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FLDS to quit underage marriages

Summation: the state of Texas is going to quietly brush this under a rug.

Underage marriages will continue. Violation of laws against polygamy will continue. Abandonment of teenage boys will continue, to protect the sex ratios of the colony. Welfare fraud will continue.

The language of their statement is enough to fly an A380 through. Girls will continue to be raised as child brides. They will be taken out of school at a young age, to keep them as dependent on the FLDS cult and as fearful of society as possible. They will be raised far away from normal society. They will be married off at 16, the "legal" age of marriage in most states - except that it's not a legal marriage, since their grooms are already married.

I'm beginning to think the folks of Missouri had the right idea. Our laws are a joke - they are useless against threats to our civilization.

The only way to stop this plague is to make illegal all polygamous marriages. But at the same time make a 5 year transition to split up existing marriages. We have to stop this both from starting up and from perpetuating. It took a generation for the LDS polygamy to end (at least). Now we see why -- it is tricky to separate mothers, children and fathers and put a complete stop all at once.

Anyone else see the irony of the FLDS situation coming at the same time as gay marriage in CA? It's easier to say marriage is only between one man and one woman. Otherwise, you open up to all kinds of situations with someone at risk. In polygamy it is the women and children. For gay marriage, no one will say because it is not PC.

as a American such a requirement scares me greatly as I don't feel that the Civil Government has the right to tell any religion what they can or can not Believe in (regardless of what it is). one would think that simply making things that are wrong Illegal and punishing violates would work. as far as Polygamy goes, Polygamy is not wrong its just illegal. But just the same tell it is legal, lock violators up, how hard can it be to Follow the rules and Protect America?

Sorry, but a minor cannot legally consent to any form of marriage. Anything else is illegal.

Oh, and what do you mean by "think[ing] teh folks of Missouri had the right idea?" Do you mean they had the right idea in signing an order to forcibly remove or otherwise exterminate (also known as genocide in some circles) the Mormon people? What a crass and arrogant statement. Would you dare say something like that about Jews, Blacks, Women, or Democrats?

In response to Anonymous, While I respect your right to express your opinion I do not agree. It was the very law's in our constitution that protected these people. That is why this case has been devastated. A government cannot simply storm a compound and unlawfully detain children and their mothers and then swiftly disperse the children all over the state of texas without some proof of wrong doing.

I want some book publishers to contact the FLDS and help them write some book on their "adventures" in CPS-land and the Texas Courts. They can do it under a pseudouym to keep Texas from holding the book against them and taking their kids as punishment for it.

I am glad that FLDS will not conduct marriages for young ladies and gentlemen under 17/18. However that effect could have been achieved without traumatizing 450 children. A simple conversation with the FLDS leadership could have done it.

The authorities obviously wanted to hurt the church as much as they could, and that is religious persecution, and that is illegal here in the U.S.A.. For those that think the FLDS religion is terrible and should be persecuted. It could be you next. What if the state you reside in decides they don't like catholics, or evangelicals, or those that homeschool. When authority is allowed to run amok without reference to the supreme law of the land , everyone is threatened.

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You'll notice the article about Sarah says she's a registered nurse. How do you think she became a RN if she was taken out of school at a young age, to keep her as dependent on the FLDS cult and as fearful of society as possible? You are prejudice and so are ignorin the facts and the truth. Heavenly Father can bless you with an open mind and He can soften your heart. Do what is right and let the consequense follow.

Just learn from History, so we won't do thing's all over again, not dwell on it we all have speed-bumps in our trial here on Planet Earth, we should only spotlight the good experiences to other's. Not Pedo-garbage like this. The same day a judge signed an order returning hundreds of FLDS children taken in the raid to their anxious parents, the polygamous sect pledged to no longer perform underage marriages. "In the future, the church commits that it will not preside over the marriage of any woman under the age of legal consent in the jurisdiction in which the marriage takes place," this also took place in the 1800's in the LDS Church as well into the 1900's to.

