Dear Praying Friends,
Restoration is a lovely word. It means to bring something back to its original condition. In Mormonism, restoration is that Joseph Smith restored an alleged lost gospel which included polygamy, an unoriginal and unbiblical idea.
Being born-again through faith in Jesus Christ is not that sinners are restored to a previous pristine condition we may have had, that condition was lost at the Fall. But when a sinner is born-again, God restores him or her to the standing of the original perfect creation of Adam and Eve, before the Fall, where there was perfect fellowship, perfect environment, perfect relationship with the Creator.
When we present polygamists the truth of God’s grace, His offer of forgiveness and eternal life—without the works of polygamy —we are opening up a whole new world of hope from despair, of unearned eternal love which polygamists rarely if ever experience. This brings hope, joy, freedom in Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,
he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
We thank you for your support and prayers that enable us to continue to bring Biblical truths to polygamists!
MORMON POLYGAMY HISTORY
~ It all began with Joseph Smith ~
“May 24-25 1842: Three women testify that Assistant President John C. Bennett and Apostle William Smith taught that Smith approved of “spiritual wifery” wherein several men have sexual relations with the same woman.
- May 25 1842: Smith disfellowships John Bennett who quickly publishes the first expose’ of Mormon polygamy. It is not clear whether Bennett is disfellowshipped for sexual misconduct or for using Smith’s name in justifying seduction.
- June 14 1842: The first fully-dated plural marriage performed by Smith occurs (for Brigham Young and Lucy Decker Seeley).
- Aug 31 1842: To refute John Bennett’s allegations Smith authorizes publication of affidavits accusing first counselor Rigdon’s daughter and Orson Pratt’s wife of sexual misconduct with Bennett.”
--copied from D. Michael Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy, Origins of Power
FROM OUR MAILBOX
“Thank you for using the Bible to support the infor-mation you share. All the characters of the Bible that had more than one wife had hardship. In Genesis God stated the original marriage one man and one woman. God doesn't change his mind. “ --S.S.
“Thank you for all the effort you do to make the truth known, you really help to set people free!” --SH
“There are kind, sincere people within the LDS, as well as within polygamy groups: promise of Salvation can not be assured via Mormonism, and polygamy. Education, love, assistance and plenty of it is essential: love seeing and hearing what you do. Thank you. Love listening to your programme.” --SC
“Always love your kind points... many Kingston girls have fled the Order because of your words. When I tell the story of polygamy in Utah, it involves many swear words... because I am related to every 'mormon prophet' but two... after the manifesto.. Thank you.” --DD
“Where do you get your information?? So what do you believe? I can’t tell! You seem wishy washy?” --JC
RESPONSE: Wishy washy? We clearly point out in every program that we believe the Bible, the gospel of the Bible and the God of the Bible. We believe in the Jesus of the Bible and the salvation the Bible teaches, which is not by works but is a gift of God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ the ONLY Savior - who died on the cross for our sins and was resurrected out of the grave and from death, and now lives forever to save those who will trust in Him. Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5-6.
A Story of a Woman Who Grew up Under the Doctrine of Incest in Polygamy
The following information is from: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-13711879/priscilla-tucker-incest-polygamy-cult-speaks-experience.html …. August 6 2024
Priscilla Tucker grew up in a polygamist cult where she was forced to engage in an incestuous relationship. The Kingston polygamy group in Salt Lake City, Utah is now generations deep forcing incestuous marriages.
Priscilla tells about their harsh rules that began at a very young age and about a brief engagement to her cousin. She tells about her application for emancipation, that five days before her court date, her mom invited her to lunch one more time. There she was almost kidnapped to be taken to an inpatient facility where they would “change her mind about things.” She knew of others who had disappeared and had been taken to that place.
Priscilla had rejected the family's’ plans to marry her off to her cousin, her mother’s sister’s son. Her mother yelled at her asking, “How could you do this? You’re going to make him so sad. How can you do this to my sister? How can you do this to me?” She realized this was merely a manipulative, guilt-trip technique and told her mom she was leaving and getting of the polygamy group. She had tried several times to run away from this night-mare life but never had any success.
“.. her mom orchestrated her 'kidnaping' to take her to a facility in which they taught women the teachings of The Order.” This was of course, a brainwashing center regularly used by the Kingston group to tame rebellious girls. The Kingston polygamy group is also called “The Order”.
Priscilla was determined, she didn’t give up, she dreamed of freedom. Eventually she ran away in the middle of the night and took a bus to Las Vegas. One of her cousins and her cousin's friends - who were already out of the cult - helped her escape.
“She noted that she and her mom often send each other messages on birthdays and special holidays - adding that she is not in contact with her family frequently.”
NOTE: Polygamy is not a “live and let live” religion. Their “facilities” are not unlike the Communist “re-education centers” aimed at silencing and reforming rebels who disagreed with the leaders.
