Merril Jessop and his first six wives, from left, Cathleen, Ruth, Faunita, Tammy, Barbara and Carolyn Jessop.
By Clarencia Cynrae on April 8th, 2008
Merril Jessop and his first six wives, from left, Cathleen, Ruth, Faunita, Tammy, Barbara and Carolyn Jessop.
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June 13th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
Merril and the other disgusting, evil men in that cult need to be locked away. What a waste of space.
And barbara, You will get whats coming for the way you treat your sister wives and their children. Disgusting pig.
June 16th, 2008 at 4:00 am
They will be punished. If not on this earth, then when they meet their Master on judgement day. I wonder of any of them have actually read the Bible. The way they treat their children is just …beyond description. Its just horrible. Those poor kids. I’m glad Carolyn and her children got out.
June 18th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
flds is a disgrace. thank the lord that Carolyn had the courage to escape. men in that community are meglomaniacal sex perverts.
barbara is a disgrace to women . filth at the utmost.
July 3rd, 2008 at 7:42 am
Merril Jessop is a power hungry, egotistical maniac excuse for a man. What goes around comes around. You, Merril Jessop, will get what is coming to you!
July 8th, 2008 at 2:42 am
Barbra is the most diplorable think i have ever read about! I pray that we can all witness Gods revenge on her. Carolyn is a saint for putting up with all she did.
July 11th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Absolutely filthy! I used to be a mormon and woke up to their lies after being brought up in it. The men in these cults are nothing but perverted and filthy and can be called nothing short of abusive sexual devients! Warren Jeffs, their so called prophet is locked yay! Let’s see these perverted brainwashing scum bags try and get out of this one…..hahahahahahaha! Good on you for escaping Carolyn, you have mine and I am sure many more ppl around the world’s admiration! Merrill Jessop is not only disgusting, he is one UGLY UGLY man…ewwwwwwww!
July 28th, 2008 at 10:35 am
I think this picture is labeled wrong, Barbara is described as being short and over 200 lbs in the book, and being much older than Carolyn. That would be the one to the left of Merril.
August 1st, 2008 at 3:13 am
Carolyn, My heart goes out to you and your children. It is amazing that you did not lose your mind before you almost lost your life. You are such an intelligent and marvelous human being! Thank you for being brave enough to share your story so that others who are living the same hell may have hope. If you have had the chance to study much history, you will see there are many similarities between the methods used by Merril and Warren,Mao and Hitler etc. to brainwash, control,and drive into total submission a group of people.Even common sense would tell anyone with a brain that the mormon theology of multiple wives is horribly flawed.If every man has 10 wives and the ratio of men to women is 50/50 sooner or later there will be a few men with 10 and hundreds of men with none. These despicable men will one day find that there really is a hell. Then they will have to answer to Christ for the abuse and torture of innocent children and women.These men are nothing more than criminal perverts. I wish you a wonderful future!
August 22nd, 2008 at 1:53 am
I have been following the news of Barbara Jessop being the mother of the 12 year old married to Warren Jeffs. Of course she will guarantee her daughter’s safety, she is the one who put in in that danger. She and her husband “the pig” were the ones to put in in the position in the first place. All so they would be in a higher position with their so called “Prophet” The state of Texas should take serioulsy the account of Carolyn Jessop as she lived the nightmare of Merrill and Barbara’s brutality. She states when “Father wanted a punishment doled out it was Barbara who did it,even down to the smallest children and she acted like she enjoyed it> I hope and pray that the courts in Texas put her and her sorry excuse of a husband in a cell next to each other so they can enjoy their eternity in hall together. I sincerely hope that they do indeed reap what they have sown..I Also agree that the picture is wrong…the wife looking at Merrill on his left is indeed Barbara who else would look at him with such adoration than the favorite wife who enjoyed metting out his ordered abuse of other wives and children.
