After enduring a polygamous household where the wives constantly bickered, tattled and made life a living nightmare and where the husband and father of over fifty children ruled with cruelty in a community that saw women and children as property and, therefore, game to be beaten, Carolyn Jessop had had enough. Finally! But what did she do? Well, she went to Warren Jeffs, the acting prophet of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints. The despicable man who made their restrictive life even worse. Carolyn took a 17-page letter detailing the abuse she'd endured at the hands of her husband, Merril. And what did Warren do, but try to make her out to be the immoral, failing one!
"'You have the opportunity to become a goddess in this good man's home if he chooses to take you with him in the celestial kingdom. If you persist in wasting this life by offending your husband, you will be cast out as good for nothing and no man will ever want you in his kingdom. You need to repent, keep yourself in perfect obedience, and pray that Merril will find it in his heart to forgive you. If you continue to waste the precious time you have here on earth fighting him, you will have no place in the afterlife." (pg. 296)
Argh! Argh! Argh! How can men have that much control over women? And say this is all from God? This cruelty? Argggggh!
Merril's fifty-third child (Carolyn's 7th) was diagnosed with spinal neuroblastoma at a young age. Can you guess what this horrible man and most of his other wives said about it? Harrison was stricken with cancer because Carolyn wasn't in perfect harmony with Merril. And guess what? Perfect harmony meant that Carolyn was berated for ordering shrimp off a menu because poor darling Merril hated shrimp! Carolyn had to change her order to steak!
When the favored wife beat one of the other wife's children, Barbara defended herself: "Cathleen, you are out of order and you know it. I was only doing the will of my priesthood head. For you to question is pure rebellion." (pg. 291)
Remember, y'all, "perfect obedience produces perfect faith." (pg. 205) There is no room for "rebellion" against what this potential god says.
I know there were times while reading this book that I felt I could sling it across the room. I felt my blood start boiling at the way people in families (weird as they are!) could treat one another -- even slapping and beating their children until they were bruised!
Andrew said, "Are you reading another man-hater book." Nice timing since today is our anniversary, huh? Heheheh. Thank God Andrew is NOTHING like these creeps!
Quotes/information from Escape by Carolyn Jessop with Laura Palmer
2 comments:
Wow. That story is even worse than i thought. I saw the book and was thinking of getting it, but I think I would have bouts of rage while reading too.
Yeesh. I actually this book, but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. Clearly something to read on the treadmill so I can pound out my anger in the running. :)
Also, perhaps the timing of your reading is excellent! It just highlights all the many ways in which your husband is a much better man than these creeps! :)
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