Pro-polygamy group educates inside, outside their community

By Ben Winslow

Deseret News

Published: Thursday, July 24, 2008 12:11 a.m. MDT

http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700245458,00.html?pg=1

       In the face of the controversial topic of polygamy, an advocacy group is trying to build bridges between two worlds that inherently distrust each other.

       In the process, the pro-polygamy group Principle Voices has evolved into a political and educational force that is reaching out to people both inside and outside polygamous communities.

       ”When we first started speaking publicly, it was because nobody was speaking from our perspective,” said Mary Batchelor, the group’s director. “There’s a lot of diversity. There are people who are happy and functional and doing well, blended in society. There are some who are struggling. There are some having difficulty because they are on the receiving end of bias. There are some in abusive situations who don’t feel like they can turn to anti-polygamists. We came to the conclusion there was a need for Principle Voices.”

       The group most recently engaged in a public feud with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints over the term “fundamentalist Mormon.” The LDS Church has repeatedly objected to the use of the term. Principle Voices insists that they are, as they say, “fundamentalist Mormons,” with an unofficial census counting 37,000 people in Utah and surrounding states who consider themselves as such.

Origins

      The group was founded in 2000 after the publication of the book “Voices in Harmony,” a collection of essays by women who live in polygamy. The book attempted to counter a steady drumbeat that was anti-polygamy by offering the thoughts of those who are happy in the lifestyle.

      ”One thing led to another. We thought maybe by organizing, we’d have a little more credibility,” said Anne Wilde. “We could also provide an avenue for those in our culture to speak up.”

      So Wilde, Batchelor, Marianne Watson and Linda Kelsch sought to bring all of the area’s polygamous communities together. Many of the sect leaders were skeptical and fearful of what they were trying to accomplish, afraid that exposure leads to prosecution.

      ”They expected our heads to be lopped off,” said Kelsch.

      Through persistence, the women were able to persuade 24 leaders and representatives to meet.

      ”That was a thrill to see people who haven’t seen each other for years sit around in my living room,” Wilde said. “It seemed like up to that time, the groups stayed to themselves. They realized that we can do this, we can work together, we can make a difference.”

      Since then, meetings of Principle Voices have become so packed that their coalition had to be limited to a few representatives from each group.

      ”I’m seeing a great evolvement in my own community,” said Kelsch. “My hope is it will continue to grow.”

      Principle Voices has combatted negative stereotypes by showcasing the normalcy and diversity of polygamy. The group has fielded media requests from all over the world to talk to plural families. Some are willing, even going on “Oprah” to talk about their families. Still, many are not.

      ”Because of the fact that we are speaking up, it helps them be even more protected because they don’t have to and yet the message gets out,” Wilde said.

      Members briefly launched a magazine, and Batchelor still maintains a popular e-mail list of news items on all things polygamy.

      Over the years, Principle Voices has reached out to government agencies and social services workers. They have given presentations to domestic violence hotline operators, prosecutors, child welfare workers and others. Kelsch made an impassioned plea to the Utah State Legislature against an anti-polygamy bill.

      She later ran for public office but was defeated.

      Principle Voices has given the communities some political muscle, although Kelsch said there is still some hesitation for many polygamists to register to vote.

      Paul Murphy, who coordinates the Utah Attorney General’s Safety Net Committee (a coalition of government agencies, social service workers, activists and polygamists) calls Principle Voices an important liaison in maintaining a dialogue with polygamous communities.

      ”A lot of the problems have been created by isolation and a lack of dialogue and information going back and forth,” he said. “The polygamists weren’t talking to government; government wasn’t talking to polygamists. We wouldn’t have been able to solve a lot of problems and help a lot of victims had it not been for that open communication.”

      Anti-polygamy activists have accused Principle Voices in the past of sugar-coating a lifestyle they say lends itself to abuse. Tapestry Against Polygamy, the state’s leading anti-polygamy group, declined to comment for this story. Tapestry’s co-founder, Vicky Prunty, is Batchelor’s ex-sister-wife.

      ”There are adults who have chosen this freely — among consenting adults,” Wilde said. “It doesn’t work for everybody. That’s why you get the negative voices of those who had a bad experience. They have every right to tell their story as well. But our story wasn’t being heard for years and years.”

Educating within

      Principle Voices has also tried to educate its own. The group has held seminars and trainings on the law, child abuse and domestic violence, childhood vaccinations, health care and other topics. Child welfare workers, domestic violence counselors and others have been invited to speak to them.