September 2nd, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Way to go Carolyn! (and also Elissa Wall) and any others who have jumped this miserable sinking ship. I read on another blog today that Merril’s wife Faunita had been thrown out a couple of years ago. She was said to be old and in poor health. It stated that she is being cared for by a compassionate grandson, though. Another of Merril’s wonderful acts toward an unfavored wife after he beat her mercilessly while her children listened. This blog also said that her daughter died, but I haven’t seen this anywhere else. I also felt so sorry for poor Ruth, who suffered such mental anquish at Merril and Barbara’s hands. And Barbara is her half-sister, too. When their time on earth is done, I think Ruth and Barbara are going in two completely different directions,if you know what I mean.
Has anyone read anything on a site called Truth will Prevail, a misnomer if ever there was one. They have said terrible things about Carolyn and others who dared to leave this cult. On a positive note, though, Carolyn, if you are lurking or someone who knows you is, they are all in a tizzy about the State of Texas taking back 8 children, one of whom is Merril and Barbara’s daughter Merillee, the one who was sealed to WJ the Fraud at age 12. It showed a picture of Merillee with Betty Jane, who though older, looks like Carolyn’s daughter from an earlier picture in her book. Carolyn said she and her family hadn’t been able to contact her since she returned to the cult after her 18th birthday. At least Carolyn can be assured that she is accounted for. The pic was supposedly taken 8/19/08. I also read somewhere else today, can’t remember where, though, that Barbara was on the stand at TX Grand Jury I think and took the fifth over 50 times. This is from memory, and mine isn’t that good. It would be best to google this and verify by your own look-up. If true, this doesn’t sound like a good strategy for trying to get her daughter back, although it was probably meant to shield Merril. It could come back to bite her on her backside.
October 19th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Kiwi in Oz- I completely agree with you but I’d like to make a correction. Merril Jessop and the rest of his cult are NOT Mormons. They are a radical break-off from the LDS (Mormon) Church. The reason they broke away is because the LDS Church denounced the practice of polygamy.
October 22nd, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Looks like the heavy lady had plenty to eat. I absolutely loved the book btw.
November 8th, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Does anyone know how to contact Carolyn Jessop by way of mail or email?
BTW: FLDS is not the same as LDS, however, the foundation of the ideas comes from the same place: the founder and prophet Joseph Smith, followed by Brigham Young. Mainstream mormons were forced to revise their doctrine by the government, else they wouldn’t have. And even though it’s revised for earthly activity, polylygamy remains part of the heavenly plan for mainstream LDS true believers. Maybe it’s more of choice now rather than an inevitability, but as far as I know, the very best Mormons are destined for eternity as a harem of god and goddesses ruling over a new planet.
November 15th, 2008 at 2:35 am
The LDS SAY they have renounced Polygamy. Not true. It is still in their scriptures, is still considered holy, is still required of men in the next life. That is not renouncing…that’s just caving into men…something Brigham YOung vowed he’d never do. Pressure from Government, threat of troops, and a desire for statehood are all that separate you from the FLDS. They are nothing more than time standing still and an embarrassing reminder of days gone by. I’ve read the journals of women in polygamy back then and they tell similar tales to FLDS women.
Women and children are not cattle. One good woman is more than enough to be the other half and fulfill any decent man and be his “other half.” To believe you need more than one woman is to believe that woman is one third, one fourth, one fifth, one twentieth of man. Children need to know that you know their names, know their identity. Women can;t be traded, given away. The only reason they live in polygamy is the isolation they are raised in and the fences around the FLDS communities are no different than Brigham Young moving a group of people to isolated Utah where he could rule with impugnity and practice polygamy without consequence. More people died on the mormon trail than ever would have died from persectution.
