Dear Friends,
Doris Hanson, Director,
A Shield and Refuge Ministry |
One of the many purposes of our ministry is to bring Biblical Truths to polygamists. We want them to know and understand that God never commanded polygamy and that He doesn’t require it for salvation. In fulfilling that part of this ministry, we are obeying the Great Commission as commanded by Jesus Christ, “Go into all the world...” Perhaps many Christians don’t realize that most polygamists have never heard the true Gospel of Grace as taught in the Bible. The only ‘gospel’ they know is the message that polygamy helps save sinners. So there remains a huge unreached ‘people group’ of Mormon Fundamentalists who are born, live and die believing that polygamy is the key to eternal life.
We have and do utilize several ways to bring the saving message of Jesus Christ’s Gospel of Grace to this Mormon/polygamist culture. We use Newsletters, Radio, Television, the internet viaYouTube, Vimeo and Roku TV. For seven years we broadcast our live television show on the local Christian operated station, KTMW TV20. However, last summer the station was sold to a Spanish broadcast company and we lost that media opportunity. We have the opportunity to broadcast our message to polygamists from another local TV station that covers the same broadcast area as did TV20. The rate is almost the same as it was with TV20 except that this station requires closed caption for every show which would essentially double the cost. We realized a lot of fruit from the TV20 ministry and desire to reach as many people imprisoned in the local polygamist culture as possible. Television helps tremendously in our work. Please pray with us to know God’s will and His special financial provision for this.
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After the Supreme Court handed down their decision on gay marriage, Montana polygamist Nathan Collier says he was inspired to sue Montana to legalize bigamy. However, U.S. magistrate Judge Carolyn Ostby ruled that Collier cannot file his lawsuit until he and his plural wives, Victoria and Christine, have lived with him long enough to legally qualify as common-law wives. They also must prove that the law has harmed them, or that they have been threatened with prosecution for polygamy.
Collier claims that anti-polygamy laws deny him his rights to equal protection, due process, free speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of association.The charges that gay marriage would lead to lawsuits for polygamous marriages was mocked as a “slippery slope” before the Supreme Court decision. Now, Collier’s lawsuit merely demonstrates that to let down one section only proves the entire fence is broken. Predictions are that sooner or later, the prohibition on plural marriage will be removed.
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/judgerules-against-polygamous-couple
In 2004 and 2005 FLDS - Canadian polygamist James Oler allegedly gave his two under-aged sisters to Warren Jeffs as plural wives. This was an exchange. The trade-off was a 15-year-old bride for himself whom he trafficked to Bountiful, B.C. his home in Canada.
The RCMP is verifying a list of 31 girls, from the ages of 12 to 17, who are alleged to have been transported between Canada and the United States for religious marriages to older men. If the list is verified and charges made, it would become one of Canada’s largest cases of cross-border smuggling of humans.
The list was made from information on documents seized during the 2008 raid on the YFZ Ranch in Texas. These documents of marriage records and Warren Jeffs’ diary and were used to convict seven FLDS men in Texas of child sex-related charges. James Oler and Winston Blackmore are Canada’s two most prominent polygamists practicing Mormon polygamy, which is illegal in both Canada and the USA.
In his diaries, Jeffs detailed how FLDS men from Canada would sneak daughters and sisters into the U.S. for prearranged marriages, and how men returned with teenage American brides. Both country’s immigration laws were ignored.
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/government+shopped+prosecutor+polygamist+case+lawyer+says /11166436/story.html
Yates was a trader on Green River, and was accused by the Mormons of being a government spy. In those days, if no other charge could be brought against a person, he was called a " spy; " and this, of course, gave sufficient reason for putting him out of the way very summarily. The Mormons were also annoyed because, although among his stores he had a large quantity of ammunition, he would not sell it unless the purchasers bought other goods. ... arresting him, carried him to Fort Bridger, while they took possession of his store, stock, etc.
[Bill] Hickman was detailed to take the prisoner to the city, and Yates's money — nine hundred dollars in gold — was given him to carry to Brigham Young.... Hickman was accompanied by a brother ... Meacham, the one who was connected with him in the murder of Back; and a man of the name of Flack. On their way they were met by Joseph A. Young, who informed them that his father wanted Yates killed, and that he, Hickman, was to take him to Jones's camp, where he would receive further orders. The party arrived at camp that evening about sundown, and that night Yates was murdered as he lay asleep by the camp-fire.
