People have said to us: polygamists have had religion up to here.... they don’t need us to come along and bring more religion to them.
But we don’t push religion - and besides that, Christianity is not a religion, it is not a list of do’s and don’ts - it is Jesus as Savior, and nothing or no one else. It is a personal relationship with Him, and a personal forgiveness and cleansing of sin by Him. Many times, when people leave a cult, they throw out all religious ideas including God, Jesus, the Bible, Heaven, Hell and so on. They have been burned by the lies their religious leaders taught them - but sadly they don’t stop to think, that if those leaders lied to them about everything else, they also lied to them about God.
And even more tragically - many people who leave polygamy will join the Mormon church - it “feels” familiar. The LDS tells them that it’s the polygamists who are apostate - that the LDS is the only true church where they can work their way to the true heaven. Again, they don’t stop to think that the LDS church was started by Joseph Smith - the same Joseph Smith who claimed he needed to restore the gospel and the restoration included polygamy. The LDS and the Mormon polygamists have the same Joseph Smith and the same Jesus, their Jesus is the spirit brother of Lucifer. How can the devil’s “brother” save anyone? So, we continue to tell them about God the Son, Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
We thank you for your support and prayers that enable us to bring Biblical truths to polygamists!
Karen Bradshaw is an ex-plural wife from the AUB polygamy group. She has given her life to Jesus and explains that God has laid it upon her heart to become part of the Shield and Refuge team. We welcome Karen to the team as we seek God’s will in this and in everything. For the next several months, Karen will share her story of being born and raised and married in a Mormon Fundamentalist Polygamy Group.
“My mother chose to become the second wife of a dairy farmer, brother Gerber, he had one wife who seemed reluctant to participate in giving her husband away to another woman. The leader, Owen Allred married them in a secret ceremony, and when it was over his booming voice shouted something about coming forth in the morning of the first resurrection, clothed with immortality, dominion, power, and authority. There were no vows of love exchanged.
I now had a new dad and I didn’t like it, I didn't want a new dad. Some of my siblings began calling him daddy. One of the Gerber children got upset and said that he isn't your dad. Not long after when some of us were out on the road our “new dad” came out and told us that we should call him Uncle Ray not daddy, because if the law found out what we were doing, they would not understand God's law of Celestial Plural Marriage and would put him in prison. We must keep it a secret! We must never talk to anyone about it. Even at home we must call him Uncle Ray, not daddy.
I remember this brought a lot of shame, fear, and confusion into my mind, we weren't supposed to tell lies. Why would he have to go to jail if we were doing what God had told us to do? So many unanswered questions. I became even more resentful and decided he wasn't my dad and besides that, Gerber was an ugly name anyway. I know now this reaction was my own self defense mechanisms, I was putting up walls to protect my broken heart. All I wanted was to be a daddy's girl and have a daddy.
…continued next month!
Mormon Apostle Orson Hyde:
"It will be borne in mind that once on a time, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; . . .no less a person than Jesus Christ was married on that occasion. If he was never married, his intimacy with Mary and Martha, and the other Mary also whom Jesus loved, must have been highly unbecoming and improper to say the least of it."
"I will venture to say that if Jesus Christ were now to pass thought the most pious countries in Christendom with a train of women, such as used to follow him, . . .he would be mobbed, tarred, and feathered, and rode, not on as ass, but on a rail."
"At this doctrine the long-faced hypocrite and the sanctimonious bigot will probably cry, blasphemy! . . . Object not, therefore, too strongly against the marriage of Christ."
All the above statements are in The Journal of Discourses, Vol. 4, pages 259-260
Mark 7:7-9:
Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
The Mormon religion is a staggering fulfillment of what Jesus taught in Mark Chapter 7. LDS and the Mormon polygamy groups have all put aside Biblical teachings and replaced them with their own commandments and justify it by saying you can’t trust the Bible, even though the Bible has passed every single test of authenticity and correct transmission through the ages.
MORMON POLYGAMY HISTORY
~~It all began with Joseph Smith~~
Excerpts from “Women of Mormonism” THE WOMEN OF MORMONISM: Edited By JENNIE ANDERSON FROISETH.
