London Mormons???????

[LIP]

LONDON - Some people bring flowers, others bring balloons. When Melvyn Reed's three wives showed up to visit him at the hospital, they brought an unexpected curtain call to his years as a double bigamist.
British police confirmed that after Melvyn Reed woke from his triple bypass heart operation earlier this year, his complicated marital affairs took a turn for a worse. All three of his spouses had turned up at the same time, despite his efforts to stagger their visits.
Media reports say that, upon realizing that something was amiss, the wives held a meeting in the parking lot, and learned that they were all married to the same man.
The 59-year-old company director from Kettering in central England turned himself into police on May 12 saying he was married to three women at the same time, and confessed to bigamy, an illegal offense in Britain, London's Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
A spokeswoman for the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that Reed had turned himself in to police in Wimbledon, south London in the presence of his lawyer, and admitted he was a bigamist.
$126 fine
He pleaded guilty to two charges of bigamy on July 19 at the Wimbledon Magistrates' court, and was given a suspended sentence of four months in prison and ordered to pay 70 pounds ($126) in costs, police said.
It wasn't immediately possible to reach Reed or his three wives. A phone call to one of the women went unanswered. Reed's lawyer Laurence Grant was not immediately available at his office for comment.
The Metropolitan Police said Reed married his first wife, Jean Grafton, in 1966, then left her without divorcing her. He went on to marry Denise Harrington in 1998, then married Lyndsey Hutchinson in 2003.
British media have widely reported that Reed recently moved back in with his first wife, Grafton. They say she is the mother of his three grown children.
The Metropolitan Police said Harrington and Hutchinson had sought advice on getting their marriages annulled. But media reports say lawyers have advised the women that their marriages were never valid.
Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[edg]

There's a big LDS temple out near East Grinstead, just down the road from the Scientology lot! V. close to where I go climbing.

edg

[ColdSmoke]

LIP, Why would you throw a mormon comment into something like this? Haven't we finally concluded that myth? Polygamy has not been any part of the mormon faith for over 100 years. It is not accepted, tolerated, not something that one looks the other way, and not even as a wink-wink kind of a practice.
Polygamists are not mormons. They don't even call themselves mormon. They are fundamentalist groups that have some beliefs in common with mormons but have nothing to do with the mormon church. They do not exist on any mormon church membership rolls and can't get into the temples. Mormons are a pretty tight-knit group, so polygamists certainly do not typically try to attend weekly mormon church meeting because "wards" are small enough that they would stand out and be discovered, turned in, and excommunicated.
I think the joke has been tried long enough to be worn out. European jews practiced polygamy up until 500 years ago. It's still common in some muslim countries. Polygamy has as much in common with mormonism as it does with Jews and Musllims. Why didn't you ask if they were London Jews or London Muslims?

[Viva]

The 59-year-old company director from Kettering in central England turned himself into police on May 12 saying he was married to three women at the same time, and confessed to bigamy...

Wouldn't that be trigamy in this case?

[PacRimRider1]

Apearantly he's a

double bigamist.

or maybe, half an octomist?

[SkiingBear]

LIP, Why would you throw a mormon comment into something like this? Haven't we finally concluded that myth? Polygamy has not been any part of the mormon faith for over 100 years. It is not accepted, tolerated, not something that one looks the other way, and not even as a wink-wink kind of a practice.
Polygamists are not mormons. They don't even call themselves mormon. They are fundamentalist groups that have some beliefs in common with mormons but have nothing to do with the mormon church. They do not exist on any mormon church membership rolls and can't get into the temples. Mormons are a pretty tight-knit group, so polygamists certainly do not typically try to attend weekly mormon church meeting because "wards" are small enough that they would stand out and be discovered, turned in, and excommunicated.
I think the joke has been tried long enough to be worn out. European jews practiced polygamy up until 500 years ago. It's still common in some muslim countries. Polygamy has as much in common with mormonism as it does with Jews and Musllims. Why didn't you ask if they were London Jews or London Muslims?

Seriously, if you can't laugh at yourself and your past...who can you laugh at?

[LIP]

LIP, Why would you throw a mormon comment into something like this? Haven't we finally concluded that myth? Polygamy has not been any part of the mormon faith for over 100 years. It is not accepted, tolerated, not something that one looks the other way, and not even as a wink-wink kind of a practice.
Polygamists are not mormons. They don't even call themselves mormon. They are fundamentalist groups that have some beliefs in common with mormons but have nothing to do with the mormon church. They do not exist on any mormon church membership rolls and can't get into the temples. Mormons are a pretty tight-knit group, so polygamists certainly do not typically try to attend weekly mormon church meeting because "wards" are small enough that they would stand out and be discovered, turned in, and excommunicated.
I think the joke has been tried long enough to be worn out. European jews practiced polygamy up until 500 years ago. It's still common in some muslim countries. Polygamy has as much in common with mormonism as it does with Jews and Musllims. Why didn't you ask if they were London Jews or London Muslims?

