Big Love on HBO (St. George, Hildale: attorney, houses, construction)

[shadowwalker]

How does the Utahan's feel about this? I find it close to what some of the houses of family's I went to in the 70's and 80's. Were living like. I last went into one in Wyoming. And it was the same.
They just modernized it for tv. A buddy in northern wyoming won't even talk about it. And he's a "Jack Mormon", as he puts it.

[Calibelle]

Originally Posted by shadowwalker

How does the Utahan's feel about this? I find it close to what some of the houses of family's I went to in the 70's and 80's. Were living like. I last went into one in Wyoming. And it was the same.
They just modernized it for tv. A buddy in northern wyoming won't even talk about it. And he's a "Jack Mormon", as he puts it.

I don't know what part of Big Love you are wanting opinions on, but here are mine. I am LDS, and I watch this show. It interests me to see how different types of families function, especially one like the Hendrickson's on BIG LOVE. It's a well written show, with a talented cast.

I think the part that annoy's most LDS members, is when the characters on the show refer to LDS beliefs, such as priesthood blessings, eternal marriage, as if they are a part of those blessings. They can't be, because if you are living as a polygamist, you would not be considered worthy to be a member of the LDS church. So I guess that would be a little confusing for some, who think that the LDS church is currently affiliated with polygamy(they are not).

I have seen polygamists a few times in person. The first time, it was a husband, and both of his wives were pregnant. I was working in customer service at a water park, and he came up and asked me why his wives couldn't ride the water slides while they were pregnant.

The second person I came across, was a daughter of polygamists. She had grown up in a HUGE polygamist family. She struggled socially, and in so many ways, was confused about the usual structure of a family. This girl was my friend's roomate. We had to explain a lot of things to her. I know she was seeing a psychologist, and was really trying to get over her childhood. It was extremely difficult for her to break away, and she was no longer welcome among her family.

So what do I think about BIG LOVE? I think that many LDS are probably offended by it, because the polygamist characters refer to LDS gospel principles in a way which makes it seem like they are just part of the regular church. BUT... I am comfortable enough in my faith and beliefs, that it doesn't bother me. I find the show entertaining, and interesting. I don't consider it a bad thing that it is on t.v. It will prompt people to want to know more about the LDS church, and that is fine with me, as long as they ask an active member, so they get they are accurately given facts of what is taught in the LDS church.

[chazcrew]

I've never seen it. I don't really want to. I think it's just another gratuitious show about gratuitous alternative lifestyles, and it's managing to blacken the reputation of the LDS church at the same time, playing on the misconceptions that Mormons are polygamists. *sigh*

[Enigma032]

I'm non LDS, and I LOVE the show. I concur with the talented cast and well written scripts. It was my opinion that they made it pretty clear in the way the show is written that they are NOT accepted by the LDS church - and are really "on their own" in this lifestyle. I didn't move here thinking that all LDS were Polygamists, if that is what you're getting at. :P

[lolagranola]

I'm a "non" living in Utah, and I love this show!

I think alot of LDS are offended by it because the greater public sees the charachters as Mormon, when in fact they do not represent the LDS.

My (LDS) neighbor told me that when he watches the Sapranos he thinks of us (I'm Italian)....I told him when we watch Big Love we think of them! He laughed.

[NearlyNative]

Big love is about as accurate a picturte of polygamists as The sopraonos is Italians or mobsters, as refered to in a previous post. A creation from fertile Hollywood minds. I am LDS and I have watched it a few times. I'm not offended by any means. There just isn't any accuracy in any of it. There are many factions of polygamists in the intermountain area, including Mexico and Canada. There is a group west of St. George, the big group in Colorado City and Hildale that has two or three 'wards', some in Big Water and a few groups in the Salt Lake valley. I have known a few polygamists and the ones I came in contact with were honest and hard-working. They would give the shirt off their back if asked and I would do the same for them. They live in a communal setting, with a husband and several wives and many children living together in a lagre house. They mostly kept to themselves and stayed out in Colorado City and Hildale. When Warren Jeffs became the prophet of the Colorado City/Hildale group, many things changed. Families were torn apart and many members moved out or were forced out by Jeffs. Very sad. They have become more outgoing lately and are around St. George and into Las Vegas doing construction work. Mostly framing and dirt work. Warren Jeffs doesn't even represent the polygamist I konw. As far as I know, marrying young girls to old or even young men didn't happen until recently. A man I know told me that he and his wife decided together if they would take another wife. They decided against it and he still only has one wife. Personally, one is all I can handle. I can only disappoint one woman at a time.