“Brigham Young declared that "if women would not submit to polygamy they should be eternally damned," and when history shows that women who have resisted have often been murdered, the mystery of the non-resistance policy which they commonly pursue, is certainly cleared up. " Starve them, and beat them if necessary, to bring them to submission," said the Mormon apostles; " better crucify the body than let the soul go to perdition. " Well was the method of these hypocrites characterized by a Mormon woman who said of one of them, "He is a man who steps on hearts as though he stepped on stones." Pg. 6
“WHAT is your opinion of Mormon polygamy as a religious tenet?" was asked of an eminent divine, upon his return from a visit to Utah, where he had spent several weeks in investigating the system, with eyes, ears, and heart wide open.
"It may be good enough for a certain class of men," was the reply, "but for the women, it is a damnable doctrine...“
“"As a social system, it is a miserable failure," … because it is founded on the law of retrogression, which cannot be tolerated in this advancing age. The corner-stone of polygamy is the degradation of woman, and it can flourish only where she is regarded and treated as a slave. The question suggests itself, Does this country intend going back to the conditions of semi-barbaric civilization? For, whatever degrades woman, degrades man also. The future of our race depends entirely upon the character and position of the women. If we make them slaves, how can we expect that our children will be anything else than children of bondwomen, and slaves, like their mothers?" Pg. 8
"Considering all our surroundings, polygamy has never taken such a degrading and debasing form in any nation, or among any people above the condition of savages, as in Utah; and there are facts which cannot be repeated, that reduce the system to the lowest form of indecency. It is degrading to man and woman, a curse to children, and destructive to the sacred relations of family. That it should be practiced in the name and under the cloak of religion, only adds to the enormity of the crime, and makes it more revolting to our common Christian principles."
Pgs. 8-9
The Bible says IN 1 Timothy 3:2, “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife.”
But, Joseph Smith and Brigham Young taught “Live polygamy or be damned!”
“Left Mormonism many years ago—angry at God, DONE with religion, Christianity especially —until I discovered your channel a few years ago, Doris…you broke through my anger, introducing me to the real Jesus, and now my hubby and I are delighted to have become actual Christians. Thank you for your consistent messages about the Bible and (the REAL) God’s love.” ML
“I just love hearing all this true [Mormon-LDS] history. Thank you to all of you. My family is the result of polygamous unions on both lines going back. You helped to bring me to Christ of which I'm the most grateful for.” KT
“Maybe some day you will realize you have been deceived. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true Church and does not practice polygamy. The Book of Mormon teachings reinforce the Bible and testifies of the divinity of Jesus Christ.” JC
RESPONSE: The Bible does not need reinforcement by the Book of Mormon—its authority stands by itself. Joseph Smith started the Mormon church and he also commanded polygamy.
Because the “Sister Wives” television program persisted in glorifying polygamy, we rarely brought attention to it through the years. However, since Kody Brown’s wife Christine has left him, we are asking for prayers for her that she will seek truths that are found in the Bible. Also please pray for ALL of Kody Brown’s wives, children and for him to seek and find Biblical truths about marriage.
We praise God for the many people who found our internet program during the COVID crisis,
and have come to a better understanding of Biblical salvation and biblical teachings. God does bring good out of what we see as bad and blessings when we face challenges.
We had the privilege of sharing A Shield and Refuge Ministry and our stories with another group hosted by RATIO CHRISTI. We were invited to Orem, Utah on March 10th for a great time informing them of Mormon polygamy, the “hidden underbelly” of the LDS religion.
We also had the honor of sharing with The Maven Group in Lehi, Utah on March 11th. They are also a group of young people that come to Utah to learn about the Utah/Mormon culture and their religion that includes polygamy. As always, they walk away shocked when they hear about the polygamous doctrine and practice that prevails in this country under the guise of holiness and sanctification.
We are honored to share with others about the religious polygamy that thousands and thousands of Fundamental Mormons continue to practice today. The awful and ungodly details have been kept secret from the American people far too long.
Just call Doris: 801-649-3103, or Email: doris@shieldandrefuge.org |
