Well, since we're starting over with a new board and all our introductions are somewhere back in the mysterious land of Aimoo, I may as well do one for me. Actually I don't think I did one before so, here is me.

I came from the land of the Utah and, beleive it or not, I was actually a Mormon kid. By the time I got out of High School I had become pretty much a free thinker and I was prettty much Ex-Mormon. A few years later the Bishop in whatever ward I was assigned to sent a deputation over to my apartment and DEMANDED that I accept the home teachers, who I'd been blowing off, right then or there or write a letter asking to be excommunicated. I don't like people who issue ultimatums like that and I wrote out a letter saying I don't believe any more and sure enough, they held a court, which I didn't bother to attend, and officiously declared I am so unworthy, they wouldn't even accept tithing from me. I suspect they were lying on that account but have never been willing to part with any money to test them.

So then came the internet, which is really an opportunity to expand one's horizons. I stumbled onto the ExMormon Bulletin Board at www.exmormon.org and became pretty active on it for a long time.

One day, along about in 2000 or so, there was a post on the Exmo BB asking if anyone could put a picture of Ruby Jessop on the internet for Flora Jessop. I kind of watched that thread for a couple days and was surprised that nobody stepped up. Back in those days we weren't generally as nimble about doing internet stuff since it was new. So I finally vounteered and ended up making the helpthechildbrides.com website. Ruby's picture is still on it, but she's older and had about 3 or so polyg chillins by now. I understand she was on the witness list to testify on behalf of Warren S Jeffs in his accessory to rape case, but was withdrawn. Nobody outside the cult seems to know where she is as she isn't presented in public even yet.

So that got me into this polygamy issue. I've got to be pretty good friends with Flora and others involved on one side or the other. As with so many issues, this polygamy seems so simple from the outside, but there is a lot going on once you get involved.

So that's me. I'm just a fat old man who has never been involved in a social issue like this before. I don't tend to join stuff, but sometimes jump in with both feet when I do. Some of the polygs here have railed against "activists" who don't understand the issue. I don't think of myself as an "activist" but I've learned enough about the issue to be pretty revolted by what's going on in Colorado City and in other polyg cults. At the same time I've learned that there are a lot of very nice people who have either come out of the polyg groups or, in some cases may still be in. It is a mix of good and evil that is hard to grasp.

Me too. I am jim_ashurst alter ego. Generally I talk on the forum as Cactus Jim, but morph into Jim_Ashurst for admin stuff. Not always though since sometimes I forget who I am logged in as. Hell, anymore I sometimes forget where I am, much less who I am.

I've learned enough about the issue to be pretty revolted by what's going on in Colorado City and in other polyg cults. At the same time I've learned that there are a lot of very nice people who have either come out of the polyg groups or, in some cases may still be in. It is a mix of good and evil that is hard to grasp.
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ya Jim , id say us Pligs, ex pligs and wannabe pligs ,are just a kind of,.... ah...ya might say a biopsy of the human race.

Why is this stuff in my Introduciton Topic. Don't you guys like me?

Head Military Figure What's In Charge =HMFWIC

Hey everybody.
Just thought I'd introduce myself since this is the introductions section. Most of you probably know me from the Texas Polygamy blog. I know Uncaduff and Furnace sometimes post there. Street, too.
I am an ex- FLDS and ex-plural wife. I was only a plural wife for four months. I have a husband who is also ex- FLDS and three children and am very happy with my life now. I have been inactive in the FLDS for 5 yrs. and been living outside of the FLDS for three years.
I joined this forum because it is nice to talk about home with people who used to know, or do know, or have heard.

Hey folks, it's been a while. I used to really enjoy reading the dialog (and occasionally participating) at the Aimoo forums. Nice to see some familiar names still around.

This was the first place I came when I heard about the Texas goings on. Thanks, Jim, for getting my account approved so I can post.

Let me re-introduce myself. I'm a 40 year old deadhead hippie type who found herself unexpectedly raising her family in Salt Lake City back in 99. After I was there a couple years I started finding out some coworkers were practicing polygamists and others had been raised in it. Then Warren excommunicated a large group of men and I was totally intrigued by Lori & Ross Chatwin. I think that's around the time I first found y'all's forums.

