Category Archives: Books, Resources

Books, Resources for learning about religious cults

Resources, Answers and Hope

April 5, 2010 Admin Leave a comment

The sub-title of this blog is “Resources, Answers and Hope”. In this blog are resources including book references by some very qualified authors on the subject of cults and recovery from cults. There is also a list of links to other sites that can prove a benefit to those looking for good solid material on religious cult mind control. There is such a wide range of topics in this area, it is difficult to stay focused on what could be the biggest help for the readers.

The writings of others helped me find many answers, once I was out of WOFF. No, you would not be allowed to read the books listed on the “Books, Resource” page of this blog, if you were still a member of WOFF. Few authors in this field, had knowledge of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) and Jane Whaley. However, the characteristics found in other frequently documented religious cult mind control groups existed at WOFF. That was one of the more shocking revelations upon leaving WOFF. Until I was out, I had no idea how much control I was under and how much of my life had been altered while in the group. The growth of the control is so subtle, in many cases. The strength and depth of the control becomes great a lot of times without the member realizing how many areas are under control of Jane Whaley and other leadership. After I left the reality of the freedom of choice returned. It felt strange at first.

Talking with former members is a help also. Reading their testimonies on other sites helped confirm my observations of what happened while at WOFF. However, several ex-members just want to forget what happened to them at WOFF and bury it all. Since I still have relatives who are in WOFF, that has been very difficult for me to do. The path to freedom still requires me to look back and remember those who are still attending WOFF. As mentioned before, I believe you can reject the methods, reject the message and not reject the members.

Continue reading Resources, Answers and Hope →

Behavior Control, Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Information control, Uncategorized

WOFF Members Don’t Celebrate Easter

April 4, 2010 Admin Leave a comment

As mentioned before, Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) members led by Jane Whaley, don’t celebrate Easter, Christmas or other holidays. While at WOFF, we were told about the background of the holidays. Easter was linked to certain pagan origins. (see link here.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easter ) Therefore, it was not celebrated. It remains hard for any truth-seeking Christian to justify with scriptures the Easter bunny, dying eggs, Easter baskets and other secular traditions. However, many Christians take the time before the celebration of Easter to remind themselves and others of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Resurrection of Jesus is no doubt a vital part of the fabric of faith for Christians. Also, this time is set aside for many folks to visit family.

Many times, not celebrating holidays revealed the contrarian nature of Jane Whaley and WOFF members. There was a preached mandate and example set for members, to do something opposite of the accepted traditions in order to show – what? I am not sure. I practiced “opposites” to holidays and traditions for years at WOFF, for what reason or benefit? To make me as a WOFF member feel superior to those who practice certain holidays and traditions? To show that the “world” has no hold on a WOFF member? To show God how much I “loved” Him and deserved His “favor”?

Ceretainly in this country, we would not want compulsory or mandatory celebration of any holiday- religious or secular. The right to choose your individual preference in religious matters is as much of a right in the country as the right to vote, choose your residence and place of employment. We enjoy many freedoms in this country that most folks take for granted.

The reality of membership at WOFF is in order to continue with the members of WOFF; you are compelled to give up the individual freedom of choice that our Constitution makes very plain and clear. Members must do and not do a LONG list of things. The list is ever growing and changing. ( see link here..WOFF Don’t list 03 10 ) Many of which you are not told about at the time of joining. The “don’t list” is revealed on a situational basis, in many cases. (I know because very rarely did we “overload” a new member or one who showed interest in WOFF, with information that they would learn in due time…) When you needed to know, you were told.

Continue reading WOFF Members Don’t Celebrate Easter →

Books, Resources, Uncategorized

Resource on the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints (LDS)

March 19, 2010 Admin Leave a comment

In order to more fully understand the seriousness of the similarities between the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) and WOFF; then you need a look at the background of FDLS and learn about LDS or Mormonism. The book, “The God Makers” (copyright 1984) written by Dave Hunt and Ed Decker is a thoroughly researched resource that looks at the background writings and doctrines of the Joseph Smith and Mormonism. You can find the book on Amazon.com.

The reviews on the back cover are glowing. Here is one” “The God Makers” is an accurate account of theology, goals, and secrets of Mormonism. It is told in a popular, readable style with an eye to evangelism and apologetics. The facts are all here: it is the most useful and informative volume, valuable for both pastors and laymen.” Those words from Dr. Walter Martin, author of Kingdom of Cults

The table of contents includes these chapter titles: “The Mormon Challenge”, “The Pagan Connection” and “Up to Godhood”. The footnotes are ten pages of notes of very tiny print. This work is well researched to say the least.

