Letters: The inconsistencies of Mormonism

A leap of faith

Sir: I live not far from the ‘London Temple’ of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most summers, the local streets are trodden by American Mormon missionaries, polite teenagers who occasionally approach to ask if we know Jesus Christ. Some years ago, I read the book on which the new Netflix series Murder Among the Mormons (‘Latter-day sinners’, 3 April) appears to be based. So when I was accosted by a couple of missionaries, I was able to ask them why the practice of polygamy, so avidly promulgated by the founder of their church, Joseph Smith, had been abandoned.

My interviewee explained that Smith had advocated the practice of plural marriage because of the gender imbalance that had arisen as a consequence of the heavy casualties among American men who had fought in the Civil War. The prophet’s policy ensured that single women with no prospect of marriage would find shelter in the homes of the husbands they would share with other Mormon women.