One of the great things that we Christians know about our God is that He does not change. He is the same Yesterday, Today and Forever! The attribute of being unchangeable includes never changing doctrine and an unchanging Gospel. Neither does our God show favoritism to males above females. He is not an angry ogre, stomping around waiting for us to do or think something wrong, then take delight in meting out punishment. These and all the other lovely attributes of God is surprising and comforting to those who come out of the Mormon religion and turn to Jesus Christ. The Mormon polygamists embrace the Mormon religion, but they don’t acknowledge the Mormon prophet as legitimate, each group has its own “only true” prophet.
Unfortunately, they all lift passages from our Bible and apply it to their
doctrine which effectively changes what God designed the passage to be for us. One of those passages is Galatians 1:6-9:
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!”
When they apply this passage to their gospel, they wrap around yet another layer of the lie that they are the only way to God. Satan has blinded the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the truth—but when anyone turns to Christ, the blinders are removed, 2 Corinthians 3:16.
Pray for us as we continue to bring Biblical truths to polygamists, that the veil of deceit will be removed and many turn to the Jesus Christ of the Bible.
Thank you for your support of this ministry!
A few days ago, I met with a recent escapee from polygamy. This young girl wasn’t sure how old she was, her family gets more welfare benefits if she’s a minor, so they will falsify birth records.
She has no official identification, a false driver’s license, and no Social Security card or number. Unfortunately, she had asked for help from another organization but they threatened to send her back home if she didn’t give them a tape recorded testimony of the polygamy groups illegal activities. She was so frightened by their scare tactics, she ran away from them too and we were contacted for help. But before we could find a host home for her, she decided to go back home to her mother. This is a heartbreak we don’t face very often, but one time is too many times. Her family of course threatened her with loss of family and eternal Hell for leaving, and the trauma of the tactics used by the other “helps” organization worked together to scare her back into the group where she will be hidden away until she’s married off, she was promised to a man who already has a dozen wives!
Please, Please pray for her—I’ve given her the alias — Joy.
It is a completely different world for us who were born and raised in Mormon Fundamentalism. We were brainwashed from the cradle to believe everyone outside of our group is our enemy and cannot be trusted.
Sometimes we hear people say about the victims of polygamy, “Well why don’t they just leave, just walk away?” It isn’t that simple or that easy. To help others understand the dilemma we faced our attempts to leave, we have been suggesting reading material written by escapees who have successfully integrated into the world outside of Mormon Fundamentalism. This time we are reviewing a book written by Kristyn Decker entitled, “Fifty Years in Polygamy, Big Secrets and Little White Lies.”
From the back cover: “Kristyn Decker’s memoir recounts the harsh realities of being born and raised in the second largest polygamist sect in American—the Apostolic United Brethren, or the AUB (Allred Group). For five decades, Kristyn then Sophie, was caught up in a cult of plural marriage … and lived it until she thought it would kill her. When she finally had the courage to leave, she knew she had to share her story.”
Kristyn suffered neglect during her early years, molestation and abuse is part of her story as well. She married at seventeen years old and later encouraged her husband to take a second wife.
She didn’t know how to deal with the feelings that accompanied sharing her husband, anger, jealousy and pain so she kept a sweet smile plastered across her face and became a numb but “righteous” workaholic.
She and her “sister wife” grew to respect and love each other, but they were still rivals for their husband’s affection and attention. They both had unspoken resentments, frustrations, and jealousies. Quote from page 140,
“Always there, flanked by our good and happy times, was our acute awareness of each other—the other love in Mark’s life. Each of us was “the other woman” who wanted and needed his love, the one who would take and offer it back three-fold for his devoted love and affection. So we had to behave. If we didn’t, Mark could, would and did run away to the other wife’s open arms.”
