My Life in a Polygamist Compound

Slate ^ | 04/16/08 | Torie Bosch

[DFG]

When Texas authorities seized 416 children in a raid on a compound of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Americans quickly learned that the religious group encourages polygamy and the marriage of young girls to older men. Escape, a memoir published last fall, offers a more detailed portrait of life with the FLDS. In the book, Carolyn Jessop, a sixth-generation polygamist describes her life as the fourth wife of Merril Jessop, who ran the recently raided Texas compound. Carolyn left Merril in 2003, before he moved to Texas, but her memoir sheds light on the man and on the beliefs and practices common within the insular community. Below, Slate flags Carolyn's most intriguing, strange, and heartbreaking allegations.

[Godzilla]

Yep, you can tell when they are unable to sustain their position, they go for the nuclear option and try to get others or the thread zotted. This is not right for Elsie.

[wardaddy]

The cult has suffered a number of setbacks and indictments recently, that is why this elite group of handpicked loyalists were sent to open up this new, exclusive compound. We have them on the run and now we are currently inside one of the nests using DNA to establish paternity, this is good stuff, I love the smell of disappointed rapists in the morning,...it smells ...like....A RESCUE... OF CHILDREN.

I'm not Mormon but I'd like to hear this explained. ok now remember, I have no connection to Mormons being an SBC Dixie man myself but I'm trying to understand all this from the perspective of folks who act like they are close to it...

Brigham Young...venerated I'd reckon ...had 55 wives....and 50 someodd kids....wives as young as 15 when he was in his 40s...his plural family homes are landmarks in Utah

Joseph Smith had 33 wives ...around a dozen of them ranged from early to late teens...Smith founded Mormonism

How does one balance the intense denunciation of polygamy today as practiced by this Mormon offshoot (or expelled sect..whatever) with the veneration of early important Mormonism founders who were doing what sure looks like the same thing?

Another two questions?

Is the idea of "sealing" as marriage what these modern day polygamists consider they are doing in their inner compound marriages?

Why was (and still is to a degree) polygamy port of Mormonism from it's founding? (yes I know the church banned it in 1998 but they still venerate those who practiced polygamy and many polygamists out west consider themselves Mormon.

[DoughtyOne]

Those sound like reasonable questions related to the Morman Church, but I can’t give you any answers to them. I believe a Morman would be the only one qualified to explain it.

Was it really 1998? I thought it was a lot longer ago than that.

[ansel12]

“How does one balance the intense denunciation of polygamy today as practiced by this Mormon offshoot (or expelled sect..whatever) with the veneration of early important Mormonism founders who were doing what sure looks like the same thing?

---

Oh, God you have done it now, here is a thread where the subject has been much discussed, skim over it real quick and it will answer some of your questions.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1997522/posts?page=1

[SkyPilot]

Brigham Young...venerated I'd reckon ...had 55 wives....and 50 someodd kids....wives as young as 15 when he was in his 40s...his plural family homes are landmarks in Utah Joseph Smith had 33 wives ...around a dozen of them ranged from early to late teens...Smith founded Mormonism How does one balance the intense denunciation of polygamy today as practiced by this Mormon offshoot (or expelled sect..whatever) with the veneration of early important Mormonism founders who were doing what sure looks like the same thing?

Great questions.

Best of luck having the LDS folks answer them.

[SkyPilot]

I'm sure there is a thread up about this (I haven't looked around yet)but maybe now that the judge has ordered DNA testing things will start rolling. It's going to take a looooong time to get this mess straightened up!

The families don't know THEMSELVES who belongs to who. This is how messed up this is.

I don't expect this to be solved in 10 years, much less this year.

Congrats to the polygamy crowd.

Also, I hope the confusion over the girl making the fake calls has been cleared up in everyone's mind....they are not saying she has been arrested for making the "Sarah" calls about the FLDS.

A great distraction she has been. I must confess I am not up on all the facts here. I believe she only phoned in in February after the State of Texas knew of the original phone call, but I can't be sure.

[SkyPilot]

I’m thinking more along the lines of teflon for them both.

Yup - OMM is still here.

[wardaddy]

whoops....mistake....make that 1898...lol

I really would like to hear how all this is reconciled.

Feelings run really hot on this around here even towards an outsider like myself.

I ambivalent, of course I think turning out boys and pressured sex on early teen girls is wrong.

I think arranged marriages are not for me but these folks are not the only ones.

I don't like the welfare abuse.

But I don't like LEO overreaches either....can't say yet...who knows.

I'm vexed about taking all those kids from the only parents they know if they haven't been abused but rather indoctrinated into a weird lifestyle.

Some here are already sure of the whole deal....I'd like to know more and I'd like some answers on Mormons, Saints and Polygamy. Straight ones.

We'll see. A little less pointy fingered hysterics would be nice.

There does seem to be groups though that (can't say troll) patrol these threads pushing their perspective and a handful who oppose it.

But some of the most strident denunciators shout down anyone with a query.

What is their real beef? Are they anti-Mormon...I know some are...they admit it.

Oh well...this just brings so many conflicting angles to it that sorta grab my from both sides.

For the record....I am 50 with 5 children aged from 16 months to 19. Three lads, two girls. Four are at home, one in school in New Yawk. Not a Mormon....you know what I am already DO....have for years now haven't you? I'm a good ol boy knuckledragger down South.

Didn't quite mean to wade into such a minefield with some here...been entertaining.

[SkyPilot]

“I trust you can recognize personal abuse when you see it.” I’m sure OMM is talking about his most recent posts. The past few posts from him have been disgusting and worthy of a life time ban in my opinion. What he has posted is far worst than anything Elsie has ever said.

OMM is still around.

