Dear Praying Friends,
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It’s heartbreaking to see the pain and grief that those who are escaping polygamy are forced to endure. My constant prayer is: “Lord, can you make this journey a bit easier for these poor women?” We are promised protection, provision and victory in Jesus, but those from polygamy who have known nothing of our glorious Savior, do not know how to trust Him completely. They’ve been indoctrinated to “do it for themselves”, they know little of God’s grace. Through the years we have had the privilege of helping and counseling many ladies, and guys, as they learn to navigate the biblical way of salvation. It takes time to neutralize Mormon indoctrination replacing it with Biblical mind renewal. It’s a process and does not happen overnight. We have observed God’s faithfulness and miracles in the lives of many we have helped, we anticipate God’s continued work to deliver the oppressed, turning their darkness into light, drawing more and more OUT of polygamy and INTO saving faith in Jesus Christ:
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a newcreation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
We pray God will continue to supply every need, every day, in every way for this ministry and for all who help us help them.
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 ~
From the Article Determining and Defining 'Wife': The Brigham Young Households, by Jeffery Ogden Johnson
Latter-day Saints introduced to the doctrine of plural marriage in Nauvoo understood that it was part of the promised "restoration of all things" that included a re-establishment of the family structure of such ancient prophets as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; that it was the "higher law" of the afterlife which they were being called by God and his prophet to live in this life; and that it was an ordinance necessary to salvation. Not only would it determine relationships with beloved kinfolk in the next life, but, Latter-day Saints believed a priesthood sealing between worthy partners was also essential for both men and women before they could be saved. In an 1845 sermon, Brigham Young alluded to this doctrine in those terms when he assured his listeners that "no woman can be perfect without a man to lead her . . . and I say to every man upon the face of the earth: if he wishes to be saved he cannot be saved without a woman by his side." He identified this doctrine as "Joseph Smith's spiritual wife system" ("Speech," 1845, p. 59).
After Joseph Smith's death but before the temple in Nauvoo was completed, Brigham Young was sealed to fifteen women in secret ceremonies. Brigham Young recorded them in code in his diary as "M E" (marriage for eternity) or "M T" (marriage for time) capitalized and underlined at the top of the diary pages when his marriages were performed. (p. 60)
In the five-week period between 7 January and 6 February 1846, Brigham Young was married to nineteen women, and his sealings to all of his living wives were reconfirmed. Fourteen of his nineteen new wives had been married before and seven were significantly older. (p. 61)
On 29 August 1852, Orson Pratt expounded the principle of plural marriage in a general conference session, ending the period of secrecy. At that point, Brigham Young was fifty-one years old. Of his forty-two plural wives, seven had died and six had received divorces. The history of four is unknown. Thirty-one children had been born; three more were conceived that year. ... By his death on 23 August 1877, Brigham Young had married fifty-five wives. Nineteen had predeceased him, ten had received divorces, four are unaccounted for, and twenty-three survived him. Seventeen wives received a share of his estate while the remaining six apparently had nonconjugal roles. Sixteen women gave birth to Brigham Young's fifty-seven children; Emmeline Free had ten; six wives had only one child. The oldest child, Elizabeth Young Ellsworth, was fifty-two at Brigham's death and the youngest, Fannie Young Clayton, was seven. Eleven of the sixteen women survived him. None of the women who bore him children cancelled their sealings or remarried. (p. 62)
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FROM OUR MAILBOX
“What I’m realizing that ‘what is it all for?’ Can be answered in Jesus Christ- being WITH Him, reunited in Life. Then we are not focused on doing everything we can do, sacrificing etc. for a person or people or for eternal marriage or for any other thing to be the goal aside from God.” --MB
“When I went to the Ogden Utah Mormon temple in 1975 the temple workers took all my clothes, gave me a sheet/poncho, touched my naked body, gave me a different name and threatened to slit my throat. Thank you, your show is therapy for those of us who have been violently sexually assaulted by LDS Mormon priesthood bearers. Bless you.” --CMR
“I actually had a family member part of the Colorado cult try to convince me that Joseph Smith didn’t practice polygamy. The brainwashing is a real thing.” --GB
“Great job! This information is just important to get out to people.” --MB
THANKS TO ALL OUR VIEWERS WHO SHARE THEIR COMMENTS.
SHELF ITEMS EXPLAINED:
QUESTION: If it is true that we need to believe in the Christian view of judgment / heaven / hell and the afterlife, rather than the
Mormon one (where almost everyone is universally saved in a kingdom), how can God be okay with so many people living and dying without the Word and going to hell - it doesn't seem fair?
