Interview with Dr. Miller

    This post will be a recap of the interview I conducted, and I will share some interesting and noteworthy pieces of information that I gathered.  I will also evaluate the credibility of the source.
    For this assignment, I interviewed Dr. Timothy Miller, who is a religious studies professor here at the University of Kansas.  I am currently pursuing a minor in religious studies, but I did not know Dr. Miller before this interview, and found him simply by looking at the list of faculty.  His contact information can be found here: http://religiousstudies.ku.edu/timothy-miller.
    In the interview, Dr. Miller said was that he wasn't sure whether Fundamentalist Mormons would live so communally if it were't for the relatively hostile government they are avoiding, which I thought was an interesting point.  He also said Mormons are the quintassential Americans and are upholding ideals that most of the US has moved on from.
    Dr. Miller has not focused any of his research specifically on Fundamentalist Mormons.  He has, however, spent about 50 years researching intentional communities in the United States, and has a Ph. D. in American studies.  He also mentioned that he worked as a reporter for about 15 years, which would allow him insight into how the world of news works and better understand my questions about media coverage.  Although he may not be as qualified as someone who has focused specifically on Mormonism and polygamy, he has an incredible wealth of knowledge on religious studies.
    Miller said that because of their communal nature, he needed to be knowledgable and aware about Mormons in regards to his own research.  When I brought up the topic of media coverage of the Fundamentalist Mormons, Miller admitted to having a limited scope because he relies mostly on newspapers, but was aware of the television shows.  In response, I asked him if he thought the media coverage, and specifically the television shows, accurately portrayed the beliefs of the Fundamentalist Mormons, to which he expressed his doubt.

Fundamentalist Mormons Continue to Appear In Media

• Kristen Cook takes an unusual viewpoint in this article, where she writes "bring on the sister wives".  She laments that even though husbands are nice, having multiple wives or sisters to help with the mom load of driving, cooking, cleaning, and all things relating to children, would be quite nice.
• This article talks about the T.V. show "My Five Wives", and how the showcased family of 30 calls themselves 'progressive polygamists'.  Husband to five wives, Brady Williams says that he's a feminist, and doesn't see himself as head of the family.  The T.V. show has been causing waves with viewers. 
• This article explains how polygamist Winston Blackmore, who was in line to become the next Prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is being prosecuted for his admittance of 10 out of 26 brides being underaged.  The author believes that he admitted to the accusation because martyrdom is highly valued in the Fundamentalist Mormon community

Survey Results Unsurprising- American's Aren't In Favor of Polygamy

  This post will be interpreting the results of a survey that National Geographic Channel conducted to see how American's felt about polygamy.  It was was released on May 14, 2013, a week after the premiere of their show, "Polygamy, USA".  I will also be evaluating the credibility of the survey and the results, which can be found in this article: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-geographic-channel-releases-marriage-survey-results-that-explore-peoples-attitudes-toward-plural-and-traditional-marriage-207427121.html.

  The survey results show that Americans are more accepting of gay marriage than of plural marriage, and that their standpoint stems from the negative connotation polygamy tends to have, especially through the media.

  The only information that is given about the survey is that 1,153 people, ages 18 and older, took the survey online on April 30, 2013.  There is nothing provided about race or ethnicity, religion, geography, economic standing, or level of education.

  The results of this survey are far from shocking; it just puts numbers to the assumptions most people think society has.  Without further information on the respondents, it is hard to determine just how insightful the results truly are to American's minds.

  Despite my best searching efforts, I could not find the actual survey that National Geographic Channel  issued, so I cannot give an example of questions and exact responses.  The responses were released in a sentence format with percentages .

  Again, I do not believe the actual survey was released, just the results, and so I cannot determine the usefulness of the survey based on the questions.

  Because the questions are not available, it is impossible for me to fully determine the credibility and accuracy of this survey.  However, National Geographic is a credible source, and the results of the survey really can't be misconstrued in favor for the channel because it was simply to gage the American people's feelings on polygamy, not their actual show.

 

Justice Served?

