This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
I recently placed and paid for a series of ads in both The Salt Lake Tribune and The Deseret News for my novel, "The Wives of Billie's Mountain." This is a true story based on the experiences of my great-grandmother, who was the child of a second wife. When polygamy was outlawed, she, her nearly blind mother and six brothers and sisters were abandoned in the hills outside of Salt Lake.
The Tribune ran the ads, but I was notified that the Deseret News would not run the ad I had paid for. When they were putting together the National Edition, someone "brought it to the attention" of the editors, and it was not approved.
I'm assuming it was because it is about polygamy. My book is not anti-Mormon. It happened. There is no denying it. I find the subject of second families a fascinating, mostly unknown and unexplored history. I'm from one of them, and wouldn't exist had that not happened.
My beloved Mormon relatives did not find it offensive. Also, after reading my book, two plural wives were so taken by the story they set out to find the dugout where my grandmother's family was raised.
I am disappointed and surprised by the Deseret News' stand on this issue. If the church wants to be trusted it must be transparent. It cannot hide its history. And believe me, I know this church is not alone in carrying out unjust practices, especially towards women.
Kelly L. Simmons
Bozeman, Mont.