Mormon wives

[Trees]

Having just found a Mormon ancestor with two wives simultaneously can any one explain the situation as regard American law and did the wives all live together? How did they appear on the US censuses?
Trees 

[omega 1]

Hi Carol

I believe all Morman Men could have more than one wife.

I have a Chap who went to USA ,settled in Utah.

On the 1880 census,there`s him,2 wifes &  all the kids living together.

Having been in touch with a descendant is seems to be the "Norm"
He descends from first wife.

Hope this makes sense & helped

Kind Regards

Omega

[aghadowey]

There's been lots written about the subject- just google "Mormons & polygamy"- here's a few:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygamy#Mormonism
http://www.mormon-polygamy.org/

[Trees]

Thanks both one account says mine "divorced " the second wife to comply with the law but continued to maintain her ? And remarried her after wife one's death.
Any idea what endowment was?

[LindaJ1959]

Here is an article about endowment:

http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/mormon/endowment/

Hope it helps!



Linda

[Trees]

Thanks Linda it seems I have a lot to find out about this particular branch of my tree. however the head of the Mormon family was not direct line but a nephew to my 4X gt grandfather and went to Utah in 1854.
I had wondered about the family's religion as a whole as they all had biblical names which I thought was most common among non conformist families the brothers were Isaac Jacob Abraham Thomas and oddly George the girls were Ann Elizabeth Sarah Mary and Pheby
Am I right to think this was an indication of none conformity?
Trees

[nickgc]

the situation as regards American law and did the wives all live together?

Polygamy was always against American law, and it is one of the reasons that the Mormons were shunned.  Living arrangements changed over time:  I have never seen a census that shows an individual Mormon male with more than one woman listed as his wife (doesn't mean it didn't happen, although since the census was done by the US government, it certainly would not be a very intelligent admission).

I have a brother-in-law who's great X grandfather had 3 (or more) wives at one time in Utah.  Censuses show one wife and her kids living with him, and the other wives and their kids living nearby.

Nick

[Trees]

Hi Nick were all the wives using the same surname I have found mine with wife ! and children and after her death he is with wife 2 and children which obviously overlap the first family but I cant find wife 2 and her children on the previous census under his surname most odd
trees

[Trees]

To clarify
wife 1 child 1866 1869 1872  on 1870 census with husband
wife 2  child 1868 1870 1873 on 1880 census with husband but where on the 1870?
each is given as wife and with his name and all the children have his surname where they have been found