Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2005, Page 50
leadership promotes a patriarchal hierarchy that encourages women‘s submission. (Steve
Waldron, The Age [Australia], Internet, 11/20/04)
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Polygamous Police May Be Decertified
The POST Council, the governing body for the state police academy, will investigate the
Hilldale, Utah, police department to learn if any of the officers in the town, dominated by
the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is
practicing polygamy, which is against the law. Hilldale officer Rodney Holme was decertified
following his conviction several years ago for felony bigamy.
Hilldale Chief Sam Roundy says: ―If they‘re going to look at us for polygamy, they better
look at every police officer in the state to see which ones have broken any laws of any kind.
We‘re trying to live our religion. How many police officers around the state have stepped out
on their wives or committed adultery? That‘s against the law, too.‖ (Jennifer Dobner and
Nancy Perkins, Deseret Morning News, Internet, 9/23/04)
Refuge Not Being Used
The Mohave County Multiple-Use Facility, which the state of Arizona has set up in Colorado
City as a place to which women and children in the polygamous Fundamentalist Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints can turn for help to deal with alleged abusive
treatment, is not fully set up and staffed, nor has there yet been any demand for services. A
local construction crew hired to set up the building walked off the project after learning its
purpose. ―I‘m not sure they [residents] will [take advantage of the services],‖ says a county
supervisor, ―but we don‘t know that, and we can‘t sit with our head in the sand and never
try anything.‖ (Brooke Adams, Salt Lake Tribune, Internet, 10/5/05)
Women Deny Abuse Charges
A group of 80 women, past and present residents of the Bountiful, BC, Canada, commune of
the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS),
has posted a notice on the town message board vehemently denying the accusations of an
equal rights organization that they have been enslaved and abused. The Bountiful women
say anti-polygamy activists and media have ―violated our constitutionally guaranteed rights
of religion, association, privacy, and peaceful assembly.‖
Critic Jancis [sic] Andrews believes the Bountiful women are in thrall to a cult, but says she
doesn‘t mean any harm. Her characterization is simply ―an attempt to understand the
mindset of people brought up in a cult. It‘s not to judge them harshly. We can‘t judge them
by normal standards. We are concerned for them.‖ Andrews says Bountiful girls are ―being
denied an education, pulled out of class to become concubines in harems, denied birth
control, and have motherhood forced upon them.‖ (Amy Carmichael, CP, Internet,
10/11/04)
Concerned About Missing Daughter
Jane Blackmore, of Vancouver, BC, is concerned about the welfare of her daughter, Susie
Johnson, whom she fears may now be living in the walled, barbed wire-protected compound
recently built by Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints leader
Warren Jeffs, near Eldorado, TX. Jeffs has said the compound is a place for followers to be
―lifted up,‖ which makes local authorities, and Ms. Blackmore, fear a mass suicide of FLDS
members seeking to avoid state investigations of the Arizona and Utah polygamous
communities they recently left.
Ms. Blackmore says: ―Everyone who goes to these compounds is completely cut off from
everyone that they‘ve known their whole lives. They‘re not allowed to communicate with
leadership promotes a patriarchal hierarchy that encourages women‘s submission. (Steve
Waldron, The Age [Australia], Internet, 11/20/04)
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Polygamous Police May Be Decertified
The POST Council, the governing body for the state police academy, will investigate the
Hilldale, Utah, police department to learn if any of the officers in the town, dominated by
the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is
practicing polygamy, which is against the law. Hilldale officer Rodney Holme was decertified
following his conviction several years ago for felony bigamy.
Hilldale Chief Sam Roundy says: ―If they‘re going to look at us for polygamy, they better
look at every police officer in the state to see which ones have broken any laws of any kind.
We‘re trying to live our religion. How many police officers around the state have stepped out
on their wives or committed adultery? That‘s against the law, too.‖ (Jennifer Dobner and
Nancy Perkins, Deseret Morning News, Internet, 9/23/04)
Refuge Not Being Used
The Mohave County Multiple-Use Facility, which the state of Arizona has set up in Colorado
City as a place to which women and children in the polygamous Fundamentalist Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints can turn for help to deal with alleged abusive
treatment, is not fully set up and staffed, nor has there yet been any demand for services. A
local construction crew hired to set up the building walked off the project after learning its
purpose. ―I‘m not sure they [residents] will [take advantage of the services],‖ says a county
supervisor, ―but we don‘t know that, and we can‘t sit with our head in the sand and never
try anything.‖ (Brooke Adams, Salt Lake Tribune, Internet, 10/5/05)
Women Deny Abuse Charges
A group of 80 women, past and present residents of the Bountiful, BC, Canada, commune of
the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS),
has posted a notice on the town message board vehemently denying the accusations of an
equal rights organization that they have been enslaved and abused. The Bountiful women
say anti-polygamy activists and media have ―violated our constitutionally guaranteed rights
of religion, association, privacy, and peaceful assembly.‖
Critic Jancis [sic] Andrews believes the Bountiful women are in thrall to a cult, but says she
doesn‘t mean any harm. Her characterization is simply ―an attempt to understand the
mindset of people brought up in a cult. It‘s not to judge them harshly. We can‘t judge them
by normal standards. We are concerned for them.‖ Andrews says Bountiful girls are ―being
denied an education, pulled out of class to become concubines in harems, denied birth
control, and have motherhood forced upon them.‖ (Amy Carmichael, CP, Internet,
10/11/04)
Concerned About Missing Daughter
Jane Blackmore, of Vancouver, BC, is concerned about the welfare of her daughter, Susie
Johnson, whom she fears may now be living in the walled, barbed wire-protected compound
recently built by Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints leader
Warren Jeffs, near Eldorado, TX. Jeffs has said the compound is a place for followers to be
―lifted up,‖ which makes local authorities, and Ms. Blackmore, fear a mass suicide of FLDS
members seeking to avoid state investigations of the Arizona and Utah polygamous
communities they recently left.
Ms. Blackmore says: ―Everyone who goes to these compounds is completely cut off from
everyone that they‘ve known their whole lives. They‘re not allowed to communicate with
