Back in 2017, I sat down with Anne Wilde, one of the foremost experts on modern-day polygamy. While I like to call her the First Lady of Fundamentalism, she has lived an incredibly unique life as an Independent Fundamentalist. For 33 years, Anne lived as the secret second wife of Ogden Kraut, a prolific fundamentalist author whose 65 books she personally helped write and edit. From the secret history of Mormon schisms to her own spiritual journey, you won’t want to miss this fascinating conversation!
https://youtu.be/LH2zMt27kxM
Don’t miss our other conversations Shannon: https://gospeltangents.com/people/shannon-flynn
Check out a transcript of the interview on Amazon.
Pick up a transcript of our conversation!
Raised in the mainstream LDS Church, Anne later became an “Independent Fundamentalist” and lived for 33 years as the secret second wife of prolific fundamentalist author Ogden Kraut. This sweeping conversation covers everything from the hidden history of Mormon schisms to controversial theology and modern civil rights.
Hidden History of Post-Manifesto Polygamy
Many believe plural marriage ended abruptly with the LDS Church’s 1890 Manifesto, but Anne explains it was more like a sunset: “when does it get dark? It’s just gradually.” She points to an uncanonized 1886 revelation received by Church President John Taylor, which fundamentalists believe declared plural marriage an everlasting covenant that could not be changed. Consequently, polygamy continued underground and in places like Mexico and Canada. It took the 1904 Second Manifesto and the 1933 Third Manifesto—which enforced excommunication for those practicing plural marriage—to create a permanent rift between the mainstream church and fundamentalist groups.
Untangling the Polygamous Sects
One of Anne’s main goals is to dispel the myth that all polygamists are the same. She breaks down the diverse landscape of modern polygamy:
The AUB (Apostolic United Brethren): With about 7,500 members, this group has a priesthood council and allows members more free agency in choosing their spouses. (Kody Brown of the TV show Sister Wives comes from this tradition.)FLDS (Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints): Notorious for the extreme one-man rule of Warren Jeffs, this group practices arranged marriages and strict dress codes. Anne notes that Jeffs’ oppressive control and habit of splitting up families has caused their numbers to plummet. Since he went to prison, the numbers are about 10% of what they were.Centennial Park: A breakaway group of about 2,000 members who separated from the FLDS because they wanted a priesthood council rather than a one-man dictatorship.Ervil LeBaron: Anne also discusses dangerous outliers like Ervil LeBaron, a militant polygamist who claimed his own priesthood authority and became an assassin responsible for roughly 20 deaths, including that of AUB leader Rulon Allred.Independent Fundamentalists: Anne identifies with this category—believers who adhere to early doctrines and plural marriage but choose not to affiliate with any centralized sect.Surprising Stances on Gay Marriage
Despite their conservative theology, Anne reveals that many fundamentalists support the legalization of gay marriage. Viewing it through the lens of civil rights, she argues that if polygamists want the government to decriminalize their own family structures, they must grant the same free agency to the LGBTQ+ community. She also expressed deep disappointment with the LDS Church’s 2015 policy that temporarily barred the children of gay parents from being baptized, feeling it wrongly punished children.
Anne Wilde’s Controversial Theology: Was Jesus a Polygamist?
Anne Wilde and her late husband, Ogden Kraut, authored numerous books, including a highly popular 1969 text arguing that Jesus Christ was a polygamist. She suggests that the wedding feast at Cana was actually Christ’s own wedding, and that he was married to at least Mary, Martha, and Mary Magdalene. She also tackles difficult aspects of Doctrine and Covenants Section 132, such as the “Law of Sarah,” which ideally requires a first wife’s consent for subsequent marriages. However, Anne notes that if a first wife adamantly refuses to consent to a priesthood law, the husband is exempt from her approval and can marry anyway. Furthermore, she interprets the scriptural mentions of “concubines” not as sex slaves, but as lesser, non-covenant wives permitted by the customs of the era.
Advocacy and the 2002 Olympics
After living in secret for decades, Anne stepped into the public eye ahead of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Tired of seeing only bitter ex-members defining the narrative around plural marriage, Anne co-founded an advocacy group called “Principle Voices“. During the Olympics, they provided hundreds of press packets and fielded interviews with global media to offer a positive perspective on the lifestyle and to clearly distinguish themselves from the abuses of the FLDS church. Ultimately, Anne’s story is a call for understanding. Whether you agree with her lifestyle or not, her experiences provide a rare, inside look at a marginalized community deeply woven into the fabric of Mormon history.
Questions to ponder:
1. In what ways do the civil rights struggles of polygamists align with those of the LGBTQ+ community?
2. Why is it important to recognize the structural and cultural differences between various polygamous sects?
3. How does the “Law of Sarah” impact the balance of agency and power within a plural marriage?
4. What role does media representation play in shaping the narrative of marginalized or secretive religious communities?
Don’t miss our other conversations Shannon: https://gospeltangents.com/people/shannon-flynn
Check out a transcript of the interview on Amazon.
