Joshuah's House

The Attack on Marriage

Nooo, we don't agree with everything this author says either, big
surprise there. But the article is rather refreshing to read.

"Polygamy is to marriage what the free market is to the economy. Which
can only mean one thing: If you oppose legalizing polygamy, well, you
are a Communist.
(...)

"If the government legally required that all men earn the same salary, that system would be described in a book called Das Kapital. And that's the marital system we're living under.

Polygamists of the world, throw off your chains."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: polygamy, plural marriage, das kapital, communism, legalize polygamy, Warren Jeffs, Big Love, Mitt Romney

Joshuah's House has moved

Joshuah's House has moved to it's own domain:

http://www.joshuahshouse.com

The new blog is located at:

http://blog.joshuahshouse.com

See you there ;-)

Polygamist sect leader found guilty

" ST. GEORGE, Utah (CNN) -- Polygamist sect leader Warren Steed Jeffs was found guilty Tuesday of being an accomplice to rape for using his religious authority to push a 14-year-old girl into a marriage she did not want.

FLDS leader Warren Jeffs and his defense team are stoic as the guilty verdict is read.

Jeffs stood with his hands folded and didn't appear to react as the verdict was read.

The counts carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. His sentencing date was not immediately set.

"This trial has not been about religion or a vendetta," said prosecutor Brock Belnap. "It is simply about child abuse."

He called the young woman, Elissa Wall, a hero for coming forward with her story."

Full Story Told on CNN

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage, guilty, convicted, jury verdict

Warren Jeffs Convicted

"ST. GEORGE, Utah (Reuters) - U.S. polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs was convicted on Tuesday of being an accomplice to rape for arranging a marriage between an unwilling 14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old first cousin.

Jeffs faces five years to life in prison for each of the two felony charges of accomplice to rape. No date was set for sentencing.

The self-described "prophet" of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints showed no expression as the verdict was read to a court packed with his supporters.

The trial has riveted Utah, the western state with a majority Mormon population. Jeffs' sect is not associated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are called Mormons."

Full Sad Tale is Told Here

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage, guilty, convicted, jury verdict

Polygamist sect leader's jury starts over

"ST. GEORGE, Utah (CNN) -- Jurors in the trial of polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs started deliberating all over again Tuesday with a new panelist after signaling earlier that they were close to a verdict.

Warren Jeffs is accused of two counts of being an accomplice to the rape of a FLDS child bride.

One juror was removed for reasons that weren't explained. She was replaced by one of the alternates, also a woman, court officials said.

Deliberations have been brief but tumultuous. On Monday, after just one full day of discussions, jurors told Judge James Shumate they were deadlocked. They returned to the jury room after a few words of encouragement.

Before leaving for the evening, jurors told the judge they were close to a verdict but wanted to sleep on it. But before deliberations resumed Tuesday morning, court officials replaced the juror, saying only that there had been an "event."
"

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage, juror replaced, jury verdict

Juror in Warren Jeffs trial replaced

"ST. GEORGE, Utah — A juror in the trial of polygamous leader Warren Jeffs was replaced Tuesday and the panel was told to start deliberations from scratch, a day after it had announced it was close to a verdict.

Fifth District Judge James Shuter instructed the jury to begin deliberations again after excusing a female juror and replacing her with a female alternate in Jeffs' trial on two counts of rape as an accomplice.

The surprise announcement came on Tuesday, one day after the jury said it was deadlocked. After the judge told the panel to go back to work, jurors said they believed they were close to a verdict, but wanted to sleep on it."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage, juror replaced, jury verdict

Jeffs being prosecuted for polygamist connections, defence argues

"But Jeffs’s attorney argued there was no rape. Walter Bugden said the only reason Jeffs is on trial is because he leads the largest polygamous group in North America, which the state of Utah does not approve of.

He noted that on the day the girl testified, Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff was in the courtroom sitting with her lawyer.

Bugden said there was no way that Jeffs knowingly aided in the rape even if he directed them to “go forth and replenish the earth.”

"The state does not have the courage to charge Warren Jeffs with what Mr. Jeffs may be criminally responsible for," which is unlawful marriage and the marriage of an under-aged girl, said Jeffs’s lawyer

Instead, “the state dropped a nuclear bomb on the FLDS community and charged Warren Steed Jeffs with rape. There was no rape. There is no accomplice liability," he added."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage, jury verdict

Jury in Warren Jeffs trial announces deadlock on one count; judge sends them back to work

"ST. GEORGE, Utah — Jurors in the trial of polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs announced Monday that they could not reach a unanimous decision on the issue of whether the so-called "prophet" influenced a 14-year-old bride to have sex with her husband against her will."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage, jury verdict

Jeffs jurors say they are near a decision

" ST. GEORGE - Jurors deciding the fate of polygamous sect leader Warren S. Jeffs deliberated for about 11 hours today without reaching a verdict, but said they are close to decisions on the two counts of rape as an accomplice.
Fifth District Judge James L. Shumate sent the five men and three women home at about 8:15 p.m., asking them to return to court at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
The jurors had sent Shumate a note shortly after 3:30 p.m. today, saying they were deadlocked on the second count. "

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage, jury verdict

Jeffs Jury Deadlocked on One Count

ST. GEORGE, Utah -- Jurors neared a verdict before heading home Monday in the case against the leader of a polygamous sect who is accused of rape in the arranged marriage of a 14-year-old girl to her older cousin.

