217 episodes

The series follows the Mormon faith through the lens of “The Principle of Plural Marriage” from its genesis in 1831 with its originator Joseph Smith, through the hidden history and governmental pressure, to today and contemporary practicing Fundamentalist Mormons.



For the first time polygamy is dissected through a feminist viewpoint, with attention given to the experiences of the women, women who sacrificed everything and suffered long and are never mentioned in museums or landmark tours. Their experiences, along with interviews with experts, sc20140302_130747holars, historians, and those still affected directly by the practice, paint a new portrait of how the west was shaped, by the hard work and toil of these invisible women, hidden away through controversy.



Through Hansen’s careful work, we see how the practice of polygamy affected every aspect of the LDS church’s formation and is still a shadow hanging over the church, visible in it’s approach to marriage, the role of women, and the temple ceremonies. Instead of the historical footnote polygamy is often treated as, Hansen shows how this practice, started in secret and a direct cause of Joseph Smith’s death, responsible for driving the saints to Utah, and then outward again to Mexico and Canada, the root of power struggles both in the church and out, the cause of suspicion and eventually violence including the Mountain Meadows Massacre, was an instigator to most of the history of American West. For the first time, The Year of Polygamy shows how the west was settled not only to claim land and mineral rights, but in a very real way to control the bodies and sexuality of women in a way that reverberates today. Find our more at YearofPolygamy.com

Year of Polygamy Podcast Year of Polygamy Podcast

    • History
    • 5.0 • 2 Ratings

The series follows the Mormon faith through the lens of “The Principle of Plural Marriage” from its genesis in 1831 with its originator Joseph Smith, through the hidden history and governmental pressure, to today and contemporary practicing Fundamentalist Mormons.



For the first time polygamy is dissected through a feminist viewpoint, with attention given to the experiences of the women, women who sacrificed everything and suffered long and are never mentioned in museums or landmark tours. Their experiences, along with interviews with experts, sc20140302_130747holars, historians, and those still affected directly by the practice, paint a new portrait of how the west was shaped, by the hard work and toil of these invisible women, hidden away through controversy.



Through Hansen’s careful work, we see how the practice of polygamy affected every aspect of the LDS church’s formation and is still a shadow hanging over the church, visible in it’s approach to marriage, the role of women, and the temple ceremonies. Instead of the historical footnote polygamy is often treated as, Hansen shows how this practice, started in secret and a direct cause of Joseph Smith’s death, responsible for driving the saints to Utah, and then outward again to Mexico and Canada, the root of power struggles both in the church and out, the cause of suspicion and eventually violence including the Mountain Meadows Massacre, was an instigator to most of the history of American West. For the first time, The Year of Polygamy shows how the west was settled not only to claim land and mineral rights, but in a very real way to control the bodies and sexuality of women in a way that reverberates today. Find our more at YearofPolygamy.com

    Episode 196: The History of Abortion in Mormonism

    Episode 196: The History of Abortion in Mormonism

    In this episode, Lindsay talks with Dr. Amanda Hendrix-Komoto about the history of abortions in Mormonism.















    Links mentioned in this episode:









    * R. Lanier Britsch, Unto the Islands of the Sea: A History of the Latter-day Saints in the Pacific







    * Hokulani Aikau, A Chosen People, A Promised Land: Mormonism and Race in Hawai‘i







    * Amanda Hendrix-Komoto, Imperial Zions: Religion, Race, and Family in the American West and the Pacific 







    * Amanda Hendrix-Komoto, “The Other Crime: Abortion and Contraception in Nineteenth and Twentieth-Century Utah” in Dialogue







    * Jennifer Holland, Tiny You: A Western History of the Anti-Abortion Movement







    * Joshua Prager, The Family Roe







    * Leslie Reagan, Dangerous Pregnancies: Mothers, Disabilities, and Abortion in Modern America 







    * Linda Gordon, The Moral Property of Women: A History of Birth Control Politics in America







    * Leslie Reagan, When Abortion was a Crime: Women, Medicine, and the Law in United States, 1867 – 1973







    * Nicholas Syrett, The Trials of Madame Restell: Nineteenth-Century America’s Most Infamous Physician and the Campaign to Make Abortion Illegal

    • 1 hr 34 min
    Episode 195: Extreme Fasting and Perfection- the Story of Orlean Kingston

    Episode 195: Extreme Fasting and Perfection- the Story of Orlean Kingston

    In this episode, Dr. Cristina Rosetti tells us the story of Orlean Kingston’s extreme 42-day fast, her visions and her life.







    TW: This episode discusses eating disorders, scrupulosity, obsessive compulsive disorders and conversations around food restriction.















    Links mentioned in this episode:









    * Fast from that Which is Not Perfect”: Food Abstinence and Fasting Cures in the Kingdom of God by Cristina Rosetti







    * More information about eating disorders







    * Eating disorder helpline

    • 1 hr 16 min
    Episode 194: In Sacred Loneliness: The Documents with Todd Compton

    Episode 194: In Sacred Loneliness: The Documents with Todd Compton

    Lindsay sits down with the historian who started it all, Todd Compton. They discuss his latest book, In Sacred Loneliness: The Documents and read directly from the accounts of the wives of Joseph Smith.







    Links mentioned in this podcast:







    Buy the book here from Benchmark Books

    • 1 hr 24 min
    Episode 193: Mormon Fundamentalism and Race

    Episode 193: Mormon Fundamentalism and Race

    Join Lindsay as she interviews Mormon Fundamentalist Moroni Jessop about the issue of race, priesthood restriction and prejudice within Mormon fundamentalism. Moroni discusses his own experiences being a POC within Mormonism, the history of the priesthood ban, and how DNA heritage tests are shaking up fundamentalist communities.







    Links mentioned in this podcast:









    * Follow Moroni Jessop on TikTok







    * Moroni’s Sunstone presentation on race in fundamentalism







    * Moroni’s Sunstone panel on Blood Atonement

    • 56 min
    Episode 192: Never Going Back on Faith

    Episode 192: Never Going Back on Faith

    Join Lindsay as she interviews Faith Bistline about growing up in the FLDS. The two discuss the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade and how both women see parallels to their own upbringings. This episode discusses abortion and reproductive rights and how recent politics compound oppression for women and marginalized genders, even where we least expect it.

    • 1 hr 17 min
    Episode 191: King Benjamin and a Tale of the AUB

    Episode 191: King Benjamin and a Tale of the AUB

    Join Lindsay as she interviews TikTok star Benjamin Brown (The Fresh King Benjamin) about his life and childhood growing up in the AUB.







    LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST:







    * Follow Ben on TikTok* Join Fresh King Benjamin’s email list







    DONATE TO YEAR OF POLYGAMY HERE

    • 1 hr 28 min

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