Law Commons^™

Polygamy, Publicity, And Locality: The Place Of The Public In Marriage Practice, Allison Anna Tait

Allison Anna Tait

A detailed reading of the Mormon plural marriage case of Holm v. Utah uncovers the significant role that visual indicators play in modern marriage law and generates a set of initial questions about the relationship between marriage practice and public performance. Traditional publicity requirements, such as endowment at the church door, wedding banns, and wedding announcements, all confirm the historical role and importance of publicity in marriage regulation and wedding ritual. Publicity requirements serve multiple purposes – evidentiary, status-granting, accountability enabling – and also highlight the importance of community, audience and locality to marriage status. The local is particularly important …