Nelson Lund wrote:
Is there some church document saying that plural marriages would not be
legitimate even if they were permitted by temporal law? That would seem
to indicate that there had been a change in the church's religious
views, but so far nobody has come up with such a document.
From
http://www.mormon.org/question/faq/category/answer/0,9777,1601-1-114-3,00.html
Question:
What is the Church’s position on polygamy?
Answer:
In 1998, President Gordon B. Hinckley made the following statement about
the Church's position on plural marriage:
"This Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy.
They are not members of this Church. . . . If any of our members are
found to be practicing plural marriage, they are excommunicated, the
most serious penalty the Church can impose. Not only are those so
involved in direct violation of the civil law, they are in violation of
the law of this Church."
At various times, the Lord has commanded His people to practice plural
marriage. For example, He gave this command to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
Moses, David, and Solomon (Doctrine and Covenants 132:1
<javascript:onClick=openScripture('http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/132/1#1')>).
In this dispensation, the Lord commanded some of the early Saints to
practice plural marriage. The Prophet Joseph Smith and those closest to
him, including Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball, were challenged by
this command, but they obeyed it. Church leaders regulated the practice.
Those entering into it had to be authorized to do so, and the marriages
had to be performed through the sealing power of the priesthood. In
1890, President Wilford Woodruff received a revelation that the leaders
of the Church should cease teaching the practice of plural marriage
(Official Declaration 1
<javascript:onClick=openScripture('http://scriptures.lds.org/od/1')>).
