WI: No Statehood for Utah

Inspired by the recent raid on the Fundamentalist Mormon compound in Texas.

One of the pre-conditions for Utah's entry into the US as a state was a state constitutional amendment banning polygamy. In 1890, then LDS president Woodruff had a, politically inspired, revelation that the LDS should no longer approve plural marriage.

What If the LDS decided not to give up plural marriage and to forgo statehood?
Is that a viable option at all?
Would the US have forced the situation and if so, what would be the long-term consequences?
 

Darkest

Banned
In 1890, then LDS president Woodruff had a, politically inspired, revelation that the LDS should no longer approve plural marriage.

Antireligious! Please make that P.C., my friend. A good twelve million believe otherwise, donchaknow.

If President Woodruff did not make the claim the he had witnessed a revelation to end polygamy, then there will definitely be a longer period of time before Utah becomes a state. Mormons fight for their Mormonity, but in a short while there is a schism. Many Mormons were opposed to plural marriage, and the need to end the conflict with the US government and get on with their lives was building. So, some other higher leader 'receives' a revelation that plural marriage has either A) been wrong from the start (more likely) or B) is now invalidated by the Lord due to the times, or, in other words, the trials of the Chosen People have ended for now, having served their purpose (more popular, less likely). Woodruff might be dead by this point, which might allow an easier transition to the new Mormon Church, but if not, he is the legitimate president of the Church, and will keep many on his side.

If there is a demogogue-type that begins a schism and becomes powerful enough to become the main Mormon religion, then there is going to be more friction in the Church, with the history of a schism: expect more people making fringe claims of revelations and pointing toward said demogogue-type in order to justify the need of an 'outsider' to lead the Mormon people to higher truths. This will definitely weaken the Mormon movement.

If there is an easy transition, the movement will still suffer. Utah will be a territory for longer, which was good to no one, and the Mormons will feel even more discriminated again. The longer you go without getting that anti-polygamy revelation in there, the more fanatic/fringe/small/weak the Church is going to become.
 
Slightly OT, but don't some Mormons still practice polygamy, sort of on the "down-low"?

Anyway, I don't think the Federal Government would appreciate all of that territory being designated basically "off-limits" for them. I dunno if there'd be a war, but I don't think the LDS Government of the time was really strong enough to resist the feds. I wonder, though.
 
i think Darkest is right, i think that the strain on the LDS church will keep the church from growing out side of Utah.
 
the extremists.

Yeah, that's, of course, what I meant. I have a number of Mormon friends and I'm usually the voice of temperance when my peers start talking about "them crazy Mormons" and comparing them to Scientologists, etc.
 
Yeah, that's, of course, what I meant. I have a number of Mormon friends and I'm usually the voice of temperance when my peers start talking about "them crazy Mormons" and comparing them to Scientologists, etc.
Yes, good, but can we cut this off before it needs to be moved to political chat? Thankee, sai.
 
Antireligious! Please make that P.C., my friend. A good twelve million believe otherwise, donchaknow.
It was not my intent to turn this into a political discussion. However, IMO the timing of Woodruff's revelation is convenient. I do agree though, that without it being a revelation there would have been a serious schism. Utah statehood and the general acceptance of the LDS church would have been delayed.

A serious schism in the LDS over plural marriage could make an interesting WI.

Since I posted this, I've done some more reading and I'm thinking my WI is not likely. The LDS & the US Govt started butting heads before the ACW and it seems the root of the conflicts were centered around Brigham Young's control of the Deseret territory and the issue of plural marriage. It looks like after Young's death the US applied steady legal pressure to outlaw plural marriage in the western territories. Apparently Woodruff (and others) spent several years on the run, evading prosecution on polygamy charges.

For this to work, I'm thinking the POD needs to be earlier than the mid/late 1800's. Perhaps no Mexican-American war or one in which Mexico keeps what is now Southern California and Arizona.
 
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