Joseph Smith said it best, “the sad nature of man is that given a little power, he will exercise that power in unrighteous dominion.” Mainstream Mormon Men today whisper and laugh in private and sometimes in front of their wives about how they will eventually get to live polygamy. I know, I lived it, heard it…and sadly…even did the same myself at one time. I was born and raised into it and knew no better. Mormon Women can divorce a man in civil court but they have to “prove” that the man was bad enough to get a temple divorce. They can’t remarry in the temple until they are granted that request. Men on the other hand can go on to marry, divorce, marry again and stack up a number of wives “sealed” to them in temple marriages. The women are sealed even though the women no longer wish to be sealed to them. What a telling tale about their attitudes toward polygamy. They are still virtually enslaved in attitude. Utah women are number one in the nation for taking antidepressants for good reason.
Polygamy in the mormon mind is alive and well. It is only brushed off in front of the media cameras and the line by President Hinckley in front of Larry King is the standard line…”well, we don’t want to talk about that, that was over a hundred years ago and we can’t really understand it.” No, they understand it all to well as written in the Doctrine and Covenants. It’s not just holy, it’s necessary in the next life.
Time to face and embrace the past, time to truly renounce polygamy. Remove it from your scriptures, call it what it was. Ugly. Unnatural. Until you do that it will always follow you, always be your constant companions and the world will always connect the FLDS to the LDS. It’s your history, your legacy, and Utah which is still haven to polygamists will always be seen as odd, weird, unchristian, cultists. Elect an Attorney General who’s forefathers weren’t polygamists. Act. Protect the women. Protect the children. Become Christian. Joseph Smith had dozens of wives and at the same time told the world polygamy was reprehensible, abominable. Is this still Mormon attitude today?
February 11th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Mike, I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. You say that all scripture about multiple marriages should be removed. Do you realize how much of the Old Testament would be gone if that was done? According to scripture, God does from time to time require men to have more than one wife. My ancestors were members of the church when polygamy was practiced. I haven’t come up with anything that was written by those multiple wives, so I don’t know how they were treated. What I do know is that multiple marriage has been practiced many times by many societies for different reasons. To judge all who have practiced this system the same way seems a little over the top to me. It’s like saying you hate all Blacks or Hispanics or Mormons or Baptists because of how they live or what they believe. I live in an area where the FLDS is close by and I have worked with them in a workplace. I can tell you that not all of them are bad or monsters. That doesn’t mean I agree with their life style – only that you can’t call all the apples in a barrel rotten beczuae of one rotten apple.
February 18th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
I agree with Dora~I am not going to have a debate with Mike or anyone about this!I’ll just state my opinion! I am also a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Born & raised In Anchorage, Alaska! As in ALL walk of life, religions & cultures there are ALWAYS going to be those who let simple things go to their head & act upon that, causing destruction to anyone or thing in their way! Sadly they are brain washed!!
I have just finished readng Escape & Innocence Stolen & it just makes me livid!! Especially for those poor babies!! But any of the Women, boys, girls & animals having to suffer because of their so called threats to thier salvation, I now include in my prayes. Those “men” that use the excuse for the perversions & sadisms, repulse all who have learned of this!! Not too mention the “sister wives” who act & cover for them!! You all WILL get yours!
March 8th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
That man is an ugly pig and that’s an insult to pigs everywhere.
March 11th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
I’ve read “Escape” and found it interesting. But I still wonder why many of the women don’t run off after the abuse they suffer from men who marry them and yet never come to love them.
There is no way a man can have multiple wives and not favor some over others. They can’t keep having children and take care of all of them. So what happens to the children who have less to eat, few clothes to wear? Or the wives who are not loved but only tolerated because their husbands were told to marry them? What kind of life do these women have who live in a male dominated society that gloifies men while treating women like slaves?
