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How did you come to understand about Polygamy?

Had a maternal great-grandfather who had 2 wives and children in 2 close but different states. He worked for a major newspaper and for over 20 years he worked it out. Died when I was very young. Have had no contact with any of them. Tried the DNA route, found a few but no response. Seems like most people are like that. Send it in, get the results and then do not follow thru. During my teenage years I hung out with the other rejects and had at times 2 girlfriends. We were together all the time. Never took it serious as race cars were my main focus. Fast forward to 6 years ago while in a hospital I had an experience of falling into a dark, black hole. All thru my life I had this same nightmare of falling into this hole. Usually I would wake right up. This time felt like 2 hours. It is the only thing that has ever really scared me. Driving at high speeds doesn`t even come close. This nightmare was so bad I started at 13 with alcohol to get sleep. After 26 years I woke up one day and quit. Was still unable to get real sleep but pressed on. When I was in the hospital and falling into what I knew was death, I landed on 2 outstretched arms. At that same instant I woke up. I was given 3 things to do. Sell off most of my vehicles, sell our house and find the woman who will be my next help mate. As soon as this happened I started following Jesus in the ways he has been guiding me. I have been trying to accomplish those 3 things but it seems like forces are working against me. My wife is at the point of where is she already? She is the only friend I have left. Once I started on this path all the so-called friends left. One other thing is that I realized that Jesus has been with me since birth and has saved me on countless rides of high speeds and overall just being reckless. I`m hoping to become one of the Elect and to use me to face off with the Anti-Christ. He has restored my mind and body. Never have felt this good!

Cool story!

For me I think it was watching episodes of "Big Love" with my wife. :)
 
I imagine as the odd man out that my path will be a little different as well.

My first exposure to the concept of plural marriage was likely like everyone else i.e. via the bible. For me growing up in a house full of secular academics the bible was never emphasized, reading junior encyclopedias and the like was more encouraged. They did go to church now and then however and my regular babysitter attended the same church far more regularly. So I ended up in Sunday school fairly frequently. You know the deal, bible stories and lesson and how you interpret these lessons to apply to children in helping to form morals and behavioral norms. Well I remember stories of men with multiple wives being told but unsurprisingly the plural marriage aspect was not discussed. I remember thinking it strange but don't believe I tried to analyze it further than that is how things were back then.

Later when I was about 8 or 9 I had settled on a favorite author that I imagine has been brought up on the site in the past, Robert Heinlein. His treatment of plural marriage is Very much not my own way of looking at plural marriage...in fact I think that it is a ludicrous notion that can only work in fiction. It got me thinking however and as I already liked girls albeit in a more unsure why they are so fascinating fashion than the way of a hormonal teenager or more rational adult might. Anyway, I was thinking about the idea of two or three wives/girlfriends more or less from that point forward. Even dated a pair of best friends in high school, one of whom I am now married to.

Later as an adult and in a long term relationship before we were married we discussed the notion of polygyny as she was also an avid reader of Heinlein. I should have pursued the notion at that time but I did not for a few years after we were married.
We discussed it several times over a few years and both agreed that Heinlein had a screw loose in how he wrote about his fictional plural marriages, that he was probably a degenerate swinger in his personal life and that we would walk a far more traditional polygyny road.
 
LOL, I thought Big Love had way too much drama in it! The reality is a lot more domestic.
We suffered through the pilot and didn't care after that.

I really liked the Darger's book Love Times Three, but some Hollywood writers' ideas about what poly might look like seemed pointless.
 
My first exposure to the concept of plural marriage was likely like everyone else i.e. via the bible. For me growing up in a house full of secular academics the bible was never emphasized, reading junior encyclopedias and the like was more encouraged. They did go to church now and then however and my regular babysitter attended the same church far more regularly. So I ended up in Sunday school fairly frequently. You know the deal, bible stories and lesson and how you interpret these lessons to apply to children in helping to form morals and behavioral norms.

So what Bible stories stick out to you the most, and why?
 
General terms.

Noah was my favorite.
In fact I'd say he's probably still my favorite. In essence from my point of view it's the story of a prepper who's always working. Guy who has a mission and goals. MAnages an absolutely Herculean task against considerable odds. A guy that is adapting to a very bad potential future and overcoming it. Dealing with the scorn of his fellows and moving along. Obviously there's a lot more to the story than that but that's a part that piques my interest.
As a child I imagine it was the because the story was very well Illustrated and had a lot more interesting subject matter for a little kid. Animals and boats and what have you.
 
LOL, I thought Big Love had way too much drama in it! The reality is a lot more domestic.

I enjoyed that show here and there but Vastly prefer the domestic to the dramatic.
Like everyone else I have had my share of drama.
Would prefer the future hold partnership and common goals... friendship and shared weight of tasks and responsibilities across multiple sets of shoulders.
 
Answering the original question, I learned it by reading the scriptures at a very young and impressionable age (8) when I assumed scripture was all true and had no idea yet that other people didn't know, believe, and live it out. When I got older and found out people don't believe the scriptures, it was already too late. I believed them already and no one could change my mind. I guess that does not help with strategy except for the age old teach them when they are young approach everyone already knows to do with whatever doctrine or religion they have.
 
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