8 ICSA TODAY
mous community is to be subjected to God, the prophet,
and the individual patriarch simultaneously. Children are
taught to be rid of their personal desires and wants. If these
personal desires are not controlled, they will destroy the
individual. In every aspect of the child’s life, the will of the
leader is paramount. If a child is told to do something, he or
she does not have the right to refuse or ask questions.
Polygamous communities are a caste system. The wives
and children who belong to a patriarch are part of a caste
system the patriarch has established, although not usually
in a declared or explicit manner. Only he can assign the
child’s value or the value of the child’s mother, in unspo-
ken but self-evident ways (i.e., privileges, time with him,
praise, etc.). One’s value is established by those over him or
her and is usually based on financial contributions and
level of obedience to the prophet’s will. Families with more
value have nicer homes and are allowed better jobs. Peo-
ple in the upper echelons of polygamous groups do rela-
tively less work and enjoy "blessings" or rewards for their
position. People on the bottom do the hardest work and
can even be denied basic necessities. "Faithfulness" as
determined by the prophet is the signal of prosperity and
favor. Faithfulness within the polygamous group is defined
as conformity, meeting expectations, enhancing the
leader’s status, sex for the purpose of procreation in short,
doing what is necessary to please those in authority.
I should note here that one reason there is such disparity
between the reports I have received from those who fled
the FLDS community and the reports of those who remain
could have to do with this caste system. Females who are
favored are often in the role of "counselor," who is a teacher
or mentor to younger or "difficult" wives. An analysis of
these counselors’function demonstrates that their basic
purpose is to enforce and reiterate the policies and teach-
ings of the prophet or patriarch. As a reward for this devo-
tion, the faithful wife will receive superior living conditions
and better treatment within her group. Again, this practice
is not necessarily verbalized, but it is shown in actions. This
differential between living standards may explain why some
plural wives report only positive aspects of their polyga-
mous experiences. They stand to gain more by the preserva-
tion of the society that has met their needs and wants,
through the sacrifice of those of lower status.
Attitudes toward women are as property/possessions.
Before a woman is married, she has value as property,
bringing her father influence, power, and prestige within
the group. She is "groomed" for her relationship with the
man who will be her husband. Her purpose is to please her
husband by doing what gives him pleasure or satisfaction.
She has no right to complain about abuse or injustice.
Within the polygamous community, a woman is by and
large an object. I have been told that "when a woman
reaches the age of 40 her husband will replace her with
two women who are 20." (This arrangement of course
would require the authorization of the prophet.) After a
woman is married, her greatest value is to produce faithful
children and help support the father financially.
Summary
Central control within the polygamous group is based on
revelation the prophet says he receives from God. The
position given to the patriarch (father) by the prophet
determines the patriarch’s status in the religious communi-
ty and his ability to exert his will on the family. The follow-
er is taught not to question or doubt, but to follow and ful-
fill the desires of the appointed priesthood leader. The
control of information, educational parameters, and sepa-
ration from outsiders are all maintained to prevent con-
tamination of members and to keep the belief system of
the group pure and intact. Women in good standing with
polygamous leaders are the most faithful wives, and are
presented to the media for interviews extolling the virtues
of their lifestyles. Warnings concerning the evils and dan-
gers of society further insulate the group members from
the outside world. Separation from the outside world and
secrecy of the inside world maintain the necessary barrier
between the FLDS community and the larger society.
Under such conditions, the followers in the polygamous
community are unlikely to possess the skills necessary to
be successful or perhaps even survive in outside society.
Internal policing tends to prevent followers from becom-
ing disloyal or leaving the group. An important element of
this closed society is the discouragement of emotional
expression, personal desires, self-will, and identity. A caste-
like system tends to keep individuals in their proper place,
all under the governance of FLDS church leaders. A
woman’s role or rank in this system helps explain why
some women may have positive reports of their experi-
ence, while other reports, such as those provided for this
paper, have been more negative. ■
About the Author
Larry D. Beall, Ph.D. in Clini-
cal Psychology, l987, Brigham
Young University. Director of
Trauma Awareness &Treat-
ment Center for sixteen years.
Established the Satellite Trau-
ma Center for the 4th Street
Clinic Homeless Coalition.
Clientele include children,
adolescents, and adults with
stress-related disorders, anxi-
ety, depression, PTSD, and
dissociative disorders. Expert witness for trauma sur-
vivors, including assault, cult, and refugee trauma. Has
authored materials used in professional presentations,
including Life Skills for Trauma Survivors Workbook, Using
Sand Tray for Treating Traumatized Children, Manual for
Treating Traumatized Refugees, The Impact of Modern Day
Polygamy on Women and Children, Helping theTraumatized
Child in Iraq, and a series of articles published in Iraqi
newspapers to help Iraqi people and military personal
deal with the stress and traumas of war.
