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'.

Holding Out Help: non-profit aid

    Holding Out Help, found here, is a non-profit organization that provides aid for those with a polygamous background, and helps them transition into mainstream life.  HOH currently serves over 250 people and has a waiting list for their services.
    Holding Out Hope has employees, volunteers, and those they provide aid and services to.
    The organization is "100% supported by private individuals and small business…donations, as well as two annual fundraisers."  Their income for the year of 2010, $157,168, came from fundraising, contributions and grants.  Their expenses for the same year were $16,984 in salaries, $1,216 in taxes, $1,441 in advertising, $3,959 in office expenses, $380 in depreciation, $1,078 in insurance, $79,597 in direct client service, and $14,225 in operating expenses.  Their biggest expenses are direct client services, which is exactly what you would want to see from a non-profit.
     HOH employs seven people; Tonia Tewell is the Executive Director, and the others are listed as trustees.  While Part I of the form says that the organization paid out $16,984 in salaries, in Part VII there is no listed compensation.
     I think that Holding Out Help has a very biased view against polygamy, based on the fact that their efforts are put towards helping people leave polygamous relationships and the potential abuse that lifestyle may include.  The information provided by the non-profit will likely only include stories that support their cause; instances where polygamy was emotionally or physically harmful to spouses or children.
     Guidestar.com tells us that Holding Out Help's address is 138 East 12300 South Suite C 193 
Draper, UT, 84020, and they can be contacted on their Help Hotline at 801.548.3492, toll-free at 866.517.3632, and by email at help@holdingouthelp.org. 
   
 http://holdingouthelp.org
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2011/263/342/2011-263342386-08e0e7e9-9.pdf