     “Principle Voices has appeared to be more progressive in terms of opening up the communication pathways,” said Bonnie Peters with the Family Support Center. “We’ve always gotten calls to provide clinical services for polygamous communities, but not all of the polygamous communities knew of our services. More people have called us not only wanting services, but asking questions. That is wonderful.”

      Their seminars have been well received.

      ”If we don’t speak up, then people are going to continue to believe the lies and stereotypes,” said Rebekah Foster, a plural wife who said she is an independent fundamentalist. “They (Principle Voices) are responsible for pulling down those walls and those lies and fears.”

      The group has publicly condemned abuse within plural communities.

      ”We knew abuse existed,” Kelsch said. “It exists in every community, and we didn’t feel it served our purpose to deny any of that. But to be open and up front, it helped the communities stop hiding because of their fear of polygamy being blamed.”

      Principle Voices has pushed polygamous groups to raise their marriage age to 18, saying that by doing so they will be complying with the law and not abandoning their religious doctrine. Most recently, a coalition under the group’s umbrella said it is working to draft a formal statement from polygamous churches saying they do not condone underage marriages.

      There is still one law that won’t be followed.

      ”Polygamy becomes a gray area,” said Batchelor. “It’s against the law, but it’s one area they feel they have to break the law.”

      The Utah Attorney General’s Office has said it won’t prosecute bigamy per se, but instead focuses its resources on going after child abuse, sex crimes, domestic violence, and welfare fraud within polygamous communities. Bigamy is used in addition to those charges.

The raid

      The one group that still does not participate in Principle Voices is the Fundamentalist LDS Church, but Wilde and Batchelor have hope.

      ”We are willing to open that door,” said Batchelor. “They can educate us, and hopefully there’s things we can do for them.”

      FLDS member and spokesman Willie Jessop recently met with Batchelor and other Principle Voices members in West Jordan. A dialogue is beginning, she said. They also toured the YFZ Ranch and met with FLDS members in Eldorado, Texas.

      The raid brought many polygamous groups together. In April, Principle Voices staged a rally in Salt Lake City and sent representatives to Texas with care packages for the women and children.

      ”I’m excited to see some of the steps they’ve taken,” Batchelor said of the FLDS. “I guess they would also learn they need to do things differently. I’m excited they’re speaking publicly and defending themselves and giving their side of the story so people can have perspective.”

      For Principle Voices, their ultimate goal is decriminalization of polygamy. It’s not something government is rushing to help with.

      ”That’s not an area where we can come to an agreement, but there are areas where we can work together and we can agree,” Murphy said.

      Wilde hopes it will happen one day.

      ”I don’t know if that will happen in my lifetime or not,” she said. “But I’d like to see the community at large have more understanding and respect for our culture.”

      E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com

PRINCIPLE VOICES DENOUNCES Senator Reid’s “Victims of Polygamy Assistance Act of 2008″ bill, because it will not and cannot serve our families in any healthy or meaningful way, but will injure them. While we welcome efforts to raise funds for service providers to provide help and resources to abuse victims, we’re very concerned about this bill for a number of reasons:

1) Reid’s bill presupposes there are large numbers of women and children waiting to be rescued from polygamy. Not true.

Where there are cases of abuse, or where there are women who may wish to leave a particular family or community, there are already organizations in place to provide assistance and resources. Some victims of abuse do not wish to leave their families, communities, or faith, and services and resources should not be held hostage or made dependent upon a woman’s abandonment of her faith or family.

2) Reid’s bill and his anti-polygamy efforts are not focused on crimes but on a FAMILY ARRANGEMENT. He wants our families/communities treated like organized crime families. Utah and Arizona have both recognized that this type of aggressive prosecution of the practice of polygamy itself is ineffective and creates more harm than it proposes to fix.

Utah and Arizona have pledged to focus their prosecutorial efforts on welfare fraud, sex crimes against minors and abuse, NOT on consenting adult relationships and healthy polygamous families where no such crimes exist. Reid is threatening a way of life for all families in the culture, since all families will be targeted regardless of whether or not those families are guilty of anything but a belief in or practice of polygamy. Such aggressive state and federal action in the past served only to send these families underground, which cuts them off from larger society and the benefits of societal interaction, public/private education, social services, etc.

3) Reid’s approach endorses prejudice and encourages fear and distrust of government. Religious persecution is defined as

Reid has structured the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing in a one-sided manner, proving that our families have little hope of receiving fair treatment. Had opponents to his petition been allowed to testify, they would have provided evidence to support happy, healthy families, dedicated to being law-abiding citizens, which includes taxpayers who contribute to the economy, and a desire to be self-sufficient rather than welfare dependent.

