Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2005, Page 41
surprisingly, the description of Heaven‘s Gate comes across as less powerful, yet Lalich‘s
perspective on this group goes well beyond the familiar facts. She offers an extensive
analysis of the cult‘s materials (including the farewell videotape) and interviews with former
members.
The theoretical material in Part Three of this book is extremely valuable for its clear, careful
linking of concepts. The root cause of cultic groups, Lalich claims, arises from the leaders'
charisma:
Without the leader, there would be no draw, no call, no promise of an ideal.
And without devotees responding to that call, there would be no group, no set
of coordinated activities, and no followers granting the leader the authority to
rule (p. 226).
Building on earlier primary work by Weber, Lofland, Stark, Kanter, Giddens, Simon, Zablocki
and Lifton, Lalich offers us another set of analytical tools for understanding cult
commitment. Her insights into the internal cognitive processes of the believers and the
dimensions of a self-sealing system go far beyond the usual catalog of the group‘s activities
or defensive explanations of religious freedom. Bounded Choice is compelling and
informative reading, highly recommended for scholars and interested readers of all kinds.
J. Anna Looney, Ph.D.
Dept. of Sociology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.
E-mail: looney@sociology.rutgers.edu
God’s Brothel: The Extortion of Sex for Salvation in Contemporary Mormon
and Christian Fundamentalist Polygamy and the Stories of 18 Women Who
Escaped
Andrea Moore-Emmett
San Francisco: Pince-Nez Press, 2004. ISBN 1930074131 (paperback), 234 pages,
$16.95
Enter the world of polygamy! The world of plural marriages, poverty, spousal rape,
childhood incest, and all forms of physical and emotional abuse! All are alive and well and
thriving in fundamentalist Mormon communities, and in a few fundamentalist Christian
groups, as well, according to Andrea Moore-Emmett. These current practitioners maintain
that polygamy was foretold by scripture and commanded by doctrine. According to the
author of God’s Brothel, the practice of polygamy still appears to be tolerated by
mainstream Mormonism and ignored by the U.S. government. Despite the fact that some of
their practices fly in the face of civil and human rights, these societies appear to have
protection under the First Amendment. God’s Brothel is a journey into the abyss where
perhaps thousands of women and children dwell, victims of a patriarchal system so
oppressive as to rival the abuses of the Taliban.
God’s Brothel is a peek into the lives of eighteen women who lived polygamy and left, often
at great peril to themselves. Of various ages and circumstances, the women have in
common the experience of being among the plural wives of the men of various
fundamentalist Mormon communities. These poignant stories speak of the unspeakable, of a
society in which primitive impulses, normally relegated to fantasy life, are allowed to run
rampant, unchecked by the taboos, laws, and morals of a civilized society.
Andrea Moore-Emmett begins her book with an introductory chapter on the background of
the fundamentalist Mormon sects, a ―complex and convoluted issue‖ that can be understood
only by shedding light on its historical roots. The practice of polygamy comes out of the
vision of Joseph Smith, founding prophet of the Mormon Church, who revealed that

Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2005, Page 42
polygamy was the only way to achieve eternal salvation, and furthermore, that a man had
to have at least three wives for this to be accomplished. In contrast, the only way a woman
could enter into heaven was to be escorted by her husband. Thus, a woman was dependent
upon the good will of her husband, and obedience was assured. The doctrine of polygamy
became scripture and sacred to the Mormon faithful, eventually resulting in a split among
believers as the practice ran up against the laws of the land.
In 1890, Wilfred Woodruff, the then-president of the Mormon Church, realized that the only
way the Utah Territory would be allowed to join the union of states was to comply with the
laws that prohibited polygamy. He delivered a Manifesto declaring to the U.S. government
that the practice had ceased, thus paving the way for Utah statehood. However, the
Manifesto created an uproar amongst the faithful, with many fearing that Woodruff had
―plunged the church into apostasy.‖ Remaining loyal to the original scripture and their plural
families, resistant Mormons broke off from the mainstream Mormon Church and continued
to practice polygamy. Several families emigrated to Mexico and Canada, where communities
thrive even today. However, most of these fundamentalist groups reside in Utah and the
western United States, living their polygamist lifestyle behind a collusive veil of secrecy.
In Chapter 1, Moore-Emmett identifies the major fundamentalist groups currently in
existence. Many of the groups are interrelated because splits occurred and various
charismatic men formed their own communities. Chapter 1 also includes a summary of the
―current legal maze,‖ providing the reader with an overview of some of the issues, lawsuits,
and players involved in prosecuting cases related to polygamy, and spousal and child abuse.
Each of the following eighteen chapters tells the individual story of as many women‘s
journeys out of polygamy and into freedom, where life is still tough but their own. These are
the women of Tapestry Against Polygamy, a grass-roots endeavor whose function is to
assist women in leaving their lives of oppression and beginning new lives in which they
make their own choices. Because of the doctrine of ―blood atonement killings‖ (death for
one‘s sins), several of these women live in hiding and fear for their lives and the lives of
their children.
The plight Moore-Emmett‘s book describes, of the women and children growing up in this
patriarchal system, defies intelligent reasoning. Required by doctrine to have ―one child per
year‖ (without the benefit of prenatal care), the women exist in a chronic state of
pregnancy, their lives devoted to child rearing and the care of their husbands. However, the
men are not required to support their multiple wives and children. Families survive on
welfare and food stamps, rationalizing that they are ―bleeding the beast‖ (i.e., the U.S.
government, considered the enemy). Food supplies are supplemented by ―dumpster diving‖
in garbage cans, a task accorded to the women. If the women complain about their plight,
they are told that they are ungrateful, that they have been given a wonderful opportunity to
learn to be independent. In addition, poverty is considered a blessing to make them more
perfect and to ―refine their souls.‖ Despite the fact that some polygamous organizations are
quite wealthy (e.g., assets of the Kingston group are estimated at around $200 million), this
paradox seems to have eluded the group. Husbands and fathers come and go at will,
deciding with whom they will sleep on any given night, while the other women lie awake in
emotional agony listening to the sounds of their husbands making love to their ―sister-
wives,‖ sometimes in the same room.
Most of the women who become plural wives have been reared from birth to accept this
practice and to think of it as their means of salvation. Boys, too, are reared to believe that
having multiple wives is their obligation and birthright. In some sects, sons are expected to
give their wives to the patriarch, their own father, if he so desires. Thus, fathers and sons
may be married to the same woman fathers also may marry their own daughters, and
brothers may marry their own sisters. One of the most extreme examples exists in the
Kingston group, a Utah-based sect, in which the practice is based upon the claim that the