P
revious to the release of my book God’s Brothel in 2004,
the number of books published on the subject of Mormon
and Christian fundamentalist polygamy were few and far
between. Many of the books that had come before went
all but unnoticed and spoke to a limited audience.
However, high profile news stories concerning polygamist
groups and individuals finally propelled the issue of
polygamy into the conscience of the public, capturing a
voyeuristic curiosity. For better or worse, polygamy is now
popular fodder for television and other media. A plethora of
new books on polygamy have been released in the last sev-
eral years. Most are written as personal accounts and, with
only some exceptions, focus primarily on the Fundamental-
ist Latter-day Saints (FLDS). I recommend the following
books that have been recently released on the issue of Mor-
mon and Christian fundamentalist polygamy:
Organizational Identification in Polygamy
Amy Osmond Cook,
June, 2011, Sourced Media Books.
Osmond Cook‘s newly published PhD thesis is currently
available only through: http://www.facebook.com/l/
44f47rhTHpKVJk9ZkYhDi2I3BCQ/sourcedmediabooks.com.
It will be released to the general public soon. This publication
is an important and much needed academic case study
which takes an in-depth look at the roles of organizational
and religious rhetoric in producing highly identified, disci-
plined, and devoted members of a polygamous organization.
Secrets and Wives, The Hidden World of Mormon Polygamy
Sanjiv Bhattacharya,
Soft Skull Press, Release date set for May 2011.
Bhattacharya’s examination of Mormon fundamentalist
polygamy contains explosive information through inter-
views and documents. The London journalist gained access
to several Utah groups and also reports on key figures who
have campaigned for and against polygamy.
Prophets Prey,
Sam Brewer,
Published by Bloomsbury, Release date September 27, 2011.
Private Detective Sam Brower brings to light the contents
of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs’ personal journal discovered in a
hidden underground vault and reveals behind-the-scenes
information after years of intensive investigation, including
that of the Texas raid and its aftermath
Lost Boy
Brent W. Jeffs with Maia Szalavitz,
Broadway Books, 2009.
Jeffs’ book is important as a rare personal account from
a male point of view in the Fundamentalist Latter-day
Saints (FLDS) group. (See ICSA Book Review:
http://www.icsahome.com/logon/elibdocview.asp?
Subject=Book+Review%3A+Lost+Boy)
Shattered Dreams
Irene Spencer, Center Street, 2007.
Spencer writes her personal memoir as a polygamist
wife to Ervil LeBaron’s brother living in the LeBaron
community in Mexico amid squalor and poverty.
Cult Insanity
Irene Spencer, Center Street, 2009.
This book is the sequel to Shattered Dreams. Spencer
again writes a personal narrative of living in polygamy
in the LeBaron’s Church of the Firstborn, where Blood
Atonement is exacted on those deemed as enemies.
When Men Become Gods
Stephen Singular, St. Martin’s Press, 2008.
Singular’s focus is on FLDS leader Warren Jeffs and
the FLDS group. Through research and extensive
interviews Singular charts the group’s history up to 2008.
continued on Page 25
by Andrea Moore-Emmett
New Books on Polygamy
VOLUME 2 |NUMBER 1 |2011 9
About the Author
Andrea Moore-Emmett
is the author of God's Brothel,
The Extortion of Sex For
Salvation in Contemporary
Mormon and Christian
Fundamentalist Polygamy and
the Stories of 18 Women Who
Escaped. She is the author of
several articles covering
polygamy for various national
magazines and was the
researcher for the A&E documentary, Inside Polygamy,
which also aired on the BBC. As a journalist, she has been
the recipient of five awards from the Society of Profes-
sional Journalists, Utah Headliners Chapter, including the
Don Baker investigative Journalism Award. She was also
awarded a Women in Communications Leading Changes
Award and the Leadership Council on Abuse and Inter-
personal Violence and the Institute on Violence, Abuse
and Trauma 2008 Award for Distinguished Service and
Excellence in Journalism. Moore-Emmett served as Utah
NOW President, a Salt Lake City Mayor's commission and
as an advisor to Tapestry Against Polygamy. She is cur-
rently finishing her Masters degree in Psychology.
