Comments on: Meeting Betty Jessop

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:55:50 +0000

I don’t think Betty will have the experiences that a lot of the other girls have. for one thing, she is 19 now and has not been given to any man, young or old. Since her father, Merril is the leader for now at the Texas ranch, I don’t think Betty will be forced to do anything she doesn’t want to do. I think she truly wants to be there and loves her family on the inside. She is happy because she is favored. Whether or not she takes advantage of this is not known, but with all the publicity and lies that the leaders are trying to convince “outsiders” of, they will not do anything to Betty. Watch and see, I’ll bet SHE is the one to choose her husband, not some “prophet”

By: TS

TS — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 03:35:06 +0000

Just read the Carolyn Jessop book as well. Judith on 11/3 is certainly right. Betty will have a powerful position within the FLDS for a while because of her father’s status, and her return to the sect. I’d be very interested in reading her story as she sees it now at 19, and then again to read her story when she is say 39. At 19, she doesn’t have the experiences that her mother had, but rather her own experiences. I suspect that she isn’t currently open minded enough to be able to learn from her mother’s experiences, compare them to her own and her own observations of others in her community to make a fully informed decision as to how she wants to live the rest of her life. Really, what 19 year old does?
Hopefully Betty will be a sufficient force within the FLDS community to steer changes to the better and away from the mindset that appears to enslave the sect. At the very least, due to her position, she will likely not suffer as her mother has.

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 08:25:34 +0000

The physical, sexual, and emotional abuse FLDS women have to deal with is sickening and heart-wrenching. Betty, as the favorite daughter of the most powerful man in the community, probably has not experienced any of this abuse. Yet. If she is forced to marry some eighty year old man who can’t even stand up, let alone get it up, her feelings might change. If she is married to a cruel man, they probably will. The FLDS seems to encourage men to be brutes and egomaniacs. Her mother lived through many years of abuse and degradation before she was emotionally ready to leave. I can only hope that Betty will see the truth as time goes on and once again be ready for freedom.

By: S.N.

S.N. — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:45:21 +0000

I think the book “Escape” should be read by everyone…. because I found in it applicable characteristic behaviors (by men) that are found in MANY religions (not excluding the LDS…. and not to be confused with FLDS), and, found there in justifications used by all women who have been oppressed, or mentally, verbally, physically or sexually abused.

(Not here making a statement on the “doctrine” of any religion) I was once married to an LDS man (individual case) and I noticed (while reading the book) that his tactics, of trying to get me to agree with him and do as he wanted, was very much like the FLDS men (in Jessop’s book) including withholding acceptance, approval and love, repeated verbal reminders of my failings(in his eyes) and potential future lack of salvation, until he got his way. To him, as to the FLDS men (in Jessop’s book), it’s a woman’s “duty” to obey her husband no matter her own insight or treatment, and anything short of that objective was displeasing to GOD, resulting ultimately in “apostatizing” if one doesn’t do as is prescribed. It’s called “fear and guilt motivation”. (So beware, you who are LDS men, if you do not want your sect to be negatively compared to FLDS, that you not reflect those negative FLDS behaviors.)
The use of (what I call) the “God beating stick” on women, in order that men can have their way, is found in many religions. And all such men are behaving unrighteously, no matter their sect.

No, Betty is not happy no matter the claims… (or the staged photo opts with a phone and camera in hand… the absence of such in other’s hands being a dead giveaway), for, it was the Lord who gifted all with an endowment of “right of choice” in this life (not withstanding there are consequences in all choices.)
That right of choice is natural to our natures and HIS WILL in the matter, and the suppression of it is unnatural. And anything that attempts to permanently restrict that “right” (excluding children, who need guidance and to be taught limits) is not of GOD, in fact, is in defiance of the Will of GOD (and there in is the dead giveaway as to whether the FLDS is the “true” pathway.)

By: Farrah

Farrah — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:21:21 +0000

Hi myra
After reading the book escape and taken islamic classes, I know polygamy in FLDS is TOTALY diffrent than polygamy in islam. I prefer the islamic polygamy but I would still never agree to share my husband!