One of the great attributes of God is justice: a right judgment in righteousness. So whatever God’s answer is to this shelf item – we can know is just and it is right. The Gospel of John says:
John 1:9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
Jesus is the true light – and gives His true light to everyone – some more than others obviously. But each person receives some amount of spiritual light.
Also, God is impartial and shows no favoritism in any way.
Romans 2:11 For God shows no partiality.
Romans 2:15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them…
People everywhere have an inner sense of right and wrong, the Bible calls it "conscience." Many cultures have a sense of guilt and judgement and have acquired ways to atone for sins in order to appease whatever gods they fear. Those who genuinely seek the God who created them will find the truth. God has told us so:
Jeremiah 29:13-14 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord
And most importantly – God sent His Son to take the divine penalty for our sin, “It Is Finished” so that all WE have to do is believe and trust Him, and nothing else – for eternal life. And all who reject
Jesus, rejects God, and rejects the only way to eternal life:
Luke 10:16 “The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me,and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
God is just- He gives everyone enough light to believe – there are no second chances after death, but God in his patience and goodness, gives us plenty of chances while we are here.
TERMINOLOGY DIFFERENCES:
Mormonism’s Definition of “Marriage”
An eternal bonding of husband and wife that continues into the afterlife. These couples will continue to have children forever which is defined as eternal lives.
A Mormon Fundamentalist is required to have at least two wives at the same time in order to be qualified to be exalted into the highest heavenly kingdom. There he will be awarded with his own planet or many planets, he will have earned ‘godhood’ in which he is eternally married to many women who produce spirit children for him forever.
Bible Definition of “Marriage”
The covenant made between one man and one woman which continues until the death of one spouse.
Marriage is the special relationship that God has with His people, and the special relationship Jesus will have with His church. It is a covenant of love, provision and protection forever.
THEY SAID THAT?
“Rome became the mistress of the world, and introduced this order of monogamy wherever her sway was acknowledged. Thus this monogamic order of marriage, so esteemed by modern Christians as a holy sacrament and divine institution, is nothing but a system established by a set of robbers” (Brigham Young, July 6, 1862, Journal of Discourses 9:322).
POLYGAMY IN THE NEWS:
More than two years ago, an FLDS father arranged the disappearance of his three children from their mother and hid them away with the help of other family members. The three children were recently found in Fredonia Arizona, and after a quick rescue were reunited with their mother in Utah. The
children’s grandmother and aunt were arrested but the father has not yet been located.
The FLDS is a Mormon polygamy group that has been highly criticized by former members for its authoritarian leadership, isolation, firm patriarchy and abuses within the community.
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Winston Blackmore a bishop and leader of and FLDS community in B.C., Canada is facing court on allegations of sexual abuse, sexual battery and sexual assault on a woman when she was a child. Blackmore is not named as a defendant in the claim, and the allegations against him are unproven.
The lawsuit alleges: “In or about the years of 1968 to 1981, the perpetrator used the position of power granted by the defendant to prey upon the plaintiff, be a party to sexual and emotional assault of the plaintiff, and/or direct, aid, and abet other members of the church to sexually, physically, or emotionally abuse the plaintiff”. The suit says the alleged abuse against “occurred on a repeated basis, increasing in frequency, nature and intensity as time progressed,” and that Blackmore used his position of authority and trust to ensure the child kept quiet.
The suit alleges Blackmore was acting as the church’s bishop and using those rules, principles and policies “to further his abuse.” The suit further asserts the church knew of the abuse and did nothing.
Praises and Prayer Requests:
- Please continue to pray for MJ’s spouse who is strongly resisting the Biblical Gospel, and the Biblical record.
- Please continue to pray for MB’s spouse who is also resisting all that is Christianity.
NOTE: It is a long and painful journey out of Mormonism. Loved ones do not understand-they cannot understand the Biblical Gospel of Grace. It takes a special act of God to open their eyes. I like to pray this prayer from Acts 26:18: That God will open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus.
SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST:
We are helping a mother with four children leave a polygamous marriage and the polygamy group. Her husband has filed for a legal divorce and is refusing to take financial responsibility for the children’s medical/dental and other needs. PLEASE PRAY FOR HER. Utah courts frequently rule on behalf of the polygamous husband, she needs EXCELLENT legal services and many great miracles. She has become a Christian but is facing major pushback from her husband for ‘changing gods.’
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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