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What happened to Warren Jeff's underage brides?


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I have been doing alot of reading about the FLDS. Sisterwivesblog.blogspot.com has been featuring reviews of various FLDS books.

 

I have been curious for awhile about what happened to the former underage brides? Were they removed from the FLDS?

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From what I have been given to understand, at least some of them have been reassigned to other higher ranking men in the priesthood, those who are affiliated with Uncle Willie. Rebecca Musser has speculated to that effect in her new book, The Witness Wore Red.

Edited to add that I don't think anyone within the cult would be willing to come right out and admit if Warren's wives have been reassigned, because too many members of the FLDS still follow Jeffs and would be terrified of excommunication by him if they admitted to having the wives go to other men.

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I've done a lot if googling about this. I know that one of his underage brides, Vera Keate (might be misspelled) was taken by CPS and went to live with an aunt in Texas, with her baby (Jeff's baby) and was still dressing flds. And then I don't know what happened to her. The other one, the redhead who was only 12 in those horrible kissing pics and the one from the audio sex tapes, stayed flds and then I don't know what happened to her either. I think her name was merrilee and was a jessop? I'd have to get on the computer. I've always wondered what happened to his 60, 80 wives because none have come forward and spoken or written a book as far as I can tell. They would not have been reassigned to a new husband because they are still sealed to Jeffs and he is still the leader. Some probably live with family. I would live to ask an flds insider about it.

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I have read Flora Jessop's book, Elissa Wall's book, and Carolyn Jessop's book. I have The Witness Wore Red on hold from my local library.

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One of his wives tried to flee Short Creek a few years ago, but was caught by FLDS and talked to by them and her family til she "changed her mind".

They would all be of age now, even little Merriane.

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I wonder what ever happened to Betty Jessop (Carolyn's daughter)?

She was out in the world and was in a real high school.

She went back to the FLDS when she was 18. She seemed to be the princess of the family

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I wonder what ever happened to Betty Jessop (Carolyn's daughter)?

She was out in the world and was in a real high school.

She went back to the FLDS when she was 18. She seemed to be the princess of the family

She was living in a house cooking and cleaning for a crew of FLDS men, including some of her half brothers. She wasn't initially allowed to go to YFZ because she was seen as tainted by the outside world - she was only brought there for the post raid publicity blitz so they could show that she was safe, there by choice, and unmarried. Carolyn has speculated that the FLDS will not allow Betty to marry, simply to prove that Carolyn leaving to protect her from marriage was unnecessary.

She claimed to be writing a book with one of her half sisters, but unfortunately it never eventuated.

I don't know what has happened to her since Merril was excommunicated. I imagine it must have come as a massive blow to her.

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One of his wives tried to flee Short Creek a few years ago, but was caught by FLDS and talked to by them and her family til she "changed her mind".

They would all be of age now, even little Merriane.

I don't understand why under aged wives would be returned to their family? Wouldn't allowing your 12 year old daughter to be placed in an arrange marriage be considered abuse?

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I don't understand why under aged wives would be returned to their family? Wouldn't allowing your 12 year old daughter to be placed in an arrange marriage be considered abuse?

Merriane, the twelve year old, wasn't returned to her parents. She was returned to her aunt, who is a FLDS member. Her father was charged and convicted for conducting the ceremony, her mother died shortly after she returned to the community from secular foster care.

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Merriane, the twelve year old, wasn't returned to her parents. She was returned to her aunt, who is a FLDS member. Her father was charged and convicted for conducting the ceremony, her mother died shortly after she returned to the community from secular foster care.

Thank you for the information. Is Merrianne still Jeff's wife? It is such a sad situation. I wonder what will happen to the community when he dies. He really took the FLDS from bad to worse after he became the prophet.

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Thank you for the information. Is Merrianne still Jeff's wife? It is such a sad situation. I wonder what will happen to the community when he dies. He really took the FLDS from bad to worse after he became the prophet.

I really don't know if she's still considered his "wife". I think it would depend on wether she's with her father or in a home with Warren's other wives. If she's with her father, if he defected when he was excommunicated she's probably not considered married to Warren any more, but if he's meekly repenting from afar she would be.

