madjen38

WHY are we here defending something that is abhorrently wrong???? I just dont understand this? Have ANY of you been a part of a community like this??? Do you KNOW anyone that has/is? Until you understand the generations of indoctrination, living with confirmed pedofiles masking their illness as "God's word" and becoming so desensitized to what is acceptable and not acceptable, you have no right to defend it and frankly, there is NO defence. And then intellectually challenging its rights is just absurd. If their mothers are willing to remove their children and agree that they will not allow their daughters to "marry" until their daughters can do so at an age of legal consent, than they should be taken away. Until poligamy is either allowed by the legal framework of our government or in the second coming if Christ restores it as an ordinace, then it the law should be protected and individuals punished for participating. Period. ESPECIALLY when it is forced on CHILDREN, not of an age or maturity to consent. My beef, help the mothers too. Work with the them, help them, protect them. They are victims as well! So, because you think that someday we are all going to live on a compound in our eternal state and have many wives, that we should protect this sick and distorted practice??? Oh my word! As to their "sacred" temple being desecrated... THERE WAS A CONSUMATION BED IN THE TEMPLE! How many of those acts of pedophylia took place in that "sacred" temple. Again, if you think that the US government is going to come in and do the same to our temples, what do we have in them, what practices do we have that are illegal? How do we live that is NOT within the laws of the land and what do we have to be afraid of??? When a child, yes CHILD is in harms way, there is nothing that should be compromised to protect the safety of that child. Nothing!

First, in Brighams day, it was not uncommon for younger girls to marry. My grandma was married at age 12. HOWEVER, its not like it was a healthy thing and time has taught us that there are harms in OLDER men (MOST WELL OVER 30) becoming sexually involved (lets not forget using that word) with girls under the legal age. Second, its illegal now and we are instructed to obey the laws of the land. Period. Thirdly, the government IS right now, having issues with any religious organization that engages in inappropriate sexual practices. If you lived in an area where there is a predominant muslim community and had friends within those communities you would know that HERE in the U.S., LEGAL age is never ignored. POLYGAMY is not practiced by MUSLIMS in the US and only rarely outside the US. Just as we cannot regulate the teachings of any one's religion on what ultimately they think is truth and their moral code, WE CAN and SHOULD regulate behavior that is in danger or harming or causing harm to those that are helpless. We are talking about MINOR CHILDREN engaging in sexual practices with OLDER MEN. In order for them to protect those that are at risk and engaged in that behavior, they had to separate. I do not believe that their motives are anything other than just that.

We have to be careful here. As there are just as many children that are safe and have been removed from their mother's, there are many that are not. I KNOW that there are many injustices and immoral acts, being done in Heavenly Father's name that are emotionally and spiritually destructive in the environment of the RLDS compound. Its wrong and if protecting those that are in danger means being overzealous and separation for a few "in the meantime", than so be it! I have personal experience in this area and can attest that many among the followers of Warren Jeffs have issues far beyond just wanting to live polygamy and motives less than altruistic. ANYONE who forces a women/young girl/child into marriage is not acting from a pure place. End of sentence. My husband and I have pained over this tragedy for days now. How horrible for these kids to possibly end up in a home that has not comprehension of where they have been through. I pray many an LDS family in the area would step up and offer their homes. At least there is a base from which to work. We feel helpless for the children AND the mothers, since most of the mothers have never been outside the compound as well. This is ALL they know, as well. I wish there was something we could DO....

IMHO, PBs are such a subjective thing. Why, you ask? Because they involve mankind to administer them and they involve mankind (us/or womankind) to interpret them. That leaves all kinds of room for human error/failing. To think that our Patriarchs are void of error is sort of silly. To place such disporportional importance on the "words on the paper" is unwise. They can be a guide post and a reminder of who we are, where we came from and what we should be about. When I received mine, it was a pretty extraordinary experience for me. I still remember if vividly and that was 30 years ago. When I shared it with my sister, several years after, she commented on how generic it was and how robbed I was for a real blessing. WOW, I didnt feel robbed. There were several times when the patriarch had stopped, paused, and then what came out was and has been of huge importance to me. That's the key. Its yours. It is what you have. The GOOD news now, YOU have the direct line to know and understand daily what the Father wants and seeks for/from you. PUT YOUR TRUST in HIM and less on the paper. Oh dont get down on me for thinking I am discounting PBs, as I am not. I do think however, an overemphasis on any ONE thing can and will eventually bring us to a crossroads and a lesson to be learned.

I am an active member of my ward and am married to my best friend from high school, (7 years ago, 2nd marriage for both) who is an active Witness. His father was (died of cancer in 2000) an elder in his congregation (sort of like the bishop/bishopric member). We have an active and lively family study period, but find much more common ground than differences and agree that its hard enough to do the basics than to argue doctrine. He supports me in my callings and in raising my children within the church, attending Stake Conference with us, special sacrament meetings, watching conference, social activities within the family and is even taking my son to Priesthood Session on Saturday. He is loved and respected by the entire ward family and his contributions to meetings/discussions because of his scriptural knowledge have been valuable. we have always had the missionaries over regularly and our home teachers enjoy his contributions, prayers and leadership. I am not restricted in praying and he has always encouraged our children (male and female) to pray as well. I attend special talks with him, his conventions, and support him in his meeting schedules and his going out in service (tracting). We have friends over from his congregation and I have been treated very respectfully and as a member of the family by his mother, her husband, his brother and his daughter. I have never encountered a zeal or push to have me join. They know of my faith and I am just as respected in his circle, as he is in mine. I showed him this forum and he would be happy to correct some misinformation disseminated here, as well as answer any further questions that anyone has. He is not interested in engaging in any argumentative discussions, but likes being able to acurately disseminate his beliefs, as we like to with our own. So ask away!