POLYGAMY IN THE NEWS:
Update on Samuel Bateman Case:
Three Arizona women were sentenced to a total of seven years in prison for obstructing an investigation into child sex abuse among members of the FLDS.
Brenda Barlow, Marona Johnson and Leia Bistline are three of more than 20 polygamous wives of Samuel Bateman who rose to power after Warren Jeffs was imprisoned. These three women participated in group sex with Bateman and his other wives, including child brides as young as nine, according to an FBI investigation.
A woman who grew up in Colorado City now provides social services to women and girls who were abused by the FLDS religion, testified about the patriarchal abuse of women in Warren Jeffs group. She said that Jeffs started to use women as currency, he would take a woman from one man as punishment and give her to another man as a reward. He eliminated public schools and libraries, restricted access to the internet, and started taking brides as young as nine years old. With no access to information outside the immediate community, young women and girls born into the religion during Jeffs’ rise to power had no right to question.
Another social worker has evaluated the three women and concluded that each of them suffers from severe trauma due to childhood sexual abuse.
Morona Johnson’s attorney told the court that she had been given to Bateman in 2019, when she was 21 years old. Before that, she was regularly sexually abused by her father.
All of these women displayed symptoms of abuse, some more than others. Leia Bistline still considers herself a plural wife of Samuel Bateman so is seen as a higher risk of re-offending.
Information from: www.tucsonsentinel.com, August 1 2024
TERMINOLOGY DIFFERENCES:
CELESTIAN HEAVEN or Kingdom: LDS—The highest of Mormonism’s three levels in heaven. The Celestial is the highest degree of glory where only worthy members of the LDS church can hope to go. In polygamy only those who prac-tice plural marriage go to the Celestial Kingdom. In the LDS church only those who pay tithing, do all their temple work, go on a Mormon mission, and enter into Celestial Marriage covenants are able to go to Celestial Heaven.
“In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; And in
order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of
the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of
celestial marriage] And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.
(Doctrine and Covenants 131:1-3).
BIBLE: there is no mention or teaching of Celestial Heaven, Celestial Kingdom or Celestial marriage in the Bible.
THEY SAID THAT?
“Always keep your eye on the President of the church, and if he ever tells you to do anything, even if it is wrong, and you do it, the Lord will bless you for it…”
-LDS Apostle Marion G. Romney
Praises and Prayer Requests:
Update on previous prayer requests:
“M” - A previous pro-polygamy activist has become a Christian. She is active in sharing her faith with loved ones and others who embrace polygamy doctrine.
• Pray for her husband to see the truth in Jesus and be saved.
• Pray for open hearts of those with whom she shares Jesus.
• Pray for safety and opportunity.
• Pray for understanding God’s FULL forgiveness and that she will live daily in that joy and freedom in Jesus.
"MJ” - Presently a member of a polygamy group but questions doctrine and is comparing it with the Bible.
• Pray he will believe and receive the Truth.
• Pray his wife will follow with him.
• Pray for protection and joy.
“S” - Left a polygamy culture a couple of years ago but did not look for any other ‘religion’. However, God is calling her to investigate Biblical truths.
• Pray she will understand as we explain God’s grace in Salvation.
• Pray her husband will be with her and share this journey.
• Pray for her salvation
“A” - a polygamous wife who wavers between leaving her husband and staying with him. A few of her family members have become Biblical Christians.
• Pray she will act on the witness of Jesus that she receives from us and from her family.
• Pray she will have the courage to leave her abusive and poverty stricken polygamous relationship.
• Pray she will find joy in Jesus.
“E” - a third polygamous marriage has ended in failure, yet she continues to believe polygamy is God’s way to heaven.
• Pray she will listen to the Christian witness in her life.
• Pray she will understand it is the “doctrine” that caused her failed polygamous marriages rather than her personal failure.
NTERNET BROADCAST:
ALL of our programs (past and present) are available for viewing online directly from our website, (www.whatloveisthis.tv) or they may be viewed on your TV via a Roku device (If you have a Roku account, you can add Polygamy What Love Is This to your channel list at this link). Other Internet-to-television devices (Chromecast, many wi-fi-ready Blu-Ray players and gaming consoles) may also stream our programs directly to your TV from our YouTube or Vimeo channels.
Donor Options:
General Donations to A Shield and Refuge:
For other donation options, or to contribute to specific needs, visit: www.shieldandrefuge.org/support
If you would like to support A Shield and Refuge through automatic bank withdrawal, you can download the necessary form at the above link, print it out, fill it in, and either fax or mail it to us per the instructions on the sheet.
Checks can be made out to:
A Shield and Refuge Ministry
and mailed to:
PO Box 651292
Salt Lake City, UT 84165
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us!
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