She questioned the command of polygamy and other impossible rules that life in polygamy demanded. Her story tells of how, after so many years of self-loathing, suicidal depression and unanswered questions, a friend helped her in her flight from polygamy. Kristyn’s story is a heart breaker, but she did get free, and although she does not embrace Biblical Christianity, she is now an activist helping bring attention to the plight of those who want to escape. Her book can be found on Amazon.com.
We’ve written about James Oler in previous newsletters, he is one of the two polygamist men who was found guilty of polygamy in Canada. James Oler is now facing another trial for the unlawful removal of a child from Canada. He is charged with taking his 15 year old daughter across the national border into the United States for the purpose of marrying a 24 year old man. This will be a retrial for the same crime because of a technicality of a judge misreading their law. The person trafficking the child would have needed to know that it was for sexual purposes. All polygamists know when they bring their young daughter’s to older men, its to become a plural wife.
Oler is part of the FLDS polygamist community in Canada. The Vancouver Sun reported that during Warren Jeffs trial, “... there were eight witnesses … who provided the context for the offences, describing how FLDS members are programmed to obey the prophet, the bishop and other men who form the priesthood.”
https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/daphne-bramham-its-back-to-court-for-convicted-polygamist-charged-with-unlawfully-taking-his-under-aged-daughter-to-u-s
Taking child brides is part of obeying their priesthood! The maximum penalty for unlawful removal of a child is five years in jail. Oler told the report’s that there were really no victims in his crime but said he would apologize if the opportunity arose.
The community of Bountiful in southeastern B.C. was established in 1946. Oler’s father, Dalmon, was one of the original settlers.
“The Lord, by the mouth of his Prophet Jacob, gave similar direction to the Nephites: "For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none; For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts. Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lord of Hosts, or cursed be the land for their sakes. For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things." (Jacob 2:27-30.)
Mormon Doctrine says: “From such fragmentary scriptural records as are now available, we learn that the Lord did command some of his ancient saints to practice plural marriage. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - among others (D. & C. 132) - conformed to this ennobling and exalting principle; the whole history of ancient Israel was one in which plurality of wives was a divinely accepted and approved order of matrimony. Those who entered this order at the Lord's command, and who kept the laws and conditions appertaining to it, have gained for themselves eternal exaltation in the highest heaven of the celestial world.
“In the early days of this dispensation ... the Lord revealed the principle of plural marriage to the Prophet [Joseph Smith]. Later the Prophet and leading brethren were commanded to enter into the practice, which they did in all virtue and purity of heart despite the consequent animosity and prejudices of worldly people .. Plural marriage is not essential to salvation or exaltation...
“All who pretend or assume to engage in plural marriage in this day, when the one holding the keys has withdrawn the power by which they are performed, are guilty of gross wickedness.” Bruce R. McKonkie, Mormon Doctrine pg. 410
NOTE: The Book of Mormon condemns polygamy but their Doctrine and Covenant scriptures commands polygamy or be damned. (Sec. 132). There is a severe mental “disconnect” to the changing doctrine in this religion. He said that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were commanded to live this “noble” order of Matrimony but that isn't true. God never commanded polygamy and Isaac was never a polygamist.
He said polygamy is not an essential to salvation or exaltation which also is not true. Their “exaltation” requires polygamy, and is a code word for, ‘being exalted to become a god with your own worlds and being blessed with plural wives to populate those worlds.”
Isaiah 43:10 Before me no god was formed,
nor will there be one after me.
· Pray for ever increasing opportunities to share God’s love and help to those who are looking for freedom outside of polygamy.
· Pray that as we “plant the seeds” others will come along and water the tender growth from those seeds.
· Pray for Joy, that she will be safe, and will return to get the help she needs to get away from the false gospel of polygamy.
· Pray as we interact with those who have left polygamy but have totally rejected God’s amazing love and the Gospel that saves.
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 more information on a news event or topic relating to the practice of plural marriage 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. If you know of anyone who is in polygamy and has questions or may want to escape, they can contact us at:
Toll free - 877-425-9993 |
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