March 16th, 2009 at 8:27 am
Even as a woman I won’t judge polygamy. In my opinion: Live and let live as long as no one gets hurt. In the case of Merrill Jessop, obviously people, children and animals got hurt, so much so that it should be considered torture and it should stop at once. I have read Carolyn Jessop’s book “Escape”. She is an incredibly strong, highly intelligent and courageous woman that has shown us the very ugly side of the FLDS. I really don’t know if there is even a good side at this point, I would like to think (although I don’t know if it really exists) that there might be men in the FLDS who don’t abuse women, I have only seen the 3 more modern women who went on Larry King who say they live this great “sister wives lives” with their most loving husband. Is this real or is this just another lie? Nevertheless, after reading Carolyn Jessop’s book, I am surprised that this Merrill Jessop character is still able to freely abuse his wives, children and animals. Human rights workers, social workers, as well as animal rights workers should stop this man and other abusers at once! Ok, this is a free country, but such freedom comes at a price eventually. Right now still at the expense of these women, children and animals,I hope this will end. I am all for freedom of religion, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone. I doubt that the forefathers had such extreme backwards, oppressive, controlling, brainwashing religion in mind, when they left England in search for religious freedom. I am not a Mormon, but I also doubt that neither Joseph Smith or Brigham Young were abusing their wive(s) to that extent. I wish these jerks of Merrill Jessop’s ilk would read the Jefferson Bible for a change and realize that following false Prophets and misuse of power will not get them to their heaven they think they’ll get, it is about as stupid as these terrorists who believe their attacks will get them to 17 virgins in heaven, that is the level of stupidity of the Merrill Jessops and it reveals their stupidity and they should be treated for mental illness at best.
April 19th, 2009 at 10:03 am
Dora, scripture does NOT sanction plural marriage. God never “required” a man to have more than one wife. The fact that some did was an aspect of culture, and NEVER went well. Examples – Abraham, Hagar and Sarah; Jacob, Leah and Rachel; David and Bathsheba; Solomon and his hundreds who led him into idolatry. (And commonly quoted points of law such as Deut 25 and Ex 21 are dubious at best.)
And what of this – “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach…” (1 Tim 3:2) – how do plural marriage proponents get around the fact that Paul directly stated that bishops (a specific leadership designation within the LDS church) should be the husband of one wife?
And wrap your mind around this one – when asked to clarify divorce law from the Torah, Jesus said (and Paul reiterated) that a man who divorces his wife and marries another is committing adultery. Are we supposed to embrace that with the caveat, “but it’s not adultery against the first one if he doesn’t divorce her”? Sounds absurd to me.
One more thing – there’s no evidence whatsoever that the “Ethiopian woman” to whom Moses was married was not Zipporah. Midian was simply on the east side of the Sinai Peninsula from Ethiopia to the west, so it is entirely plausible to imagine that Jethro’s ancestors had migrated that far.
[With that in mind, an aside - I find it very interesting that the LDS church historically rejected blacks from their fellowship - Brigham Young vocally embraced the "mark of Cain" concept, which was echoed in the Book of Mormon via explanation of the Lamanites' dark skin. Brigham Young also stated that mixing white with black through marriage would result in "death on the spot" - and then until 1978 when the initial "revelation" was reversed by Kimball, denied them ordination...when the Bible clearly states that Moses was married to a woman of color. I find that ironic for all groups who embrace some sort of white supremacy and scripture at the same time, especially those who claim Jesus as Lord while expressing hatred for the Jews!]
One thing that strikes me as I read Escape (and at this point I’m halfway through) is the utter lack of Christian love within the family, from the men, between the wives, in the care of their children. There are no fruits of the Spirit, no evidence anyone ever read Matthew 5, certainly no evidence that Merril or any other male had any concept of loving their wives “as Christ loves the church.”
Something else that hit me as I read. By way of introduction to my point, in fundamentalist Mormonism, women are property. They are used, abused physically and psychologically, controlled completely, made to feel worthless, forced to cover themselves from head to toe and in layers, their primary function is to produce children, take care of the men, submit to authority in every way and keep their mouths shut or risk punishment. They are forced into arranged marriages, imprisoned, refused higher education, must revoke all earned money, and have no say in most aspects of their own lives. And here’s my point – what other religion, in many areas of the world, might we describe as such? It’s like Islam without the honor killings.
