I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man. – Thomas Jefferson

     Considering the above quote: Do cult mind control groups thrive on “tyranny over the mind of men”?    

     Why am I doing this? Why go to the extent to breakdown the similarities between FLDS and WOFF? First off, having been in WOFF for many years and under the near complete delusion that all was well within that group; it fascinates me to see how wrong I have been. It completely has my attention that I let the “little things” and questions go unanswered and allowed myself to be a part of a group that is SO FAR from normal. The nagging questions on the inside of me were not just “the devil”. It was the voice of sound reason, common sense and God wanting me to wake-up! Amazing…

     There were things that the group provided that I wanted. There was a camaraderie that existed when it was an “us against the world” kind of deal. You rarely ever stopped and ask “Why?” Why do so many folks think we are a cult? Why are there protesters in the street leading to the church holding signs about Jonestown and other such things? Why do so many other local churches organize a group to help folks get out of here? Why do we write down license plate numbers of strange cars when they come down the street? Why do the men dress so much alike? Why do the women have to show their new dresses in front of the whole congregation and take them back to the store if someone else already has that dress? Why did we all shave the facial hair off (if you had any…) in some euphoric demonstration of adherence to a new religious rule? Why do we men submit to the “only white or blue shirts” in the church services? Who first voiced that rule? How did I feel when other men got called out for having the wrong color shirt on in the sanctuary? How did I ignore this? Why did Jane explain the proper way to put toilet paper on the roll during a church service? Why did even the children correct or point out folks who did not follow the “toilet paper” rule? Why are we not allowed to take notes during a church service? Why is the leadership in general and Jane specifically so concerned with appearance? Does ironing your khakis make you a better Christian? Does wearing blue jeans “take you to hell”?

     There were things going on that never set right with me. But, what do you do? You know that voicing ANY negative thoughts or just plain good old fashion questions could land you in hot water. (you could be put in “church discipline” or even put out of the church – just for asking questions. Does that sound healthy?)  So, now that I can learn the answers to the questions I was never supposed to ask; it actually is overwhelming at times. It is hard to think about many other things other than getting answers and sharing them. Answers for me could help someone else who dares asks the same questions… Could WOFF actually be the ONLY group in the world that has it right? Are we the only ones that are going to make it in the end times? Now at WOFF, it was said, “We know we are not the only ones with Truth. There has to be other groups out there, we just have not found them yet..” As far as I know, there never was a search party sent out to find the “other groups” who had Truth. It was just known that others were “not walking where we were.. others did not have the revelation we had…”

     In “Lost Boy”, Brent Jeffs reflects on a time in sixth grade when a boy spoke up with a similar question.  “..(he) asked how our people could be the only ones in the world who are right. I can still remember the teacher’s reaction. It was as if she’d been hit in the face. She immediately grabbed the kid and dragged him into the hallway, shouting “You come with me. NOW!” I don’t know what happened to him, but we didn’t see him until the end of the day and no one ever asked a question like that again.” (page 75)

     So, yes to a large degree this whole practice is therapeutic. And it is a joy to think that others are concerned or even interested in my journey. For it is the similarities between the two groups that help draw obvious conclusions. If it quacks like a duck, if it waddles like a duck… it is more than likely a DUCK! FLDS is a “duck” for sure, and the case is being presented that WOFF is a “duck”. Be assured, there are yet more similarities to expound upon.

Please, consume the information on this site responsibly. Be sure to tell every member that you know at WOFF about this blog. It could very well save their life. There are some good readers inside of WOFF. I know for sure.. 🙂

(Please, take time to read the Terms of Use for this personal blog. As mentioned, the information about WOFF is from my memories and recollections as perfect as that may be or not be. )