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Elissa Wall Speaks Out About Her 'Stolen Innocence'
ABC News - 20/20 ^ | May 16, 2008 | JOSEPH DIAZ

Posted on 05/16/2008 8:32:53 AM PDT by MizSterious

Elissa Wall Speaks Out About Her 'Stolen Innocence'

Forced Into Marriage at 14, She Testified Against Polygamous Prophet Warren Jeffs

By JOSEPH DIAZ

May 16, 2008 —

The recent raid on Warren Jeffs' Yearning for Zion ranch in Eldorado, Texas, which resulted in the removal of more than 400 children from their homes, has thrust allegations of widespread child abuse at the polygamous sect into the national spotlight.

But one of the darkest secrets of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints unfolds at a seedy roadside motel in the remote Nevada desert, where underage girls --some as young as 14 --are allegedly forced through hasty and secret wedding ceremonies.

Elissa Wall says she was one such 14-year-old who was taken to the motel and plunged into wedlock with no choice but to accept and obey the command of Jeffs.

Sam Brower, a private detective who has spent five years investigating Jeffs and his sect for a number of former members, says the weddings are done "covertly, real cloak-and-dagger like."

Wall, now 21, told ABC News' John Quinones that, "I was trapped. I felt like I had nowhere to turn. I did not want to go through with this marriage. I felt, honestly, what it was like to die."

Watch the story tonight on "20/20" at 10 ET

'I Knew It Wasn't Right'

Wall has documented her terrible ordeal in a new memoir called "Stolen Innocence."

In it, she described in detail growing up in the sect that she says betrayed her faith. She says her wedding was the culmination of a traumatic experience that began when church leaders removed her, her mom and sisters from their family and reassigned them to. . .

(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...


TOPICS: Other Christian
KEYWORDS: childabuse; childbride; cult; flds; jeffs; yfzranch
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Note: NOT a daily thread.
1 posted on 05/16/2008 8:32:53 AM PDT by MizSterious
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To: MizSterious

bttt


2 posted on 05/16/2008 8:39:20 AM PDT by Mrs. Don-o (Lord.)
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To: MizSterious

Well soneone needs to go to jail.

A note for all you liberals here, Ruth Bader Ginsburg appointed Bill Clinton to the SCOTUS once wrote a paper advocating lowering the age of consent for sex between an adult and a minor to 11 years old.


3 posted on 05/16/2008 8:40:37 AM PDT by stockpirate (Purge the RNC and GOP of ALL SOCIALISTS . Starting with Juan McCain.)
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To: stockpirate

A note to all those who address liberals here and don’t name them, RBG did not appoint BFC to the SCOTUS.


4 posted on 05/16/2008 8:42:42 AM PDT by purpleraine
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To: greyfoxx39

FYI only. Not a daily thread, nor a daily thread ping.


5 posted on 05/16/2008 8:45:38 AM PDT by MizSterious (God bless the Texas Rangers for freeing women & children from sexual slavery and abuse.)
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To: MizSterious

A riveting story, Miz. And it was so satisfying to read how this young woman overcame a nightmare life and is now happily married.


6 posted on 05/16/2008 8:46:49 AM PDT by rightazrain (Stop Obama/Clinton!)
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To: stockpirate
Ruth Bader Ginsburg appointed Bill Clinton to the SCOTUS once wrote a paper

If you would use punctuation and critical words, your posts might make more sense.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg, appointed by Bill Clinton to the SCOTUS, once wrote a paper

7 posted on 05/16/2008 8:49:11 AM PDT by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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To: colorcountry; Pan_Yans Wife; MHGinTN; Colofornian; Elsie; FastCoyote; Osage Orange; Greg F; ...

Ping


8 posted on 05/16/2008 8:49:44 AM PDT by greyfoxx39 (Plea to mormon FReepers, "DONT HOSE ME, BRO!")
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To: Izzy Dunne

Sorry I just received this new cell phone and between the little keys and screen, and of course not proofing.

my bad


9 posted on 05/16/2008 8:54:27 AM PDT by stockpirate (Purge the RNC and GOP of ALL SOCIALISTS . Starting with Juan McCain.)
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To: MizSterious

Naw. It can’t be. You mean there’s trouble in that idyllic paradise that existed in Warren Jeffs group?

She must just have an axe to grind.


10 posted on 05/16/2008 8:56:33 AM PDT by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: MizSterious
I have to applaud this your woman for telling her story. Her trial is yet to come, she will be called liar, distorter and worse.
I am amazed that the people of these cults say any one can leave anytime yet when people do leave they pray for them to be taken out.
Yet, we have defenders on FR - sad very sad.
11 posted on 05/16/2008 8:58:17 AM PDT by svcw (There is no plan B.)
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To: MizSterious
hmm...wonder how many fLDS defenders will enter this particular thread?
12 posted on 05/16/2008 8:58:35 AM PDT by Colofornian
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To: stockpirate

President Hillary might appoint Bill to the S.C.


13 posted on 05/16/2008 8:59:21 AM PDT by Graybeard58 (Hillary/Obama or John Mccain - -easy choice for me.)
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To: MizSterious

“Innocence” isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.


14 posted on 05/16/2008 9:04:40 AM PDT by Hacklehead (Crush the liberals, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of the hippies.)
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To: MizSterious

Truely a sick and disgusting cult. Sad that among some peopple, and some people here the government is made out to be the bad guys.


15 posted on 05/16/2008 9:08:00 AM PDT by vpintheak (Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked. Prov. 25:26)
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To: Hacklehead
"“Innocence” isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be."

Are you mocking the case of what was a 14 year old rape victim assigned to the rape by her "religious" leader and condoned by her cult?

16 posted on 05/16/2008 9:14:25 AM PDT by ansel12 (Today's New York Times "Print media alive and well", go to nytimes.com for rest of story.)
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To: MizSterious

The husband in this case wasn’t Jeffs, but another teenager.


17 posted on 05/16/2008 9:18:10 AM PDT by Soliton
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To: ansel12

““Innocence” isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.””

“Are you mocking the case of what was a 14 year old rape victim assigned to the rape by her “religious” leader and condoned by her cult?”

I’m just sayin.


18 posted on 05/16/2008 9:22:45 AM PDT by Hacklehead (Crush the liberals, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of the hippies.)
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To: MizSterious; Colofornian; colorcountry; Pan_Yans Wife; MHGinTN; Elsie; FastCoyote; Osage Orange; ...

MizSterious

May I direct your post to Greyfoxxes post #8, where he pings the anti Mormon Cabal members?

Are you still going to deny the connection? LOL

Why you would deny something that is so obvious is a mystery to me. Why are you ashamed of the connection? I think I know :)


19 posted on 05/16/2008 9:25:45 AM PDT by LeGrande
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To: Soliton
"The husband in this case wasn’t Jeffs, but another teenager."

This rape is the practice that has drawn so much heat on the cult from Utah, Arizona, Canada, and Texas. It is this 'unique' practice that everyone defends as the "religious freedom" of the cult. Jeffs conviction in this case was not because he was the man doing the rape, that man the "husband" is scheduled for trial, it is because he was the cults leader assigning this little rape ceremony.

20 posted on 05/16/2008 9:28:16 AM PDT by ansel12 (Today's New York Times "Print media alive and well", go to nytimes.com for rest of story.)
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