The book Escape, by: Carolyn Jessop about FDLS

[Justvisiting]

Has anyone read this?

I am about halfway through. It chronicles her life in the Fundie Mormon church and her escape out of it. It is absolute craziness. :shock:

ETA: The book is not craziness, but the lifestyle is so incredibly bizarre. How this sort of abuse squeaks by under the name of religion is unbelievable.

[Jessica]

This has been on my to-read list for oh... I don't know, 3 or 4 years now. Thanks for the reminder! :)

[xDreamerx]

I'm reading it right now as well. I'm almost half way, not quite. I wanted to know what life is like on the FLDS compounds and this gives a pretty good idea. It's disturbing, yet inspiring that she was able to escape such a horrible place with so little at her disposal. Which part are you at?

[liltwinstar]

I've read it - it's a great book! And really, while her specific circumstances are unique to her and the FLDS (the sisterwives, having to share the washer/dryer, all that), the bigger picture of what life is like inside a restrictive religion/cult is universal. I found myself relating a *lot* to her thought process, as I had experienced some of the same things when starting to think for myself after leaving a fundamentalist life.

[Freedom17]

Great book it really opened up the truth about the FLDS another great one is Stolen Innocence By Elissa Wall

[fascinatedbyfundies]

I read this maybe a year or so ago. It was a scary look into the FLDS lifestyle. I read it after I had read Elissa Wall's book about her life and being married at age 14 to her cousin. There are a few FLDS snarkers out there, not sure if this board has had a look at them. One is fldsview.blogspot.com/2009/03/elissa-wall-victim-of-who.html, I've seen more than a few who are critical of Elissa for not being overjoyed to marry her cousin who had always been nasty to her.

[Justvisiting]

Definitely worth a read. I checked out this one and Quiverfull by: Kathryn Joyce this week from the library. Now I can never do the harmless headshake at the fundies again. This is all so sinister!

xdreamerx - I'm just at the part where Warren Jeffs is gaining control and things are becoming even more whacko. And yes! I'm impressed with her courage and ability to hold onto any amount of independent thought given her circumstances.

liltwinstar - Yes! The mind-control and constant demeaning of individuals is universal cultishness, I think. The incredible subservience demanded of the women is pinging my radar too - especially given that list of rules for wives posted earlier.

It's interesting to see how something familiar and quasi-acceptable in one context (for me, my past history with conservative evangelicalism) is so outrageous in another. I remember reading Under the Banner of Heaven by Krauker some years back when I was still pretty zealously evangelical. What felt so enlightening was how everyone within the cult was looking to someone else to take responsibility for their choices - "God's calling." "The Lord led me to". And it felt so ridiculous for FDLS fundies to be doing it, when here I was in a community that tossed out those same phrases all the time. Whatever spiritual language it was cloaked in, it all came down to not wanting or being capable of owning up to the responsibility (and glorious freedom!) of personal choice.

I have a lot of compassion for people who are driven under that heavy burden of trying to measure up to perfection and make all the perfect choices "God" wants them to. I'm so glad this woman got herself and her kids out of there, but it's hard to read knowing there's so many still trapped in it without the skills or opportunity to escape.

[LadyBlue]

I read it a few years ago. Been thinking of reading it again, although what I'd really like is an update, especially about her kids.

[Kelya]

Awesome book with a lot of good background information. I've googled around and found nothing really new about the family, but someone better at google might. I need to read Triumph by her next.

I took a train across the country (Portland OR to Boston MA) and my focus was the FLDS. It was a loooong train ride.

[ADoyle90815]

I read it not too long after it came out, and it was a really good book as it showed how the cult became worse after Warren Jeffs took over.

[bubbabearzle]

I read Escape, which was great, and also a book she wrote a few years later about how her family has been coping with life outside the FLDS. Both are very good.

[Haligh the Liar]

I read Escape, which was great, and also a book she wrote a few years later about how her family has been coping with life outside the FLDS. Both are very good.

Did the latter book have any updates on her daughter Betty? The first book ended with her going to Yearning for Zion in Texas and rejoining the FLDS, but I'm pretty sure that was before Jeffs was incarcerated. I'd love to know if Carolyn was finally able to reach her.

[breadprincess]

I've read it once before, and actually just got it out of my local library for a re-read today. As a Mormon I find groups like the FLDS fascinating.

[Buba]

I've read Escape and was obsessed with the FLDS for quite a while. I gave up on reading Triumph after reading the reviews, it's mostly about the raid on the Texas FLDS compound.

There is a documentary on youtube about whomen who fled the FLDS, it's called "Colorado City and the underground railroad".