The jury had sent a note to the judge earlier indicating it had reached an impasse on one count against Warren Jeffs, president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Jeffs is charged with two counts of rape as an accomplice.

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage, jury verdict

Verdict Watch: Warren Jeffs Trial

"In the case of State of Utah v. Warren Steed Jeffs. At 8:10 p.m. (MST), Judge James Shumate called the jury back into the courtroom. The jury indicated they were close to a verdict, but wanted to sleep on it overnight. The judge released them for the evening. The jury will be back in session on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 9 a.m."

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage, jury verdict

Warren Jeffs: Jury hung on one count, decides on another

"ST. GEORGE — The jury in the Warren Jeffs trial has come to a decision on one count of the two charges against the polygamist leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but is hung on the second count."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage, jury verdict

Utah Jury Resumes Deliberations in Polygamist Leader's Trial

" ST. GEORGE, Utah — Jurors returned to the courthouse Monday for their first full day of deliberations in a case that could send the leader of a polygamous sect to prison for the rest of his life.

After instructions and closing arguments, the jury met for about two hours Friday."

Full Story at FoxNews.Com

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage , mohave county

JEFFS: Defense team set for Arizona, federal charges

"ST. GEORGE — No matter what the Washington County jury decides in the Warren Jeffs trial, the leader of the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints still has more court proceedings ahead of him.

Jeffs still has charges pending against him in Mohave County, Ariz. as well as federal charges.

Las Vegas attorney Richard Wright, a member of Jeffs' defense team, said this morning that he will be Jeffs' legal counsel for the federal charges as well as co-counsel on the Arizona charges along with Michael L. Piccarreta out of Tucson.

Jeffs has a federal charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

In Mohave County, Jeffs faces eight charges including sexual conduct with a minor, conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor and incest as an accomplice.

Those charges involve two victims including Elissa Wall, who was previously only identified as Jane Doe IV in the Washington County case."

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage , mohave county

Jury continues deliberations in Jeffs case

"ST. GEORGE — With only two hours to deliberate after five days of testimony, the five men and three women on the jury in the state’s case against Warren Steed Jeffs didn’t reach a verdict Friday and will continue deliberations this morning.

The jury was advised by 5th District Judge James L. Shumate to be back in court at 9 a.m. to continue looking at the evidence."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage

Why they leave

Scott Tracy

"Recently on a former-Mormons website, a poll was taken asking the question "Why did you leave?" and the results might be somewhat shocking to most current members of the church.

"Kevin Whitaker, in his recent article on postmormon.org expressed the view that most members who leave the church are sinners, offended, or weak in the faith. This, while may be true for some, fails to cover the reasons that most people leave the faith, and reflects the most common misunderstanding between members of the LDS faith and their former Mormon counterparts. In this article, I will try to cover the reasons that people who leave give, and hopefully increase understanding and acceptance for everyone. By way of warning, I will not go in depth into any faith-harming material, nor will I be unfairly critical of anyone. This is my faith community as well, and my intent is to help us understand."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: LDS, polygamy, Mormon Faith

Jury considering polygamist's fate

ST. GEORGE, Utah

"Jurors are to resume deliberations today in the case of Warren Jeffs, leader of a polygamous sect who is charged as an accomplice to rape for allegedly coercing a 14-year-old girl to marry her cousin.

"The jury got the case Friday after closing arguments in which the defense claimed Jeffs was being persecuted because of his religion.

"Jeffs, 51, is president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The church endorses polygamy and represents itself as an offshoot of the mainstream Mormon church, which disavows any connection and renounced polygamy in 1890 as a condition of Utah statehood." - AP

Source

New century, same debate on polygamy

By Lee Benson, Deseret Morning News

"In July of 1953, Howard Pyle, then the governor of Arizona, ordered a massive police raid on the border town of Short Creek to crack down on polygamist activity there.

" 'Here is a community,' " the governor said, 'dedicated to the wicked theory that every maturing girl child should be forced into the bondage of multiple wifehood with men of all ages for the sole purpose of producing more children ... .'

"Fast forward 54 years.

"Deja vu anyone?

"As we wait for the jury in St. George to conclude its deliberations on rape accomplice charges against polygamist leader Warren Jeffs one verdict is easy to read: "the wicked theory that every maturing girl child should be forced" is still on trial.

