Doris Hanson Director, A Shield and Refuge Ministry

Polygamist and early Mormon leader, Brigham Young, taught a deadly doctrine called Blood Atonement which called for the shedding of the blood of the sinner for certain unforgivable sins.  Those were sins that they said Jesus Christ’s blood couldn’t cover.  The method of blood atonement was slitting the sinner’s throat from ear to ear.  Many of today’s polygamists continue to believe in that doctrine.

In 1984, two brothers, Ron and Dan Lafferty, slit the throats of their sister-in-law, Brenda, and her infant daughter because Brenda refused to become Ron’s plural wife.  The Lafferty brothers had formed a group called the "School of the Prophets," they claimed they received revelation from God and He told them to blood atone Brenda and her baby, so they did.  Up until early 1990 all LDS temple rituals included the mimicking of throat slitting as a penalty for revealing LDS secrets.

Joseph Smith and all leaders of the Mormon religion claimed they received personal revelation from God.  The present LDS leader encourages individual members to seek more and more personal revelation which he said can be recognized and confirmed by their “feelings.”

Ron and Dan Lafferty believed in receiving personal revelation from God and “felt like” God wanted them to kill Brenda and her baby, so they did.

Feelings have never been the basis to determine God’s will or way.  We have the Bible, which is God’s word to us.  It has been said that if a person receives a revelation, it must agree with Biblical revelation, in which case, it isn’t needed. If it disagrees with the Bible, it’s false and still isn’t needed. The Lafferty brothers acted on what they thought was a personal revelation and killed a woman and her baby because she wouldn’t become a plural wife.  What a sad and tragic mis-use of the gift of God’s revelation already given to us in the Bible.  Dan Lafferty is serving a life sentence in prison. Ron is scheduled for an upcoming execution, which if takes place, will be by firing squad. Many people believe that Utah continues to offer the option of a firing squad because it actually sheds the sinner’s blood fulfilling the early Mormon blood atonement doctrine.  But the Bible teaches that Jesus DOES offer forgiveness for all sins—and we continue to bring Biblical truths to polygamists.

SUGGESTED READING:

It is a completely different world for us who were born and raised in Mormon Fundamentalism.  We were brainwashed from the cradle to believe that those not in the group were our enemies, not to be trusted.  Sometimes we hear people say about the victims of polygamy, “Why don’t they just leave, just walk away?”  It isn’t that simple!  To help understand the dilemma we faced in our attempts to leave, we have been suggesting reading material written by escapees who have successfully entered the world outside of Mormon polygamy groups.

This month our featured book is entitled, SHATTERED DREAMS, written by Irene Spencer, published in 2007.

Having grown up in polygamy, Irene Spencer was the thirteenth of thirty-one children, then at sixteen years old, she became the plural wife of Verlan LeBaron, sharing her husband with a half-sister.

Quote from the back cover:

“Enduring abject poverty, living in isolation, and suffering the neglect of a husband with divided loyalties created unbearable conditions.  Yet Irene managed to overcome these obstacles to seek a life that she believed would be better for her and her children.  She made the bold step into the “outside world” and into a freedom she never knew existed.”

Irene’s husband moved their family to the LeBaron family ranch located in the Mexican desert where the four LeBaron brothers and their polygamous families lived along with his mentally ill sister.  The life in the small polygamous community was unbearably difficult.  She and the other wives, lived in broken-down adobe homes, no electricity, no running water, outdoor bathrooms, hand-me-down clothing and scraping for food to eat.  Despite the inconceivable poverty, her husband continued adding more wives to his heavenly harem.

Quote from page 167 which expresses some of the deep pain a plural wife experiences when her husband married a girl named Lucy for another plural wife:

“I slammed the door behind me and fell facedown onto the bed.  Verlan followed, trying to pull me close, to comfort me, but I fought him off. Don’t you touch me!” I ordered.  “If you marry your true love, you’ll never see me again! … I won’t ever give you another wife!  God will have to send me to Hell.  I won’t do it! I promise.”  I sobbed hysterically.

