ABSTRACT
In this chapter a poly gaze is adapted to analyze discourses about Mormon polygamy, especially as practiced among the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS). The findings suggest that the stories told about the FLDS in the mainstream media 1) reify monogamy as superior to any other relationship structure, 2) uphold colonial and imperialist constructions of Northern European cultures as superior, more advanced, and modern, and 3) by doing so, render U.S. and Canadian nation states as white, Christian, and gender egalitarian. An in-depth analysis of the best-selling book, Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith, written by journalist John Krakauer, is provided. Given these findings, the chapter concludes with a brief discussion and critique of contemporary discourse about polyamory in the United States.
