The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints chief missionary in Botswana, Elder Glen Johns, has denied recent media reports that the church practices polygamy.
He said the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints of Colorado City, Arizona in the United States mentioned in The Star newspaper of South Africa of February 16 was not related to the Botswana church.
In an article headlined "Where one can take 60 wives", The Star detailed how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Arizona practised polygamy.
The religious leader of the Arizona church, Prophet Warren Jeffs, was reported to have 60 wives and that after expelling some 20 male members, he distributed their wives and children among other men.
Speaking in an interview, Elder Johns, denied any relationship between the two churches.
"Firstly our prophet in Salt Lake City, Utah is Prophet Gordon Hinckley not Jeffs. I do not recognise nor know Jeffs. Maybe some of his church members were at some point members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints before practising polygamy because the moment you go into that type of marriage your membership seizes." According to The Star, Colorado City and adjoining Hildale, Utah, are strongholds of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a splinter group of the Mormon faith. He said polygamy was practised in the church between 1844 and 1890 and was no longer permitted.
Jeffs pointed out that his church used the same Bible as other Christian denominations although theirs had additional scriptures.
"We encourage a man to marry one wife only, and it is in the Bible," he said. He said what Jeff had done was to destroy the good name of the church.
Elder Johns said the church's missionaries came to Botswana in 1990.
Currently there are 20 full time missionaries in the country.
The church has two branches in Gaborone and one in Lobatse. Members are found in places such as Francistown.
"We are a church dedicated to restoring biblical Christianity in modern times. We believe that the Bible is the true, inspired Word of God and the key to our future. We believe that the church, the family of God, is made up only of men and women who are truly committed to following Jesus Christ and loving God with all their heart, mind, soul and strength," says the church's website.