I knew there was another Ishmael fan in the community!

As to the polygamy, that is a messy messy can of worms. The interpretation you cite is the common one given to faithful members, sadly the truth is not so simple. After looking into it further I would have to conclude that it had much more to do with the sexual frisson common in spiritual revivalist environments. I’m trying not to say cults. Anyway, it’s probably not interesting to people from outside the tradition, but I continue to find it a fascinating subject of study. I can recommend two podcasts if you have a lot of time on your hands 🙌🏼