How common is polygamy in the SLC area?

[Helter Skelter]

Originally Posted by dogmom

We're down here near St. George and of course we see them all the time..and I do think they affect MY day to day life in that they are mostly on welfare and that is taking $$ our of my pocket. We are retired and barely get by and it ticks me off when I go to Costco and the pligs come pulling up in their huge SUV's which are fairly new, they have cell phones, I don't think they live the 'simple' life like the amish at all...yes they are backwards because over the last few years with Jeffs in charge, that was his doing. I am guessing years ago they might have been a little more 'in the loop' with society but he brainwashed them to hate us 'infidels'.

Maybe you've been brainwashed to hate those "pligs".... Maybe we've ALL been brainwashed!

It's not thier fault they can use thier welfare to buy thier SUV's... If it's against the law to do so, then it's our fault for not making sure the laws are properly enforced.

[Aerorick]

Who said anything about hate. Some of us are just stating facts. But someday the "wives" are going to grow old and have no Social Security to draw on because they didn't put anything in it. And the kids aren't going to get too far with the average of a fifth grade education before their put out to work. I look at it as kind of pyrimind scheme. But there comes a time when the wives can't have any more kids to fill the bottom level of workers and the daughters get fed up with spitting out children to make up. No good thing lasts forever. There are natural checks and balances.

[dogmom]

Originally Posted by Helter Skelter

Maybe you've been brainwashed to hate those "pligs".... Maybe we've ALL been brainwashed!

It's not their fault they can use thier welfare to buy thier SUV's... If it's against the law to do so, then it's our fault for not making sure the laws are properly enforced.

What makes you think i 'Hate' the pligs...I actually feel sorry for them, especially the kids. They are brainwashed at this point, the adults...and it passes to the kids....I must say however, that one time not too long ago my husband was a costco and this group of moms and a darling little boy were in line in front of him, and my husband said hi to the little boy and he said hello back to my husband. A year or so ago that would not have happened, they are not allowed to speak to us. How sad.

And yes, they are living on my tax dollars, but until the gov't does something about that, I certainly don't lose sleep at night

Rick is right, nature will balance it out sometime, probably not until those women wake up, and get their kids outta there.. and there's a lot of I hate to call it inbreeding so not only are they trapped, there are a lot, an awful lot of medical problems in that town, too.

But then again, I don't lose sleep over it. I can't fix the world, as long as my grown kids are ok, that's my main thing..

[Mtn. States Resident]

This has been an interesting thread to read. I've had professional contact with many polygamists over the years.

It appears so far that most comments are about the known polygamists in SLC and St. George. Having done contract work for the State of UT and having to travel to many locations throughout the state, I know there are active polygamists groups elsewhere in Utah. For example, the Vernal area.

I do watch "Big Love," partly because I, too, want to see how families of SLC polygamists are portrayed as well as those on "The Compound." I also have been interested to see how accurately the LDS church has been portrayed as well.

From my experience working with polygamists, in various areas in UT, I have found a variety of different views of whether a family contributes to their area, or takes from it. I've found the same to be true for those who aren't polygamists.

What I keep wondering about polygamists are two things:

First, I understand the polygamists broke away from the LDS Church when plural marriage was no longer allowed in the LDS Church and outlawed in any U.S. state. I also know one reason polygamy was once a part of the LDS Church in the infancy of the church in UT, was too ensure women of all ages were provided for.

I still remain puzzled why in the days of the pioneers older widowed or single women were married as a plural wife so they had food and shelter. Yet, I don't tend to hear of or see that pattern currently.

When polygamists cite Abraham and others in the Bible as examples that plural marriage was the true lifestyle for their salvation, I don't hear those arguing that point that additional wives should all be younger than current wives. Have any of you?

Does anyone know anything different about my question? I'd appreciate an update if someone has information that widows and the non-married, older women are also being married as brides, like the original polygamists did to make sure every woman was cared for appropriately.

Secondly, while I know the original question of this thread was about polygamy in UT, I want to ask a reverse question. How many other states have polygamists? Before you think polygamy doesn't exist in other states or countries, I'd recommend learning more about the emigration of polygamists to live outside of UT.

Mexico and Canada, especially near Alberta, have many practicing polygamists.

