Ruby jessop, who was helped to leave a polygamist sect along the utaharizona border ruby jessop, now was held against her will at the fundamentalist church of jesus christ of latter day saints for 12 years, in which time she bore. She is the cousin, by marriage, of flora jessop, another former flds. Flora jessop born 1969 is an american social activist, author, and advocate for abused children. Mayor donia jessop was born into the church but forced out in 2012. Laurene jessop, who has fiftyfive siblings, moved out of her parents home in colorado city, arizona at age 19 and was placed in an arranged marriage to an older man, val jessop. She says she found it impossible to be the perfect servant to her husbands every whim, even though it was the law of the land. Today we not only discuss the show, we discuss polygamy in our society, and the public perceptions of the mormon religion. March 1, 2006 last summer was laurene jessops first trip back to polygamistrun colorado city, ariz. As a teen, laurene was married to an older man chosen by the sect named val jessop. Laurene jessop ended up there after brawling with a sister wife who she said had tried to strangle her daughter. Woman who escaped polygamous sect revisits past abc news.
This sparse home was shared by his mother, older brother, and. She escaped from a fundamentalist polygamist sect in southern utah, the one run by warren jeffs and in the news in the last few years for abuse and rape of underage girls. But some people call me a hero, and id like to think theyre right too. Joseph smith jessop january 25, 1869 september 1, 1953 was an early patriarch in the mormon fundamentalist movement and, with john y. She was raised in a polygamous family, with two mothers and twentyseven siblings, all members of the fundamentalist church of jesus christ of latterday saints flds. Flds prophet warren jeffs may be serving life in prison, but his followers continue with their work on the yfz ranch near eldorado, texas where the groups white limestone temple towers over the town they are building. A picture of him with some of his wives sits on a shelf a reminder, glyn says, that no. Decades after split over polygamy and mormon beliefs, the. Jessop, now 38, was the fourth wife of a highranking church leader when she escaped that night three years ago. In 2011, the sister wives blog started out as a place to talk about the tlc reality show sister wives, kody brown and his wives christine, robyn, meri and janelle.
Were talking tonight about polygamy in america, and joining our discussion is flora jessop. Polygamy, the practice of plural marriage, appears to be alive and well in the lone star state, despite laws to the contrary. After all, her own father had three wives by the time she was in fourth grade. Ive been called apostate, vigilante, and crazy bitch, and maybe i am. If a church asks for an exemption, do they have to provide any. The hearts of normal propolygamists go out to laurene jessop, explained henkel. I always felt like i was an intruder, laurene said. The woman who escaped a polygamous cult and turned its hq. When she was eighteen years old, carolyn jessop was coerced into an arranged marriage with a total. Floras war flora jessop knows what its like to flee an insular and polygamous world. Two colorado city officers arrived, handcuffed laurene jessop and took her in a police car to the guidance center, she said. Bullies and abusers use god to support and sustain their reigns of terror. She was the desperate mother of an 8 year old infant, named claire, trapped in an abusive polygamous. I was born into six generations of polygamy on my mothers side and started life in hildale, utah, in a fundamentalist mormon community known as the flds.
By now you may have had a chance to read a magazine article or watch a television program that examines the lives of men and women who have chosen to enter into polygamous marriages, or plural marriage as it is sometimes called. Flora jessop spares no punches in telling her story. Jessop, the person warren jeffs designated as his successor to the presidency of the flds church jessop was a bodyguard during the tenure of flds church president warren jeffs. Confronting abuse in colorado city, laurene says men wield absolute power over both wives and children. Jessop grew up in hildale, one of 28 children whom her polygamous father. Former polygamous sect member confronts past abc news. Beyond belief by jenna miscavige hill escape by carolyn jessop under the banner of heaven by jon krakauer stolen innocence by elissa wall the. Nobody knew where he was and the few who did werent talking. Ten to 12 adults and older adolescents sit at the main table, and six or seven children, toddlers to teens, sit at two tables in the adjoining room. To emmeline, a person who did not advocate polygamy could not represent utah women. But laurene says marie was bitterly jealous from day one, beginning from the time she and val consummated the marriage. Jessop was the fourth wife of one if the big wigs in the community.
We discuss polygamy usa and will be covering my 5 wives. It was from a terrified 16 year old girl who identified herself as sarah jessop barlow from a nearby ranch in eldorado texas. Primetime visits the isolated community of colorado city, arizona, with anti polygamy activist flora jessop and her cousin, laurene. Jessop, bishop to the flds people, beloved and respected by many disappeared about 5 years ago. If i am a hero, maybe its because every time i can play a part in saving a child or a woman from a life of servitude and degradation, im saving a little piece of me, too. Praise for church of lies flora jessop s story is raw, courageous, riveting, and a real eyeopener. William roy willie jessop is a former leader and spokesman for the fundamentalist church of jesus christ of latterday saints flds church. She said her sister was even present when they had sex. For laurene jessop and black, relatively recent refugees, the wounds are still raw, the emotions still raging. Members of a polygamist sect endure abuses, or risk losing everything.
Nate eaton speaks with carolyn jessop and her escape from polygamy and the flds church. It was just before midnight saturday on march 29, 2008 when the newbridge family shelter 1 in san angelo texas received an alarming distress call. After the escapes tuesday, february 7, episode centers on yolanda barlow, who has had trouble finding a job watch us weeklys exclusive first look. She has no relation to our first guest, laurene jessop.
