Fundamentalism & Power

The acclaimed author Salman Rushdie once wrote, “Fundamentalism is not about religion; it’s about power.”

Being a Mormon fundamentalist, this statement bothered me at first, but as I examined my experiences, I realized that Rushdie was correct. Even though Rushdie comes from a Muslim background, and I come from a Mormon background the statement resonates true.

When I became a Mormon fundamentalist, I questioned the establishment of the Mormon Church and embraced the “fundamentals” of the early Mormon doctrines – like polygamy and United Order. But in the eighteen years since I was excommunicated from the LDS Church, there have been many characters who have come out of the woodwork, so to speak, who have tried to establish power over me.

This issue of power has become poignant in my thoughts after browsing through the Salt Lake Tribune’s blog on plural marriage (run by Brooke Adams.) Someone at the Tribune posted a link to a tabloid photo that had this ridiculous photo of Warren Jeffs turning into “Batboy”. You’ve seen the photo – the digitally altered photograph of a boy with huge eyes and long ears that you sporadically see on the magazine rack of your local supermarket. You can look at it here:

http://166.70.44.68/blogs/trent/2008/10/warren-jeffs-turns-into-bat-boy/


I thought it was hilarious. But obviously this offended many of the FLDS people. Many of them started posting these tirades about how this photo was degrading to their “prophet”.

So my opinion on Warren Jeffs. I guess I am related to him. My Aunt Kay married his father. But I have never met him. Nor do I care to. He is a despot and a freak. He is no more a prophet than my dog Cookie. Does that mean that I think he deserves his jail sentence? No, I really don’t believe that he should be locked away for life. Does that mean I think that the FLDS shouldn’t have the right to revere him? No, but it illustrates the difference between the FLDS and myself. But does it mean that the photo wasn’t funny? No. The FLDS need to learn the value of satire.

It is totally foreign to me how they can fawn over him so much and elevate him on a pedestal to such heights that they make a living god out of him. You should read some of their rhetoric. It borders on fanatical. I could never think so highly of any man.

So I couldn’t resist making a statement that they needed to get a sense of humor. Mistake or not – I am not sure, but I couldn’t help it. I told them that their lack of humor was not helping their case. They immediately attacked me, and one of them launched a personal attack against me that is quite fun to read. Check it out the exchange:

FLDS: Apostates are the warts and all, be honest. What exactly are you looking forward to? I remember when you were in diapers, and peweee, what a smell. You even dribbled the fecal contents as you strode along, singing a song. But at least you were singing the song. Some never overcome that in this life, see, speaking in parable, or what you'd call metaphor. Still, the FLDS born are all children of the prophets, so I retain some hope in that. The prophets will feel after their own more than any other, and especially if they can keep their diapers clean. All are children without control of their bodies, who fall away from the Gospel that sows to spirit and not the flesh.

Moroni: I don't really understand your incoherent post.But I want to tell you - I have never been part of the FLDS, I have never associated with the FLDS and I never will be associated with the FLDS.So I don't know why you think you remember changing my diapers.I read your post and I the song I am singing is, "Cuckooooo."

FLDS: Ahh, see? Flushed you out, and what flushes? Poop! Cookoo! I suspect that YOU, being named Moroni Jessop, descend from fundamentalist polygamy, even FLDS. So if you're not there now, your people apostatized from it, right? I suspect that you AUB, see? And what did they do? Apostatized from the FLDS with Joseph Musser. Am I right? Huh, am I? Well! Speak up. I remember that, so yes it is the truth: I remember changing your diapers.And what is a people that is flushed from the Tree of Life? Poop is what gets flushed, right? Well! Doesn't it.Well okay then. We agree. Now come to Jesus.

Just a follow up, my little man. You have now confessed to the cookoo song of the AUB ("The Allreds"). But what saith the Lord? 1And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest. (Rev.15:1-4)This is the song we sing, and it can only be sung within the Tree of Life, on seven planes and the minion circle of prayer, by those who know it and have receive it from the Lord.

Moroni: If you were even remotely civil and not so pompuous, I would treat your beliefs differently.But since you were plain in stating your opinion, I will be equally plain:1. Joseph Musser did not apostatize from the FLDS, the FLDS apostatized from Joseph Musser.2. The FLDS still does not understand fullness of priesthood, still does not even know what it is.3. The FLDS implimented such false doctrines as "placement" and "child marriages".4. They are still reaping the consequences of that.Keep your rhetoric and your "prophet" to yourself.

Just read the lingua franca. It is insane. It reminds me of Church Lady, or Marcia Gay Harden’s character on the movie “The Mist”. How can one person hold so much sway over people?

So this brought my thoughts on power and some of my observations and experiences surrounding it:

1. The LDS Church excommunicated my WHOLE family for belief in plural marriage – not the practice of it. None of us were living it at the time. What the LDS Church objected to was my father teaching about it to his children. They wanted to control what my father could or could not teach in his own home.

2. My family was also cut off from the Allred Group (AUB), because we openly criticized how a man we loved was handled unrighteously. Mormon doctrine clearly states that a man must be tried by his peers, with a chance to defend himself. But certain men – because of their priesthood callings – felt that they could lord over the congregation and decide who could belong and who couldn’t.

3. When my father died, there were men who so thoughtlessly stood up and offered to take over my father’s affairs (his wife, his sons, his property) in his absence.

4. The recent division in my community occurred when I - and others - were not allowed access to the prayer room and stripped of our callings. Why? Simply because we disagreed with the opinion of the man who presided.


The scriptures say that the nations will go unto Zion “for her laws are just”. For a people who is supposedly meant to administer justice to the whole world, the Mormons – especially the fundamentalists – are not very just with each other. After going through all this, I vowed to myself that I would never lay down for any other man. I would never sacrifice my own sense of good judgment just because someone “told me to.”

I don’t mean to get preachy. I have always refrained from preaching on this blog. But I do believe in priesthood, and if men are to have positions of power, it is only to bring everyone else up to the same level. Most men with power abuse it, but I have known a few leaders who have exemplified humility and sacrifice – my father Ted Jessop was one of them, along with a few others. These men taught me that God did not intend to have Zion to be presided over by one man, one prophet – but a nation of prophets.

To me, arranging marriages, telling people who they can or can’t marry is the ultimate expression of exerting power over people, extracting obedience from them.

I think Joseph Smith expressed it best in some of his writings while he was in Liberty Jail:

36 That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.
37 That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.
38 Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God.
39 We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.
40 Hence many are called, but few are chosen.
41 No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuaion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;
42 By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile— D&C 121.