Escape

After my little sad episode last week and the ultimate wake up, I decided to take my children to the library. Well the older two, because I wanted to actually experience the library rather than chase a two year old around. While the kids were in the children section of the library, I started browsing the books. I am stubborn when it comes to reading. If you tell me I have to read it, I won't. Like school or book clubs are not for me. If I am assigned reading in anyway, I will avoid it til the last minute. I guess it is my strong will playing out. I don't really understand why but it is that way. I don't care how interesting the book is I find a reason not to read it til the last minute, and even then, it is just a skim through. Anyway, back to the subject. I had heard about a memoir by Carolyn Jessop called Escape. A book that detailed the life of a woman raised in the FLDS. I decided to check it out. HOLY FLIPPIN COW! This was a good read. I finished it within a couple of days, it is easy reading tho. Being that I grew up right next to the towns of Hildale, UT and Colorado City, AZ, this book kinda has some meaning to me. These Polygamists were a constant in my world. No one really believed that this was a reality until you would drive them up to these towns and show them. I remember as a teenager seeing girls that were around my age either pregnant or carrying around babies. They dress like they just stepped out of a Little House on the Prarie set. Southen Utah frequently gets well above the 100 degree mark in the summertime and these women are dressed in layers of clothes and dresses down to their ankles, long sleeves and high collars. As I got older I began to realize the disgusting way these women were treated. I volunteered for a time at a Women's shelter, and that really opened my eyes. These women were severely abused. Emotionally, physically and sexually. It was awful to hear their stories, even worse was that they really didn't see anything wrong with it, because they were living the way God wanted them to. I am still in disbelief that this was happening in modern day America. The evil in me tho does like to indulge in standing up to a man from this community. They are condescending to all women and when one of them starts barking at me about whatever I like to remind them that they are not that important. I remember a friend of mine telling one, "Sir, I am not one of your wives, you canNOT talk to me that way." Hilarious to see the looks on their faces when a woman can dish it right back and he can't do anything about it.

Let me get one thing straight. I am all for freedom of Religion in this country. I am not necessarily against polygamy if all parties involved are consenting adults. Which is not usually the case here.

So reading this book was a little extra fascinating cause she mentioned the area I grew up in. She would mention a place and I could picture it. She even was able to attend the same college as I did. I wonder if I ever ran into her or her husband. I felt sorry for her. The way the other sister wives treated each other was awful. The way the older daughters were towards her was very bad. Most of all her husband, Merril Jessop, was disgusting. He married her out of a business arrangement with her Dad. Sad thing is, he wanted her younger, 16 year old sister, but got the names mixed up. She is the mother of 8 kids by him, and the fourth of his many wives. During the length of the book there were 6 wives, but since he has married more. He was abusive and fed the flames of the evil ways in which the family was toward each other. And for being such an outstanding citizen, he is considered the leader of the group that up and moved to Texas! This book also details her escape. The struggle but ultimate relief she experienced. How much we take for granted! Even hugging your children and showing them any affection is frowned upon. Really, I can't comprehend how people can be this way towards each other. But it is the way of life up there. And when Warren Jeffs took over, it got really bizarre up there. I remember hearing things about how he wouldn't allow red in the community, all children were pulled from school, his sermons would get leaked out-talk about creepy. He was a racist and I heard one of his sermons say how the blacks were dirty and evil. They say truth is stranger than fiction, and in this case it is. Little side note, when he was ultimately captured he was in a red SUV, wearing shorts and then my brother's best friend ended up on his jury.

To play the devil's advocate, I must say that this book is written from Carolyn Jessops view. I don't recall her mentioning herself participating in any of the abuse in the home. I wonder how she could not be that way if she was raised in this cult? I wonder what she left out? However, if she is in fact innocent of any of the blame, then good for her!

I would love to write a whole lot more, but this is already getting too long. If you are interested in cults at all, this is definitely a must read.