Gripping and powerful, i definitly reccomend it!!
THis heartbreaking account of a young girls struggle and life in a polygamous sect Fundamentalist church of latter day saints... Although this church claims to be a church and still exists today, it has all the elements of a cult... An overpowering godly central leader that controls the people, an overbearing sense of fear controlling the people and keeping them from straying or having contact with the outside world, also the religion encourages most money to be turned over to the church (earnings that is) and also the leader has the power so strong as to tear families apart and the families willingly, but reluctantly do it.
Elissa was forced to be a bride at 14 although she begged not to have the marraige go on and then over the years in her "arranged" marraige to her first cousin she suffered endless bouts of emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of her husband and when going to the church leader for help and comfort she is turned away and told she must stop talking to her mother so much for support and go home and obey her "preist hood head aka her husband" even the local police are no help, as they too are mostly FLDS members... A few years into the marraige she feels as if she wants to just give up, with minimal contact allowed with her family she feels she has not where to turn, and with most of her conditioned beliefs still embedded in her brain she feals she cant turn to the outside world (child services the courts etc) with fear that the outside world are all evil apostates and communication with them would make you burn in hell. Finally she meets another soul, just as lost as her (her someday current husband Lamont) and together they find the strength to pull out and pull through and leave the church, and then go on to challenge Warren Jeffs (the man claiming to be the church's new "prophet" after his father Rulon passed away) in court charging him as an accomplice to rape, as he allowed her underage marraige to happen and knew the rape was going on... She does this in hope that putting him away will save other young girls from her fate, especially her two younger sisters, who still remain in the church with her mother who she has been painfully separated from since leaving the church...
THis heartbreaking account of a young girls struggle and life in a polygamous sect Fundamentalist church of latter day saints... Although this church claims to be a church and still exists today, it has all the elements of a cult... An overpowering godly central leader that controls the people, an overbearing sense of fear controlling the people and keeping them from straying or having contact with the outside world, also the religion encourages most money to be turned over to the church (earnings that is) and also the leader has the power so strong as to tear families apart and the families willingly, but reluctantly do it.
Elissa was forced to be a bride at 14 although she begged not to have the marraige go on and then over the years in her "arranged" marraige to her first cousin she suffered endless bouts of emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of her husband and when going to the church leader for help and comfort she is turned away and told she must stop talking to her mother so much for support and go home and obey her "preist hood head aka her husband" even the local police are no help, as they too are mostly FLDS members... A few years into the marraige she feels as if she wants to just give up, with minimal contact allowed with her family she feels she has not where to turn, and with most of her conditioned beliefs still embedded in her brain she feals she cant turn to the outside world (child services the courts etc) with fear that the outside world are all evil apostates and communication with them would make you burn in hell. Finally she meets another soul, just as lost as her (her someday current husband Lamont) and together they find the strength to pull out and pull through and leave the church, and then go on to challenge Warren Jeffs (the man claiming to be the church's new "prophet" after his father Rulon passed away) in court charging him as an accomplice to rape, as he allowed her underage marraige to happen and knew the rape was going on... She does this in hope that putting him away will save other young girls from her fate, especially her two younger sisters, who still remain in the church with her mother who she has been painfully separated from since leaving the church...
This book gave me quite an insight on what goes on behind those "Forbidden Walls". As you read this book you develop a fondness and great respect for the author. The author Elissa Wall doesn't hold anything back..there's no beating around the bush she tells us excatly what we all want and wish to know and explains it all in depth. She goes into depth about how "Uncle Warren" came to be and how the way of life is for all behind those walls. It's tragic in parts to where they became tissue moments and also joyous times. She in no way bashes her upbringing or is it full of negitive talks about the way of her FLDS life. She expresses freely how she felt or is feeling during the times that took place. She simply states the facts and let you the reader come to your own conclusion of what is right or wrong. Hope that you all will at least take a chance and read for yourself this very insightful book.
