Mormons believed polygamy to be a divine commandment, and they taught and practiced it for a half-century. Following Wilford Woodruff's Manifesto of 1890, church members experienced a difficult transition period as they were forced to abandon the principle of polygamy in practice, if not technically in doctrine. The Manifesto, originally intended to demonstrate church adherence only to certain aspects of the antipolygamy laws, was later interpreted to include full compliance with all such laws. Later, church leaders petitioned for amnesty that resulted in the granting of pardon to all who would follow the laws. Despite these measures, many church members, including several of the First Presidency and Quorum of Twelve Apostles, failed to comply readily and fully with the antipolygamy laws.

The complexities of this transitional period can best be understood by tracing the steps involved in the actual termination of polygamy among members of the Mormon church, by analyzing the failure of the church hierarchy to comply with the law and the subsequent justification of their actions, and by observing the effect of this disobedience upon relations between the church and the national government. Conclusions drawn from such a study will aid in understanding the intricacies of this period in Mormon church history.

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Members of the church went through a difficult period of psychological transition as they were coerced into ceasing to practice polygamy. After church members had been taught to believe in and to practice polygamy as a divine principle, its practice was stopped by divine sanction, due largely to legal pressure from a secular government. The transition was painful, resulting in many members' excommunication from the church and others' leaving the United States in order to continue practicing polygamy. Some of the ramifications of polygamy, such as the continued practice of the principle by certain apostate groups, remain to the present day. The church's position on polygamy changed slowly and gradually. After 1890 its official position was forced to coincide with the antipolygamy laws, but the actual practice of the church leaders failed to coincide with the established laws. Many General Authorities continued living with, and fathering children by, their plural wives, thereby breaking the laws against polygamous cohabitation. Through a process of federal investigation, increased societal pressure, and stricter church disciplinary sanction, the church leaders and members finally complied not only officially but also factually with the country's antipolygamy laws.