Welcome to MormonFundamentalism.com.  This site is dedicated to providing a historical and doctrinal examination of the teachings of Mormon Fundamentalism, showing their errors and unsound doctrines.  The most prominent difference between Mormon fundamentalists and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called the "Mormon Church") is the practice of plural marriage or polygamy.

Members of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that the principle of plural marriage, which was practiced by the ancient patriarchs such as Abraham or Jacob, was restored to this earth sometime in the 1830s through a new prophet named Joseph Smith.  Through angelic ministrations, he was given authority to authorize such marriages.  That authority has been passed down to each Church president, allowing strict order to govern all such marriage ceremonies.  Polygamous marriages contracted without his permission were not recognized.

Between 1835 and 1852, Church members secretly practiced polygamy under the direction of the Church president.  In 1852, Brigham Young, who had succeeded Joseph Smith, announced the principle of plural marriage to the world.   Between 1852 and 1890, plural marriage was openly taught and practiced among the Latter-day Saints. 

In 1890, such teachings were discontinued, but history shows that each year a few members continued to secretly participate in plural marriages with the permission of Church presidents Wilford Woodruff (died 1898), Lorenzo Snow (died 1901), and Joseph F. Smith, until 1904.  In April of 1904, President Joseph F. Smith stopped permitting new polygamous marriages.  Since 1904, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints excommunicates anyone engaging in plural marriages of any kind.

Between 1904 and 1934, some Church members and other nonconformists continued to seek new polygamous marriages.  Unable to obtain authorization from the Church president, they resorted to several unique and previously unknown sources of alleged authority. 

By 1934 however, most of these budding "Mormon Fundamentalists" had united behind a new doctrine introduced in the 1920s by a man named Lorin C. Woolley.  Woolley professed that the authority to solemnize new plural marriages was held by men who were not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  These men, Woolley taught, held an office of High Priest Apostle and were members of a Council of Seven Friends. 

From 1934 to the present day, Woolley’s authority claims have been utilized to ostensibly approve up to ninety per cent of all Mormon Fundamentalist plural marriages.  During the past decades, a few other claimants have asserted other unique sources of priesthood authority.  The chart below provides a chronological overview of the various groups and the individuals who participated.  Click on an item for more information.