In Texas, a jury of his peers sentenced Warren Jeffs to life plus 20 years for his crimes against women under his control. The trial lifted the skirt of the secretive religious cult and allowed the world a glimpse into the ways of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS). In this post, I have included a couple of quotes from the article listed below and will share some observations about why I believe the control used by Warren Jeffs is very similar or in many ways the same as what Jane Whaley used/uses at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF).
Warren Jeffs sentenced to life plus 20 years in prison as picture emerges of 50 brides, bred to worship the polygamous ‘prophet’
By Paul Bentley Last updated at 5:54 PM on 9th August 2011
Standing neatly side by side, 50 young girls pose as if for a school yearbook, their smiles every bit as uniform as their pastel outfits and tightly quiffed hairdos.
Their innocent enthusiasm is focussed on one goal alone – worshipping the man framed behind them, who has cruelly bred them for manipulation.
As a Texas jury sentenced Jeffs to life plus 20 years in prison for his crimes as their church leader, extraordinary pictures have emerged of the wives of the notorious polygamist, offering insight into the twisted world of subjugation with which he surrounded himself.
Jeffs, the 55-year-old self-proclaimed prophet and leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was last week convicted of two counts of sexually assaulting a child – one 12 and one 14-year-old.
Today, after less than half an hour of deliberations, the jury at court in Texas sentenced him to the maximum possible time behind bars for his crimes.
Jeffs’s wives were both the victims of his abuse and the accomplices, subjected to a cruel world of worship and sexual abuse, while also proving their worth to their leader by holding down their peers while they were assaulted.…
It is unclear whether the women will be prosecuted for their roles in the abuse. Many argue their submission was borne out of a deeply engrained fear of Jeffs, who took over the community in 1998 from his father, who had raised him to believe the women were rightfully his to abuse as a birthright.
The article from the UK Daily Mail is quite extensive and very well done. It includes MANY great pictures that show the people involved in this sad story. On this blog we have written about Brent Jeffs and his book, “Lost Boy”. It is his account of life inside FLDS. Here is a picture of Brent Jeffs from the article.
You can read more and see all the pictures at the link below.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2024150/Warren-Jeffs-trial-50-brides-bred-worship-paedophile-prophet.html#ixzz1UYb2zghD
Earlier on this blog, I have outlined the methods of control that Warren Jeffs and Jane Whaley had in common. We will not review them again except to point out that the common thread is the use of fear to control members. Jane Whaley excuses the fear she uses as a “fear of God”. It is really “fear of a god”. Jane uses among others, the fear that a person who leaves WOFF will lose their salvation and never make it to heaven. That is such a common fear tactic used in unbalanced, religious cult groups that it should not surprise anyone.
Here is a post in that series from last year where I explained my beliefs about the two group leaders. FLDS vs. WOFF – the Similarities – part 2 http://religiouscultsinfo.com/?p=101
As a side note, compare the photo from FLDS above to some of the group photos on the website for WOFF and note the similarities. Not in the exact dress, but, in the poses, the smiles, the uniformity and the general attitudes exuded by both groups. See anything odd?
Recently, I was made aware of a poem written by George S. Patton, Jr. He was paid $250 in 1945 by Cosmopolitan magazine to write this poem. He is telling of the power and grip of fear. I have highlighted one observation he makes about fear being used in cults.
Fear
I am that dreadful, blighting thing,
Like rat holes to the flood.
Like rust that gnaws the faultless blade,
Like microbes to the blood.
I know no mercy and no truth,
The young I blight, the old I slay.
Regret stalks darkly in my wake,
And ignominy dogs my way.
Sometimes, in virtuous garb I rove,
With facile talk of easier way;
Seducing where I dare not rape,
Young manhood, from it’s honor’s sway.
Again, in awesome guise I rush,
Stupendous, through the ranks of war,
Turning to water, with my gaze,
Hearts that, before, no foe could awe.
The maiden who has strayed from right,
To me must pay the mead of shame.
The patriot who betrays his trust,
To me must owe his tarnished name.
I spare no class, nor cult, nor creed,
My course is endless through the year.
I bow all heads and break all hearts,
All owe me homage — I am FEAR.
Now, I have no reason to think that Patton studied cults. But, I can believe he saw fear and its effects on men and women for many reasons, the least of which would be on those facing a battle for their lives. He very likely saw fear being used by his enemies to paralyze and conquer. I have seen fear being used and have felt its effects being used on me. Jane Whaley and her leadership crew are no different from other religious cults. They use fear to control in many ways and it has proven effective for them. How do I know? If it did not work for them, they would be using something else to get the results they desire. As of now, using fear seems to be working just fine for Jane as she continues to control the lives of her members. Do any former WOFF members have a different assessment? For other survivors of other cult groups, did your leader use fear to control you?
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(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. ) Scripture references are Amplified Version unless otherwise noted. (Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation ) This is post number 328.