Polygamy

So, the #1 question I get asked is how many mothers I have. I have only one, and a majority of members probably do. Mormons do not practice polygamy and have not since 1890 when LDS president Wilford Woodruff officially denounced the practice of plural marriage. After I explain this, I am usually asked: "Why did Mormons practice polygamy in the first place". I have not found anyone who knows for sure, but the most common theory that I stumble upon is: as mormon men were dying off (because of persecution and the trek to Utah), there was a need for more parental guidance over the children that were left behind. That's where the extra wives would have come in. In addition to this, I have heard that it was to help populate the church quickly in the beginnings of Mormonism. These are only theories, so don't take my word for it, but they should help put some of the questions to rest.