Amazing how the Enemy doesn’t change. You look at anthropological situations the world over and there is a distinct pattern. Doesn’t matter if we’re talking about the hill tribes of Papua New Guinea where desperate women launch themselves into the river to escape their worthless lives, or the Palestinian Muslim who murders his daughter because she was alone with the neighbor boy, or the sects of Indian Hindus who require the wives to throw themselves on their husband’s funeral pyre, or the Saudi Arabian religious police who barred the doors to a girls’ school when it caught fire several years ago, killing fifteen young women, because they tried to escape without first putting on the hijab.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m no feminist. I am a conservative Christian homeschooling mom of three who believes that my place is with my kids and my husband is the spiritual authority in our home. But scripture tells me that I am to be cherished. And what scripture says, the Enemy strives to achieve the exact opposite. Hence the FLDS community. How sad when they stand before God one day and realize how wasted their lives were. And by this I mean the women – I think those men know EXACTLY what they’re doing.
April 25th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
Agrace, thank you for the great insight. Well said!
May 16th, 2009 at 1:21 am
What a horrible horrible man. I honestly have trouble getting my head around this stuff. The fact that this still goes on today is worse than disgusting. I feel for these poor brain washed women and their children and think what a waste of so many peoples lives.
May 26th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Just got done reading the book Escape by Carolyn Jessop. Loved it! I will never think of Mormanism is quit the same way. Best of luck to Carolyn and the children.
July 17th, 2009 at 7:15 pm
No, that’s Barbara Jessop next to Carolyn. She must have lost/gained weight?
August 25th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
…
August 25th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
The saddest thing about this religion is it takes away people choices. They have no other option but to do what their leaders say. If they do not, they are banished from the community and can’t keep getting more wifes.
The FLDS are not the chosen people. God loves all his children. Even when we sin. If righteousness were the only choice, that wouldn’t be any choice at all.
Even if you and I we were living perfect lives outside their compound, they would still think we have no place with God. Really.. who do they think they are…! Why would God even have children being born outside their compound if we were all lost. What is “our” purpose in the outside world…? To live and go to Hell? Come on FLDS!!! WAKE UP!!! You really look like idots!
“Oh… I have to obey my priesthood head!!! Just let my child die, marry off my 16 year old to a 60 year old man, or send the boys away and say their sins are the reason…” but really it’s the fact that the older men pray on the younger beautiful girls. “So what if I have 6 wifes already. After all 7 is an even number of the week and it just makes things a lot easier.” (You just took away 6 young men’s wives!)
I have five boys and shame on you for banishing your children. If you think God is going to reward you for that, THINK AGAIN! SHAME ON YOU. You raise these great kids… wonderful boys and then banish them from your life because he sinned. So much for “Thou shalt not judge!” or for Jesus dying on the cross for that matter… to save us from our sins! They are your children for heaven sake! The children you thanked God for are now being thrown out like trash! These are the children God intrusted to you! What… someone tells you to banish you child and you DO! HOW DO YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT!
Truthfully… your kids love you and still need you. Shame on you for having children you treat in such a fashion. You say there is no abuse in your community. SHAME ON YOU!
You say I’m a sinner. Well at least I get to keep my boys! By the way… YOUR NOT REALLY MARRIED to your 2nd wife who is 16! You’re just abusing her! It’s called rape!
September 24th, 2009 at 9:43 am
Izzy – you’re wasting your words on these people of the FLDS. They’re a CULT. Of course they don’t send the boys away because of sin – that’s a smokescreen they use as part of the brainwashing. They send them away (as Carolyn points out in her book) because they are COMPETITION. Who is a young lady naturally going to want to marry? A young man. Not grandpa. So grandpa gets rid of the young boys and takes the young girls for himself and tells them they’ll be rewarded in heaven. It’s not about sin and they know it. So there’s no use arguing that point. It’s not the REAL reason. They use religious terms to give it some sort of legitimacy – it’s language that sounds pious, but when you pull back the curtain it’s the worse kind of perversion.