"It is the case that will not go away.

"Same stuff, different century."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Elissa Wall, FLDS, LDS, plural marriage, polygamy, Warren Jeffs, Short Creek raid

'I hated him,' Wall says of her ex-husband

Resuming deliberations today, jurors will weigh exhibits, testimonies - including accuser's
By Brooke Adams, The Salt Lake Tribune

"ST. GEORGE - The jury in the trial of polygamous sect leader Warren S. Jeffs will resume deliberations this morning, picking up where it left off after two hours of discussion on Friday.

"The jurors have much to sort through: six days of testimony, dozens of exhibits and a 21-page instruction booklet. The five men and three women asked just one undisclosed question of attorneys on Friday, according to court spokesperson Nancy Volmer.

"Jeffs, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is charged with two counts of being an accomplice to rape related to a marriage he conducted in 2001 between Elissa Wall, who was 14, and Allen Steed, 19.

"Wall, who has changed her name, has agreed to the use of the name she used at the time. On Saturday, her attorneys released a photo taken of Wall in her wedding dress the night before the ceremony."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Elissa Wall, FLDS, LDS, plural marriage, polygamy, Warren Jeffs

Outside world gets a glimpse of FLDS

"ST. GEORGE, Utah — At age 17, Jennie Pipkin wanted to get married. Her father wanted her to finish high school. Four days after her graduation, he asked her to get him a Pepsi from the local store. She returned with the soda in one hand and the cordless phone in another.

It was time, she told him, to call Warren Jeffs.

Jeffs, the son of the prophet of Pipkin's polygamous sect, effectively ran the church and served as his father's spokesman. He asked Pipkin if she had someone in mind. She did — the name of another teenager had come to her while praying, she told Jeffs. The next day, the two were married."

Full story

Technorati Tags: FLDS, LDS, plural marriage, polygamy, Warren Jeffs

Las Vegas offers economic outlet for polygamous sect followers

"For decades, FLDS members have lived in an isolated enclave on the Utah-Arizona border, insulated from the outside world and able to practice polygamy without government interference. That has changed in recent years as authorities have prosecuted several FLDS members, including the sect's self-proclaimed prophet, Warren Steed Jeffs, on charges related to sexual abuse of teenage brides."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage, las vegas, nevada

Defense Rests, Testimony Over In Jeffs Trial

"The defense rested after jurors heard the former husband of a 14-year-old girl. Prosecutors then called a rebuttal witness for brief testimony. Closing arguments are set for Friday.

Jeffs is the president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He is charged with rape by accomplice.

Prosecutors claim he was influential in the arranged marriage of a 14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old cousin in 2001 and forced the teen to have sex with the young man.

The cousin said Wednesday he never forced himself on the teen bride and instead was a patient, loving husband who wanted to make the relationship work.

The man read from a series of notes and letters in which he poured out his feelings for the girl. He stood so jurors could hear his soft voice and sometimes cried as he testified for the defense."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage, Allen Steed , Elissa Wall

Alleged victim in Warren Jeffs trial releases photo of herself

"ST. GEORGE, Utah (ABC 4 News) - On the eve of closing arguments in the Warren Jeffs trial, ABC 4 has been given a photograph of the alleged victim when she was a girl.

Jeffs is accused of rape as an accomplice for forcing the girl to marry her 19-year old first cousin. ABC 4 was told the picture was taken by her mother while they were on a trip to Canada in the Fall of 2000. At that time she had no idea that just 7 months later she would become a child bride."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage, sltrib, Allen Steed , Elissa Wall photo

Jeffs' role: Coercion, devotion?

ST. GEORGE - It is now up to a jury to mull over who used power, control and manipulation - Warren Jeffs, Allen Steed or Elissa Wall - in a case that could put Jeffs, a polygamous sect leader, behind bars for life.
The defense view: A "laser beam of guilt" has been focused unfairly on Jeffs because he is the leader of a religion the state doesn't like.
The prosecution view: The only reason Wall entered a marriage at age 14 and then had sex with her cousin was because Jeffs told her to do so.
After attorneys gave closing arguments, the jury deliberated for about two hours Friday. They asked one undisclosed question before recessing until Monday.

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage, sltrib, Allen Steed , Elissa Wall

Attorney for Warren Jeffs says religion is really on trial

ST. GEORGE, UTAH — – A polygamous sect’s leader on trial here is a scapegoat charged with an inflated offense for political reasons, his defense attorney said Friday.

Warren Jeffs, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is charged with being an accomplice to rape of a 14-year-old girl because he purportedly forced her to marry her 19-year-old cousin.

During closing arguments in Jeffs’ trial, attorney Walter F. Bugden Jr. pointed at the more than two dozen reporters in the courtroom and noted that the Utah attorney general himself had attended the trial one day. “This is no small case,” Bugden said. “The state has gone crazy for political reasons.

