But he notes that typical survey techniques would not work to study plural families. There would be no possible way for an impartial researcher to go into a closed polygamous society with a pen and clipboard to take a scientific survey. He sees the Voices in Harmony survey as a huge accomplishment. If someone would now treat that opening with the respect it deserves, it could lead to a mending of the fences and healing of the festering wound between society and polygamous families. Zolman and the three authors believe those wounds could be healed if Utah politicians would decriminalize polygamy.
Plural marriage is currently a third-degree felony as defined by the Utah state criminal code.
A constitutional amendment would be required to change the law. That can only be accomplished by a two-thirds majority vote of both the Utah Senate and House of Representatives. Zolman acknowledges that would be difficult in the current political climate. That could set the stage for political action. If the court were to rule that the polygamy prohibition was no longer enforceable, voting to decriminalize polygamy would be a much easier task for the Legislature to follow.