Posted on 04/24/2008 10:04:49 PM PDT by Howdy there
The raid this month on a polygamist sect's Texas ranch left more than 400 children from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in state custody.
Under any circumstances, children have trouble adjusting to a world in which their parents suddenly are gone. But in this case, these children likely will be put in an outside world that they have been raised to see as evil.
To better understand their plight, The Washington Times spoke with three former members of the FLDS as well as Rowenna Erickson, a founding member of Tapestry Against Polygamy (Polygamy.org).
(Snip)
"Polygamy is one big male excuse" for sex, Mrs. Erickson told The Times, using graphic language.
She grew up in the Latter-day Church of Christ, a polygamous Mormon sect also known as the Kingston family. At age 20, she became the second wife of her older sister's husband; the couple bore eight children together.(snip)
Mrs. Erickson thinks that her children are more fortunate than FLDS children who are raised as a group, because many FLDS children also do not know their mother's identity.
"These children have difficulty bonding or relating to others," she said.
Former FLDS member Rena Mackert agrees. Born and raised in the FLDS, her earliest memories are those of being severely beaten and "sexually abused by my father from the time I was three-and-a-half years old."(Snip)
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
I wasn’t sure if the whole article could be posted. Here is the link. http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080425/NATION/50255940&template=printart
Ping to a new interesting FLDS article!
Updated FR Excerpt and Link Only or Deny Posting List due to Copyright Complaints
Thank you! Glad I erred on the side of caution and excerpted it!
I don't think I am going to forget these words for a long time. Its heartbreaking.
Interesting piece. It’s hard to understand how they’ve gotten away with this for so many years.
Yes, it’s best to err on the side of caution, just keep it handy so you can refer to it easily.
Years ago, I think back in the 50’s, there was a raid on one of these cults. There was a lot of publicity about how “families were being torn apart”.
It created a lot of negative publicity, and from what I understand after that there was a “hands off” attitude from law enforcement for a while.
Over the years, though, the problems have become so blatant that people are finally insisting something be done. The regular Mormons are seem also tired of being tarred and feathered with this brush.
Several years ago one of these guys who was a leader killed a whole bunch of his adherents - not himself- had some of his more murderous wives do it for him. He ordered a bunch of murders from prison also. At least 10 people were killed, probably more. That also woke a few people up.
THIS is the SAME cult.
A Brief History of Polygamists in Colorado City and Hilldale
Colorado City, Arizona has been the home for a notorious polygamist sect for more than 60 years. The mainstream Mormon Church (LDS) excommunicated its members and government officials have arrested its leaders three times. But the self-proclaimed "fundamentalist Mormons" still tenaciously cling to their exclusive doctrines, which they believe will afford them space within the highest level of heaven.
-SNIP-
Arizona Governor Howard Pyle hired private detectives to investigate Short Creek. Subsequently, on July 26, 1953 Pyle ordered a massive police raid. He said, "Here is a community...dedicated to the wicked theory that every maturing girl child should be forced into the bondage of multiple wifehood with men of all ages for the sole purpose of producing more children to be reared to become mere chattels."
-SNIP-
The FLDS Church then sought to eliminate any connection to the "Short Creek raid" by renaming their town Colorado City in Arizona and Hildale in Utah.
Several years ago one of these guys who was a leader killed a whole bunch of his adherents - not himself- had some of his more murderous wives do it for him. He ordered a bunch of murders from prison also. At least 10 people were killed, probably more. That also woke a few people up.
You are probably thinking of the LeBaron cult.
I believe there were several different groups that broke away from the church.
In the 60’s I was having a discussion with several that were Mormans and asked about the Reorganized Church of the LDS, I had read or heard something about them.
They were quick to explain they were a group that split from the church because of their belief in poligamy and had located in Mexico.
Don’t know if they actually did go to Mexico or if these groups could have been the same ones, haven’t really heard that name used for years but haven’t really checked either.
I have personally heard many stories like yours where members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints distort the history and beliefs of their Mormon cousins.
The Reorganized LDS Church split from the Strangites (Wisconsin Mormons) in 1861; which in turn had split from the Utah Mormons during the Succession Crisis of 1844-47.
To their credit, the RLDS have never practiced (and in fact have always strongly condemned) the sexual perversion known as polygamy.
The RLDS were located in Plano, Illinois from the time of their founding until the 1880's; in Lamoni, Iowa until 1914 (or so); and in Independence, Missouri thereafter. They have never been located in Mexico, and have a minimal presence there at the present time.
A few years ago, the RLDS changed their name to the Community of Christ.
Thank you for taking the time to give me the straight info on that, Zakeet. I should know better than to repeat something I don’t know is for certain.
It’s funny how something such as that stayed with me all these years while all along being false.
Two of those people were young lads on their mission (I suppose) but one was an older gentleman that I think was their supervisor or whatever the term is.
Shaking my head again. How terrible to think that way but I can easily understand why.
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