Curriculum of Conflict: FLDS Polygamy Policing Narratives in Primary Education that Foster Insularity

• In Event: Poster Session 1

Abstract

Polygamy is a felony crime under which members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) have been prosecuted due to practicing plural marriage, a principle they believe is necessary for exaltation. This poster presentation delves into polygamy persecution and policing narratives that are embedded within the FLDS primary education curriculum. These narratives both shape the worldview of FLDS members and foster an insular community characterized by a pervasive distrust of outsiders. Such insider/outsider dynamics create an environment where abuse can thrive, as US law enforcement is portrayed as dangerous while trusted authorities within the community are religious leaders who often prioritize protecting their own interests and associates. The FLDS curriculum instills a hesitancy among FLDS members to interact with the broader world through highlighting historical episodes of policing against Mormon polygamy, including the 1953 Short Creek raid and subsequent incarceration of FLDS polygamists and the forced removal of 468 FLDS children in the 2008 YFZ Ranch raid. This poster presentation advocates for a critical examination of the criminalization of polygamy and subsequent policing of religious practices that can exacerbate the abuse which the laws were made to prevent, as demonstrated within the FLDS primary curriculum.

Author

• Christine Leavitt, Arizona State University