[AudreyE]

Fantastic book, very suspenseful and sad. I'm actually surprised I'm not pulling up more threads about it here.

I'd like to know about Betty, too, if there is a revised version.

[ilovetchotchkes]

Another good one is "Leaving the Saints" I can't remember who its by though....

[LIzzieB]

I own both Carolyn Jessop and Elissa Wall's books. They are a terrifying insight into the FLDS culture - I strongly recommend them if you are interested in the cult.

[Lianachu]

I love that book, I've read it a bunch of times. I keep meaning to pick up the sequel.

I have a bunch of FLDS books -- it really fascinates me!

I'd like to know about Betty, too, if there is a revised version.

I'm curious about Betty too. She was supposed to be writing her own book to refute her mother's but I haven't heard anything about that in a while.

[justlurking]

If you all liked Carolyn Jessop's book, then I would highly recommend the one written by her (distant?) relative Flora. Flora's pretty raw though, and exposes some truly horrifying practices and highlights the fact that there is little help or assistance available for FLDS members who wish to escape this cult (even from state agencies, such as CPS, who are too chicken shit to look bad in the media by removing children from these homes when there is clearly abuse going on there).

[alysee]

I love that book, I've read it a bunch of times. I keep meaning to pick up the sequel.

I have a bunch of FLDS books -- it really fascinates me!

I'm curious about Betty too. She was supposed to be writing her own book to refute her mother's but I haven't heard anything about that in a while.

I also heard there was supposed to be a FLDS book written by the elders to refute Carolyn's. Has it come out? I am obsessed with this group, not in a good way. It just makes me so sad for all of them. The men, the women and children don't know anything other thn their compound and it's shitty because they are trained to think we are the bad evil ones.

I have read every single book about the FLDS including the ones in Canada.

[angelsonyourbody]

I have read both Escape and Triumph, the sequel. I remember she does go into detail about what happens with Betty, but I can't really remember. I think she said that Betty was still with the FLDS, but was moved somewhere else (not YFZ), and that she was not married because the church was still punishing her for her mother's actions.

[Future Teacher]

Another good book I can recomend is Hidden Wives, which is about the FLDS as well. I haven't been able to finish it thanks to school but it's so good. It's a fictional account but the woman who wrote the book grew up in a fundalmentalist household. I suggest checking it out! :D

[mirele]

If you all liked Carolyn Jessop's book, then I would highly recommend the one written by her (distant?) relative Flora. Flora's pretty raw though, and exposes some truly horrifying practices and highlights the fact that there is little help or assistance available for FLDS members who wish to escape this cult (even from state agencies, such as CPS, who are too chicken shit to look bad in the media by removing children from these homes when there is clearly abuse going on there).

Flora speaks her mind, which, of course, is probably the most heinous sin for a woman in these types of cults. She also makes a point of going around armed, which is legal here in AZ, and in her case, totally understandable.

Another book I'd highly, highly recommend is "Prophet's Prey" by Sam Brower. He is a private investigator from Southern Utah who was hired by a guy on the outs with the FLDS to help him document his case to stay in his house. It gets weirder from there. I've known about the FLDS for decades, but it seemed like on every page, there was yet another example of the lawlessness that permeates the twin towns of Hildale, UT and Colorado City, AZ. And then you'd turn the page, and it gets worse. I know I was shaking my head and saying, "wait, wait, this is the USA, right? Right?"

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53569 ... s.html.csp << This is a recent (last week) story about how a father got visitation with his kids. I know the guardian ad litem for the kids in the case. While the kids are not excited about seeing their father, because they've been told he's an ebil apostate, I think the right recommendation was made in this case. The FLDS cannot simply set family ties asunder simply because their crazed incarcerated whackjob of a leader said to throw the father out.

[Snickerdoodle]

Another book recommendation: Under The Banner of Heaven, by Jon Krakauer. He also touches on fundamentalism in all faiths, not just extreme Mormonism.

[Justvisiting]

I've read it once before, and actually just got it out of my local library for a re-read today. As a Mormon I find groups like the FLDS fascinating.

I was wondering about the distinctions between Mormonism and FLDS. I know it's probably hard to summarize in a thread, but what are some of the key differences. I know the Mormon church doesn't believe in plural marriage, but what is the belief about eternal marriage? Does mainstream mormonism teach that the husband calls the wife into eternity? And how do children fit into all of it?

Another book recommendation: Under The Banner of Heaven, by Jon Krakauer. He also touches on fundamentalism in all faiths, not just extreme Mormonism.

Yes! This was a fascinating read. And I definitely recognized some of the thinking of fundie evangelicalism in there, too.