Political Power and Polygamy

All of this is a section taken from "One Nation Under Gods, by Richard Abanes." It is a valuable reference book that gives factual history about Mormonism.
"It was painfully obvious to the Committee on Privileges and Elections that the Mormon hierarchy, which included Smoot, had for many years been practicing, encouraging, and solemnizing polygamy......The Senate committee ended up voting seven to five against accepting Smoot as a senator. But by the time the committee's report and recommendation finally was debated before the senate in 1907, Smoot already had been in Congress for several years. He had formed political alliances, no doubt made quid pro quo agreements with various congressmen, and most importantly, during a private meeting had convinced U.S. president Teddy Roosevelt of his innocence. So when the full Senate voted, Smoot came out on top and he retained his congressional seat......Smoot himself had lied under oath. He claimed, for instance, that he had never heard a discussion of plural marriage in meetings of the apostles and had never himself "promulgated or advised the promulgation of the practice of polygamy." But it is now known that Smoot, prior to 1904, had been present at sixteen meetings, where plural marriage was discussed by the apostles, including a January 1902 meeting, during which Smoot told fellow apostles that the plural order of Marriage "if universally practiced would save the world much sorrow and distress." He also said he "looked forward to its restoration." Then, in October 1903, Smoot was present when LDS leader Marriner W. Merrill advised three apostles to marry plural wives. Yet in 1904, Smoot testified before the U.S. Senate that he had never heard a discussion of plural marriage in the Temple. Also in 1904, Smoot advised the First Presidency to have post-Manifesto plural wives hide in order to avoid arrest.
Despite these less than honorable acts, Smoot held his position in Washington for thirty years, eventually becoming one of the Most powerful of all congressmen. Consider the following assessment of Smoot that was written in 1932 by syndicated columnist Raymond Clapper: 'Utah has Senator Smoot and he has built up a dynasty of appointees which penetrates into a dozen or so of the most important branches of the government...Ramifications of the Smoot dynasty are intricate enough to provide rich diggings for a political genealogist. Chairman of the mighty Senate Finance Committee, ranking member of the powerful committees on Appropriations, Public Lands, Public Buildings, and Rules, Smoott's influence extends in all directions. With it all, he is probably the hardest working man in Congress, tireless in dealing with a tariff or tax bill, a demon for efficiency, once described by President Harding as the most valuable public servant in Washington."......Thus began the powerful political presence of Mormons in the Nation's capital. Meanwhile, back in Utah, the LDS church was facing yet another problem-a significant number of Mormons were continuing to practice plural marriage. Drastic steps would need to be taken; steps that would fracture Mormonism into two main groups: 1) the progressives, who agreed to follow the new anti-polygamy path of the church; and 2) the Fundamentalist, who refused to abandon the old ways and teachings of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and John Taylor." (One Nations Under Gods, Richard Abanes, pgs, 337, 341, 342)
There it is. Mormonism wedged its way into politics through Smoot and polygamy. While Smoot was dancing through Washington, DC, the Mormon church split in two: One side stuck with the real teachings of the Mormon prophets, thus The Fundamentalists; and the other side went away from eternal commands from leaders that were deemed to be the most holy Mormon men on earth, thus The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.