“The state can say Warren Steed Jeffs is on trial, but it’s his . . . church, his religious beliefs that is on trial here, dressed up as a crime called rape,” he said.

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage, religionnewsblog

'Jane Doe' of Warren Jeffs FLDS fame no longer seeks anonymity, shows photo

"Nearly two years after leveling first civil and then criminal allegations against Warren S. Jeffs, a young woman has moved away from anonymity. Elissa Wall on Friday released a photo of herself and agreed to the publication of the name she used in 2001, when she was the 14-year-old bride of her 19-year-old cousin. She wants to remind people how young she was at the time of the wedding, performed by Jeffs, and subsequent alleged rapes by her husband, said Greg Hoole, one of her attorneys. "A photo will help people keep that in mind," Hoole said. Now 21, married, and the mother of two children, she is in a witness protection program and has legally changed her name, he said."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Elissa Wall, Greg Hoole, Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage, sltrib

Jury gets accomplice-to-rape case against polygamist sect leader today

"ST. GEORGE - They have listened to two accounts of the events that led to felony charges against polygamous sect leader Warren S. Jeffs.
Now, a jury must decide which one to believe and what the law says about it.
On one side: A young woman who says that at age 14 she unwillingly entered a marriage and a sexual relationship because her faith and Jeffs required it.
On the other: A former husband who says she initiated sex, no force ever occurred and Jeffs counseled him to be loving and kind."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage, sltrib

The Polygamy Paradox

"So this was really a case about what happens when the state's interest in protecting children runs up against a church's right to practice its beliefs, however repugnant others may find them. Jeffs' defense lawyers challenge the very notion that he should somehow be held responsible for what goes on in the privacy of a marriage simply because he arranged it. But state prosecutors have long looked for some way to penetrate the remote FLDS enclave, whose apostate refugees tell stories of exploitation of children as workers, of incest and of sexual abuse. Sitting in court amid the throngs of reporters and silent church members was Utah attorney general Mark Shurtleff, a Republican and a practicing Mormon, come to offer moral support to his team. He has called Jeffs "a religious tyrant, a demagogue" with an "absolute disregard for the laws of the nation, of the state." But charges involving polygamy are notoriously hard to prove, especially in a sect so secluded, so protective and so intent on making its own rules about what constitutes a marriage.
"

Full Time Magazine Article

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage, Time Magazine

Arizona revokes badges of 2 FLDS town marshals

"Arizona authorities have revoked the badges of two police officers from the polygamous border towns of Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Ariz.

At a meeting in Phoenix on Wednesday, the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board voted unanimously to revoke the certifications of Colorado City Town Marshal Fred Barlow and one of his deputies, Preston Barlow.

"This was about peace officers not doing their job," said Tom Hammarstrom, the director of Arizona POST."

Full story

Technorati Tags: FLDS, Mormons, plural marriage, polygamy, Utah, Warren Jeffs, town marshals

Should People Be Free To Be Enslaved?: Polygamy, Prostitution, and the "Consenting Adults" Argument

"As the spiritual leader or "prophet" of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ("FLDS"), Jeffs has allegedly been involved in facilitating many more marriages involving underage women, including plural marriages, than the charges against him reflect. As FindLaw columnist Marci Hamilton suggested in her persuasive essay on the subject, Jeffs's arrest could signal a new willingness on the part of our public institutions to prioritize children's rights over absolute religious prerogative. It could also, I would suggest, highlight a dark side to polygamy - one that belies the claims of those who defend it as a "private" matter between consenting adults."

Full Opinion Can be Read, in all it's Glory, here

Technorati Tags: FLDS, Mormons, plural marriage, polygamy, Utah, Warren Jeffs

Defense rests in Jeffs case; closing arguments slated for Friday

"ST. GEORGE - After calling just 10 of its 70 listed witnesses, the defense has rested in the trial of Warren S. Jeffs, the polygamous sect leader accused of being an accomplice to rape.

The prosecution planned to call one, unidentified rebuttal witness. After that, 5th District Judge James Shumate said, jurors will go home, take Thursday off while jury instructions are being drafted, and then return Friday to hear closing arguments and begin deliberations."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: FLDS, Mormons, plural marriage, polygamy, Utah, Warren Jeffs

Man who married teen bride says he didn't force sex

"ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) - The cousin of a woman who claims the leader of a polygamous sect forced them to marry when she was 14 said Wednesday he never forced himself on the teen bride.

He also claimed she was the one who initiated sex."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage

Man who married teen bride says he didn't force sex

"The man stood so jurors could hear his voice and sometimes cried as he testified for the defense.

Warren Jeffs, 51, president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is on trial on two counts of rape as an accomplice.

The man has never been charged and was warned that his testimony could be used against him.