4) If Reid truly cares about women and children in polygamy, then he should HELP them, not hurt them. Driving them underground, casting them out of society and dismantling their families is NOT HELP.

Societal acceptance, openness and interaction is the only way to cultivate healthy families, and reach victims where abuse occurs.

Principle Voices strenuously objects to any effort to characterize our families as anything but what they are: FAMILIES. When Senator Reid, and others, are willing to acknowledge that fact, then and only then, can they truly help anyone from our culture.

****

The Las Vegas Review is reporting the following:

WASHINGTON — A bill to be introduced in the Senate today would establish a federal task force to combat polygamy-related crimes while offering grants to social service agencies that help former members of polygamous sects.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada was preparing to submit the bill and to promote it at a polygamy hearing the Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled for Thursday at his request.

The “Victims of Polygamy Assistance Act of 2008″ would establish a task force to focus on abuse, extortion, witness tampering, embezzlement and other illegal activities suspected to be associated with polygamous groups, according to Reid’s office.

“The federal government has a duty to help fight the serious state and federal crimes committed by these groups,” said Reid, who is one of 16 Mormons in Congress.

“My bill will improve federal enforcement, create a stronger federal-state partnership, and help the victims of abuse get out of these situations so they can start a new life,” Reid said.

The legislation would offer $2 million in grants to state and local police agencies to pursue suspected crime links to plural marriage communities.

Another $2 million would be authorized to provide witness protection, housing, child care, mental health services and other services to people trying to escape polygamous relationships.

Reid has compared polygamous groups such as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to organized crime syndicates, and has called on law enforcement to approach them as such. The FLDS practices polygamy in Hildale, Utah, and neighboring Colorado City, Ariz., and at its Yearning for Zion Ranch outside Eldorado, Texas, which was raided by state authorities in April.

According to a Deseret News article today, Senator Hatch gave the following statement:

“As we have seen just this year, polygamy is not merely a ‘Utah problem.’ Recent enforcement efforts have shown that polygamists have set up shop in states around the country such as Arizona, Nevada, Texas and others,” Hatch said. “I look forward to hearing the witnesses’ testimonies concerning the tools and means they are using to effectively crack down on those who practice polygamy.”

The article continues: “The hearing’s focus is not on polygamy itself — but crimes associated with it. Prosecutors and ex-Fundamentalist LDS Church members will be among those testifying.”

Notice that Hatch referred to “those who practice polygamy”, clearly stating his support for a crack-down on the lifestyle itself, rather than abuse or crime.

Polygamy is FAMILY. It is a family arrangement. You cannot prosecute and destroy FAMILIES without horrendous repercussions. Does he really want to be responsible for shredding innocent families, or driving these families underground?

There is a Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing scheduled for July 24 to target the FLDS. Please follow this link for further information and a petition you can sign:

http://www.voicesforthechildren.org/viewpetition.php?id=3

We call upon Senator Harry Reid to do the right thing, allow current FLDS members to testify at the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing scheduled for July 24 in Washington, D.C., in their own behalf, and on behalf of their community. This hearing is for the purpose of addressing: ”Crimes Associated with Polygamy: The Need for a Coordinated State and Federal Response.” Those invited to testify include ex-FLDS members, but no current members.

The FLDS should have the right to answer allegations leveled at them during this hearing. Senator Reid has shown extreme bias against polygamy, and we are concerned that decisions will be made based on misinformation, partial facts/truths, or false allegations. This hearing specifically targets the FLDS church and its members, but Reid has made it clear that his intent is to pursue investigations and prosecutions of other polygamous communities as well, without any acknowledgment that consenting adult, healthy polygamous families should be left unmolested.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has the right to know the whole truth, not just pieces of the truth offered to the committee by dissidents (please refer to the FLDS website for further information regarding this testimony); it also has a responsibility to open the way for the truth to be told.