[docow34]

I'm LDS. Go to church every week. Believe in my faith with all my heart. And I really like BIG LOVE.

Watched it the first time because I was wanting to see how they portrayed polygamy. Kept watching it because the stories are entertaining.

One of the girls in my ward has parents who both left their polygamist lifestyle a few years into their marriage. She says that it's pretty accurate as to how her cousins are...the ones that they show back on the compound.

I was uncomfortable when he baptized his child in his pool using the prayer we use, but...I like the show. Not offended at all. I get offended by the judgmental people that are on the show...but that's how I am. I would like everyone to be judged by who they are as a person, not their titles.

That said...the husband teases me horribly. For that and WEEDS. I like that show too.

[Char in West Jordan]

I was born and raised as a Mormon in the Salt Lake Valley and think that Big Love is very true to life. I'm a big fan. It very effectively shows what I have seen regarding polygamy in Utah. It's part of the culture that we just want to brush under the rug and pretend it went away when Utah was included into the Union Of the United States.

I was 14 when my mother introduced me to someone who called herself a sister wife. She was 40ish, very modern workingwoman who later introduced me to her sister wife who was so young. She couldn't have been more than 17. My mom had told me that their husband was over 50. I remember thinking I'm sure this girl must really believe in polygamy or she is a brainwashed child bride. The first, oldest wife definitely called the shots in the family, much like on the show. The young wife was a stay at home mom for all of the family’s children. I felt sorry for her. This was the first time that I realized that some polygamists dressed just like us and tried to blend in. I had always seen the old fashioned, traditional polygamist wives and kids at parks and grocery stores. You couldn't miss them! They dressed like Little House on the Prairie in the 70's and 80's. The women wore their hair pulled and pinned back in elaborate twirls and held it back with hair combs that looked 100 years old. The girls wore pants under gunnysack-type dresses and the boys wore overalls and straw hats. I'm not kidding. It was weird. My mother worked for a Medical Bioscience plant and she worked with a lot of sisterwives. The company seemed to routinely employ FLDS members. She even knew Warren Jeffs before he was infamous. If you've ever encountered stories in the news about The Kingston Family you know how art imitates life. The Kingstons are a notoriously powerful and wealthy polygamist family. They own land and businesses much like Roman Grant. Daniel Kingston has been in the courts of late for beating his teen-age daughters. He couldn't even name all of his children in that court.

The reason why polygamy is such a taboo subject to mainstream Mormons is because it was a doctrine that was once accepted. They see the FLDS as a perversion of their religion that casts a poor image on the Church as a whole. But there is no denying that LDS doctrine still teaches that there will be polygamy in heaven because there will be more righteous women who make it into heaven than men. This requires an Attorney General with the backbone to go after polygamists in Utah to walk a politically slippery slope. Mark Shurtleff been one of the only Attorney Generals who hasn't completely shyed away from he subject. There is a feeling among the population that if it's ok in heaven, then who are we to "persecute" them here? I truly believe that the national conscience was raised by the makers of Big Love to the existing problem of polygamy in Utah and Arizona. I believe that this show had a profound effect in the arrest of Warren Jeffs. The fed's had to show that they were doing something about Utah’s, now public, dirty little secret.

[Blondie-Rabbit]

I'm LDS, and love it. I find there are ew and far between inaccuracies that do crop up, but for the most part 95% of it is dead on. It's definately added to my vocabulary when I drive. When I get furious at some of the stupid driving tactics of the locals, they have become Utards. Those who have to drive 5 miles under the speedlimit and do so in the fast lane tying up traffic, are morbots. OK I know that is genralizing and labeling, but at least I say it in my own car when I drive. I just wish that show would portray more of the mainstream not over the top Mormons. The LDS people on the show are all shown as over the top types.

[Calibelle]

Please be careful in this particular thread (you are all doing great so far )... to keep it on topic. In the religion forum.... there was a similar topic called "What do mormons think about the show Big Love?"
It was closed, because people just started discussing Polygamy, and the show "Big Love", was no longer even being mentioned.

Keep this thread on topic to "Big Love" please, and remember to discuss the specific LDS beliefs, in the Religion forum. Thank you.