Mormon Fundamentalists ... believe that acceptance into the American mainstream came at way too high a price. They contend that the Mormon leaders made an unforgiving compromise by capitulating to the U.S. government on polygamy over a century ago.

They insist that the church sold them out - that the LDS leadership abandoned one of the religion's most crucial theological tenets for the sake of political expedience. These present-day polygamists therefore consider themselves to be the keepers of the falem - the only true and righteous Mormons.

In forsaking Section 132 - the sacred principle of plural marriage - the LDS Church has gone badly astray, they warn. Fundamentalist prophets bellow from their pulpits that the modern church has become "the wickedest whoe of all the earth."

Mormon Fundamentalists probably cite Section 132 of The Doctrine and Covenants more than any other piece of LDS scripture. Their second most-popular citation is likely Section 85, in which it was revealed to Joseph that, "I, the Lord God, will ssend one mighty and strong ... to set in order the house of God."

Many fundamentalists are conviced that the mighty and strong is already here on earth among them, "holding the scepter of power in his hand," and that very soon now he will lead the Mormon Church back onto the right path and restore Joseph's "most holy and important doctrine."

Fundamentalists believe they are following the "true" Mormon faith as laid down by founder Joseph Smith, while the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is "out of order" because of its disavowal of plural marriage, the United Order and other early doctrines.

The LDS Church's 1978 decision to give the priesthood to black men, in particular, galls fundamentalists.

But it is their marriage views that are most often noted by outsiders.

All trace their priesthood authority to conduct plural marriage back to LDS Church President John Taylor, whom they say had the doctrine confirmed to him in a 1886 revelation.

Fundamentalists believe monogamy is limiting for both men and women -- men because their sexual drive enables them to father more children than one woman can bear, and women because a certain percentage will never find a worthy man to marry and thus be unable to fulfill God's edict to "be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth."

Plural marriage allows a man and his "ladies" greater opportunity to provide bodies for waiting heavenly spirits and increases their ability to populate this and future worlds; righteous plural marriage brings access to the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom.

This belief aside, Utah's three largest fundamentalist groups have developed distinctive cultures. The FLDS church is the most restrictive when it comes to lifestyle.

Independent fundamentalists believe these organized groups are in error given early counsel to avoid structure or collection of tithing.