"I believe that every story needs two sides for the truth to come out," he said, shrugging off any legal risk."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage

The Tools of Dominion

Following the trial against Warren Jeffs, it becomes more and more obvious that the charges against him are a ruse. The alleged victim wants money and uses her rape story to get it, it seems.

But even if Jeffs will be cleared of all charges, it will not lead to peace for his community, as we can see in other headlines we read today:

"FLDS Dairy farm sold at auction for $2M"

and
"State now targets FLDS police cadets"

...not to speak of all the articles that somehow come away with the idea that the women and children of Jeff's group are victims and enslaved, and need to be rescued. Jeff's group has too much money, too much power to be self-sufficient to be just left alone by the state anymore.

Let me tell you what this looks like from our perspective:

Men and women who come to together under God's plan end up having "power", the ability to take dominion. The state doesn't wish to see this happen, and covets its power, its money, its women and children. This is the case with the Amish, the Hutterites, and also with the FLDS, it seems, though we would not subscribe to their belief since they rely on extra-biblical sources too.

The outcome is nevertheless interesting and proves Gary North's point: God's Law provides the Tools of Dominion.

Properly followed, dominion is inevitable. But since there can be no "god", no law, no power greater than that of the state, the state fights people who take dominion.

We read an article this morning that pondered whether or not people have the right to be enslaved if they wish to be enslaved. Well... Look at society. God's Law is the perfect Law of liberty, while society enslaves it's members as best as possible and punishes everyone who is unwilling to go with the flow and dance with the tribe. People choose every day to be enslaved by society's values, the media and its ideas, "common sense", and other unreliable and changing laws...

Oh well.

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, Tools of Dominion, Gary North, FLDS, God's Law, slavery, Joshuah's House

FLDS accuser wants $1 million from UEP Trust

"Details of the proposed settlement with the United Effort Plan Trust
were revealed in St. George’s 5th District Court, where Jeffs is on
trial for rape as an accomplice. Defense attorneys have pointed out to
the jury that “Jane Doe IV,” as she is known in court documents, filed
a lawsuit against Jeffs before going to authorities to report the
alleged rape."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage, UEP

FLDS Dairy farm sold at auction for $2M

"A judge placed the trust under Wisan's control after finding Jeffs and other trustees had failed to safeguard its assets.

Wisan forced the auction of the Harker property to satisfy an
$8.8 million default judgment he won in March against the former
trustees. He convinced a 3rd District judge they had harmed the trust
by selling off property and ordering removal of buildings and farming
equipment."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage,

State now targets FLDS police cadets

"Arizona POST officials will decide today whether to take the badges of
Hildale/Colorado City Town Marshal Fred Barlow and his deputy, Preston
Barlow. They are accused of refusing to answer investigators'
questions. Fred Barlow also is accused of seeking direction from Jeffs
when Jeffs was a fugitive on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list."

Full story

Technorati Tags: Police cadets, Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage,

The Softer Side of the FLDS

"ST. GEORGE - Faithful followers of polygamous sect leader Warren S. Jeffs gave jurors another view of their religion Tuesday, saying it is based on love and kindness, makes women partners in marriage and gives them ultimate say in sexual matters.

Women are taught to be obedient to a husband only as long as he lives righteously, the nine witnesses said."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: FLDS, Mormons, plural marriage, polygamy, Utah, Warren Jeffs, sltrib

Uncle Fred arranged marriage, sister says at Jeffs trial

"ST. GEORGE — Fred Jessop, the stepfather of the woman accusing polygamist leader Warren Jeffs of rape as an accomplice, insisted his daughter marry a cousin she despised, an older sister testified in 5th
District Court on Monday.

"Fred put the marriage together, but Warren could have stopped it," Rebecca Musser testified during cross-examination by defense counsel Wally Bugden. "Fred insisted and Warren upheld it."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: FLDS, Mormons, plural marriage, polygamy, Utah, Warren Jeffs, Fred Jessop

Jeffs prosecutors rest case after playing recorded sermon

"ST. GEORGE, Utah — Prosecutors played a 30-minute sermon Tuesday and then rested their case against a polygamous-sect leader charged with sex crimes in the arranged marriage of a 14-year-old girl and her
older cousin.

Speaking to the faithful in 2002, Warren Jeffs said the sect's principles were under attack by Utah and Arizona authorities, a reference to increased scrutiny of ceremonial marriages involving minors.