By: lee ann

lee ann — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 05:12:11 +0000

hey
I just finished Escape by carolyn jessop it’s really good !!!
Does anyone know where I can find “Brooke’s story focused
on a book that Betty has been writing about her
experiences in and out of the FLDS community”
thanks

By: myra

myra — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 07:46:38 +0000

dear all, please do not compare FLDS women to the middle eastern women. very different.

in the middle east/muslim world, women are encouraged to look beautiful for their husbands. polygamy is allowed but it is barely in the same fashion as the FLDS people. for one, it is not encouraged for polygamist women to stay in the same house. a man who wishes to take on more than one wife should house them seperately and be as fair as humanly possible (meaning if you want to buy your 2 wives gifts, you got to buy 3 because after the 1st wife picks her gift, the second wife should also be given the freedom to choose which gift she wants from the remaining 2 and not pick the “reject” gift of the first wife). polygamy is encouraged to avoid more sin between relationship between an unmarried woman and a married man – however, if the man cannot be fair, just and cannot afford it, then he shouldnt do it.

something about the LFDS seems so wrong, and yet i feel so interested to read more. for me, i am just curious to know what is the pull for these women? seems so strange, so unnatural…

By: Kendra

Kendra — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:46:07 +0000

I agree it seems very middle east. This girl is living in a fantasy world, she has no idea of the hardships ahead. At 18 she should be heading to college not about to procrate 18 spawn that will be brainwashed and abushed. My hope is that one day poligamy is ilklegal as it should be in all 50 states and territories.This is so wrong on so many levels.

By: mk webb

mk webb — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:49:10 +0000

I am reading Escape and find it very disturbing. My heart breaks for the women and children in the FLDS. I hope and pray that Betty was able to see the goodness on the outside and be able to help those in need in the FLDS. They seem to be living in their own sad world without any freedom. It kind of reminds me of the women in the Middle East countries, your husband calls all the shots. Betty please remember that your mother loves you and did what any sane person would do in those conditions.

By: rdrqueen

rdrqueen — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 07:02:44 +0000

I find it so interesting how all the girls either cover their face, or are chewing their nails. I would be nervous to living under those conditions. Not knowing when I will have my innocents taken from me, just because some prophet hooks me up with some old perv! I truly feel sorry for not just Betty but all those young woman and girls. Their future is dim and lies in the hands of a old man that will dictate their lives. This is not Gods will. When I read the book Escape I was appalled by the way woman are treated. They are totally brain washed and so are the young men! I will pray for the young members of this bogus cult.

By: CF

CF — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:30:57 +0000

Kathy -

There must be a lot of mark-up for the FLDS dresses available through their online store. The materials involved are not expensive. Their dresses are essentially solid-colored cotton-polyester blend fabric, four or five matching buttons, thread and maybe a zipper.

I like that Betty dressed her outfit up with cute black ballet flats instead of the ubiquitous athletic shoes or sandals-over-socks. Tres chic, Betty!

By: KATHY

KATHY — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:06:27 +0000

Does anyone realize that the dress Betty is wearing in these photos costs $160 at the FLDS website?? Fancy garb for folks doing “God’s work.” I also noticed that the girls in the photos are exhibiting some anxiety through their body language. I hope they can escape the cage of “fundamentalism.”

By: Trent Nelson

Trent Nelson — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 14:00:21 +0000

Dolly –

I’m assuming that you mean “happier” where it says “gappied”

By: Dolly

Dolly — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:30:42 +0000

I promise you Betty is gappied then you’ll ever know!
Thanks for your concerns, but I don’t think she’ll be interested!

By: Judith

Judith — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:53:38 +0000

Zebra @ Sept 9th: I doubt that Betty will be married off to an older man. She will probably always play the role of Elian Gonzalez in this community, and retain a great deal of power and status.

I think returning to the FLDS is simply what Betty wanted to do. In retrospect it may have been wiser for Carolyn to let her go home sooner, rather than obligating Betty to wait until she was 18.

I notice some peculiar things about these photographs too, which I think would be better not put into words. I do agree with Amanda from August 26th; this is not the face of an 18 year old.

