Fundamentalist Offshoots: How Some Believers Continued Polygamy Illegally After the LDS Church Renounced It

When the mainstream LDS Church abandoned polygamy in 1890, some members refused to follow—creating breakaway sects that defied federal law and persisted for over a century.

By Garret Merkley · Explainer · Jun 11, 2026

Branched from The Edmunds-Tucker Act: How the Federal Government Criminalized Polygamy

Quick take

The LDS Church officially ended polygamy in 1890 under federal pressure, but splinter groups rejected this change and kept practicing it as religious doctrine.
These fundamentalist offshoots operated in isolated communities, often in Utah, Arizona, and Canada, to evade law enforcement and maintain their interpretation of early Mormon teachings.
Members faced prosecution, imprisonment, and social isolation, yet some groups survived into the 21st century by moving underground or to remote locations.
The split created a permanent theological rift—fundamentalists saw the mainstream church as having abandoned divine principle, while the church excommunicated dissenters.

When the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially discontinued polygamy in 1890, it marked a dramatic reversal of doctrine that had defined early Mormonism for decades. But not all believers accepted this change. A minority of devout members—convinced that plural marriage was eternal and non-negotiable—rejected the church's decision and broke away to form independent fundamentalist sects. These groups continued practicing polygamy in defiance of U.S. law, creating a parallel religious movement that persisted well into the modern era, separate from and often hostile to the mainstream LDS Church.

Why Fundamentalists Rejected the 1890 Manifesto

The LDS Church's 1890 Manifesto was a response to the Edmunds-Tucker Act and other federal penalties that threatened the church's legal standing, property, and leadership. Church president Wilford Woodruff framed it as a revelation that polygamy was no longer required or permitted. But to fundamentalist believers, this was a capitulation to secular government power—a betrayal of what Joseph Smith and Brigham Young had taught as eternal principle. They argued that the Manifesto was political expedience, not divine will, and that true Mormons had a duty to preserve the faith as it was originally revealed. This theological disagreement was absolute and irreconcilable; it split families and created a schism that the mainstream church has never healed.

How Fundamentalist Groups Organized and Survived

Fundamentalist offshoots were never a single unified movement. Instead, they fragmented into dozens of small sects, each led by a charismatic leader who claimed direct revelation or apostolic succession from pre-Manifesto Mormon authorities. The largest and most enduring included the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), the Apostolic United Brethren (AUB), and various independent polygamist communities. These groups survived by establishing isolated compounds—particularly in southern Utah, northern Arizona, and parts of Canada—where members could live communally, pool resources, and maintain control over information and social contact with the outside world. Remote location was essential; it reduced surveillance, allowed them to operate under the radar of federal prosecutors, and reinforced group cohesion and loyalty.

Economically, many fundamentalist communities operated as closed networks. Men often controlled property and income; women had little legal autonomy or claim to assets. Younger men were sometimes pressured or coerced into accepting additional wives, and girls were sometimes married very young to older men. This economic and social control made it harder for members—especially women—to leave. Fundamentalist leaders also used religious authority to enforce obedience, teaching that plural marriage was the path to exaltation in the afterlife and that questioning the practice meant damnation. Over decades, these isolated communities developed their own culture, schooling systems, and internal justice mechanisms, creating a self-contained world largely insulated from mainstream society.

Legal Persecution and Underground Adaptation

Federal and state prosecutors pursued polygamists intermittently throughout the 20th century. Fundamentalist men faced charges under state bigamy laws; convictions meant prison time and fines. Women and children in plural families had no legal standing; they could not inherit property, claim spousal benefits, or testify reliably in court. Despite this legal jeopardy, fundamentalist groups adapted. Some leaders went underground, hiding from authorities or using intermediaries to conduct ceremonies. Others registered marriages in ways that obscured the plural nature of their unions. A few communities moved to Canada or Mexico, where enforcement was weaker or where they negotiated tacit acceptance with local authorities. The persistence of these groups despite decades of legal pressure reveals how deeply embedded polygamy was in their theology and how effective isolation and group control could be in sustaining a illegal practice.

Why This Matters and When It Applies

The fundamentalist offshoots matter for several reasons. First, they demonstrate how religious conviction can override legal authority and social pressure—a phenomenon relevant to understanding religious liberty, civil disobedience, and the limits of government power. Second, they reveal the vulnerability of women and children in closed religious communities where legal protections are weak and internal power structures are unaccountable. Third, they show that the LDS Church's break with polygamy, while institutional and official, did not end the practice in America; it merely drove it underground and created lasting theological division. Finally, the continued existence of fundamentalist polygamist communities into the 21st century—including high-profile cases like the 2024 conviction of FLDS leader Samuel Bateman—shows that this is not a historical relic but an ongoing social and legal issue.