The way this book has come back to my attention will be explained in a future post. The words of Warren Jeffs stirred a memory of this book and some insights about LDS, FLDS and WOFF. The insight will be explained and the conclusions hopefully will make clear some of the issues at WOFF.

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 readers at WOFF. I hope this is a help to them.

Look on the right side of any post for the option to subscribe by email for notifications or RSS feeds notifying of new postings. It is a great feature. Also, find more posts by selecting “Categories”.

(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. )

Behavior Control, Books, Resources, Information control, Uncategorized

Book Review: “Slave and Citizen” by Nathan Irvin Huggins

February 22, 2010 Admin Leave a comment

This book, “Slave and Citizen” written by Nathan Irvin Huggins, subtitled “The Life of Frederick Douglass” (copyright 1980) was an inspiration to me during the first few months of leaving WOFF. The investment was only 49 cents. The benefit was immense. I picked the book up at a used book store. It was a relatively quick read of only 185 pages. My emails and notes show I read this book in September of 2008.

The book outlines the life of Frederick Douglass from his birth to his death at the age of 77 in 1895. He had risen from slave to being a Statesman and Ambassador to Haiti for the United States. He advised President Lincoln and had many other accomplishments. The intriguing part to me was his life beginnings and how he learned to read.

In 1825,… Frederick was sent to live in Baltimore, MD to the house of Hugh and Sophia Aduld. There is the city he caught his first glimpse of freedom. Mrs. Auld took time to teach Frederick to learn to read the Bible. He was a quick learner and Mrs. Auld was excited to show her husband. Her husband not happy at all, in fact he was enraged. “Hugh Auld with course and brutal language told his wife that slaves should never be taught beyond their station. ‘Not only was it illegal to teach them to read, but it would spoil the best n[igger]r in the world.’ A slave, ‘given an inch, he will take an ell,’ he said. A slave should know nothing but the will of his master. ‘If you learn him how to read, he’ll be running away with himself.” The text goes on… “Frederick … on the other hand learned the most important lesson of his youth: there is something unnatural about slavery;…” (page 5, emphasis added)

I read this passage in September 2008, about 60 days of being out of WOFF. Those were frightful times as I was struggling with the notions put in me while in WOFF. Those who leave are “under a curse, Judases, digging themselves a deep hole” as some would say. So, this passage woke me up! The reason that Information control is so heavy at WOFF, is because, “If you learn him how to read, he’ll be running away with himself.” Teaching slaves to read was illegal. Of course members are allowed to read- their Bible. In the cases of students: textbooks are monitored and censored. Allowing members to read ANYTHING they want is illegal at WOFF. Otherwise, those dutiful, hard working, tithe giving members will get ideas and be running away with themselves!

After I read this I sent an email to a dear friend. In the email, I share how I read this between 3:00AM and 5:00AM and could not sleep! It all made sense. Keeping members from the newspapers, TV, magazines, most every book and other sources of information; keeps them “in their place”. (if I may be so bold to use a WOFF phrase!) Also, as Frederick Douglass learned, “..there is something unnatural about slavery.” It is unnatural to not have access to the free flow of information. The choice to partake or not partake should be up to the individual, unhindered in any way.

“A common form of information control involves blocking out any critical or negative points of view.” Some cults simply forbid members to have access to any non-cult material such as newspapers, magazines, television or radio, and the Internet…”. These words from “Releasing the Bonds” by Steven Hassan (copyright 2000) make it very clear. Religious cults as well as other mind control groups, attempt to control the information available and thus “keep their members from running way”!

One main “breach in the dam of control” for me occurred when I searched the term “shepherding movement”. The similarities between the religious move of control in the 70’s and my life experiences at WOFF were too stark to ignore! That started the process of my “running away”. If the WOFF experience had not been so blatantly like the stories of control I was reading about; I may still be at there, today. Here are some links to the type of information I read:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherding_Movement

http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/04/shepherding.htm

There are plenty of other sources for this subject.

To my good WOFF readers: you may think that you have free access to all the information sources that you want. You just don’t “want to read the newspaper or watch television or freely surf the Internet”. I remember that rationalization tool. Is it really true or are the consequences of admitting to partaking of the “forbidden” too great for you to risk a violation? Remember– “there is something unnatural about slavery”. In reality, you had to give up your freedoms to continue to be a part of the group. Isn’t that “spiritual slavery”?