By: Trent Nelson

Trent Nelson — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:13:33 +0000

kook-

From my time around the FLDS, there don’t seem to be restrictions on cel phones. In fact, it seems that everyone has one. And during a recent court hearing in Salt Lake City, where at least a thousand FLDS members held a rally, there were hundreds with cameras taking plenty of photographs.

By: kook

kook — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 22:59:29 +0000

so odd how she manages to include the cell phone and camera in each picture… it is clearly staged to make people believe she has access to those luxuries when she probably does not

By: Zebra

Zebra — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 06:21:07 +0000

Wait until little Miss Betty is married off to some half toothless 65 year old, as wife #62. Her trials at a public high school will seem like child’s play compared to her wedding night. Ugh. Gives me the creeps.

By: Trent Nelson

Trent Nelson — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:54:24 +0000

That’s a male, but he’s not an FLDS member. He’s an attorney who was having a conversation with a group of people in that room. I have no idea what they’re talking about right there but I was in the room before we started talking to Betty and the attorneys were just finding out about the people.

One attorney asked one of the women, “How many children do you have?”
The woman said, “Fourteen.”
He didn’t seem to believe it and rephrased his question. “I mean, how many children have you given birth to?”
“Fourteen,” she said with a smile.

By: Vic

Vic — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 13:11:40 +0000

in the second pic – is that a male in the background pointing a finger at a female???

By: amanda

amanda — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:56:35 +0000

Sad…Sad…Sad…Betty looks so OLD for such a young woman.

By: sage

sage — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:04:37 +0000

Funny, nobody else has a phone or a camera.
How odd that Betty would show up for photos
with one of each!

By: L. Spears

L. Spears — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:47:28 +0000

Ms. McQueen,
While I respect everyone’s opinion, yours is very disheartening. You sound like you’re describing Warren Jeffs, not Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith’s life was far from a “fantasy” as you put it. He went through some of the most terrible experiences and sacrificed a lot to bring forth a truth that, while its contents are wonderful, no mormon forces on anyone. I don’t understand why people are so judgmental of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (not to be confused with that FLDS nonsense) and its members. They are the most kind-hearted and service-oriented group I know. I would urge you to talk to a mormon about Joseph Smith, and then ponder your thoughts about him again. I mean, if I wanted to learn about Catholocism I wouldn’t talk to a Jewish person. Think about it.
L

By: Myra McQueen

Myra McQueen — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 14:24:58 +0000

After reading Joseph Smith’s life in the book entitled “Mormon America,” and researching the sect, I would say that Joseph Smith lived in his own fantasy world of make believe relgion, in which he conjured up so called ‘golden plates’ and prophetic fantasies that were false. Men are superior to women and children, and their rights come second to the man(eps older men)
Smith like war games, and secret societies(had his own so called ’secret society’) He spent much of his time looking for hidden treasures with a metal detector, and fantasizing the world that he made up.
Unfortunately, his sexual desires led to many wives, which even those leaders close to him, knew that it was pure lust, not love. He did not hesitate to shoot anyone if he was angry with them, and had his own security guards, hired to make sure that his enemies were taken care of.
How he managed to convince innocent people to follow his religious ideas is related to his charisma, and their lack of knowledge. It pays to research any system before deciding it is of God, because it may be just one man’s ideas.
thanks-myra mcqueen

By: Polygamy Perverts

Polygamy Perverts — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:28:08 +0000

Wow….notice how some of these children cover their mouths. Body language says what the mouth usually doesn’t.

By: deb

deb — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:23:51 +0000

she will find out one day, she should have got out of there at the first opportunity

By: Trent Nelson

Trent Nelson — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 18:18:02 +0000

While Betty probably had friends in high school, I’m sure there were also hard times. She was trying to live her fundamentalist beliefs, and It’s high school, you know? She’s with her father now, by her choice (as far as I can tell), and seems happy with her decision. I think it’s obvious that someone in a position like hers would feel pressure (real or not) from activists on either side of the issue. Hopefully she makes her choices for herself, whatever they are.

By: Marina

Marina — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 05:13:02 +0000

Thank you for sharing. On the last picture three of the girls are biting nails. Do you think she is happy there now? Does she miss an outside world?

By: Mike Terry

Mike Terry — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 04:05:21 +0000

Thanks for the backstory. Nice frame at the table.