STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Yeah, I heard about this on NPR. I think I'll record it to watch. It sounds intriguing.

The sad part about the show is that many, many Mormons do not know their own history and are shocked to find out about Joseph's many "wives" and Mountain Meadows Massacre, for example. The Internet has forced many in the church to rethink what they have been told about their roots. I thought PBS brought forth a fairly balanced show, although I think they were a bit too gentle with the church. I look forward to seeing Part 2.

As I mentioned last year when Big Love came out, I grew up in Salt Lake, and am a descendant of polygamists. I am no longer affiliated with the Mormon church, but this is part of who I am and for better or for worse, these are my people and my history.

Yet I know many, including my very Mormon relatives living in the heart of Utah, who have known little of the history of plural marriage. Some of the posts at the PBS.org forum reflect this. I have letters from my own grandfather, who was the son of a member of the LDS first presidency, to his father asking if it was in fact true that Joseph practiced polygamy.

Many still believe that Brigham Young started the practice.

It is also the case that so many excellent books and articles on the subject, such as the Newell-Avery bio of Emma Smith and also Todd Compton's In Sacred Loneliness about the wives of Joseph Smith, are available. These authors were active Mormons when the books were written.

On the other hand, you have the official church manuals for Sunday school and auxiliaries that talk about the early leaders and give no indication that they might have had more than one wife.