Please contact your Senators and make your feelings known about this travesty of justice. If you are from Utah, you can call or email Senator Orrin Hatch at:

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT); Phone: (202) 224-5251
Email form:

http://hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Offices.Contact

There are 18 other members of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

Sen. Jon Kyl [R-AZ]; Phone: Phone: (202) 224-4521

Sen. John Cornyn [R-TX]; Phone: 202-224-2934

http://cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

Chairman
Sen. Patrick Leahy [D-VT; Phone: (202) 224-4242
Email address without using a form: senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov

President
Sen. Arlen Specter [R-PA]; Phone: (202) 224-4254

http://specter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

Sen. Joseph Biden [D-DE]; Phone: (202) 224-5042

http://biden.senate.gov/services/contact/

Sen. Samuel Brownback [R-KS]; Phone: (202) 224-6521

http://brownback.senate.gov/CMEmailMe.cfm

Sen. Benjamin Cardin [D-MD]; Phone: 202-224-4524

http://cardin.senate.gov/contact/

Sen. Thomas Coburn [R-OK]; Phone: 202-224-5754

http://coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactSenatorCoburn.Home

Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL]; Phone: (202) 224-2152

http://durbin.senate.gov/contact.cfm#contact

Sen. Russell Feingold [D-WI]; Phone: (202) 224-5323

http://feingold.senate.gov/contact_opinion.html

Sen. Dianne Feinstein [D-CA]; Phone: (202) 224-3841

http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.EmailMe

Sen. Lindsey Graham [R-SC]; Phone: (202) 224-5972

http://lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.EmailSenatorGraham

Sen. Charles Grassley [R-IA]; Phone: 202.224.3744

http://grassley.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.Home

Sen. Edward Kennedy [D-MA]; Phone: (202) 224-4543

http://kennedy.senate.gov/senator/contact.cfm

Sen. Herbert Kohl [D-WI]; Phone: (202) 224-5653

http://kohl.senate.gov/gen_contact.html

Sen. Charles Schumer [D-NY]; Phone: 202-224-6542

http://schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/contact/webform.cfm

Sen. Jefferson Sessions [R-AL); Phone: (202) 224-4124

http://sessions.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ConstituentServices.ContactMe

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R; Phone: 202-224-2921

http://whitehouse.senate.gov/contact.cfm

ABC 4

“I really respect the church’s position on it, I really do, and I feel like I understand their need to distinguish themselves from those who choose to practice polygamy today.”

Mary Batchelor says that she is independent. She believes in the principle but she does not practice it, and she says, she’s Mormon.

“I think it’s ironic that the church feels comfortable telling people that they can’t be considered Mormon, when they themselves have experienced the same thing from Christian denominations telling them they can’t be called Christian, and they obviously clearly do believe they are Christian. I clearly do believe I’m Mormon.”

To watch the entire news clip, go here: http://www.abc4.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=84321@video.ktvx.com

NEWS RELEASE

July 9, 2008

Contact: Anne Wilde

Community Relations, Principle Voices

Email: Principlevoices@comcast.net

“FUNDAMENTALIST MORMON” IS THE CORRECT TERM CONTRARY TO LDS CHURCH CLAIMS

The Principle Voices Coalition has learned that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has sent a letter to media outlets asking that the term “fundamentalist Mormon” not be used. In the recent past, the Church has insisted that we instead be defined as “polygamous sects”, even though most of us are not (and do not refer to ourselves as) polygamists.

We strenuously object to any efforts to deprive us and others of the freedom to name and describe ourselves by terms of our own choosing. Fundamentalist Mormons have been referred to by that name since the 1930s, often by the Church itself. We are proud of our Mormon heritage. Plural marriage is only one of the tenets of our religion, the Gospel of Jesus Christ as restored through Joseph Smith.

Ironically, the LDS Church has been justifiably uncomfortable with repeated assertions by members of some Christian denominations that Latter-day Saints are not Christians. In many ways, we consider ourselves to be adherents to Mormonism (and Christianity) no less than were Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and John Taylor. What distinguishes us from the modern, mainstream Church is that we have endeavored to observe the original, fundamental precepts of the restored Gospel, while the Church itself has, since the early 1900s, repudiated several of them.

—————————————————

The Principle Voices Coalition - contact: Anne Wilde

The Apostolic United Brethren - contact: David Dye

The Davis County Cooperative Society - contact: Carlene Cannon

The Work of Jesus Christ (Centennial Park) - contact: Marlyne Hammon

and numerous independent fundamentalist Mormons

To contact any one of these representatives, please send your emails to: Principlevoices@comcast.net, and we will forward them for you. Thank you.

###

Despite differing in many respects now from its earlier teachings and practices, the LDS Church still has much in common with fundamentalist Mormons (which is founded in early Mormonism).

Both groups share a belief in the same set of scriptures - the Bible, the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price.

They revere many of the same prophets, including Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and John Taylor. They accept their teachings notwithstanding the LDS Church’s later denunciation of many of those teachings. They both believe in the necessity of Priesthood authority.

