FLDS raid to 'alter their world forever'
"It will alter their world forever," said the director of the Diversity Foundation, which provides assistance for former members of polygamous lifestyles. "There are a lot of things that are going to change."
Since Thursday, police officers and social workers have taken all 416 children and 139 adult women from the secluded and sheltered ranch in Eldorado, Texas, where more and more members of the church have moved since 2004.
Price traveled from Utah to Texas over the weekend to be a consultant for the Department of Family and Protective Services to help them understand the unique beliefs and practices of the FLDS lifestyle. Price has family who are members of the church and has personally known some of its leaders.
"Hopefully, this action will open up the walls of this community," she said. "The children now have been outside that community and interacted with government workers and volunteers and learned they're kind people ... and they'll be dealt with and treated well."
Those who have left the FLDS community say its members are often taught that the outside world is evil and so are the people outside their community. They believe they are God's chosen people.
"Texas is great to respect the culture and not make it about plural relationships," she said.
After this experience, Price said she hopes that any child or woman who eventually returns to the ranch or the community will have fewer fears about the "outside world" and more contacts and knowledge about services that are available should they need them.
"It may get to a point that a woman will have more advantages outside the community than in," Price said. "And now she has someone to call that she knows will treat her well."
As a consultant, Price said she and others suggested bringing in midwives for exams, since the FLDS women are comfortable with them. She suggested providing sewing machines, Books of Mormon printed before 1977 and hymnals for the women at the temporary shelters.
"They are singing songs in the (shelters). They have beautiful voices. They're also praying a lot," Price said.
Socials workers were also "having a difficult time talking to the women and children. Verbiage was very important," she said.
For example, when interviewing children about possible sex abuse, social workers often read from forms that use blunt sexual language. "They (FLDS) use different words for (relationships) that are sacred-based."
Recent comments
I was driving past an inner city public high school and saw a couple...
BoB Saint Lous | April 25, 2008 at 8:58 a.m.
The children should be rescued, permanently!
Trish | April 21, 2008 at 12:11 a.m.
