Does God Want His Name Associated With This?

I resent that we do our best to hide the concept of plural marriage from unsuspecting investigators.

After all, I was one of them.

The Church’s polygamy history is more openly covered today on ChurchofJesusChrist.org and in supplemental materials, but the eternal nature of plural marriage is not covered and neither perspective—the historical nor the eternal—is part of the missionary lessons or discussed in Church meetings. This is reasonable because members come to Church to be inspired and, for many, this is not an inspiring topic.

Rather than hide this teaching and practice, perhaps we should ask if God wants His name associated with it at all. Dennis Prager, a Jewish scholar and talk show host, has a logical view of the third commandment found in Exodus 20:7,

“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”

Of the Ten Commandments, only this one carries the severe penalty that whoever breaks it will not be held blameless. Rather than just slipping up with a swear word, taking God’s name in vain refers to doing evil in His name, something God finds especially reprehensible because it turns His children away from Him. (See the video Do Not Misuse God’s Name).

Our Church teaches God is the source of our plural marriage history and eternal plural marriage doctrine. However, if God is not the source, could this be a clear example of taking His name in vain by teaching and practicing an evil in His name? In other words, teaching that the whoredom of having more than one wife was commanded by God?

The predicted results of attributing this principle to God is apparent. Because we teach God endorses what seems evil and contrary to His other laws, potential converts have avoided the Church’s message and members have left the Church and turned from God. This not only happened in the early Church when plural marriage was actually practiced, but also happens in the Church today when investigators and members learn that we teach this is an inspired eternal principle and God is its source.

If God is not the source of this teaching, will he hold guiltless those who have taken His name in vain by attributing the plural marriage doctrine to Him?  

This is part of an essay that first appeared on SquareTwo