How did the end of polygamy help Utah gain statehood in 1896?

The practice of polygamy was a significant barrier to Utah’s statehood, as the U.S. government viewed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with deep suspicion regarding its political power and social practices. Throughout the 19th century, Congress passed several acts, such as the Morrill Anti-bigamy Act of 1862 and the Edmunds-Tucker Act of 1887, to penalize the church, disincorporate it, and confiscate its property.1

Before the federal government would grant statehood, it required Mormon leaders to discontinue the church's involvement in partisan politics, abandon exclusive economic policies, and officially end the practice of plural marriage. In 1890, LDS president Wilford Woodruff issued a decree known as the Manifesto, which officially ceased the sanctioning of polygamy. By complying with these federal demands, the path was cleared for Utah to be admitted as a state in 1896.21