Man, winter better get here soon.

[Cornholio]

LIP, Why would you throw a mormon comment into something like this? Haven't we finally concluded that myth? Polygamy has not been any part of the mormon faith for over 100 years. It is not accepted, tolerated, not something that one looks the other way, and not even as a wink-wink kind of a practice.
Polygamists are not mormons. They don't even call themselves mormon. They are fundamentalist groups that have some beliefs in common with mormons but have nothing to do with the mormon church. They do not exist on any mormon church membership rolls and can't get into the temples. Mormons are a pretty tight-knit group, so polygamists certainly do not typically try to attend weekly mormon church meeting because "wards" are small enough that they would stand out and be discovered, turned in, and excommunicated.
I think the joke has been tried long enough to be worn out. European jews practiced polygamy up until 500 years ago. It's still common in some muslim countries. Polygamy has as much in common with mormonism as it does with Jews and Musllims. Why didn't you ask if they were London Jews or London Muslims?

Obviously, he was scared of the Jewish banking conspiracy taking his money, or of getting blown up by the Muslims. Duh.

[MacDaddy]

Obviously, he was scared of the Jewish banking conspiracy taking his money.

What this isnt true? its just a hollywood conspiracy, then?

oh duh!

[LIP]

What this isnt true? its just a hollywood conspiracy, then?

oh duh!

Maybe he's just afraid of the underpants gnomes.

[Bud Green]

Polygamy has been part of the mormon faith for over 100 years. It is accepted, tolerated.
Polygamists are mormons. They call themselves mormon.

I can't believe mormons condone polygamy.

[Telephil]

I can't believe mormons don't condone polygamy.

Yeah, pretty amazing.

[PaSucks]

Maybe he's just afraid of the underpants gnomes.

I would be. Friggen scary man. Wake up one day and have no underpants to wear. Have to go commando with your wang rubbing against you zipper and your pants up your ass all day. God damn underpants gnomes!

[Gaper Jeffey]

Polygamists are not mormons. They don't even call themselves mormon. They are fundamentalist groups that have some beliefs in common with mormons but have nothing to do with the mormon church. They do not exist on any mormon church membership rolls and can't get into the temples. Mormons are a pretty tight-knit group, so polygamists certainly do not typically try to attend weekly mormon church meeting because "wards" are small enough that they would stand out and be discovered, turned in, and excommunicated.

Yo ColdSmoke, As a baptized inactive LDS Member I feel inclined to tell you that you are technically wrong. What you probably intended to say is that Polygamy is no longer practiced or sanctioned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), the largest and most well-known Mormon denominations. Theologians classify LDS as just one of many Mormon denominations (it's the largest and most well-known), however technically Mormon Polygamy splinter groups such as FLDS are also classified as denominations of Mormonism, so calling them Mormon is technically correct. The Community of Christ (formerly Reorganized LDS Church) are another sect of Mormonism.

The Mormon Polygmay splinter groups do derive their beliefs from early LDS teachings and generally do believe the Book of Mormon is the word of god, and that Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and John Taylor were true prophets just like the mainstream LDS church believes. If you want to read more about Mormon splinter groups see John Krakauer's book
Under the Banner of Heaven.

[ColdSmoke]

That may be technically correct to some scholars but as noted in The Associated Press Stylebook: "The term Mormon is not properly applied to the other churches that resulted from the split after [Joseph] Smith's death." Since the prophet's death it is a term typically affixed to the LDS religion. And, to the 12 million members of the LDS faith, they are the only mormons, as evidenced by their commercials, which end: "A message from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: The Mormons," and from their official website presenting its basic beliefs and tenets at www.mormon.org.

According to Wikpedia, "Members of the Community of Christ, for example, rarely use the term 'Mormon' to describe themselves, and instead apply it to members of the LDS Church." And continuing, "Claims for exclusivity of usage are primarily to avoid confusion between the LDS Church and "Mormon Fundamentalist" groups."

Krakauer can sell more books if he can make the reader associate the term "mormon" with the mormon you know on your block rather than correctly identifying his subjects as members of wacko polygamous groups that have nothing to do with with the mormon or LDS faith.

