you and many others get hung up this issue. I promise if you ask for strength to work through this issue from our Heavenly Father it will help you understand in your own way. God bless.

  2. Trevor April 29, 2014 at 2:01 am #

    The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true and perfect. The members (including prophets) are not perfect. Your argument is that the members of the church are not true, therefore, the church is not true. Your argument is flawed. There is no LDS doctrine that states that the members of the church (including prophets) are perfect in every action. I think if you sit through any LDS 3 hour Sunday meeting you’ll see who the Church is centered around. Even so, I believe that the only person that can help you understand the truth is our Heavenly Father through the feelings of the Holy Ghost. That is, if you ask Heavenly Father with sincerity and real intent (you’ll act accordingly if you receive an answer) with faith… you can come to know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true and living Church of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I know this is true. I have felt it through feelings of happiness. I have seen it through action driven faith. There is no other happiness as great as this. Heavenly Father wants us to have this happiness. He loves us. We can live with him again. This is ONLY possible through faith and repentance in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ. The dark spirit would love nothing more than to see you and many others get hung up this issue. I promise if you ask for strength to work through this issue from our Heavenly Father it will help you understand in your own way. God bless.

  3. chris May 19, 2014 at 7:28 pm #

    It will be interesting how the Edmunds Tucker act will be reconciled with the current court rulings that force states to allow gay marriage.

    Utah was required to forsake polygamy to be admitted to the Union. Now Utah is being forced by a judge to accept gay marriage.

  4. John April 28, 2015 at 4:22 am #

    The LDS Church wasn’t the only church which practiced polygyny, (the polygamy which is one man, and multiple wives) but they were certainly the most visible, and controversial. And Joseph Smith certainly rocked the boat with his first vision, causing an inveterate stir if Christian hypocrisy and persecution.

    The Christian impetus behind the Morrill and the Edmunds acts wasn’t seeking to end polygamy, rather, they were upset with the LDS Church as a whole, and wished to make it illegal. If it were about polygamy, The Oneida Clan of upstate New York would have already driven the promulgation of anti-polygamy laws over a century previous.

    The Catholic Church was confronted with the inconveniences of polygamy roughly 900 A.D. Their bishops were marrying multiple wives, and the Catholic Church found that thay were unable to supportingt their clergymen. Since nothing in the scriptures condemned the practice, rather than ban polygamy, they banned marriage altogether. Today, we see the consequences, as there are no shortages of Catholic scandals involving gay priests.

    Today we see the same irony, as the sins of “Christians” past are excluding alpha males whose wives would rather see the practice of polygyny, and robbing the Christian body of true leadership. An emasculated, effeminate body of Christ neither stands together, or stands really for anything at all.

    This is an egocentric post; very pointedly biased. And you select a target that usually makes a point if avoiding religious argumentation and strife in bitter contests of words. Very brave. I can only wonder, what do you have to say about what early Christians did, who were confronted with laws which outlawed Christianity? Should they have forthwith abstained altogether from the practice of their faith?

  5. carolyn May 30, 2015 at 2:54 pm #

    as far as mormons not obeying the law i point to the case of daniel and the lions den from the bible. do you obey a law that tells you to go against god ? or do you follow god?

  6. carolyn May 30, 2015 at 2:58 pm #

    i think it is interesting that you have to go back over 100 years to find an instance of the lds church NOT following the law—ahem—-reaching anyone? what is is with you guys always roasting the mormons for every little tiny flaw you can find? we dont do that to you. is that kind of behavior really christlike? if you are christians than maybe you should try living up to the label.

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