The season for celebrating the birth of our Precious Jesus is already upon us. The world has commercialized it and tried to change its focus to the point that it’s almost a crime to use the word “Christ” in Christmas. But Christ is in our name, we have been adopted into His family—we are CHRISTians.
There are many religions however, that are not Christian, but claim to be Christian — we’re not able to judge anyone’s heart, but we can and should judge their doctrine. Jesus said to “judge with a right judgment.”
Polygamists and LDS alike believe that Jesus is our “literal” elder brother and Lucifer’s brother, that Jesus’ father and one of his polygamous wives gave birth to us all in a pre-existence. Polygamists teach that when Jesus said, “He does what He sees His Father doing”, He meant He is also a polygamist. That is not a Christian belief—they have the wrong God, a different Jesus—and have even adopted the notion that our good works along with polygamy is our savior. Someone once said, “If our good works could save us, we wouldn’t need Jesus, we would be our own savior.” But how can any sinner save himself?
What is impossible with man, is possible with God, Luke 18:27
We continue to bring Biblical truths to the polygamous culture explaining that Jesus ALONE is the Savior and that salvation is a gift of God, not of works, so no one may boast.
We thank you for your support and prayers that enable us to bring God’s Good News to polygamists.
Karen Bradshaw is an ex-plural wife from the AUB polygamy group. She has given her life to Jesus and explains that God has laid it upon her heart to become part of the Shield and Refuge team. We welcome Karen to the team as we seek God’s will in this and in everything. For the next several months, Karen will share her story of being born and raised and married in a Mormon Fundamentalist Polygamy Group. This is Part Five of her story, she said, “I write this in the hope that others will be delivered from captivity!”
Continued from November:
The next day mother left three of my siblings that were five years and older at the ranch and we went home, just the three of us. I didn't realize my siblings would not be coming home for a very long time. Shortly after our trip to Nevada, poor Janice ended up at our house. This was all strange to me, Janice was just like a baby herself and my father was cruel to her. He would make her run to the point of exhaustion. "I'm tired I can't run anymore!", she would pant and fell down sobbing. One morning I came downstairs and heard my father yelling at her again because she was wearing my mother's bathrobe. He pulled it off her and she fell to the floor crying. My mother defended her, "I said she could wear it", she told him. "You don't touch anyone’s things that don't belong to you!!" he yelled. I remember being terrified because I knew how he could go off and would start kicking or slapping!! I felt sorry for Janice she was just a young girl herself. My mother finally called her parents and told them that they better come get their daughter because she was being mistreated!
I didn’t find out until forty years later that Janice's father had performed a ‘marriage’ between his handicapped daughter and my father, so she could have a baby. She couldn't take care of herself let alone a baby, but now I understand it was all about the money - the more children they had, the more money they would receive from the government.
My three siblings finally came home, and it wasn’t until years later I found out they had been molested while they were at the Peterson’s Ranch! This was the beginning of a life of secrets and shame. My father took another wife after Janice left. Her name was Claudette. She was very much in love with him.
I don't know much about how they met but one day she, her three daughters and a shiny, black, baby grand piano moved into our house. Claudette had a beautiful smile and long jet-black hair; her laugh filled the house and we all fell in love with her. She was so sweet and she and my mom and got along very well! It seemed wonderful until I discovered I had to share my bed with her daughter. I became intensely jealous and did everything I could to make her miserable. I turned into a monster, pulling her hair, and stomping on her foot when I happened to walk by. One day I purposely stomped as hard as I could and did this in front of my father. He grabbed me and gave me a well-deserved swat on my back side. I felt deeply rejected, that he had chosen them over me, and it hurt. It seemed like the only times he noticed me was when I got in trouble.
…continued next month!
Joseph Smith and Brigham Young taught “Live polygamy or be damned!”
