Replies to '08/02 Brainwashed Brides'

The sad thing is, this is very real and it isn't going to go away until the government/powers that be/whatever find a way to break into the secret codes and documents and basically just the world.

I say this from experience.  I was 15 when I met my ex husband. I wasn't raised in polygamy, but when they're looking for some 'fresh blood' from the 'outside' they are very good at lying and convincing you what ever they think you want to hear.  I didn't marry him at 15, I married him at 19, had 3 babies rather close together (also had 2 miscarriages) because of family pressure to have a family.  Once we were married everything about him and his family changed.  I was told which family buisness to work in, where I was going to live, what car I was going to drive...and when I lived in Salt Lake where they are based, I was told which stores to shop in, which restaurants to go to...everything else like that.  Women are so brainwashed that they're nothing without a husband and family...the girls are all encouraged to only get enough schooling to do the job they need with the 'family' and marry young.  The leader of the group had 17 wives when I left 5 years ago and was going for more, my ex husbands father had three...I didn't know about any of this until almost a year after I was married!  They hide it that well!  If some one who's gotten themselves into the cult doesn't immediately find out about what's going on, how can we expect people from outside to figure it out?  Many of my ex family relatives are in the news, a few are in jail, but not nearly all those that should be.  All I can be grateful for is when I was married we moved to one of the other states that the 'family' owned businesses in, and when I found out about the polygamy and discussed it with my then husband he said he believed it was right, I was pregnant with our first child and told him that if he ever told me he wanted another wife I would disappear with his children.  I also am grateful that when I tried to fight to get out and get a divorce (which ended in my ex husband getting custody of the kids because of the 'family' attorneys) my daughters are not in the heart of what's going on.  I have them enough to make sure that they know what life is really like versus what their fathers family teaches them.  They are now old enough to start asking questions, and I'm prepared to be very honest with them all (so far only the oldest has figured out about the polygamy, but the other two are sure to start asking questions as well).

I know about the second sets of books, the ways they lie, the law of consecration they live by, the women not being able to own anything...is there anything I can do about it?  Not really.  I couldn't even get custody of my own kids because I didn't have the money or power to battle the 'family'.  Do I wish there was something I could do?  EVERY DAY!