In Reply to: question about polygamy posted by Acheick on March 13, 2006 at 12:05:08:
The Arts & Entertainment channel (A & E) is broadcasting a two-hour special on Mormon polygamy, tonight March 13, repeated tomorrow.
Your printed tv guide may not show this listed because it is a late change. Here's a link to their website so you can figure out what time it airs in your time zone.
http://www.aetv.com/listings/episode_details.do?episodeid=116500
I find the subject of Mormon polygamy quite fascinating in relation to TF's law of love doctrine. The mainstream Mormon leaders long ago officially declared that polygamy was no longer an official or accepted practice. However, that didn't stop fundamentalist elements within that church from continuing to practice it, and breaking away to form their own fundamentalist sects. The mainstream church continues to declare polygamy an outlawed practice, but the problem is that it was a fundamental belief of their founder, and many mainstream Mormon beliefs and practices continue to create an environment in which vulnerable youth can be easily pulled into that abusive fundamentalist world of polygamy. The Elizabeth Smart case is probably the best illustration of that.
Similarly, TF's law of love with respect to sexual conduct between adults and minors has been officially/publically declared as now being no longer applicable, and they claim that such behaviour is an excommunicable offense. However, in internal documents they continue to believe that there are no age or relationship limits in the law of love, but that in the present world climate it is not expedient for them to practice it.
If the Mormon leadership had taken a stronger stand against their founder's misguided beliefs, perhaps polygamy wouldn't be such a problem today. I think the problem is that they left the door open for those who felt that denying their founder's believes on polygamy was tantamount to denying their faith. Likewise, Zerby's writings on the subjection of the adult/minor sexual conduct reveal that she doesn't believe the law of love is wrong with regard to no age or relation limits, but just that it isn't expedient for TF right now. They still believe in it, and in their Charter the law of love is the ultimate rule that must be followed above all others. Because it still remains part of Berg's foundational doctrines, which are the equivalent of God's word, and TF continues to uphold Berg as a righteous endtime prophet, imo there will always remain the danger of someone putting into practice Berg's teachings regarding the law of love, and harming minors in the process. There will always be crackpots, even after Zerby's gone and TF falls (perhaps more so), who will once again practice Berg's perversions in the name of God, claiming like the Mormon fundamentalists, that the doctrine was godly and that leadership was wrong in trying to stop it just to please the "system".