I've spent plenty of time in St. George seeing the "typical dress" fundamentalist women/girls wear. When outside of St. George, they also wear the same clothing. Often dresses of biological sisters or potentially sister wives are handed down to the next in line.

I struggled one day, in a professional setting in SLC, seeing about 6 females in one family from the Hilldale area wearing dresses clearly well made, as they had been worn by many females over the years. I say that given the fading, the height of the row of the girls standing very obediently to their parents, not necessarily the professionals involved in this non-law enforcement setting. It appeared to me one teen was wearing a remade dress turning the inside pattern to become the outside of a dress so there was still color in it.

Conversely, I worked with a polygamist family in St. George where the father had an outside job, provided health insurance for his family, and the mother with whom I had contact, also held a full-time job in St. George. Unlike other women in the area, this woman wore modern skirts and dresses to her work.
They also encouraged their children to go to college and get degrees allowing them to work in the mainstream population.

Polygamists in SLC, I believe, blend in much better, selecting clothing that could be worn by many others living in Salt Lake County. I don't know about those in Davis and Weber counties. Also, I don't believe many flaunt their plural marriage life style in metro SLC compared to St. George, Vernal and elsewhere in UT.

Finally, having worked with polygamists for many years, I smiled when checking into a hotel in another state. It didn't take me long to see the Alberta license plates, the darkened van, a female checking in for one night asking for extra towels and soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste etc. at the front desk as well as other behaviors. I could only guess how many people were watching the video in the van as this woman retrieved the supplies they would need, and asked where the exits were in the hotel.

Could it be that some just don't know what to look for in reviewing their own state of residence and polygamy?

MSR

[Aerorick]

Well that's wonderful. But in your observation about the poligamist "father" who provided health insurance for his "family" from his full-time job. Just what did he write in the block asking for the wife's, as in plural, name? I'm sorry but you write like someone trying to dress a pig in a tuxedo.

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by Aerorick

Well that's wonderful. But in your observation about the poligamist "father" who provided health insurance for his "family" from his full-time job. Just what did he write in the block asking for the wife's, as in plural, name? I'm sorry but you write like someone trying to dress a pig in a tuxedo.

Thanks for your expressing your opinion of me Aerorick, "write like someone trying to dress a pig in a tuxedo." Wow, that is a first.

How many of my posts in any state have you read? Good thing my self esteem doesn't come from people like you. I chose not to meet your words with comparable ones.

The father was an insurance agent. I'll bet you can figure it out from there what was added on each line. If you can't, perhaps if you ask politely someone on this forum could suggest what was written.

I hope you have a day day tomorrow.

Mountain States Resident

[blondee007]

I have lived here my entire life and I knew only 1 polygamous family who's kids I went to school with. I felt sorry for the kids. They were always dressed so badly, so old fashioned and they were teased a lot. I live in Salt Lake City and it is very rare to see any polygamous families around here. I don't think I have seen anyone in maybe 5 years or more. Maybe there are some that just blend in but as I understand it they usually have to dress and do their hair in certain ways. The others are right...you will see quite a few in the St. George area (from Colorado City area) especially at the Walmart. It is very rare and not veiwed as acceptable here.

[ssimple]

This is my thoughts on polygamy. Like the Amish if they were living withing the laws our nation, I wouldn't have so much trouble with it. But they are eating up the welfare system. They are often considered single because their marriages are church only, not state. So to support themselves they are on welfare. Due to so much inbreeding they are dropping IQ numbers as well as having all sorts of health issues, which again is picked up by the state. They are marrying below the age of consent and forcing the unwilling to engage. This is pedophilia and rape at its best. And what a brilliant way to hide it, say its religion, and still they are getting the government to pay for it.

[irvm]

Originally Posted by ssimple

T...Due to so much inbreeding they are dropping IQ numbers as well as having all sorts of health issues, which again is picked up by the state. They are marrying below the age of consent and forcing the unwilling to engage. This is pedophilia and rape at its best. And what a brilliant way to hide it, say its religion, and still they are getting the government to pay for it.

I would argue only one point:
The main group doing this doesn't hide it under the guise of religion.

They usually can be identified by the title "Senator" or "Congressman".