Actuality TV collection The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives follows quite a few social media influencers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who rose to prominence by social media, and notably TikTok.
The present is predicated in Utah, United States, the place the church has its headquarters. Nevertheless it stands in stark distinction with the stereotypical notion of Mormons – and particularly Mormon girls – the church has promoted for greater than a century.
By means of its exploration of historically “taboo” subjects equivalent to intercourse, marital points, psychological sickness and sexual abuse, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives clashes towards the church’s rigorously curated public picture.
Historic pariahs
Traditionally, the church’s follow of polygamy positioned it at odds with the mainstream sexual and familial norms of nineteenth century America.
Polygamy had been practised by Mormons since no less than the 1830s, and was formally introduced as permissible by the church in 1852. The church now acknowledges its founder, Joseph Smith, married virtually 40 girls and teenage ladies earlier than his dying in 1844.
1904 Time cartoon by C.J. Rudd, captioned: ‘Mormon Elder Berry – out with his six year olds, who take after their mothers.’
KUER/Faith of a Totally different Shade: Mormonism and the Battle for Whiteness’ (2017) by W. Paul Reeve.
To Mormons, nevertheless, polygamy was a reintroduction of the right type of marriage, and so they pointed to biblical prophets to justify it.
In 1862, the US congress handed a collection of legal guidelines geared toward abolishing polygamy. This resulted within the arrest of church leaders and the confiscation of church-owned funds and properties in Utah.
Then, within the 1870s, exposés written by former Mormons (notably girls) decried polygamy as evil, rising hostility towards Mormon leaders.
Ann Eliza Webb Younger, ex-wife of Mormon prophet Brigham Younger, wrote the exposé ‘Wife No. 19, Or The Story of Life in Bondage’.
Web Archive Open Library
In 1890, church chief Wilford Woodruff introduced in a revelation generally known as the Manifesto that polygamy would stop. The Manifesto was accepted by most Mormons as the federal government’s harassment elevated. Nonetheless, breakaway teams referred to as “fundamentalists” continued the follow.
At the moment, Mormon scriptures proceed to state polygamy is the right type of marriage, and can exist within the afterlife.
The stereotypical Mormon
Because the ending of polygamy, the church has sought to ascertain itself as an ethical equal to mainstream Christian norms, particularly sexual norms. In 1995, it launched a doc titled Household: A Proclamation to the World which emphasised the view that heterosexual marriage and strict gender roles are divinely ordained.
The 1995 official Mormon doc, ‘The Family: A Proclamation to the World’.
BYU Scholar Arcive
Because the church has grown, it has offered its members as mannequin residents of the nations they reside in.
In doing so, it has promoted distinctive doctrines and practices, equivalent to sexual abstinence earlier than marriage, and a specific well being code referred to as the Phrase of Knowledge which bars alcohol, tea, espresso and tobacco.
These doctrines, and present stereotypes of Mormons, are examined in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.
Colliding perceptions
The 2024 launch of the collection brought about waves within the Latter-day Saints neighborhood, with quite a few Mormon-focused publications condemning it.
Earlier than the present was launched, the church printed a common assertion saying media portrayals of Mormons “often rely on sensationalism and inaccuracies that do not fairly and fully reflect the lives of our Church members”. It has but to instantly touch upon the present.
Nonetheless, the illustration of Mormons in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is problematic for the church, as a result of it transgresses its extremely curated picture of Mormonism.
Because the influencers put it, there’s a need to push again towards stereotypes round Mormonism, and notably Mormon girls. These stereotypes have been crystallised by the church to fight perceptions of Mormons as sexually abhorrent, as a result of previous practices of polygamy.
The ladies within the present put on clothes that may not cowl “temple garments”, the necessary Latter-day Saint undergarments which search to impose sexual modesty.
There’s additionally a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgement that whereas the church prohibits stimulants equivalent to tea, espresso and alcohol, Mormons inside Utah and surrounds nonetheless eat different, considerably stunning, substances. For example, the usage of ketamine in remedy is allowed when administered by a healthcare skilled.
The collection additionally engages with subjects thought of taboo within the church, equivalent to marital points, psychological well being struggles and consensual intercourse. Even when these are being performed up by the forged or producers, such discussions are missing in broader Mormon circles.
Importantly, there are admissions by some forged members, together with one of many husbands, of being sexually abused as kids. In response to the forged members themselves, these disclosures are supposed to empower viewers who could have had comparable experiences.
This can be a highly effective critique, as a result of the Mormon church has come beneath intense scrutiny for its failure to correctly reply to youngster sexual assault, each within the US and globally.
The subsequent steps
The present is having a marked impression on perceptions of Mormonism, regardless of the church’s stance it doesn’t signify the beliefs and way of life of Mormons extra broadly.
For a lot of viewers, it is likely to be their introduction to the faith. That is regarding for adherents, and notably for the church’s management.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives reunion particular aired earlier this month.
Hulu
There are inner instruments the church may use towards the present’s forged members, equivalent to disciplinary councils or excommunication. However these can be ineffective since solely about half the members contemplate themselves “faithful” Mormons.
It’s fascinating the church has but to sentence the present. Maybe sustaining a picture of reluctant acceptance is extra necessary, as in recent times the church has been criticised for overreach towards its personal members.
On this case, the present can be an uncomfortable actuality the church will simply must stay with. Both manner, the injury to the stereotypical Mormon picture is finished.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is on the market to stream on Disney+.