“Irene, this is part of the gospel.  God requires it.  It’s securing your salvation.  Please, if you won’t do it for that reason, then do it for me.  Please, Irene. You should be glad she wants to be a part of our family.  It’s a sacrifice for Lucy, too.”

“Oh, yes!” I blurted out.  “It’ll be a big sacrifice for her to make love to my husband!”

This is a great book for learning insights into the LeBaron polygamy group and the horrible experiences the LeBaron brothers forced upon their plural wives.

SHATTERED DREAMS, by Irene Spencer published by Hatchette Book Group USA

MORMON POLYGAMY HISTORY

“There are women, however, who should be exposed, such as this Mrs. Durfee. Taking her own confession and Joe's stories as correct, there is not, I believe, such another perfect fiend in human shape on the Earth. A more devout, pious and virtuous being, than she apparently is, cannot be found in any church; but a more perfect specimen of knavery, villainy and everything that is detestable in humanity, than she in reality is, the Union cannot produce. A stranger who visits Nauvoo can form no idea of the corruption practiced in the city. To him, everything appears perfectly quiet and harmonious, and he is favorably impressed; and hence, sets down all that he hears against the Mormons, as originating in religious intolerance. Nay! a man may live for years in this place, and know but little of its iniquities, so completely does Joe cover up his crime. Many who were disposed to tell what they knew, were deterred and are still deterred by the fear of the power of Joe and the secret clan about him. When anything of a disgraceful character is disclosed, Joe, ever ready to prove a negative, will bring together his clan and prove himself perfectly innocent; and thus, no matter how vile his conduct in private, the individual who ventures to disclose it, not only runs the risk of his life, but has but little hope of making the people believe his story. Joe's conduct with the women of Nauvoo, surpasses everything in blackness that I have ever heard or read of. I have from his own mouth, and from the mouth of his victims, statements which I dare not reveal; for the world will not believe that such corruption could possibly exist. Yet, if protection could be afforded to some of those females who were the victims of these wretches (the leaders in Nauvoo,) I could, I believe, from their own mouths, procure confessions that would startle the world. I have visited frequently, those women whom Joe supported for the gratification of his lust -- I have found them subsisting on the coarsest food, and not daring to utter a word of complaint, for they feared Joe Smith more than they did their God. I have appealed to the finer feelings of their nature, and seen them weep as children, when dwelling on the degraded state to which their credulity had reduced them. Knowing me to be in the confidence of Joe, they hesitated not to unfold their griefs to me, but their neighbors and acquaintances generally, know nothing of their feelings or their degradation. These remarks apply only to a portion of the spiritual wives, for there are many who are as corrupt as Joe himself.”

A Narrative of the Adventures and Experience of Joseph H. Jackson in Nauvoo, Disclosing the Depths of Mormon Villainy.  Warsaw, Illinois, August, 1844.  Pgs. 24-25

FROM OUR MAILBOX:

“Way to go! There are so many in the darkness of
Mormonism. “  LS

“Stop living in the past and live in today. Talking rubbish, again. You people are sick...how do you know that someone from the 1800s is a peedo file [sic]? What, and you are perfect? No, you're not. Picking on a dead man, [Joseph Smith] very brave of you.”   AA

“I have a question about The Book of Mormon lands. Could the dense vegetation of the area grow up over the cities and "swallow them up" thus leaving no traces behind? Just wondering. Thanks!”   DB

Answer: Probably not. Many ancient cities have been found amid the dense vegetation. Yet not one of them bears any resemblance to anything described in the Book of Mormon. The problem is not a lack of evidence, the problem is that the evidence we have contradicts the Book of Mormon.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

•  Pray for B.K., a woman from polygamy who is struggling with doctrinal issues.  Pray for great communication skills in explaining Biblical teachings and an open heart and ears for her as we have our discussions.
  
  
• Pray for B.V.—she and her family need relief from polygamous family pressure, financial pressures, and physical infirmities.  Pray their polygamist relatives will stop their shaming and coercion techniques and pray also they will have an open heart to the True Gospel!!

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