Fundamentalist Mormons are not one homogeneous group, but are comprised of many smaller groups, or independents who are not affiliated with any group (or church). These groups/independents have their own beliefs/practices which differ from each other, similar to the various Christian denominations (i.e. Catholic, Baptist, Protestant, Episcopalian, Protestant, Lutheran) that all consider themselves “Christian”. For further explanation, refer to our page explaining the different groups:

Diversity of fundamentalist Mormons

Fundamentalist Mormons

*They can be found in every level of society and in almost all communities. They include doctors, dentists, teachers, lawyers, accountants, nurses, secretaries and college professors.

* Many celebrate public holidays, serve in their respective military services and actively interact with and respect those of other beliefs and faiths.

* Many wear regular modern clothing and have contemporary hairstyles, while others wear distinctive clothing (just as do other religious groups such as the Hutterites or Amish). In either case, most fundamentalist Mormons adhere to high standards of modesty.

Family

* Fundamentalist Mormonism teaches that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God, and that a man’s having more than one such marriage is ordained of God.

* The majority of fundamentalist Mormons do not believe in arranged marriages, and those groups who do recommend possible spouses to their members still ultimately leave the decision to the individual. The decision of whom to marry is an individual choice.

* Men and women are co-equal in their relationship. There are, however, divine patriarchal and matriarchal roles as emphasized in the standard works of scripture.

* Child and spousal abuse are seen as serious sins, and are not tolerated by the doctrines of fundamentalist Mormonism or amongst the majority of those who consider themselves fundamentalist Mormons.

Polygamy

* Contrary to the assertions of the LDS Church, one can be a polygamist and a Mormon. Joseph Smith, the first president of the Church was a polygamist and arguably the first ‘Mormon’, as were his successors, Brigham Young, John Taylor, and the next three successive Church presidents. Joseph Smith taught that, if a Hindu or Muslim converted to Mormonism, he would be welcome, along with his wives. Sadly, the LDS Church now excludes such families from fellowship and the saving ordinances of God.

* The standard doctrine of the Church has evolved into monogamy, and yet the Church still embraces polygamy for the after-life. LDS men can be sealed to more than one woman in the temple, with the expectation that they will have multiple wives after this life. In fact, some of the current LDS general authorities have been sealed to multiple women (Apostle Dallin Oaks among them).

* Fundamentalist Mormons practice polygamy today in much the same way Mormons practiced polygamy in 19th-century Utah. Women still choose whom they wish to marry, when to marry or not, and are entirely free to leave. The majority of fundamentalist Mormons are actually not living polygamously at all (hence, they are not polygamists), and most who do practice polygamy have only two wives.

Education

* Fundamentalist Mormonism teaches that adherents should seek out both spiritual and secular knowledge. However, spiritual knowledge is considered of greater value.

* Fundamentalist Mormons take full part in public and private education, both at the school and university level. Some fundamentalist Mormons also home-school their children (as do some LDS Church members) to ensure a high level of education is imparted and that good values are taught.

* Fundamentalist Mormon communities own and/or operate private schools, charter schools and colleges. Some of these are notable for their academic achievements.

* Many fundamentalist Mormon groups offer scholarships and assistance where possible to students.

Church Government

* Historically there is a great deal of affiliation between members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and fundamentalist Mormons. The majority of Fundamentalist Mormons trace their ancestors to Mormon pioneers.

* Some fundamentalist Mormon groups are governed by a lay clergy at the congregational level.

* Fundamentalist Mormon groups have governing councils which seek inspiration from God to serve their fellow members.

* Several Fundamentalist Mormon groups have women’s organizations and youth groups.

Community Involvement

* Fundamentalist Mormons living in the United Stated believe in the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and endeavor to uphold its ideals and protections.

* Fundamentalist Mormons may exercise their personal convictions independent of a group, or work together in groups, to promote industry and morality, and they advocate civil rights.

* Fundamentalist Mormons have run for various political offices, and have served as mayors, city councilors, judges, firemen and police officers.

Service

* Fundamentalist Mormons believe in being good Samaritans and in helping those in need.

* Many fundamentalist Mormons have volunteered their assistance, resources and skills in times of disaster.

* Fundamentalist Mormons have also made monetary and other donations to a variety of non-profit organizations (worldwide), charities and other good causes, for the relief of suffering of God’s children around the world.

We regret that others would - in an attempt to try and distance themselves from fundamentalist Mormons - promote misconceptions about them.

We acknowledge the good the LDS Church does. Its members remain our fellow Mormons, and we their brothers and sisters in the Gospel.