Originally posted by: Kwaipie
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Jon Krakauer wrote an excellent book trying to explain this offshoot branch of the LDS church, recommended reading.
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Coincidentally, I just finished reading that book Sunday. Jeffs wasn't featured in the book (as I recall), but the picture it paints of both the mainstream LDS church and these fundamentalist offshoots is not a pretty one, by a long stretch. Fraud and deceit when dealing with outsiders is far too common. The FBI reports Utah as having the highest level of white collar and investment type fraud in the county. Many of the polygamists with a dozen or more kids are scamming the welfare system, claiming the second wife, third wife, etc. are single mothers.
Before I read this book, I didn't think much about polygamy (other than the usual married man's reaction-why would any sane male want more than one wife), but my general impression was that it was a victimless crime. After reading the book my opinion has totally changed. Most of these wives are forced into marriage at age 14 or so. The church leader tells them who to marry (usually someone several times their age) and tells them that they will be thrown out of the church and be damned if they do not.
The book, if anyone is interested, is
Under The Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith .
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