Placement marriage

The group which eventually became known as the FLDS changed the concepts of courtship and marriage for their followers over the past fifty years.

Before that most, if not all, fundamentalist Mormons chose marriage partners according to patterns which mirrored those of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in the nineteenth century, in that their decisions for marriage were made by considering "varied combinations of personal attraction and principles of faith (which usually included testimony or personal revelation) along with direct or indirect influence of family and ecclesiastical leaders”.

Changes in the way marriage partners were selected was one of the major issues that ultimately led to divisions of the fundamentalists Mormon community in the early 1950s.

[1] Parents' consent for their children to marry in plural marriage was considered relevant when they were "in harmony" with the Priesthood Council.

Before Leroy Johnson died, he dismissed two of the remaining three members of the Priesthood Council, leaving only himself and Rulon Jeffs.

Marianne T. Watson, in her article "The 1948 Secret Marriage of Louis J. Barlow: Origins of FLDS Placement Marriage," stated that this fundamentalist group “whole-heartedly sustained the arranged-marriage system" and that "After the death of Leroy Johnson, they advocated complete obedience to Rulon Jeffs, considering him to be the prophet, the Keyholder, and the mouth piece of God”.

They are permitted to become acquainted with one another through the community, church, school, or family ties, but they are not allowed to be more than just friends with anyone until the Priesthood Council arranges a spouse for them.

[1] If the prophet agrees to place her, then the future spouse is notified, and a ceremony is performed generally within the week and sometimes immediately.

[1] In a study of one fundamentalist Mormon group that does not practice placement marriage, it was learned that young people are allowed to court with the permission of the girl's parents.

[4] Most fundamentalist Mormon groups, including the FLDS, have recently stated that they no longer permit plural marriages for underage girls.

[5] Within a year of becoming president, Warren Jeffs began to send small numbers of members to other places outside of Colorado City and Hildale–such as the site in Texas.

One man in a small group of Mormon fundamentalists called the Latter Day Church of Christ, founded by Charles W. Kingston, was recently[when?]

[4] During the 1944 raid some members were charged with kidnapping and violations of the Mann Act in connection with taking under-age plural wives across state lines.

[2] The idea of free agency is a fundamental principle of the original LDS church, and is also considered an important part of Mormon Fundamentalist doctrine.

The United Effort Plan, along with their isolation contributes to their inability to leave their church, and therefore, they are unable to make decisions except those that are commanded of them by their leaders such as placement marriage.