ICSA_volume3_proof6 5/10/11 12:14 PM Page 10
mous community is to be subjected to God, the prophet,
and the individual patriarch simultaneously. Children are
taught to be rid of their personal desires and wants. If these
personal desires are not controlled, they will destroy the
individual. In every aspect of the child’s life, the will of the
leader is paramount. If a child is told to do something, he or
she does not have the right to refuse or ask questions.
Polygamous communities are a caste system. The wives
and children who belong to a patriarch are part of a caste
system the patriarch has established, although not usually
in a declared or explicit manner. Only he can assign the
child’s value or the value of the child’s mother, in unspo-
ken but self-evident ways (i.e., privileges, time with him,
praise, etc.). One’s value is established by those over him or
her and is usually based on financial contributions and
level of obedience to the prophet’s will. Families with more
value have nicer homes and are allowed better jobs. Peo-
ple in the upper echelons of polygamous groups do rela-
tively less work and enjoy "blessings" or rewards for their
position. People on the bottom do the hardest work and
can even be denied basic necessities. "Faithfulness" as
determined by the prophet is the signal of prosperity and
favor. Faithfulness within the polygamous group is defined
as conformity, meeting expectations, enhancing the
leader’s status, sex for the purpose of procreation in short,
doing what is necessary to please those in authority.
I should note here that one reason there is such disparity
between the reports I have received from those who fled
the FLDS community and the reports of those who remain
could have to do with this caste system. Females who are
favored are often in the role of "counselor," who is a teacher
or mentor to younger or "difficult" wives. An analysis of
these counselors’function demonstrates that their basic
purpose is to enforce and reiterate the policies and teach-
ings of the prophet or patriarch. As a reward for this devo-
tion, the faithful wife will receive superior living conditions
and better treatment within her group. Again, this practice
is not necessarily verbalized, but it is shown in actions. This
differential between living standards may explain why some
plural wives report only positive aspects of their polyga-
mous experiences. They stand to gain more by the preserva-
tion of the society that has met their needs and wants,
through the sacrifice of those of lower status.
Attitudes toward women are as property/possessions.
Before a woman is married, she has value as property,
bringing her father influence, power, and prestige within
the group. She is "groomed" for her relationship with the
man who will be her husband. Her purpose is to please her
husband by doing what gives him pleasure or satisfaction.
She has no right to complain about abuse or injustice.
Within the polygamous community, a woman is by and
large an object. I have been told that "when a woman
reaches the age of 40 her husband will replace her with
two women who are 20." (This arrangement of course
would require the authorization of the prophet.) After a
woman is married, her greatest value is to produce faithful
children and help support the father financially.
Summary
Central control within the polygamous group is based on
revelation the prophet says he receives from God. The
position given to the patriarch (father) by the prophet
determines the patriarch’s status in the religious communi-
ty and his ability to exert his will on the family. The follow-
er is taught not to question or doubt, but to follow and ful-
fill the desires of the appointed priesthood leader. The
control of information, educational parameters, and sepa-
ration from outsiders are all maintained to prevent con-
tamination of members and to keep the belief system of
the group pure and intact. Women in good standing with
polygamous leaders are the most faithful wives, and are
presented to the media for interviews extolling the virtues
of their lifestyles. Warnings concerning the evils and dan-
gers of society further insulate the group members from
the outside world. Separation from the outside world and
secrecy of the inside world maintain the necessary barrier
between the FLDS community and the larger society.
Under such conditions, the followers in the polygamous
community are unlikely to possess the skills necessary to
be successful or perhaps even survive in outside society.
Internal policing tends to prevent followers from becom-
ing disloyal or leaving the group. An important element of
this closed society is the discouragement of emotional
expression, personal desires, self-will, and identity. A caste-
like system tends to keep individuals in their proper place,
all under the governance of FLDS church leaders. A
woman’s role or rank in this system helps explain why
some women may have positive reports of their experi-
ence, while other reports, such as those provided for this
paper, have been more negative. ■
About the Author
Larry D. Beall, Ph.D. in Clini-
cal Psychology, l987, Brigham
Young University. Director of
Trauma Awareness &Treat-
ment Center for sixteen years.
Established the Satellite Trau-
ma Center for the 4th Street
Clinic Homeless Coalition.
Clientele include children,
adolescents, and adults with
stress-related disorders, anxi-
ety, depression, PTSD, and
dissociative disorders. Expert witness for trauma sur-
vivors, including assault, cult, and refugee trauma. Has
authored materials used in professional presentations,
including Life Skills for Trauma Survivors Workbook, Using
Sand Tray for Treating Traumatized Children, Manual for
Treating Traumatized Refugees, The Impact of Modern Day
Polygamy on Women and Children, Helping theTraumatized
Child in Iraq, and a series of articles published in Iraqi
newspapers to help Iraqi people and military personal
deal with the stress and traumas of war.