So, to the newest members: did you realize that in order to keep the job or housing you were given that you would have to give up your freedoms in so many areas? Has the spiritual bondage been too slow in developing for you to notice? How is that “..freedom in Christ” working out for you? My critics from WOFF say I don’t use enough scripture. For them:

“My precaution was] because of false brethren who had been secretly smuggled in [to the Christian brotherhood]; they had slipped in to spy on our liberty and the freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might again bring us into bondage [under the Law of Moses].
Galatians 2:3-5 ( Amplified version)

Look on the right side of any post for “Categories”, select the drop down box and view any previous post by selecting “Uncategorized”. Use the slide bar on the right to scroll down to the bottom. Select “Previous Entries” to review older posts. As always, comments welcome.

(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. )

Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, FLDS, FLDS vs WOFF, Uncategorized

FLDS vs. WOFF – The Similarities – Part 1

January 19, 2010 Admin Leave a comment

“To Follow by faith alone is to follow blindly.” Benjamin Franklin

In “Lost Boy” (copyright©2009 by Brent Jeffs and Maia Szalavitz, ISBN-978-0-7696-3177-9) , Brent Jeffs outlines the message he heard preached over and over. It was the basis used for the authority over the lives of the members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of latter Day Saints (FLDS). From his account and others, the preaching and practice seemed to match.

“…We, your leaders, know the Word of God; you must obey us. … Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, … We know what’s good for you. We are God’s prophets, seers and revelators. Our revelations come straight from God Himself… I love you and want to save you in the Celestial Kingdom of God. So, if you will keep the grand teaching that we are trying to get over: Keep the Holy Spirit of God! Keep sweet! It is a matter of life and death.” (page 60) (emphasis added by blog author)

Later in the book when describing a survivalist training class taught at the church school: “Like everything else, it made sense only retrospectively- as yet another way the church leadership terrorized and controlled the people. By frightening us, they ensured we would obey unthinkingly, rather than considering how absurd their prophecies really were. It is amazing how well fear can work to surpress rational thought, something I unfortunately experienced over and over during my time in the church.” (page 99) (emphasis added by author)

These statements and practices were obviously used as a basis for the power and authority structure of FLDS. As with many cults, the authority over the lives of the members was far reaching and fear based. First and foremost in FLDS was dictating the family structure. Wives and children were assigned to men with no consideration for personal feelings. Other daily matters like dress, hairstyle, job selection and entertainment choices were determined by leadership in the church. (reference pages: 26- living arrangements, 56- television, 72- clothing, 90-clothes during swimming, 102 -relationships, 104- idolatry, in the pictures notice the white shirts on the men in picture of them dressed for church, page 185- job selection, http://tiny.cc/5coTU pictures of children dressed alike and the list goes on…)

What was similar to this at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF)? Are simple everyday matters of life controlled by Jane Whaley or other lieutenants? Let me begin by noting that not everybody is in the exact same situation at any one given time, in a group like WOFF. New members have been given “more grace” in times past. Also, not every veteran member is required to accept the same control measures from Jane or other lieutenants on every point. My inside knowledge of WOFF stopped July 8, 2008. It actually began to wane before that – starting June 6, 2008. All that being said, I have NO evidence of any major changes within the group from any source either inside or outside. I am told by a source closer to WOFF, that things for the children have “lightened up”. (more on that later…)

So, the degree of oversight or “control” felt by each individual member is different at different times in different situations. Like FLDS, ” This is the principle on which the government of heaven is conducted- by revelation adapted to the circumstance in which the children of the kingdom are placed“. (page 60)

Now that the disclaimers are finished, we will discuss one area of control exercised in both groups. FLDS: “Reporting in was one of the many ways the church leadership monitored the members. Once a month, every man would report on his life and sins to his priesthood head. Nothing was off limits. You had to tell everything…. You knew it would filter up to Warren if it was bad enough.” (page 120)

In WOFF, this was called “opening your heart“. It was not limited to once a month and not just to men. Everyone from children up was encouraged to “tell all” and keep your heart open to the person “taking hold of your life“. And yes, you knew that “it would filter up to Jane if it was bad enough”… Many times other folks would be implicated and interrogated because of a child’s confession of a matter to an adult that was not their parent. Spouses would tell on spouses and co-workers on co-workers for things done that “may not feel right”.. There was a highly developed reporting system of these “open your heart” sessions.

“This kept Warren and his henchmen on top of all the gossip and gave them material to use against you if they wanted leverage to keep you in check.” (page 121) The guise was to help, the function and purpose was to control in FLDS and WOFF. More in the posts to come….

P.S. Is there trouble brewing in Brazil?