The FLDS have decided to abandon Warren Jeffs' practice of abusing young underage girls!

I find the comments of Anonymous chilling. My husband drives a truck and he has actually been threatened while driving in the South for "being a Mormon". One person, when he learned my husband was LDS told him, "It wouldn't bother me to kill you!" Yes, intolerance and hatred is alive and well. Sad to say, if government agencies tolerate and/or encourage it, we could see a return of real persecution as the pioneers endured. I think the lesson in this for us is to make sure that we are tolerant with others' beliefs. We must stand up together to protect each other's freedoms and civil liberties. No, I don't agree with underage, arranged marriages. I'm glad the FLDS church has stated that they will no longer perform them. However, this situation could have been handled so much better than taking all the children away from their mothers. I am so happy for them now that the children are being returned. I have been heartsick over the whole situation. I have felt helpless wondering what I could do to make a difference. I am so glad that we can always pray!

How ironic. By giving up the child brides and sticking to their spiritual marriages, the FLDS is daring Texas to prosecute them under their polygamy laws. If that happens, it will be another Lawrence v. Texas for sure!! Lawrence v. Texas was the case that said that no state any more could prosecute homosexuality.

It's now legal nation-wide to be gay, thanks to Texas.

If Texas pushes their polygamy or bigamy statue on a spiritual marriage, as opposed to a state-licensed marriage, they are sure to loose in flames like they did yesterday!

I should imagine they will hit the road again, hide somewhere else. Another border town, perhaps, where any raid ends with escaape out the back door. Meanwhile, I'm planning all kinds of things for the religious compound I'm going to build here, with such staunch support as shown here for anything 'a little different' as long as you can call it religion, the face of Utah is going to change.

All plural marriages should be dissolved and this practice should bring those violating this law to justice. Who cares about underage marriage? Plural marriage is at the root of the problem. The authorities should bring them in, just like the illegal aliens not here illegally. Let's clean up America!

CPS FAILED THESE KIDS! As someone that knows these people very well I can say that these children will be brainwashed with Warren Jeffs rhetoric and the young girls will likely be "assigned" an old man for a husband and then RAPED (remember the picture of Warren the pervert and his 12 year old victim).

The young boys can look forward to a 4th grade education before being "called" to do slave labor construction jobs. The boys that put up any resistance will be left homeless on the streets of Southern Utah.

These are disgraceful people.

If the FLDS were smart, they'd dump Jeffs and find themselves a new prophet. Warren has been a disaster as a leader and most of the FLDS legal problems have been caused by his illegal practices.

Easier said than done, however, since Jeffs is married to dozens of women and has scores of children. Plus, most of the FLDS leadership is closely related to Uncle Warren.

Don't kid yourself! Willie Jessop's word are mere lipservice to appease the public.

Underage marriages will continue at YFZ, Colorado City, and Hildale. They will just be smarter by not taking any pictures or keep any records of the child brides.

If you think Texas is the only place the FLDS are being attacked, do a google and find out about a move today by the government of British Columbia, in Canada, to launch an investigation into polygamy in the town of Bountiful.
As I see all this, when it comes to the law it is illegal to be legally married to more than one spouse. If it is not a legal marriage, I doubt there is much the law can do about it.
People who choose to live together and not be legally married are not prosecuted. M&F or M&M or F&F. People who have affairs are not prosecuted. People who have a wife in one town and a mistress in another town are not prosecuted.
In the end it's a moral judgment not a legal judgment, unless there is something illegal going on such as abusing kids or beating your partner, etc.

It already is illegal. In fact, it's a felony in TX. The only way to stop it, as you refer to, is to actually go after the men in the situation and press charges. Instead, they went after the victims.

The last I knew, polygamist marriages were against the law in all 50 states. The fact that these people are "pledging" not to submit underage girls to arranged marriages is a farce; they are still breaking the law with polygamy. They have no inherent "right" to practice plural marriage, anymore than motorists have a "right" to break the speed limit. Enforce the law, and the entire issue of polygamy becomes moot.