Jamie Loftus

And it's here where Smith lightly militarizes the group and increasingly sends out missionaries to continue to grow the faith. And at the same time, Smith is told by an angel to introduce one of the LDS's most controversial policies, polygamy. And polygamy wasn't something that was allowed to everyone in the faith at first, just the powerful in the church.

And it's here where Smith lightly militarizes the group and increasingly sends out missionaries to continue to grow the faith. And at the same time, Smith is told by an angel to introduce one of the LDS's most controversial policies, polygamy. And polygamy wasn't something that was allowed to everyone in the faith at first, just the powerful in the church.

And during Smith's lifetime, the practice was kept fairly quiet. He married as many as 40 women, some of whom were underage. Women were expected to remain in the home, have many children, And to this day, there is an early and intense emphasis on being a wife and mother before all else.

And during Smith's lifetime, the practice was kept fairly quiet. He married as many as 40 women, some of whom were underage. Women were expected to remain in the home, have many children, And to this day, there is an early and intense emphasis on being a wife and mother before all else.

And during Smith's lifetime, the practice was kept fairly quiet. He married as many as 40 women, some of whom were underage. Women were expected to remain in the home, have many children, And to this day, there is an early and intense emphasis on being a wife and mother before all else.

The end of the line came for Joseph Smith in Illinois in 1844, where non-Mormon locals imprisoned and then killed he and his brother. He's been hailed as an eternal prophet in the Mormon church ever since, and is still an extremely prominent figure in the culture to this day.

The end of the line came for Joseph Smith in Illinois in 1844, where non-Mormon locals imprisoned and then killed he and his brother. He's been hailed as an eternal prophet in the Mormon church ever since, and is still an extremely prominent figure in the culture to this day.

The end of the line came for Joseph Smith in Illinois in 1844, where non-Mormon locals imprisoned and then killed he and his brother. He's been hailed as an eternal prophet in the Mormon church ever since, and is still an extremely prominent figure in the culture to this day.

And if you want this story told from the Mormon perspective, there's a lot of LDS produced movies about it on YouTube that are really well acted.

And if you want this story told from the Mormon perspective, there's a lot of LDS produced movies about it on YouTube that are really well acted.

And if you want this story told from the Mormon perspective, there's a lot of LDS produced movies about it on YouTube that are really well acted.

All right, save it for the pulpit. After Smith's death, a guy named Brigham Young takes over, and the Mormons leave Nauvoo in 1846, hiking pioneer-style to what is now present-day Utah, where in the next 10-odd years, they ignored the American government and practiced polygamy openly. That is, until this was going to prevent Utah getting statehood.

All right, save it for the pulpit. After Smith's death, a guy named Brigham Young takes over, and the Mormons leave Nauvoo in 1846, hiking pioneer-style to what is now present-day Utah, where in the next 10-odd years, they ignored the American government and practiced polygamy openly. That is, until this was going to prevent Utah getting statehood.

All right, save it for the pulpit. After Smith's death, a guy named Brigham Young takes over, and the Mormons leave Nauvoo in 1846, hiking pioneer-style to what is now present-day Utah, where in the next 10-odd years, they ignored the American government and practiced polygamy openly. That is, until this was going to prevent Utah getting statehood.

Polygamy would be an LDS-sanctioned practice until 1890, but it was technically discontinued at that point to avoid clashing with existing laws around bigamy passed in the 1860s and 70s. However, a lot of Mormons continued to practice polygamy quietly. In today's Mormon marriages, more traditional fundamentalist monogamy is certainly the norm.

Polygamy would be an LDS-sanctioned practice until 1890, but it was technically discontinued at that point to avoid clashing with existing laws around bigamy passed in the 1860s and 70s. However, a lot of Mormons continued to practice polygamy quietly. In today's Mormon marriages, more traditional fundamentalist monogamy is certainly the norm.

Polygamy would be an LDS-sanctioned practice until 1890, but it was technically discontinued at that point to avoid clashing with existing laws around bigamy passed in the 1860s and 70s. However, a lot of Mormons continued to practice polygamy quietly. In today's Mormon marriages, more traditional fundamentalist monogamy is certainly the norm.

And there's a long, complicated history with the Mormons, Utah, and indigenous people. Because unlike most accounts of a new American colony being founded, there were Native Americans in Utah when they arrived. And under Brigham Young, LDS members are encouraged to purchase Native children as slaves and raise them in their homes with the hopes of assimilating them to the Mormon faith.

And there's a long, complicated history with the Mormons, Utah, and indigenous people. Because unlike most accounts of a new American colony being founded, there were Native Americans in Utah when they arrived. And under Brigham Young, LDS members are encouraged to purchase Native children as slaves and raise them in their homes with the hopes of assimilating them to the Mormon faith.

And there's a long, complicated history with the Mormons, Utah, and indigenous people. Because unlike most accounts of a new American colony being founded, there were Native Americans in Utah when they arrived. And under Brigham Young, LDS members are encouraged to purchase Native children as slaves and raise them in their homes with the hopes of assimilating them to the Mormon faith.