[ill-advised strategy]

LIP, Why would you throw a mormon comment into something like this? Haven't we finally concluded that myth? Polygamy has not been any part of the mormon faith for over 100 years. It is not accepted, tolerated, not something that one looks the other way, and not even as a wink-wink kind of a practice.
Polygamists are not mormons. They don't even call themselves mormon. They are fundamentalist groups that have some beliefs in common with mormons but have nothing to do with the mormon church. They do not exist on any mormon church membership rolls and can't get into the temples. Mormons are a pretty tight-knit group, so polygamists certainly do not typically try to attend weekly mormon church meeting because "wards" are small enough that they would stand out and be discovered, turned in, and excommunicated.
I think the joke has been tried long enough to be worn out. European jews practiced polygamy up until 500 years ago. It's still common in some muslim countries. Polygamy has as much in common with mormonism as it does with Jews and Musllims. Why didn't you ask if they were London Jews or London Muslims?

Oh really. the fundamentalists aren't mormons huh....so their basis in doing this has nothing to do with Joe Smith? The basis of their religion is what again??

Your "church" is a cult whose founder was fucking 13 year olds and justified it to his wife, who was leaving him, by telling her that God said it was the thing to do. A thinking person either accepts that pummeling thirteen year olds is OK, or rejects the church...you people, on the other hand, pretend it wasn't that way and pretend your nutcase offshoots have nothing to do with your religion. It's a lie, and telling it over and over again won't make it come true.

[edg]

Traditional Muslim polygamy was only allowed in Muslim cultures where there were disproportionaly more women (say, after a war), and was used to balance the population. I don't think it's possible to argue a similar logic for Mormon polygamy...

edg

[ill-advised strategy]

I don't think it's possible to argue a similar logic for Mormon polygamy...

edg

Especially when they're running the young men out of Hilldale/Colorado City by the dozen.

[Gaper Jeffey]

...............................

[ColdSmoke]

Dense, quintessential, horribly misinformed and haven't a clue? I guess I better not change a thing since the Mormon church seems to be growing ok despite what you think. Whatever.

[Gaper Jeffey]

I guess I better not change a thing since the Mormon church seems to be growing ok despite what you think. Whatever.

Oh geez LDS Membership is growing so that must mean the religion is true. Nice logic.

Edit to remove really derisive comments.

[Bud Green]

I guess I better not change a thing since the Mormon church seems to be growing ok despite what you think.

Mormons crapping out 6-12 kids and then brainwashing them from birth might have something to do with it. You're not going to convert any educated average americans (unless they are horribly impoverished or otherwise desperate and grasping) so you gotta go to the 3rd world.

I always find it funny when mormons (or any other adherent of a false religion) try to defend their beliefs. You'll never convince anyone that the golden plates ever existed, that Jeebus went to Guatamala, that Noah had an Ark or any other nonsense. Since they're based on faith, you're free to believe any ridiculous ideas you want, just don't expect the rest of us to play along or respect them.

[SkiingBear]

Krakauer can take a flying fucking leap, Banner of Heaven (not to mention just about everything else he's written) is written in such a one-sided manner that it always makes for a weak argument in discussions like this. Go read One Nation Under Gods by Richard Abanes and get back to me on where you think the Mormon church came from.

I'm not going to sit here and argue that NO good comes out of the church...their sense of community is admirable in a world that operates on a "me" basis. I simply question their origin and how whether it should have ceased to exist a long time ago. While it's since been abolished, the vows made by baptized mormons in the old days to fight the US in the name of the church is somewhat scary (this ended in the early 1900's, so there are still mormons alive that have made this vow). The circumstances around the abolishment of the vow is still sketchy and I can't say that I don't believe that this belief isn't still taught on some level.

[Gaper Jeffey]

....................

[yentna]

Funny how the more educated Mormons either.....become leaders in the Church (to have the power, yummy) or leave the religion. I had Mormon classmates tell me they'd changed their majors from psychology to family science, since their bishops told them that they would lose their faith studying something like psychology. Mormons are taught not to ask questions, to blindly believe what they are told on faith, to take history of the religion only how it's taught by the church. Yep, polygamy was given such a rosy glow by the church, that now if a mormon hears anyone pointing out "hey, Joseph Smith did it so he could fuck lots of young girls," they won't believe it. Almost pointless to try to point out the truth, or even another possibility. So sad.


(Said as an ex mormon who used to be a goody two shoes who blindly followed everything she was told.)