The Ghost of Eternal Polygamy: Haunting the Hearts and Heaven of Mormon Women and Men - Paperback

by Carol Lynn Pearson (Author)

"Polygamy?" says the mainstream Mormon Church. "We gave that up long ago." Not so, claims noted LDS poet and author Carol Lynn Pearson, who examines the issue as it has never been examined before. Any member of the LDS Church today who enters the practice of polygamy is immediately excommunicated. However, Pearson claims, polygamy itself has never been excommunicated, but has an honored and protected place at the table. It has only been postponed, a fact confirmed by thousands of "eternal sealings" giving a man an assurance that he will claim as wives in heaven the two, three, or even more women he has sequentially married during his lifetime. No such opportunity is available to women. Through her own personal stories, those of her ancestors, and the thousands of stories that came to her through an Internet survey, Pearson shows the power of the Ghost of Eternal Polygamy as it not only waits on the other side to greet the most righteous in heaven, but also haunts the living-hiding in the recesses of the Mormon psyche, inflicting profound pain and fear, assuring women that they are still objects, harming or destroying marriages, bringing chaos to family relationships, leading many to lose faith in the church and in God. Mormon historian and author Dr. Gregory Prince says of The Ghost of Eternal Polygamy: "Carol Lynn Pearson has hit a home run in her quest to illuminate both the damage that Mormonism's de facto practice of polygamy continues to inflict, and the route to a better, more humane place. Those who truly hope for eternal polygamy or who resent any call to institutional reform will be upset, but countless others will rejoice that she has shown 'a more excellent way.' "

Author Biography

Carol Lynn Pearson is the author of more than 40 books and plays that together have sold over 800,000 copies-autobiography, inspiration, humor and novellas. She claims to have been "born into women's issues" and "married into gay issues," both of which she has fearlessly addressed on the difficult terrain of religion. She considers her newest book, The Ghost of Eternal Polygamy, to be one of the most important works of her literary career and a vital move forward in the worldwide tide toward transforming patriarchy into partnership. Ms. Pearson was born in Salt Lake City, received an M.A. in theatre from Brigham Young University, and lives in Walnut Creek, California. Visit her at: carollynnpearson.com facebook.com/clpauthor