I have been following with interest the story out of Eldorado, Texas with the FLDS group. I saw a woman on the news named Carolyn Jessop who escaped from the cult 4 years ago. With 8 children. With her abusive husband hot on her heels. She wrote a book titled ESCAPE! I highly recommend it Her story is similar in some ways to ours, but much much worse! I have a great deal of respect for her courage and strength of character. She is a remarkable woman.

Some parts I found incredibly funny--like the time her husband married two new wives and decided to take the whole family on a honeymoon--all six wives and 35 children! They rented a greyhound bus...!

Other parts were horrible--for example when her husband beat one of his wives with a mop.

And don't just borrow th book from the library-go out and buy it, she is a single mom with a disabled child and needs the money!

I did get a copy of Jessop's book, and then found some flds things on You Tube. The cult is nick named "The American Taliban" for good reason.

What seemed familiar to me was the suppression of thoughts and feelings. She made a statement in the book that in cults a person has a cult personality and an authentic personality.

While I was in the church and was faced with things that were unacceptable or irrational I would know that I didn't accept them, but I would "suspend my disbelief" or put my thoughts on hold in another part of my self while operating on the outside as if I accepted everything. I used to think that maybe in time I would see the wisdom of something I doubted, but it didn't work out that way.

I am so grateful I can be my authentic self all the time now! I go to a church where I don't have to accept anything or believe anything the Pastor teaches. I can freely question him on anything and he will show me in the bible what he bases his thinking on. I have learned a great deal from him over the past few years...and it has been a time of nourishment for my soul.