This is the month when we witness dramatic evidence of new life coming out of the deadness of the long, cold winter months. This year the celebration of our Savior’s resurrection lands on the first day of April making it even more special.
Resurrection and Spring time have so much in common, and I believe that was no accident or coincidence in God’s timing. God surely wants us to compare the beauty of spring that brings beautiful, vibrant new life to our orchards, gardens, and fields with Christ’s resurrection which guarantee’s new and eternal life for all who “call upon the name of the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
It is so beautiful and amazing to see new believers in Christ who are blooming into these lovely ‘new creations’ as they grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. And likewise, how beautiful it is to watch the amazement and awe of someone from a polygamy group, as the truth of Christ’s simple salvation is planted deep into their souls and beautiful blooms soon appear. Thank you LORD!
Most who are born and raised in Mormon polygamy groups go to their graves believing that their loyalty to their polygamy group has indebted God to them. They look forward to waking up in heaven and rewarded with the promotion to godhood. They believe that since the beginning—God was a polygamist who begat millions of spirit babies each with the potential of becoming a god in their own right through righteous living and polygamy. They need the truth!!
Colossians 1:13-14 For he has rescued us from the dominion of
darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
God has rescued us, may He use us as POWER TOOLS to help rescue them. We are available to speak to your group about Mormon
polygamy. Just call Doris at 801-649-3103
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“It is very obvious you have issues with Mormons, but you need to be more factual when you try to sway others to feel as you do about Mormons. Mormons are not practicing polygamy, but you sure are practicing deceitfulness.are trying to convince your watchers that Mormons are still practicing polygamy.deriving people.and over you compare the polygamist to Mormons. Do you not know the difference between The Church of Jesus Christ and the Fundamental Church of Jesus Christ? you not know that they broke away form the LDS Church.
Your purpose appears to brainwash and confuse people to hate Mormons… Who would base their theology on changing
another’s.is like they teach us in college when we are debating and we have nothing left to say in your defense so you attack the other with personal attacks of their charitect and not the ctul belief, that generally means your argument is weak.wants to throw the missionary off and ‘win’ the debate?Challenge them?isn’t a football game where one team wins and the other loses.
Mormons have done so much good in the world They have used their influence to save refugees, advocate for education and they teach family values... from a professional standpoint, you sound like someone who had a bad experience with a Mormon
person, and you are doing everything within your power to get back at them.up.show is boring, not fact less and an actual waste of time.Why don’t you spend that time doing something positive.If you really want to help women get out of bad marriages give them an alternative, somewhere to go if they leave.That will help them and kept them there more than a six months so they can get trained, get a job and find a place to live.’s see if your pocket book is as wide as your mouth. Support women by doing not by complaining and targeting those so easy to target, the Mormons.”
The U.S. Department of Labor wants to press charges against a company owned by the FLDS polygamy group, which used young children as free labor to pick pecans. In response, the company has changed its name, and continues to use child labor. They charge that the company has defied court order to stop using child labor - an evidence hearing began on February 26, 2018 to discover if Paragon Contractors has changed its business name to Par 2 and continues to use underage workers.
Federal prosecutors want the company to comply with court order to stop using child labor and to be found in Contempt of Court. Testimony includes allegations that the company changed its name but has the same headquarters and employs the same executive. Workers at the new company frequently used the old company name according to a contractor and inspectors. Both companies deny all allegations.
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On March 9 2018, a Canadian court rejected a constitutional challenge by Winston Blackmore and James Oler who were found guilty of polygamy. Their challenge was on the grounds of freedom of religious expression. The judge dismissed all the arguments including a claim of abuse of process.
Both men are leaders in the polygamous community in Bountiful B.C. Blackmore, 62, was found guilty of marrying two dozen women. Oler, 53, has five wives. Outside court, Blackmore said he doesn't encourage anyone to practice polygamy, but he also doesn't discourage anyone who has a religious commitment. "I know one thing, and that's that our faith is as good as anybody's. But at the end of the day, we need to be people who try to respect the laws of our country," he said. May 15 2018 is the date for a sentencing hearing.
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On the final session of the 2018 Utah Legislature, House Bill 343 passed the Senate after having clearing the House. This bill makes it a sexual offense for “threatening to subject a child to participate in a sexual relationship, regardless of whether it is part of a legal or cultural marriage.”
The bill and it is expected to be signed into law. Arranged marriages is a normal way of life in Utah polygamy groups. In the Kingston polygamy group, girls at the age of eleven years old are forced to take “marriage preparation classes” then can face an arranged marriage as early as sixteen years old. This bill, when it becomes law, will give under-age girls an “out”.
In this space are stories of some of the people and families that A Shield and Refuge Ministry have helped escape from polygamy. Real names places and dates are changed to keep the privacy, confidentiality and safety of those we’ve helped.