    The point of this post is to examine and evaluate the three Grand Jury Indictments of Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints leader Warren Jeffs.  My topic is polygamy in Fundamentalist Mormon communities, of which Jeffs was, and as some contest, still is, the Prophet and leader.
    I ultimately found my document on the Texas Attorney General's website, which is where I originally started my search.  However, I did not know where to find what I was looking for, and so I Google searched "Texas v. Warren Jeffs", which led me to the document here: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/newspubs/releases/2010/120110indictment_jeffs.pdf.
    The most disturbing part of these documents are the description of Jeffs's crimes, which were sexual assault of a child under 17, and aggravated sexual assault of a child under 14, both of which he was prohibited from marrying or living with by state law, as well as a bigamy charge. In the FLDS world, sex and "celestial marriage" with young girls is not only normal, it is encouraged and highly regarded.
    Although it may at first glance be overlooked, it is interesting to note that the sexual assaults took place two to there and a half years previous to the indictment.  In my opinion, I think it is strange that the incidents were recognized and justice served, due to the usually tight security forces and intense privacy the FLDS community manages to sustain.  It is extremely lucky that this case was discovered and Jeffs apprehended.
    The documents are Grand Jury Indictments directly from the 51st Judicial District Court of Texas, and are therefore as credible as they can get.  Although it is great that the state of Texas finally managed to apprehend Jeffs for these three crimes, there are undoubtedly countless more similar acts that have gone undocumented.  I think that these documents serve as only a mere glimpse into what I'm sure is a life-long history of similar incidents.  Not to mention, Warren Jeffs is only one man.  Because of other research I have done, I know that there were four other men that were also indicted at the same time as Jeffs for similar charges, which makes one wonder just how many Fundamentalist Mormon men are out there sexually exploiting minors.

Unsettling Developments

• This Fox News article briefly explains the plight of one women, Ruby Jessop, who fled the FLDS community and had just gained temporary custody over her children.  Her case sparked a criminal probe of the FLDS communities in AZ and UT, and of the Marshal's Office.
• The Salt Lake Tribune article here tells us that Willie Jessop, former spokesman for the FLDS community who broke off from the sect when Warren Jeffs was arrested, bought Jeffs's compound for $3.6 million.  A tour through the huge house revealed an industrial-sized kitchen and eerily sound-proofed rooms, which are assumed to have been prepared for Jeffs to sexually exploit underage girls in.
• This blog post highlights the financial aspect of the FLDS community, and how millions of tax payer dollars are going to the members of the Fundamentalist Mormon sect through welfare and grants.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/01/23/26-year-old-arizona-mother-six-escapes-jeffs-polygamous-sect/
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/56223239-78/jessop-flds-jeffs-compound.html.csp
http://stoppolygamyincanada.wordpress.com/effect-of-polygamy-on-women-and-the-family/polygamy-tax-dollars-and-gov-funds/

Tax Payers Funding FLDS Communities?

  Because of the nature of the Fundamentalist LDS church, I chose to use their leader, or Prophet, instead of a company for the for-profit organization.

    Despite a life sentence to prison for two counts of sexual assault against underaged girls, Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Prophet Warren Jeffs is said to still have a hold over the community.  There are thought to be about 10,000 members of the Church that live mainly in Arizona and Utah, most of whom are women and children.
    While it is difficult to find concrete evidence, it is said that members who work outside the community-boys and young men doing agricultural labor or construction, women as nurses-get their paycheck taken from them by their fathers, who then give it to the church.  Also, most of the young women are technically identified as single mothers by the state, because they are "celestially" married to their husbands, but not legally.
    Because of this, millions of dollars pour into the FLDS communities of Colorado City, AZ, and Hildale, UT a year.  After conducting research, author Stephen Singular wrote that Colorado City residents received "eight times the welfare assistance of comparably sized towns in the area".
    44% of Colorado City residents were receiving food stamps, and Al Herron reported that in 2008, medical insurance for most of the residents in Colorado City was provided by the state, costing around $8 million a year.
    There is no doubt that Warren Jeffs is absolutely a biased source since he is the unofficial leader of the FLDS church, which is also a source that skews viewpoints and lifestyles.  The FLDS have become masters at "bleeding the beast", or sucking as much federal money in as they can, and generate an incredible amount of profit that way.  Donations and paychecks from members also amount to huge sums of money that go straight to the Prophet's hands, to be used at his will.  
     Copies of the FLDS scriptures are available to order and inquires can be made to (702)-686-1180, and the address is Twin City Courier Inc., P.O. Box 840868, Hildale, UT, 84784.  I do not know if this would put you in direct contact with the church, but Hildale is where a large number of community members live.

http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,265188,265188
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/695274843/Congressional-hearings-sought-on-FLDS-government-contracts.html
http://abcnews.go.com/US/warren-jeffs-nephews-flds-church-leader-gods-brainwash/story?id=21105965
http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/31/us/fundamentalist-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints-fast-facts/

FLDS-ruled cities in AZ and UT

• In this Huffington Post article, Derek Penwell shares his eloquently stated thoughts on why arguing against gay marriage because it will surely lead to legalized polygamy is ineffective and unproductive, and that it is really just a distraction from the real issues at hand.
• John Dougherty, in his New Times Phoenix article, explains his rising concern over the Colorado City police force, and the alarming  inclination they seem to have to ignore the law and favor religious rule, specifically when instructed by polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Latter-day Saints leader Warren Jeffs.
• This Raw Story news article informs readers of the possibility that Warren Jeffs in still leading the FLDS communities in Colorado City, AZ, and Hildale, UT, from inside jail, where he is serving time for impregnating two underage girls; his 'spiritual wives'.