But the Bible says: “Let each man have his own wife and let each woman have her own husband. ~ 1 Corinthians 7:2
GOD A POLYGAMIST? Yes, according to Brigham Young:
“The Scripture says that He, the Lord, came walking in the Temple, with His train; I do not know who they were, unless His wives and children; but at any rate they filled the Temple, and how many there were who could not get into the Temple I cannot say. This is the account given by Isaiah, whether he told the truth or not I leave every body to judge for himself.” Journal of Discourses, v. 13, pg 309
MORMON POLYGAMY HISTORY
~~It all began with Joseph Smith~~
"Exposé of polygamy in Utah: A lady's life among the Mormons. A record of personal experience as one of the wives of a Mormon elder during a period of more than twenty years". 1872
“At every council of the missionary brethren, the sisters became suspicious of their husbands and what teaching they might be listening to. It was evident that Polygamy was not going to contribute in any way to our peace of mind or happiness. We could not see how it was possible that any good could result from it. The missionary elders, on the contrary, seemed deeply interested in the new doctrine, and saw "glories" and "beauties" in it that had never been dreamed of before. They could see far away into the eternal world the "exaltation" that awaited the women who would "give wives to their husbands." The teaching of the doctrine of plural wives, in Switzerland, was limited. The Protestant minister ... received the announcement of "celestial marriage" with unfeigned pleasure. He had no son to transmit his name to posterity, and he flattered himself with hope. But his wife, who was not very young, attacked him so violently that he soon abandoned not only the ideas of patriarchal marriage, but also Mormonism itself.
A sister of the lady to whom I had first taught the doctrine of Polygamy, as soon as she discovered that I had converted her sister, called to see me, in company with another lady. As she entered the room, she asked me it I were Mrs. Stenhouse. I answered affirmatively; and, before I had time to ask her to be seated, she caught hold of me by the shoulders, like a maniac, and shook me violently, quite taking away my breath. I was like a child in her hands, and could offer no resistance. I had not been accustomed to such violence as this. She then began to declaim wildly against me, and declared that she hated me for teaching her sister such an abominable religion. Her passion rising again, she seized me a second time, and, forcing me into a corner, stood nervously clutching her hands and making for my face, screaming violently that she felt as if she "could tear me to pieces." All this time her friend stood by, with an amused expression on her countenance, as if she quite enjoyed the sight. But to me it was no joke; and I do not know what the enraged woman would have done to me, had not a gentleman, who was a friend of Mr. S., happened to come in at the moment, and, hearing the uproar, hastened to my rescue. The reader may well suppose that I shall not easily forget my experiences in introducing Polygamy among the Swiss.”
~ pp. 39-41
Q: The Bible tell us that God GAVE David his plural wives therefore He must have condoned polygamy.
A: God gives us life and breath and every ability we have. He gives us food to eat, water to drink and the roof over our heads. He gives us love, family, and relationships.
Acts 17:28 for in Him we live and move and have our being
When David took plural wives he did so of his own choice, not through God’s command, and God does allow us to make stupid choices. The context of their reference is the death of King Saul and David becomes King of Israel in his place. God GAVE David the Kingdom that had belonged to Saul, all of it was under
David’s care, including Saul’s harem. But a careful study will show that Saul had only one wife and she was David’s mother-in-law, he would not have taken her as a plural wife! Saul had one concubine and she was eventually taken by another man, not by
David. Their argument falls apart when looking at context.
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“I have heard "mainstream" LDS people try to claim that Section 132 does not mean plural marriage. Then why are modern people who decide to "live true Mormonism" practicing plural marriage?
Mainstream LDS try so hard to distance itself from its own obvious (and formerly critical) teachings. It still idolizes men who gathered large harems for themselves, and its famous
university remains named after a guy who made great, swelling, obnoxious speeches against all refusing to accept polygamy.”
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“I'm a Born Again Christian. I watch you every week. It constantly shows and reminds me of the wonderful truth of the Bible. Mercy and grace are no small things. I also watch the podcast " Morman Stories" It is sad to see how many who leave the LDS church also leave God and Jesus. I wish they could see that the God and Jesus of Mormonism is not the real thing. Thank you for strengthening my faith. ER”
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“I pray that every person in the Mormon institution, will view and receive the truth in your videos. Time is short, for the age of grace is closing! BJ”
If you have questions or would like information on a topic relating to Mormon polygamy, we invite you to send your request to doris@shieldandrefuge.org
- Pray for “NVT”—she was abused in polygamy-is now out of it but suffers alcohol addiction, she’s been in and out of treatment. Pray she’ll come to our Bible studies and get help from her true Healer.
- PRAISE for God’s sustaining grace and provision through the years!
Just call Doris: 801-649-3103, or Email: doris@shieldandrefuge.org |
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