Episode 221 (Bonus): Confronting Polygamy | One Woman's Experience
Members of the Church don't talk much about polygamy, but isn't it time we did? After all, it continues to haunt our family trees, our church history, and many women's minds and hearts. Imagine getting married to a man only to find out he actually has a deep testimony of polygamy and insists you'll need to have one, too. In Bonus Episode 221, Blakelee Ellis is joined by Alicia Owens, who shares her personal story of finding herself in that unthinkable situation, and everything that happened next. Please exercise self care—this is a harrowing conversation about one of the heaviest topics Latter-day Saint women carry.
Notes & Quotes:
The Ghost of Eternal Polygamy: Haunting the Hearts and Heaven of Mormon Women and Men, by Carol Lynn Pearson
Journal of Discourses Vol. 04, by Brigham Young
I absolutely loved the intro to this, including Susan's story, her desire to just deal with one church rather than "good church" and "bad church" as separate things, and her call for us to talk about plural marriage more, not less. I really resonated with all these thoughts. And a huge thank you to Alicia for sharing her incredible story. I haven't been through what she has, but I resonated so much with many things she said. Both seminary and BYU religion teachers taught me that plural marriage applied to my life and future. Alicia's story is a testament that the spiritual and physical abuse caused by LDS plural marriage continues to this day. Not just in smaller break off churches, but also in our own. Like Alicia and her dad, I have arrived at the conclusion it was never divine. For me, it fell apart when supporting women in my life who had gone through betrayal.
It's not vague or fake. My wife and I live in Texas and I think we met this couple. Makes me want to report this guy to the police and the church - he is dangerous, but I think that is up to Alicia.