Three years ago we moved back east when my mom had a series of debilitating strokes. We've since settled in Northern New Jersey about 30 miles outside of New York City. Just as I'd thought Utah was about the last place on Earth I'd raise my family, I thought the same thing about New Jersey. But, just like Salt Lake was the perfect place for us at the time, so is New Jersey. My daughter's in a 4-year culinary arts high school program that will include college in lieu of 12th grade. My son's looking at the Networking or Veterinary programs at the same school. Anyhow, here in Jersey most folks don't know much about LDS let alone FLDS.

I really hope all that's shaking out in Texas turns out to be a good thing.

Hey Folks, (modified 04-28-2008)

I was on the old Stop Polygabuse board . . . before it imploded on its self. It was an addiction, for sure.

I try to be more humble these days. . . . .

I grew up in Colorado City, but have lived out the cult's influence for about 14 years. I don't actively believe much of what is taught there now, yet I don't consider myself an "ex." I love them and still call most of friends and family. I am not and never have been a member of the FLDS. However, I was member of that same group before it split and one 3/4 called themselves the FLDS. I belonged to a group that later called its self "The Work."

I left the group for more reasons then I can count and for very few reasons that I will explain. But I can't say that I ever felt unwelcome. When I see people, many still great me as old friend, (those that still recognize my face.)


Having come for a cult, I understand the thinking pretty well. So I find myself defending people's right to believe what they want, even if it doesn't make sense to others. Unfortunately for me, I might have a couple of syndromes that make me not very compatible with other folks. So if I am rude . . . . you probably deserve it.

I've rejoined this board because of the Texas thing. Even though I haven't lived in CC for almost 14 years, and this event happened in Texas, I feel as if my home was raided. My wife is consistly asking me, "why are you acting as this happened to you. This is Warren Jeffs group and I know you hate him, so why are defending them?" It's hard to explain. Few Jews are still alive that lived through Halocaust, but I'm sure that most still take it personally.

When AZ and UT went into CC and took 8 men for sex crimes, I was a little cautious. Most got off very lightly, but in the end, the state didn't seem to have a case. I thought, at the very least, CC and CP will stop doing unage married stuff. I don't know if they have, but they are idiots if they haven't.

I adhor child abuse. My own father had an issue with it. But I've also learned a lot over the years. . . . one might say that I've become wiser. But in a time when people don't fail, but diet do . . . . . I would like say this. Child abuse is a disease, not a lifestyle. Polygamy is a lifestyle, not a disease.

Polygamy may not be fair to all, but then neither is monogamy. How can ANY lifestyle to be fair to all? Everyone says how polygamy couldn't exist on a large scale, but then neither could gays, lesbians, bacholors, or lawyers. But it's OK to have a few, maybe even healthy.

And from a personal perspective, let me say this. What I know of God, the pligs may have it right. There is no room for jealousy in the higher kingdoms. So many of the things that we human enjoy, pride, ego, selfishness, etc, do not exist in higher truth. So all in all, most of us, as least for a very long time will not be entertaining higher truth, such as a oneness that could very well destroy the concept of self, if not carefully protected. In order to withstand the presence of God, one must practice a form of "oneness" while maintaining a sense of self withing the oneness. The average American would never survive such a thing.

The process of getting closer to God is the process of killing the ego, the false self. Such a process causes huge insecurities in the personality. Everyone knows that child abuse is about power, not sex.

That many of these people feel weak, insecure, and vulnerable makes sense to me. That doesn't excuse child abuse, however. I never thought it did. Child abuse its self causes insecurity and vulnerability that makes it hard to embrace life, but so can so many other things. For example: I may have a mild form of CP and or Aspurgers Syndrome. This may cause my nerological pathways to "different from the other kids." As a result, I have different values, different goals, etc.

However, what has happened in Texas feels as if it happened to me. . . to some extent. I'm not crying and weeping to have my children returned, but I feel violated on a whole new level.

John

Hello, Jim and others. Long time no type. bet you are surprised I found the new place. (If you remember me.) My re-introduction is short. I'm a regular Jane Shmane with no personal mormon or polygamist background but just interested in it for social reasons. I was raised in the bible belt and while I never attended a snake handling, I'm still shaking off a lifetime of learned guilt for natural, human actions. I'm interested in religions in general, but very much secular myself. So, hello again, everyone.