onceburned
Posts: 2081
Joined: 1/4/2005 From: Iowa Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: SmilinFSub And I have never understood the whole Mormon/poly thing. How is that multiple marriages are allowed/recognized if it is illegal? I thought they practiced separtion of Church / state and that is where their immunity came from? I thought that is how they could 'get away with it?' Mormons were not well regarded in the 1800's. A number of laws which to a modern eye might look unconstitutional were passed against the Mormon Church, including disincorporating it or restricting its ownership of property. quote:
The Mormons continued to practice polygamy despite these laws, since they believed that the practice were protected by the freedom of religion clause in the Bill of Rights. To test the constitutionality of the laws, George Reynolds, Brigham Young's private secretary, agreed to be tried. In 1879 the case reached the Supreme Court, which upheld the Morrill Act: "Laws are made for the government of actions, and while they cannot interfere with mere religious belief and opinion, they may with practices." http://www.onlineutah.com/polygamyhistoryembry.shtml
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