P
revious to the release of my book God’s Brothel in 2004,
the number of books published on the subject of Mormon
and Christian fundamentalist polygamy were few and far
between. Many of the books that had come before went
all but unnoticed and spoke to a limited audience.
However, high profile news stories concerning polygamist
groups and individuals finally propelled the issue of
polygamy into the conscience of the public, capturing a
voyeuristic curiosity. For better or worse, polygamy is now
popular fodder for television and other media. A plethora of
new books on polygamy have been released in the last sev-
eral years. Most are written as personal accounts and, with
only some exceptions, focus primarily on the Fundamental-
ist Latter-day Saints (FLDS). I recommend the following
books that have been recently released on the issue of Mor-
mon and Christian fundamentalist polygamy:
Organizational Identification in Polygamy
Amy Osmond Cook,
June, 2011, Sourced Media Books.
Osmond Cook‘s newly published PhD thesis is currently
available only through: http://www.facebook.com/l/
44f47rhTHpKVJk9ZkYhDi2I3BCQ/sourcedmediabooks.com.
It will be released to the general public soon. This publication
is an important and much needed academic case study
which takes an in-depth look at the roles of organizational
and religious rhetoric in producing highly identified, disci-
plined, and devoted members of a polygamous organization.
Secrets and Wives, The Hidden World of Mormon Polygamy
Sanjiv Bhattacharya,
Soft Skull Press, Release date set for May 2011.
Bhattacharya’s examination of Mormon fundamentalist
polygamy contains explosive information through inter-
views and documents. The London journalist gained access
to several Utah groups and also reports on key figures who
have campaigned for and against polygamy.
Prophets Prey,
Sam Brewer,
Published by Bloomsbury, Release date September 27, 2011.
Private Detective Sam Brower brings to light the contents
of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs’ personal journal discovered in a
hidden underground vault and reveals behind-the-scenes
information after years of intensive investigation, including
that of the Texas raid and its aftermath
Lost Boy
Brent W. Jeffs with Maia Szalavitz,
Broadway Books, 2009.
Jeffs’ book is important as a rare personal account from
a male point of view in the Fundamentalist Latter-day
Saints (FLDS) group. (See ICSA Book Review:
http://www.icsahome.com/logon/elibdocview.asp?
Subject=Book+Review%3A+Lost+Boy)
Shattered Dreams
Irene Spencer, Center Street, 2007.
Spencer writes her personal memoir as a polygamist
wife to Ervil LeBaron’s brother living in the LeBaron
community in Mexico amid squalor and poverty.
Cult Insanity
Irene Spencer, Center Street, 2009.
This book is the sequel to Shattered Dreams. Spencer
again writes a personal narrative of living in polygamy
in the LeBaron’s Church of the Firstborn, where Blood
Atonement is exacted on those deemed as enemies.
When Men Become Gods
Stephen Singular, St. Martin’s Press, 2008.
Singular’s focus is on FLDS leader Warren Jeffs and
the FLDS group. Through research and extensive
interviews Singular charts the group’s history up to 2008.
continued on Page 25
by Andrea Moore-Emmett
New Books on Polygamy
VOLUME 2 |NUMBER 1 |2011 9
About the Author
Andrea Moore-Emmett
is the author of God's Brothel,
The Extortion of Sex For
Salvation in Contemporary
Mormon and Christian
Fundamentalist Polygamy and
the Stories of 18 Women Who
Escaped. She is the author of
several articles covering
polygamy for various national
magazines and was the
researcher for the A&E documentary, Inside Polygamy,
which also aired on the BBC. As a journalist, she has been
the recipient of five awards from the Society of Profes-
sional Journalists, Utah Headliners Chapter, including the
Don Baker investigative Journalism Award. She was also
awarded a Women in Communications Leading Changes
Award and the Leadership Council on Abuse and Inter-
personal Violence and the Institute on Violence, Abuse
and Trauma 2008 Award for Distinguished Service and
Excellence in Journalism. Moore-Emmett served as Utah
NOW President, a Salt Lake City Mayor's commission and
as an advisor to Tapestry Against Polygamy. She is cur-
rently finishing her Masters degree in Psychology.
ICSA_volume3_proof6 5/10/11 12:14 PM Page 10