Key Fundamentalist Groups and Their Trajectories

Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS): The largest and most visible offshoot, led for decades by Warren Jeffs until his 2011 conviction for sexual assault and abuse of minors. The group operated primarily in the Arizona-Utah border region and had an estimated 10,000 members at its peak.
Apostolic United Brethren (AUB): A more decentralized network of independent polygamist families and small communities, generally less authoritarian than the FLDS but still practicing plural marriage. The AUB has maintained a lower profile and has been less frequently prosecuted.
Centennial Park Group: A smaller community in Arizona founded in the 1940s, known for relative secrecy and limited interaction with outside authorities.
Independent polygamists: Many fundamentalist believers practice polygamy outside any organized group, further complicating law enforcement efforts.

The Theological Rift: How Fundamentalists Justify Polygamy Today

Modern fundamentalists justify plural marriage through a specific reading of early Mormon scripture and history. They point to the Book of Jacob in the Book of Mormon, which permits polygamy under divine command; to Joseph Smith's practice of plural marriage in the 1830s and 1840s; and to Brigham Young's explicit teaching that polygamy was essential to salvation. They argue that the 1890 Manifesto was never a true revelation—merely a political document—and that the LDS Church leadership abandoned core doctrine under pressure. Some fundamentalists claim that the mainstream church is in apostasy and that only they preserve true Mormonism. This belief system is powerful and self-reinforcing; it explains why members endure legal risk, social stigma, and family separation rather than abandon the practice. It also explains why the mainstream LDS Church's condemnation of fundamentalists has not persuaded them to stop.

Are fundamentalist polygamists still active in the United States today?

Yes. While the largest groups like the FLDS have been disrupted by prosecutions and leadership changes, fundamentalist polygamists remain active in Utah, Arizona, Idaho, and other states. Law enforcement estimates that several thousand people in the U.S. practice polygamy, though exact numbers are hard to pin down because many operate covertly. Recent high-profile cases, including the 2024 conviction of FLDS leader Samuel Bateman, show that federal and state authorities continue to pursue polygamy prosecutions.

Why don't women and children in these communities simply leave?

Leaving is extremely difficult for several reasons: members are often isolated from outside information and social networks; women may have no legal claim to property or savings; children born into the group have no mainstream education or job skills; and the community enforces shame and spiritual threats (teaching that leaving leads to damnation). Additionally, many women internalize fundamentalist beliefs and genuinely accept polygamy as correct doctrine. Some do leave and seek help from organizations that assist former members, but doing so requires enormous courage and often results in permanent separation from family.

Does the mainstream LDS Church have any responsibility for the fundamentalist offshoots?

The mainstream LDS Church formally renounced polygamy in 1890 and has excommunicated members who practice it since then. Church leaders argue they have no control over splinter groups and are not responsible for their actions. However, critics argue that the church's early embrace of polygamy, its slow and incomplete historical accounting of the practice, and its continued reverence for polygamist-era leaders (like Brigham Young) create a theological foundation that fundamentalists can draw on. The church has also been criticized for not doing more to help former members of fundamentalist groups escape abuse.

What laws make polygamy illegal?

All U.S. states and the federal government prohibit bigamy (being married to more than one person at a time). Polygamy charges typically fall under state bigamy statutes, which carry penalties ranging from fines to several years in prison. Additionally, polygamy-related conduct—such as fraud in marriage licensing or abuse of minors—can result in additional criminal charges. Prosecutors have also used conspiracy, money laundering, and child abuse statutes to target polygamist communities. Despite these laws, enforcement varies; some jurisdictions prioritize prosecution more than others.

Is there any overlap between fundamentalist polygamists and the mainstream LDS Church today?

No significant overlap. The mainstream LDS Church has made it clear that polygamy is incompatible with membership, and anyone practicing it is excommunicated. However, some individuals may maintain family or social ties across the divide, and fundamentalists often view themselves as the true continuation of Mormonism. The two groups are ideologically opposed, though they share common historical roots and scriptural texts.

Sources

Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) is documented in court records and law enforcement databases; Warren Jeffs' 2011 conviction and 2024 Samuel Bateman conviction are matters of public record.
The 1890 Manifesto and its theological context are covered in official LDS Church history and academic Mormon studies.
Estimates of active polygamists in the U.S. come from law enforcement and academic researchers studying fundamentalist communities, though precise numbers remain uncertain.