But the tape was mostly a speech by Sam Barlow, a member of Jeffs' church and former marshal in Colorado City, Ariz., a small community on the Utah-Arizona border dominated by members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which has a large complex in the West Texas town of Eldorado, about 40 miles south of San Angelo."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: FLDS, Mormons, plural marriage, polygamy, Utah, Warren Jeffs

Teen bride describes her wedding day

"ST. GEORGE, Utah -- A former follower of
a polygamous-sect leader sobbed on the witness stand Friday as she
described the terror and despair she felt on the eve of her wedding at
age 14, and said she became intensely depressed after having sex. "I
kept thinking I felt like I was getting ready for death," she testified
on the second day of the trial of Warren Jeffs, leader of the
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: FLDS, Mormons, plural marriage, polygamy, Utah, Warren Jeffs

Defense Grills Jeffs Accuser on Day 3

"ST. GEORGE, Utah -- A defense attorney picked over the testimony of a key witness in the trial of a polygamous sect leader Monday, looking for discrepancies in her story about being under overwhelming pressure to marry an older cousin when she was 14."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: FLDS, Mormons, plural marriage, polygamy, Utah, Warren Jeffs, Washington Post

Update: Warren Jeffs’ Trial…Wait Until You See What The Complainant Says Her Mother Said About The Marriage

"Read the text highlighted in red….does this mean that the complainant’s Mother is likewise an accessory to rape? Warren Jeffs is charged as an accessory for rape for allegedly enticing the complainant to marry ….and go forth and multiply (in Jeffs’ words.)"

Full Story

Technorati Tags: FLDS, Mormons, plural marriage, polygamy, Utah, Warren Jeffs

Polygamous Bride Silent About Rape

"ST. GEORGE, Utah — A young woman who claims she was forced to enter an arranged marriage at age 14 said Monday she never complained to her mother or sisters that she was being raped.

"I never told anyone," the woman, now 21, said during cross-examination at the trial of a polygamous-sect leader."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage,

Jeffs trial: Former child-bride faces cross-examination today

"ST. GEORGE - A former child bride is to face cross-examination today as trial resumes for polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, polygamy, plural marriage,

Sect Bride Testifies of Coercion

"A former follower of a polygamous sect leader claims she was acting to preserve her eternal salvation when she obeyed his command and married her cousin at age 14.

Now 21, the woman was married in a 2001 religious ceremony to her 19-year-old cousin, then followed the counsel of Warren Jeffs to submit to her husband "mind, body and soul."

Jeffs, 51, leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, went on trial Thursday on two counts of rape as an accomplice for using his church authority to coerce the marriage."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, polygamy, FLDS, teenage bride, Joshuah's House

Conspiracy theory may enter polygamy trial

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, conspiracy, polygamy

There is still Hope for those leaving polygamy

Honestly, people, do you really think that happiness and
fulfillment in life lies in such things as haircuts, manicures, and
makeup lessons ? Is that how far our society has come, a society that
calls itself a "nation under God" ? I do have to wonder which god
indeed, for it is certainly not the God of the bible, the God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Anyway, here is the story:

"ST. GEORGE - Those leaving polygamous communities, by choice or not, find themselves with little resources at their disposal and not knowing where to go for help.

Many have little formal education and no money, family or friends they can turn to for help.

One of the organizations that steps up to the plate to help these people is the Hope Organization. Incorporated in 2004, the nonprofit group run by volunteers does whatever it can to help by providing mental, physical, emotional and financial help.
Elaine Tyler, who runs the organization, said it's often a slow process helping primarily women and children who leave polygamous communities. (...)

The organization received a grant this year from the United Way, which was used for makeovers on 12 ladies receiving help through the organization.

The women received haircuts, manicures, makeup lessons and photographs."

Full story.

Technorati Tags: Hope Organization, polygamy, leaving polygamous communities, Warren Jeffs, FLDS, Joshuah's House

Former Teen Bride in Tears at Trial of Polygamous Sect Leader

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Warren Jeff's Organized Crime Probe

"A stalled organized crime investigation into the Fundamentalist LDS
Church could heat up again if the Utah Attorney General's Office is
able to get its hands on evidence seized when FBI agents arrested
polygamist leader Warren Jeffs."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Organized Crime, FLDS, LDS, St. George, Utah, Warren Jeffs, Arizona Republic, polygamy, plural marriage

Warren Jeff's Accuser in Hot Seat Soon

"Defense attorneys for polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs will get their first shot at undermining a key prosecution witness today as the defendant's trial moves into its second week."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: FLDS, LDS, St. George, Utah, Warren Jeffs, Arizona Republic, polygamy, plural marriage

St. George, Utah and Warren Jeff's Trial

Mention Warren Jeffs in St. George, Utah, the town where his trial is taking place, and many in this community are quick to draw the distinction between the Church of Latter Days Saints and Jeff's group of Fundamentalists.

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, LDS, St. George, Utah, AP, Video

On Submission

Since this topic has come up in the third yahoo group in a row now, I elaborated a little on the issue of submission. You can find the article in the "Good Wife" section, or just go there by clicking the link below.

On Submission.

Technorati Tags: submission, marriage, biblical plural marriage, Joshuah's House

Teen bride describes her wedding day

Polygamy leader told rape victim to repent

"ST. GEORGE, Utah (Reuters) - A young woman told a Utah court on Friday she wanted to die after being forced into sex at age 14 in a marriage arranged by one of the biggest U.S. polygamous sects.