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Books, Resources, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

Reflections from “CHURCH OF LIES” – Flora Jessop

January 10, 2010 Admin Leave a comment

Flora Jessop had a struggle when she left FLDS, that hopefully no one will have to repeat. She tried many vices and suffered much hurt. After eight years, she came to the realization that it was time to stop running.

A quote from her book.. “After eight brutally hard years in the real world, I’d begun to have a glimmer of hope– maybe I really was worth something. I might be destined to burn for eternity, but I sure as hell was here now. (new paragraph) I’d never give up what those first years on my own taught me. ..I learned that thinking for myself wasn’t such a bad thing after all.” (page 154)

Yes! There was an idea I could identify with. It was “thinking for myself” that had led to my exit from Word of Faith Fellowship. The two thoughts I had in May of 2008- “The people of the church were more afraid of Jane Whaley than God and that is what made us open to being called a cult”. Next, I had been looking up information on “shepherding movement” on the Internet. Though I had heard some about that movement a few years previous, I did not know the particulars. I began to see that much of what went on in that movement was going on at Word of Faith Fellowship. Intentional or not, it was the same in many regards.

Weeks later in June of 2008; I shared my thoughts and doings with one of the church leadership. I knew sparks would fly and the consequences may be severe. So, two hours later I got a call from this person saying “I called Jane and told her about our conversation. She says you are out of the church. You need to get your heart right.” So, there I was kicked out. Turned out to be shakey at first. But, that was the common result for “thinking for myself” and not doing as the church preached- “submit your thoughts to God’s authority”. That was code for only voicing good thoughts about Jane Whaley, her decisions, others in the church. If you had a “stray thought”, you were to come tell someone in leadership so it could be “dealt with”. You were to come “get Truth on the matter”. Critical thinking was not allowed or encouraged. Many times it was insinuated and in some cases voiced- “your own thoughts will take you to hell.. Don’t you know that the natural mind is an enmity against God!” That of course was meant to put fear in everyone for not having their thoughts “checked out”.

Flora Jessop shares in her book the struggles of other children coming out of FLDS and learning to think for themselves. She recounts the struggles of one girl just to decide how to pick up her clothes off the floor in her room. These girls had been told EVERYTHING to do and HOW to do it for years. Simple decisioning was a major struggle. (pages 181 and 213) This is the result of being under mind control and not having any confidence in your decisions without Church leader control.

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Books, Resources, Uncategorized

Book Review: Church of LIES by Flora Jessop

January 9, 2010 Admin Leave a comment

The book CHURCH OF LIES written by Flora Jessop and Paul T. Brown is revealing and sad in many ways. Once I began reading, it was hard to put it down! Flora was born into the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS). She was born into the sect that would eventually be led by the now imprisioned- Warren Jeffs. She credits many folks for helping her and starts by saying the book’s purpose is not about blame.

What I knew about this cult before reading the book was limited as most folks would have to acknowledge. I had seen the headlines when the State of Texas took the 400 or so children from the Yearning for Zion compound. There were headlines- “FLDS Ruled by Fear”, FLDS leader Warren Jeffs awaits criminal trial in Arizona and Ex-FLDS member: courts making mistake by returning kids.. (see this site for a more comprehensive list… http://flds-news.newslib.com/ ) Shock and disbelief followed as many children were returned though there was compelling evidence for abuse.

The author leaves little if anything out of some very detailed accounts of the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father. She witnessed some cases of abuse of other children and adults first hand. From other accounts and court testimony, she was not singled out. The abuse inside that group has been well documented.

Once she escaped the first time at 14, her struggles to adjust to the outside world were revealing. Her re-entry and the details of her subsequent second escape from FLDS were gripping and shocking. To the group that helped her and still helps others- Thank You!

This book is one of many written by survivors of FLDS, polygamy and controlling religious authority. By writing this book, the author does not claim to be perfect. She NEVER claims to stop loving her family and specifically her mother. She reached out to those of her family that were still in the sect – many times. Her struggles in family relationships were ones I could relate to very well.

In 2004, Brent Jeffs, a survivor of FLDS and later author of Lost Boy; filed charges of molestation against three of his Uncles. One was Warren Jeffs. This was the first time legal charges had been filed against Warren Jeffs. That case proved to be pivotal in bringing Warren Jeffs to justice.

As I read this book I was compelled to take notes. The content of those notes will be in subsequent postings. The work Flora Jessop and others do to help those wanting to break free from FLDS is praiseworthy and admirable in EVERY sense of the word.

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