SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) — Polygamist leader Warren Jeffs has given an opening statement about religious persecution at the trial where he is accused of child sexual abuse.
The head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is defending himself. He spoke for 30 minutes, evoking images of the civil rights movement and mentioning former Mormon leader Joseph Smith Jr.
Jeffs' sect believes polygamy brings exaltation in heaven. He asked the jury to remember constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.
He then called one of his church's members, JD Roundy, to testify. Roundy read from the Book of Mormon.
(Excerpt--click here for the rest.)
Prosecutors later played another clip of a different "training session" involving 12 girls, but Jeffs stood up and loudly spoke over the tape, talking about how a holy trust was being broken. The judge and jurors were wearing headphones to listen to the tape, and ignored Jeffs' rambling.
On the tape, they heard Jeffs telling the girls "you have to know how to excite sexually and be excited," and telling the girls to shower and wear white robes when they come to him, as well as telling them to shave their pubic hair. He concluded by singing the prayer "Father, Son and Holy Ghost." In the courtroom, Jeffs remained standing in objection throughout the playing of the tape.
(Short excerpt from ABC News.}
By his reasoning, anything someone wants to do under the guise of religion would be Constitutionally protected.
Including stuff like human sacrifice.
Not.......
Not just Jeffs' sect, either.
Still on the books as "scripture" in the Salt Lake City-based Church of another jesus christ of latter-day saints -- the Mormons -- is this "teaching":
......if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my LAW, and by the new and everlasting covenant...they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever. 20 Then they shall be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then they shall be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject to them. 21 Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye abide my law ye cannot attain to this glory. (D&C 132: 19-21)
Smith was saying that this "new and everlasting covenant" -- polygamy -- was a law imposed upon those wanting to live in celestial heaven...the lone degree of glory reserved for the new fellow gods to God. (Note v. 20 where Mormon-to-be-gods "have all power" & "all things" and "angels" are subject to them.
In this way, the belief system of Warren Jeffs & Mitt Romney isn't all that far apart.
They both believe in becoming gods. (this is the meaning of the Mormon word "exaltation")
They both believe in a living "prophet" who when he tells you to jump, you say, "how high?"
They both believe disciples of Joseph Smith can be eternal polygamists...just a bit of distinctions exist on timing of entering into those roles.