But the self-styled prophet of the breakaway Mormon clan told her she was disobedient and needed to repent and submit to her new husband, the woman testified."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: FLDS, Mormons, plural marriage, polygamy, Utah, Warren Jeffs, Reuters, rape, repent

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The Danger of Uneducated Opinion - Part 2

“King David had many wives given to him as gifts. King David was not happy with so many wives and continued on to find his ideal in Bathsheba.”

Where does the bible say that King David was unhappy or found his ideal in Bathsheba ? Well, it doesn’t. This statement is just an opinion, not based on Scripture at all, but on assumptions.

But let’s have a look at Scripture to see what it actually does say: Why did David desire Bathsheba, and why did he marry, for example, Abigail ? The case could be made that Bathsheba attracted him mainly sexually (2Sa 11:2-4), while Abigail impressed him with her actions (1Sa 25:32-35). The lady who stated the above things about King David says, therefore, that King David’s ideal was purely carnal. Oh well. A few paragraphs later, she says:

“A carnal man will take territory without soul searching.”

I have to assume that this applies to King David as well then, which makes no sense given the fact that she claims he kept on searching for his ideal.

Read the whole article on our new blog.

Technorati Tags: Christian ladies, group experience, Joshuah's House, King David, plural marriage, polygamy

‘Jane Doe’ Testifies at Warren Jeffs Trial

"ST. GEORGE, Utah, Sept. 13 — The prosecution’s star witness in the trial of the fundamentalist Mormon polygamist
leader Warren S. Jeffs testified on Thursday that she was taught to
either obey church leaders without question or face dire consequences."

Full story

Technorati Tags: FLDS, Mormons, plural marriage, polygamy, Utah, Warren Jeffs, NY Times

Conspiracy theories and Polygamy

"ST. GEORGE, Utah, 12 (UPI) -- Prosecutors in Warren S. Jeffs' trial want to have a conspiracy theory allegedly held true by the Utah polygamous sect leader entered into evidence."

Full Story
, com

Technorati Tags: FLDS, Mormons, plural marriage, polygamy, Utah, Warren Jeffs, conspiracy theory

Warren Steed Jeffs and His Numerous Marriages

"What You Can Learn From the Polygamous Marriages of Warren Steed Jeffs: Warren
Steed Jeffs, the polygamist leader of the Fundamentalist Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints that has 10,000 followers, has
numerous wives and nearly 60 children. These relationships can teach
about the dangers of allowing a person such as Jeffs to have so much
control over others' lives, especially the lives of young girls."

Visit the Site

Technorati Tags: FLDS, Mormons, plural marriage, polygamy, Utah, Warren Jeffs, about.com

POLYGAMY DIARIES

"In one of the most remote corners of America's Southwest desert sits the little dusty town of Colorado City, Ariz., home to the largest concentration of polygamists in North America."

Interesting site...take a look

Technorati Tags: FLDS, Mormons, plural marriage, polygamy, Utah, Warren Jeffs, azfamily.com

The Danger of Uneducated Opinion - Part 1

Last night I was asked on yet another Christian ladies' group what my stand was on polygamy. Naturally, we were very hesitant to elaborate on anything, knowing full well where all this would lead. We weren't asked because someone was genuinely interested in knowing, but to provide a stage for someone to spout off her take on the matter.

And indeed, we were not mistaken, for we woke up this morning to a long rambling about the messed-up psyche of the polygamous man and woman (and of the messed-up psyche of King David, by the way), a long post of yet another person stating her opinion without a shred of Scripture to back it up. She claims to be her "brother's keeper", and yet does nothing else but throw mud at us, claims that polygamy is an abomination, and that we are posting our website link in my yahoo signature in order to impose our false doctrine on innocent and unsuspecting people. She provided no Scriptural foundation for any of her claims and assumptions, but just stated her opinion, which actually turned out to be a lot of psycho-babble.

Read more here.

Technorati Tags: polygamy, plural marriage, group experience, Christian Ladies, King David, Joshuah's House

Polygamy on NPR

Talk of the Nation, September 12, 2007 ·
Warren Jeffs, the polygamous leader of The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, faces two counts of rape as an accomplice in the arranged marriage of a 14-year-old girl. Guests discuss Jeffs' controversial sect, freedom of religion, polygamy and fundamentalism.

Full Tale Begins Here

Technorati Tags: Audio, FLDS, Mormons, morning edition, NPR, plural marriage, polygamy, Utah, Warren Jeffs

Let's Think For a Moment

A Quick thought on the Warren Jeffs trial:

It seems as though many people may find it absolutely "shocking" that an individual can claim to have received "revelation" or direction directly from God. Truthfully, I find this notion much more shocking, when you consider that somewhere between 70-80 % of the population here in the US (depending on which source you use) claim to be "Christians", and adhere to at least some small degree to the "Christian" faith. If I am not mistaken, Christianity is a religion that has been chock full of individuals who have received direct "revelation" from God. Saul of Tarsus for example.

