Polygamy: Polygyny, Polyandry, and Polyamory

There are between 50,000 and 100,000 families in the U.S. living in polygamy today. Recently, these numbers began to climb rapidly as certain Christian, Islamic, and secular groups seek ways to live according to their convictions, in spite of federal and state laws. The growth is accelerating at a surprising rate. As people search for and find their own happiness, the population practicing polygamy will soon grow large enough to have a voice loud enough to change the laws of the land from within. Polygamy may be the next movement in the search for individual freedom and happiness. Polygamy: The act of having more than one spouse. A husband having more than one wife or wife having more than one husband is called polygamy. Polygamy is a general term and exists in three specific forms: polygyny, polyandry, and polyamory. Polygyny: When a man has multiple simultaneous wives, the state is specifically called polygyny. You will also hear the term, "Plural Marriage" or "Celestial Marriage" used by the FLDS church when one husband has several wives. Polyandry: When a woman has multiple simultaneous husbands it is specifically called polyandry. Polyamory: Group marriage, where the family unit consists of multiple husbands and multiple wives, is specifically called polyamory. This book will look at polygamy, its forms, functions, history, logistics, strengths and pitfalls.