One of the most heartbreaking is Rachel’s story. I have interviewed Rachel several different times on our program because the heartbreak of her nightmare never seems to end. Her story is just one of many injustices in our justice system that seems to favor polygamist men who have the money and influence.
I first heard about Rachel from someone else who told me that she was interested in getting help to leave the polygamy group, but was too fearful and really had no place to go and no one who she could trust to help her. I explained how important it was for her to know that I would help her and that everything would be in strict confidence.
She finally contacted me by phone and we talked. I heard her story and told her I’d love to do whatever I could to get her out of there.
Rachel has three daughters. (Please remember that little girls in polygamy groups grow up to be plural wives - that is their destiny). She refused to leave without knowing she could bring her three children with her, which of course, we were in agreement was a priority and a condition.
Rachel was working two jobs. They force the plural wives to support themselves and their own family, the husband is not required or expected to support his plural families. So Rachel worked for the local newspaper delivering papers very early every morning to customers on her paper route. With three little girls, she would arise about 3 o’clock a.m. every day, pick up her daily allotted newspapers, prepare them for delivery and deliver them -doing all this with her children sleeping in the backseat of her car. Then she’d go home, dress herself and her children, fix breakfast and take the girls to their babysitter. She would then go to work in one of the polygamy owned stores working at least a full shift every day. After work she’d pick up her girls, go home dead tired, fix supper, and go to bed early as possible because she’d be up at 3 o’clock the next morning to repeat this schedule. This was her life. Her only day off from her day job was Sunday when she was required to attend their polygamy church service. Rachel was mentally and physically exhausted and emotionally a wreck.
She lived in a four-plex owned by her husband who had four wives-he had placed one of his wives in each of the four apartments and charged each one rent for living there. I was so shocked to learn that he charged his wives rent I was nearly apoplectic. Her apartment was badly in need of extensive repairs. There were holes in the floors and walls, her kitchen sink was broken, rust and mold and broken floors were normal throughout the apartment. He refused to fix anything himself, and never hired anyone to repair anything.
His normal visits to her was weekly, sometimes less than weekly. She was expected to have the house clean and a fancy dinner on the table for his visit. However, he never supplied cash to help with household expenses and never contributed to grocery purchases. And he had no qualms of complaining loudly if any situation wasn’t suitable to him at his visits. He was also physically abusive to each wife and her children. In fact by the time I was helping Rachel, two of his four wives had escaped from his abusive treatment one was actually fearful of her life.
Knowing his abusive behavior, Rachel was all the more intent upon absolute confidentiality and safety as we made plans for the target date to help her escape. It would have to take place when he was not scheduled to visit and when no one would know what she was doing and alert him.
There’s much more to tell so we will continue with Rachel’s story next time.
The following are some unbelievable quotes made by early and present-day leaders of the Mormon religion concerning polygamy or, as it is also called, Celestial Marriage.
Orson Hyde, an early Mormon apostle made this comment in LDS General Conference:
“They may break us up, and rout us from place to another, but by and by we shall come to a point where we shall have all the women, and they will have none. You may think I am joking about this, but I can bring you the truth of God
to demonstrate it to you.” Orson Hyde, October 1854 General Conference
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“Happiness is the object and design of our existence,... That which is wrong under one circumstance, may be, and often is, right under another.... whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof til long after the events transpire... Our Heavenly Father is more liberal in his views, and boundless in his mercies and blessings, than we are ready to believe or receive.’ Joseph Smith, Letter of proposal to Nancy Rigdon Richard S. Van wagoner, Mormon Polygamy History, pg 32
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Joseph Smith also propositioned Orson Pratt’s wife, Sarah, it went like this:
“Sister Pratt, the Lord has given you to me as one of my spiritual wives. I have the blessings of Jacob granted me, as he granted of old, and I have long looked upon you with favor, and hope you will not deny me.”
“I care not for the blessings of Jacob,” Sarah replied; “I have one good husband, and that is enough for me.”
Richard S. Van wagoner, Mormon Polygamy History, pg 32
We are always interested in what our readers and supporters find interesting regarding the topic of polygamy.
If you have a particular question, or would like information on a news event or topic relating to polygamy, or have a concern, we invite you to send your request to us via email: doris@shieldandrefuge.org We also like to receive suggestions for topics to cover on our weekly internet and Roku broadcasts. Feel free to let us know what’s on your mind.
Also, if you know anyone who is in polygamy who has questions or may want to escape, they can contact us at: Toll free: 1-877-425-9993
2 Timothy 3:13: while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
Pray for God's mercy, and knowledge of His glory, for both the victims and perpetrators of the evil deception of Mormon polygamy. |