I wonder how many of these so called "christians" actually believe (are convicted) in the authority of their own scriptures, are able and willing to follow God's Word completely, and how many of them are simply apostates in disguise. I would say roughly 70-80%.

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, Mormons, Utah, Polygamy, Plural Marriage

Prosecutors in Warren Jeffs trial want to use recorded "revelation"

"ST. GEORGE — Prosecutors in the Warren Jeffs trial want to use a recorded "revelation" uttered by Jeffs that warns followers of a "conspiracy" facing the polygamous sect.

The statements, made by Jeffs in 2003 to a group of men, were recorded and transcribed, according to a motion filed in 5th District Court on Wednesday."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, Mormons, Utah, Polygamy, Plural Marriage

Choosing Sides in the Warren Jeffs Polygamy Trial

ST. GEORGE, Utah (Reuters) - The trial of the leader of the largest
polygamist sect in the United States is forcing people in Utah, where
polygamy has a long history, to confront a practice that many would
prefer stay hidden.

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, Mormons, Utah, Polygamy, Plural Marriage

Face to Face with Warren Jeffs

Isn't it funny that somehow, allegedly without being the issue on this trial at all, polygamy is on trial here anyway ? It seems to be the topic most talked about after all, most asked about, most questioned.

Will it lead to Christians looking at what the bible has to say about marriage ? We certainly think it would be important to do so, even if it was only for consistency's sake.

And there was yet another thing that struck us in this this little footage: Somehow, coming face to face with Warren Jeffs makes a difference, as if he was an oddity at the fair... Hmmmm.

Well, go ahead, follow Greta through her interviews, make up your own mind about questions and answers, and if you have questions concerning polygamy and what the bible as to say about it, you might want to consider visiting Joshuah's House at some point in the near future...

"On the Record ," September 11, 2007

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, HOST: "Former assistant DA Jim Hammer was in the courtroom today for the Warren Jeffs trial, and he came face to face with the polygamist leader. Jim joins us live outside the St. George, Utah, courthouse. Jim, tell me, how was it today? What did you see and what did you learn?

JIM HAMMER, FORMER ASST. SAN FRANCISCO DA: "Well, like you said, Greta, I was face to face for the first time with Warren Jeffs as I was led in the judge's private conference room where this voir dire was happening. I was one of two media representatives.

"The questioning went on — and we've talked about that the case is not about polygamy or his religious faith. More than half of the questions, Greta, dealt asking the jurors about polygamy, about their own religious faith and about their views about Jeffs' own FLDS."

Full transcript from "On the Record ," September 11, 2007

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, FLDS, Greta van Susteren, Polygamy, plural marriage, Joshah's House

Much riding on Jeffs polygamy case

ST. GEORGE, Utah

"As polygamous church leader Warren Jeffs goes on trial this week on charges of being an accomplice to rape, more is at stake than a guilty or innocent verdict.

"The prophet's day in court could be a seminal event in law-enforcement efforts to deal with the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and in the sect's battle for religious freedom.

"The trial comes after years of criminal investigation and civil lawsuits. Jeffs became one of the nation's most-wanted fugitives and was captured and jailed last year, which set off months of legal maneuvering."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, polygamy, FLDS, plural marriage, Joshuah's House

Witness list at Jeffs trial almost a family affair

ST. GEORGE, Utah

"Mothers will be pitted against daughters, sons against fathers when the trial of Warren Jeffs, the polygamous prophet, begins possibly on Thursday.

The splitting of families on the witness lists echoes the fissure Jeffs has caused in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) and also the deep and unbridgeable gap between those who still believe in the FLDS and those who don't.

The FLDS is a breakaway sect of the mainstream Mormon church that has about 8,000 members in the twin towns of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., a thousand or more in Eldorado, Tex., and about 600 followers in Bountiful, B.C."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, polygamy, trial, FLDS, Mormonsims, Joshuah's House

Jeffs trial: Jury candidates grilled on polygamy views, knowledge of case

ST. GEORGE

"Attorneys have
resumed individual questioning today of potential jurors for the trial
of Warren S. Jeffs, following Monday interviews that offered insight
into county residents' knowledge of the case and their feelings about
the polygamous sect he leads.

"Lawyers are emphasizing that polygamy and arranged marriage
are not on trial. But candidates are being asked their opinions of
both. "It's part of their religion, so we can't really judge them on that," a young man from LaVerkin said in one interview."

Full Story

Technorati Tags: Warren Jeffs, trial, jurors, polygamy, polygamous sect, Joshuah's House

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