Living In Hell: Life of Polygamy
- Anthony F. Lemmo
- Sep 4, 2016
- 5 min read
Since the turning of the 1800's polygamy has been one of the most followed "religious cults" in America with moreover than 10,000 followers, The polygamy comes mainly in three different forms: polygamy (where a man has more than two wives at the same time), polyandry (where a woman has more than one husband) and there are also the plural marriages (where a family is made out of multiple husbands and wives at the same time).
Those women who do not follow and/or question the order or their leaders either become "excommunicated" from the order in which they are abandoned by all members of their family and members of the order or are sent to what cult leaders of the order call "repentance" which consist of being sent to a secluded area of the orders ranch alone with no communications with their family, other clan members and are deprived from food and/or water for 9 plus months which cult leaders call "fastening"
If the men of this religious cult attempt are found to question leaders about their faith or bar their selves from polygamy than those men become "excommunicated" by the order while some men are known to have been sent "far away" to repentance where they are never seen or heard from again. Some of those men and women who are sent to repentance become sick and die, commit suicide and/or mentally broken and become depressed due to loss of communications with their families and others of the order.
In the early 2000's federal agencies had been conducting a very extensive investigation into this religious cult for acts of money laundering, food stamp fraud, child molestation, tax fraud along with few other federal criminal charges, During a raid on the religious cults compound in 2010 federal agents had enough evidence to apprehend and try Warren and Lyle Jeffs along with other members of the order with federal charges, In 2011 a federal supreme court found Warren Jeffs guilty of all charges and was sentenced to Life in Prison with an added 20 year sentence in prison.
According to reports Lyle Steed Jeffs is wanted for fleeing from home confinement in Salt Lake City, Utah, over the weekend of June 18 to June 19, 2016.
Lyle Jeffs was released from jail on June 9, 2016, to await trial in October of 2016 for his alleged involvement in a multi-million-dollar food stamp fraud case.
Lyle Jeffs had originally been indicted and charged in February of 2016 with conspiracy to commit Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment alleged that church controlled businesses were used to divert church member’s SNAP benefits from authorized users to leaders of the church and then used for illegal purposes.
Warren Steed Jeffs is the former President of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS Church) and a convicted felon currently serving a sentence of life plus 20 years. His prison term is the result of being convicted in 2011 of two felony counts of child sexual assault.
Insiders of the FLDS religious cult along with those who have escaped polygamy have stated that Warren Jeffs still conducts orders from with-in the institution and has ordered his brother Lyle to be "excommunicated" from the church and be sent far away to repentance and has ordered his other sibling Nephi Jeffs to step up as leader of the order.
The imprisoned prophet has also placed his followers on “restoral status,” meaning they must renew their commitment to the FLDS church.
Warren Jeffs wrote in a 10-page letter dated June 3 saying,
"Anyone who doesn’t follow his orders will be banished and sent “far away.
Court documents filed Aug. 8 reveal that Warren Jeffs recently disbanded the polygamous sect’s United Order – traditionally known as an elite echelon established under Lyle Jeffs in which members are assured a spot in heaven in return for loyalty, faithfulness and obedience to restrictions on diet, mainstream media and other lifestyle choices.
As bishop, Lyle Jeffs had conducted frequent interviews with FLDS members in Short Creek to determine who was worthy of the United Order.
In a June 7 letter, Warren Jeffs directs Lyle Jeffs to convert all of the United Order members back to “Restoral Order status” and for them to be re-interviewed, re-baptized and reconfirmed into the United Order.
During a June 25 prison visit by two of Warren Jeffs wives, Warren Jeffs sends a message to Lyle Jeffs reminding him that
"He only possesses the authority that Warren Jeffs grants him. Warren Jeffs threatens to excommunicate Lyle Jeffs and send him away if he doesn’t do as commended"
Shortly thereafter, in a letter dated July 7 to Nephi Jeffs, Warren Jeffs dismisses his brother Lyle Jeffs as bishop, strips him of all priesthood power and sends him away on a repentance mission.
In his lengthy instructions to his other brother, Nephi Jeffs, Warren Jeffs noted that
"Each of Short Creek’s recent bishops had failed: “Each one has had the great sin of finding comfort in women’s attention,” Warren Jeffs said, warning: “Do not gossip with the family of Warren Jeffs.” Nearly a month after Lyle Jeffs fled federal custody, Lyle wrote a letter to Warren Jeffs, saying.
"I seek yours and the Lord’s forgiveness for the hesitation and any fear that was a part of me and pray that it will never show its ugly head again. I do feel the gentle peace of the sweet Spirit seeking to continually increase in becoming like God in everything I do, that is be of and by Him, through you dear father. You are my Priesthood head and have the right to rule in my life, and I love to have it so. Please continue to teach and correct me where necessary in polishing me into the likeness of God which I see and feel in you.
The letter also includes lines indicating unrest within the FLDS community.
“The devil is raging in the hearts of the youth, many leaving,” Lyle Jeffs said. “Groups of females on their own going out in the world to get jobs cleaning motels, no checking in and giving into the world.” Twelve members of the polygamous sect were arrested and indicted in February on charges of diverting at least $12 million worth of federal benefits. All the defendants have pleaded not guilty to fraud and money laundering charges.
Prosecutors allege sect leaders instructed followers to buy items with their food stamp cards and give them to a church warehouse where leaders decided how to distribute products to followers. Food stamps were also allegedly cashed at sect-owned stores without the users getting anything in return. The money was then diverted to companies and used to pay thousands of dollars for a tractor, truck and other items, prosecutors said.
Members of the FLDS sect believe polygamy brings exaltation in heaven. The group is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism, which disavowed polygamy more than 100 years ago. According to reports by KUTV on February 17, 2016 states, A few Utah political figures had received any where from $250-$40,000 in campaign contributions from the Kingston Clan.
The lucky few who have escaped polygamy have said, with the continuous corruption that has allowed this boiling pot of water to boil over are the ones who are suppose to protect and defend our civil rights yet have closed an eye to our rights being continuously violated and abused.
They continue to say until this corruption and bribery are placed aside from human rights and continuously overlooking the sever violations of civil rights than those men, women and children will continue to be subjected to such treatment and will remain under the order of FLDS without any hope. The individuals who still remain under the order are either too afraid to leave due to severity of punishment or threats of being banished from further communications with family members.
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