Hickman and Flack carried the news and the money to Brigham. He was very affable until Hickman suggested that, as they had been to much expense, he thought part of the money ought to come to them. His manner changed at once; he reprimanded the men very severely, and told them that the money was needed for the church; it must go towards defraying the expenses of the war. Flack apostatized at once; renounced Mormonism on the spot; it evidently didn't "pay" well enough to suit him, and Hickman himself was disgusted with the meanness of his master. He said that Brigham never gave him one dollar for all the "dirty work " he had done for him; he never made him the slightest present. But he paid him, it is said, in wives. I think he had seventeen, and a large number of children.
It was a class of men like this that the Reformation brought to the surface, and capital tools they made for a corrupt and bloodthirsty priesthood. They were earnest disciples of the "Blood- Atonement," and could slay an apostate or a Gentile with no compunctions of conscience. Yet, bad as they were, they did not equal in villainy the men who employed them, and then refused to pay them.
WIFE No. 19, OR THE STORY OF A LIFE IN BONDAGE, BY ANN ELIZA YOUNG, BRIGHAM YOUNG'S APOSTATE WIFE, Chapter 16, pg 278
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Hello. I've been watching the TV show "Escaping Polygamy". I am disturbed by all of it but especially this last episode where the 13 year old girl wrote her sisters that she had a suicide intention. In addition, other girls she knew shared that they as well wanted to kill themselves. The 13 year old was picked up at school by the sisters but ultimately was returned to her family because their was no Order of Protection. Why would the DA not issue an Order to protect her as well as the others who expressed in writing of their intention to kill themselves? I would think the authorities have opened themselves up to litigation by not protecting these girls.... One 14 year old killed herself and now others have written down this same desire. Where are the authorities? I don't know if you can answer the above questions. I've look on other websites to find someone to answer the questions and your site appears to be the best start.
ANSWER: The show, Escaping Polygamy is dear to my own heart because it is showing the truth of polygamy rather than the fuzzy fantasy version of Sister Wives fame. Also, Escaping Polygamy is about those trying to escape from the Kingston Polygamy Group, which is the same group in which I was born and raised. As for the DA setting themselves up for litigation, that wouldn’t happen unless someone files charges. Who would file? The girl’s family is polygamist. She was underage. The Kingston Group and the other polygamy groups are well-funded, they have virtually unlimited access to all kinds of legal assets. Those who would possibly file are not wellfunded, and sadly, the DA historically has shown little to no interest in investigating polygamists or polygamy groups.
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The first case of polygamy in the Bible is found in Genesis 4:19, in which Lamech married two women. Lamech was not from the righteous lineage of Seth, but was rather from the lineage of Cain, who was a murderer and had been cursed by God!
So, polygamy first came into being through the cursed line of Cain! Cain had gone out from the presence of the Lord (Genesis 4:16). His offspring in the succeeding generations were born and raised away from the presence of God. Lamech was the seventh generation from Adam. In biblical reckoning, the number seven represents completion. This interesting little detail is given as though the completion of the cycle of evil culminates in Lamech.
The Bible focuses first on Lamech's lawlessness! It is interesting that the first incident of polygamy came out of the family that had been cursed by God. This story provides us with the "source" of the practice of polygamy – polygamy is never given as a holy and righteous commandment by God; instead, the opposite is true—an arrogant murderer in the line of Cain is the one who first practiced polygamy . In Genesis 6, we see earth's population growing, and men beginning to lust after all of the beautiful women:
And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. (Genesis 6:1-2)
This verse says that men were taking "all the wives" that they chose—clearly implying multiple wives. There is a strong indication in these verses that polygamy had become rampant. It is significant that this is the first sin mentioned in the chapter that describes God's grief over the sinful, corrupt and violent ways of mankind. See verses 5,11,12,13.
And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. (Genesis 6:11-13)
Several times the words "wickedness" and "corrupt" are used to describe that society. All of mankind had become hopelessly corrupt, and one aspect of that corruption was polygamy; a corruption of God's initial design in the Garden of Eden, and one of the reasons God flooded the earth in Noah's day. (Continued next month)
- We need functioning laptop computers to help with GED and other educational training opportunities.
- For media outreach partners.
- for our ongoing negotiations on a building for a safe house.
- for polygamists who escape the false doctrine of Mormonism to desire to know the truth and be set free in Jesus.
- for those we are currently helping that they would be set free from the deep hurts, painful memories and flashbacks of the abuses they suffered in their previous experiences.
- for God’s word, which is not bound, to go forth in saving power and touch the hard hearts of many who are prisoners of Mormonism.
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