I saw a connection to jessop s memoir of the horrors of polygamy to the handmaids tale. Church of lies is one more compelling reason why polygamy should not be decriminalized. I believe that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior when it comes to religious fanaticism. A reason for faith was written to do just as the title implies, provide reasons for faith by offering faithful answers to sincere questions. She also knows it will take more than distance to be truly free. Recent events have created a wave of fascination with the idea of a man taking more than one wife for himself. The extortion of sex for salvation in contemporary mormon and christian fundamentalist polygamy and the stories of 18 women who escaped by andrea mooreemmett.
Flora jessop, a distant relative who left her plural heritage behind as a teenager and now actively campaigns against polygamy, arranged the interview in new york city and participated in the program. Its there on laurene cooke jessop, a distant cousin of flora who. Where few dare to disobey, by david kelly and gary cohn. Laurene and her sister have eight children with val jessop five by laurene and three by her older sister. Flora, too, escaped from a forced marriage, a marriage to her cousin when she was 16 years old. They dont have flora jessop s years of distance and hard outer shell. Last year laurene escaped from the fundamentalist church of latter day saints sect, where she was placed into. A report on polygamy among mormon fundamentalists focuses on laurene jessop, who fled from a polygamous marriage. How do you rebuild your life after leaving a polygamous sect.
Laurene had been dealt a bad hand in life, and playing it cost her her emotional wellbeing. Her family was part of the fundamentalist church of jesus christ of latterday saints flds, a radical. Jessop was born and raised in colorado city, arizona. Laurene jessop said she signed the custody of her children to her husband when she was put on drugs in the institution, but she now has her children back with the help of the organization justice for children and flora jessop. Because of the number of people in the home, meals in the jessop home are not unlike holiday meals in other homes. I was born into six generations of polygamy on my mothers side and started life in hildale, utah, in a fundamentalist mormon community known as the flds, or the. Carolyn jessop born january 1, 1968 is a former fundamentalist church of jesus christ of latter day saints member who wrote escape, an autobiographical account of her upbringing in the polygamist sect and later flight from that community. So much sadness and pain for these young victims, all the young victims, who grow up to become the next generation of perpetrators.
In maine, mark henkel, national polygamy advocate and founder of the christian polygamy organization, said that primetimes chosen way to present what the show termed, the culture of polygamy, is slander against all normal propolygamists. Before the internet, historical and doctrinal questions not addressed in lds church curriculum were mostly found in the scholarly articles. I have a question, the assesor said that the yfz did not ask for an exemption. However, in utah emmeline wells immediately discredited charlotte in the womans exponent. Carolyn jessops story of her life in the polygamous community the flds is one of those books that is.
My story of growing up in a polygamous sect, becoming a teenage bride, and breakin. Her oldest son had been yanked out of school at age 12 by his father to work construction jobs. When there is a reasonable risk that these things will or could occur, men and women of good conscience cannot stand by and allow attempts by the browns and others to decriminalize, legalize, or even destigmatize polygamy. On july 26, 1953, soonthreeyearold val jessop lay asleep in his bed in the family. Kutv a large police presence swarmed a wellknown polygamous familys property in south salt lake wednesday. Laurene jessop ended up there after brawling with a sister wifewho. However, the stark reality of the dysfunction of polygamy is presented in escape 2007 by carolyn jessop. Flora jessop, a child victim advocate with the child protection project, started fridays lecture on polygamy and child abuse at the james e.
Can she help heal the town his flds sect ruled for generations. Imagine having an extra room for your husband to make love with your sister, mother, daughter or best friend, she said. Llewellyn, author, polygamy s rape of rachael strong. Protected environment for predators this is an important book that sheds light on an ultraauthoritarian secretive community in our midst.
Polygamy and the handmaids tale the bookshelf of emily j. My sevenyear investigation into warren jeffs and the fundamentalist church of latterday saints. Those jessops who wanted polygamy and fundamentalism went to hildale, utah, and adjoining colorado city, ariz. Polygamy lecture disgusts jacob konstarizona daily wildcat.
Flora jessop, author of church of lies, on librarything. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. Woman who escaped polygamous sect revisits past laurene jessop confronts husband who also married her sister will she forgive him. Womens suffrage for emmeline was part of a strategy to promote mormon women and defend polygamy. Woman who escaped polygamous sect revisits her past. Terry jessop estimates those three brothers produced thousands of descendants. She also is providing food and shelter to laurene and the girls, ages 7, 10 and 15 years old, in her phoenix home. How i escaped my fatherwarren jeffspolygamy, and the. Two colorado city officers arrived, handcuffed laurene jessop and. My biggest problem with polygamy and any situation in which women are used as pawns for children is the fact that it hurts both women and children. Abc primetimemarch 1, 2006 last summer was laurene jessop s first trip back to polygamistrun colorado city, ariz. This bookshelf single includes the chapter the practice of polygamy from a reason for faith a reason for faith. Barlow, cofounder of short creek, arizona later colorado city, arizona, and hildale, utah, home to the polygynous short creek community. A decade ago, members of the flds a fundamentalist sect of the.
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