I want to know about the child she was rumoured to have had. If she did have a baby she's probably doing and saying whatever she needs to to stay with the child, who may well be Jeff's youngest and last.

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I don't understand why under aged wives would be returned to their family? Wouldn't allowing your 12 year old daughter to be placed in an arrange marriage be considered abuse?

It would depend on the law enforcement channel that a wife went through in order to obtain help. Many escapees have stated that in order to truly escape the FLDS, they had to flee across multiple state lines in order to get help from law enforcement officials that were not sympathetic to their cult leaders. Any attempt to contact the police closer to home almost always resulted in the girl being returned to her family, regardless of any abuse that might have been taking place within her husband's home.

In the minds of the people of the FLDS, overall, they do not consider it abusive to place their twelve-year-old daughters in arranged marriages, primarily because doing so almost always guaranteed the girl's family an elevation in social status (if she was being sealed to the prophet or other higher-ranking, respected priesthood holder in the community) and because if the girl was the third wife or greater of such a man, she would be guaranteed a place in the highest echelon of heaven in the afterlife. In other words, by being the third wife, the girl's husband could "exalt" her.

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Merriane, the twelve year old, wasn't returned to her parents. She was returned to her aunt, who is a FLDS member. Her father was charged and convicted for conducting the ceremony, her mother died shortly after she returned to the community from secular foster care.

For reference, Merrianne is the daughter of Barbara, Merril's second wife. I think she died of a brain tumor not long ago? Carolyn Jessop writes that she was extremely abusive to many people in the family.

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For reference, Merrianne is the daughter of Barbara, Merril's second wife. I think she died of a brain tumor not long ago? Carolyn Jessop writes that she was extremely abusive to many people in the family.

I think Barbara was third wife.

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Then who was second? I know Faunita was first. Carolyn was fourth, I thought Ruth was third, and then at some point Tammy and Cathleen were both added after Rulon died. I'm not clear on when Merrill married Ruth, but thought he married Barbara second, who then became his favorite wife...was Ruth second wife?

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Then who was second? I know Faunita was first. Carolyn was fourth, I thought Ruth was third, and then at some point Tammy and Cathleen were both added after Rulon died. I'm not clear on when Merrill married Ruth, but thought he married Barbara second, who then became his favorite wife...was Ruth second wife?

I thought Ruth was second - she's older than Barbara. And there was a big break between wife 3 and 4, which is part of why Barbara had a hard time with Carolyn - she hadn't had to deal with a new younger wife before, then her husband married a very attractive, very intelligent 18 year old.

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Yeah, Ruth was the second wife. I didn't know she was older than Barbara. It's been awhile since I read the book, thanks.

Carolyn has always had such a youthful appearance throughout her life. One of the funniest parts of Escape was when she talked about how the parents of her young students would come in for conferences, and she had to convince them that she was actually the teacher, and not a student herself.

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I didn't realize Merril Jessop had been excommunicated. Why did that happen? I think it's really sad that he keeps his daughter from achieving "the highest kingdom of heaven" just to prove a point. On the other hand, maybe the lack of a celestial marriage will help Betty rethink her allegiance to the church, such as it is. This people are so screwed up.

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She was living in a house cooking and cleaning for a crew of FLDS men, including some of her half brothers. She wasn't initially allowed to go to YFZ because she was seen as tainted by the outside world - she was only brought there for the post raid publicity blitz so they could show that she was safe, there by choice, and unmarried. Carolyn has speculated that the FLDS will not allow Betty to marry, simply to prove that Carolyn leaving to protect her from marriage was unnecessary.

She claimed to be writing a book with one of her half sisters, but unfortunately it never eventuated.

I don't know what has happened to her since Merril was excommunicated. I imagine it must have come as a massive blow to her.

Wait, Merril was excommunicated? When/how did this happen?

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It's covered briefly in Prophet's Prey, by Sam Brower. Jeffs went on a bingeing spree of excommunication after he was imprisoned.

There aren't very many men that he trusts to be in charge of the FLDS anymore. I've often wondered if this is because Warren's personal, twisted worldview will eventually encompass only himself and every female in the cult/world.

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