
LDS Restorationist movement & polygamyMenuAbout the Fundamentalist Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS)
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ARE YOU RECEIVING UNWANTED STUFF IN THE MAIL FROM THE FLDS?We are not responsible. We have no connection to, or involvement with, the FLDS. We recommend that you send a complaint letter via postal service to the address from which you are receiving the FLDS mailings. Quotations:
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Utah state Senator Ron Allen said: |
'We have thousands of women pulled out of school at an early age,
forced into marriages with older men, kept isolated from society,
constantly impregnated, and often placed on public assistance with no
financial means of their own. They are forgotten citizens facing abuse
and fear. On top of it all, the victims are constantly taught that God
is just pleased as punch about the whole deal. It has to stop'."
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"Salt Lake City writer John Llewellyn, a former member of a fundamentalist
LDS Restorationist denomination, says: |
'The key factor in controlling a polygamist cult is in brainwashing
the young women to inculcate upon their impressionable minds that
everything not condoned by the prophet is evil, that they cannot go to
the celestial kingdom unless they live in a plural marriage, and that
the gates of heaven will be closed to the disobedient'."
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Overview:
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS)
was founded in 1935 by two Mormons who had been excommunicated from The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), the main Mormon
denomination. The main driving force for the FLDS founders was a desire to
continue the policy of polygyny -- plural marriages involving one man and
multiple wives. Polygny had formed an integral part of the original Mormon
church founded by Joseph Smith.

About the ethics of the FLDS:
It is the policy of this website to simply explain the beliefs and practices
of all faith groups without criticizing them. However, in rare instances, we see
profoundly evil practices that must be condemned. So, we have deviated from our
normal policy for the next two paragraphs.
We have watched many documentaries about the FLDS. However, none of them so
far seem to address a fundamental demographical problem within the denomination:
1) Boys and girls are born into the FLDS at approximately equal rates.
2) Males in the FLDS are expected to have many wives.
In order to maintain polygyny as the normal family structure, the FLDS must have
many women available for each man. This can only be accomplished by getting rid
of most males. This is typically done wrenching male youths from their family
origin with a few minutes warning, driving them to another city, and dumping
them there without any means of emotional or financial support. They are often
referred to as the "lost boys." In essence, the Church creates thousands of
orphans as a matter of policy. If you feel that this is consistent with Bible
teaching, please go to
http://www.biblegateway.com/ and read what the Bible says about the
treatment of orphans.
We now return you to our regular programming.

Topics covered in this section:

A book about escaping from the FLDS: Author Carolyn
Jessop was born into the FLDS and grew up in Colorado City, AZ. She successfully
escaped from the group and lives elsewhere in Utah with her eight children. Her
book discusses the abuse that she endured and her liberation from polygyny. Read
reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store. The
book is also available in paperback and audio formats.
Apologetics Index has a 40 minute video showing Jessop discussing her life
&
book, and answering questions from the audience. See:
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/ Apologetics Index is an evangelical
counter-cult Christian web site. 
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Reference used:The following information source was used to prepare and update the above
essay. The hyperlink is not necessarily still active today.
-
Suzan Mazur, "Seven brides for one brother: Plural marriage is rife
in the western United States," Financial Times, 2000, at:
http://www.childpro.org/
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Copyright © 2004 to 2012 by Ontario Consultants
on Religious Tolerance
Originally written: 2004-JUL-25
Latest update: 2012-JUN-22
Author: B.A. Robinson
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