[wardaddy]

I confess Mormonism is generally off my radar as is polygamy.

Only polygamy I ever much saw was in West Africa and the black Caribbean but it was more informal....not much marriage. Screamin Jay Hawkins style polygamy..

My great X4 was sort of a polygamist..maybe he was actually a bigamist...

In 1808, his first wife had already had 14 children and could not bear more and allowed him to marry (not sure how) the daughter of an indebted servant in Natchez Mississippi whose mom had died and he basically bought her debt and took her home around aged 12 to live with them as a house servant around 1803 and subsequently married her at 17 when he was in his mid 30s. She was Orange Irish as was he and most Southern Irish and he had known her “master”. She kept a separate home on his acreage but they joined families for church (yes) and family time. Nice dogtrots...one still stands. Sullivan's Hollow Mississippi.

She was my great great great great Grandma...Polly Workman.

[SkyPilot]

Sky, We love you too!

Love you too. I had to be quiet for awhile - if you know what I mean.

[DoughtyOne]

I can acutally see why each side is pressing their case. I know that we ultimately agree on what the end result should be here, the men in prison. Honestly I don’t like the idea of these kids spending the rest of their young lives as wards of the foster care program, but that’s what is going to happen.

I’m not even sure they’ll bother with the adults to get DNA and prove who the parents are. They got what they wanted. The kids have been absconded with, end of story.

The person who made the phone call can’t be located. She claims she had ribs fixed at the local hospital, but they didn’t seem to bother to verify. The caller supposed said she was two weeks pregnant. Ever know a woman who knew she was pregers at two weeks along? How about those five kids? Did you know they were on the way at two weeks? I have two kids, never knew at two weeks.

There’s just something about this story that wreaks.

I note the photos of the officers with M16s didn’t make the news much. It’s same old thing. It’s for the chillen. Don’t show anything negative. We don’t want the public to see this. We’re the good guys with white hats and semi-autos.

What do you want to bet we hear next to nothing about this case for three to six months, if ever?

[wardaddy]

nah....can’t say we ever knew at two weeks....takes longer than that to miss a mense start..

[DoughtyOne]

Exactly, so what does that tell you about the affidavit?

You take care.

[SkyPilot]

There’s just something about this story that wreaks. I note the photos of the officers with M16s didn’t make the news much. It’s same old thing. It’s for the chillen. Don’t show anything negative. We don’t want the public to see this. We’re the good guys with white hats and semi-autos.

Welcome to the Wild and Wonderful World of Child Custody.

It is a mess - but the blame remains with the people who created it.

If Conservatives believe that Abortion is wrong and should be stopped, then Conservatives should believe that abuse of 13 year olds being "married" to fat 50 year old pigs is wrong.

The speed bump is the LDS church.

It is well connected and powerful (and rich).

It isn't as powerful, however, as Christ is. And He is exposing it.

[truth_seeker]

“Personally, I WONT call polygamy a sin because I can not find a single statement in the Bible that does so.”

The laws of Texas, Utah and Arizona call it illegal, which is the standard applied herein.

Therefore it is illegal, even if you can’t find it in the Bible.

Sex with minor children is another illegal activity common with this and related cults.

The leader of the cult is serving time in Utah, convicted of crimes along these lines.

The followers of this cult believe in breaking the states’ civil and criminal laws, opting instead to follow their prophets’ declarations about behavior.

[SkyPilot]

The person who made the phone call can’t be located. She claims she had ribs fixed at the local hospital, but they didn’t seem to bother to verify.

Whoa.

This is the "Pregnant Chads Are Being Ignored And Every Vote In Palm Beach Must Count" mantra.

The woman and children interviewed lied to Police about their first names, last names, children names, and birth dates.

You expect this all to be sorted out this weekend?

Good luck!

Moreover, we do know from escaped FLDS members like Carolyn Jessop what these men are capable of. Add to that underage girls that were found pregnant (even underage by Texas LAW) and what do you have?

A pretty good justification for what the great state of Texas did!

Come on. Stop trying to defend the indefensible here.

[bonfire]

bump to your post, SP. Oh, and AMEN!

[DoughtyOne]

Bud, do you value your home and the sanctity of your property?

Do you realize you are one phone call away from having people break down your door and take your children? And then you’ll pay hell to find them, or even see them for months or years.

For the thousandth time, I do not agree with what was taking place at that farm. That does not mean that I am going to sign of on false documents to take anyone down.

All it takes is one bitter fellow emplyee, a pissed off female/or male aquaintence that wished things could be more than they are, or someone who is pissed that you are parking on their side of the street.

This is no lark. Just because the folks at the arm are miscreants and worse, I don’t think we should sign off on fishing expeditions in order to enforce the law.

If at a later date the girl is found and the call can be verified, I’ll be glad to eat my hat. Until then, I’m going to continue to make sure all Is and Ts are dotted and crossed.

This is not a defense of the people at the farm. It is a defense of everyone else in this nation. If you don’t buy that, please by all means tell me that you think I like 50 year old men on top of 14 year old girls, like others have.

I don’t care what you think. I do care that you understand why it is important to keep the authorities in check. We have just given carte blanche to CPS to pick up 461 kids. Do you think they’re going to think twice about grabbing yours on a whim?

[SkyPilot]

“Personally, I WONT call polygamy a sin because I can not find a single statement in the Bible that does so.”

If you will permit me, I must re-post what I said in #176 of this thread.

________________________________________________________________________

"But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

Matthew 5:28

The Mormons claim to be followers of Christ, yes?

Or did the "prophet" Joseph Smith "restore" what Christ said?

All of the women in this picture were "wives" to this FLDS man. All of them were sexually active with him and produced children.

So, did he violate Christ's teaching, or not?

Please respond.