Reader comments
FLDS leader arraigned in a rural Texas court

Anonymous | 4:38 p.m. Dec. 1, 2008

ALRIGHT! ALREADY! DON'T YOU PEOPLE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO TALK ABOUT. DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY.

i am not suprized | 4:41 p.m. Dec. 1, 2008

The FLDS are very misunderstood, right now all there rights are gone. I am no rocket teacher, but what do you think the FLDS will do when all this is over, maybe nothing to help USA or texas, ofter all the government just riped there families and crashed everything they worked for. there is no good ending in a story like this.

well | 4:46 p.m. Dec. 1, 2008

hurting a religion because they are different is stupid and wrong. I know the media can't do a better job on makeing the FLDS look crazly stupid. I hope one day America will Give rights even to the weakest people. think if the government can do this to them, what would stop a hitler doing this to you all you need is the media on your side then hitler is set and you can't do a thing.

Comments continue below

Rose | 4:51 p.m. Dec. 1, 2008

I hope FLDS will end all the bad practices from now on. They can still join LDS if they still believe in JOSEPH Smith,but hopefully LDS will be MORE CHRISTIAN too as they claim to be a christian denomination.Actually i love the way LDS teach and care for its member,like the way of life they practice too ,but in my opinion,Their tempels all over the world should be open to public as they claim them to be The Houses of Lord.GOD love HIS people.Who knows by going to temple the sinners will be transformed.Lastly the best way to end the suffering of women and children in FLDS is to ban this religion forever.

anom | 5:01 p.m. Dec. 1, 2008

The FLDS have all the rights that everyone else has. Those rights have not been taken. But one thing they have done, is allegdely breaking the law through Polygamy. Those who have been charged have all the normal rights....the right to be silent, the right to an attorney....yep they still have their rights.

OMG | 5:24 p.m. Dec. 1, 2008

No one is hurting any religion. If your religion says to practice things that are illegal in the country you live in, and you practice those things anyways, you are going to get into trouble. Move to a place where its not illegal if you *must* perform those acts. its pretty simple.

Joey | 5:27 p.m. Dec. 1, 2008

What's the difference between saying "I have two girlfriends," and saying "I have two wives?"

Third degree felony, in Texas and Utah. So much for freedom of speech.

Anonymous | 6:21 p.m. Dec. 1, 2008

Just do what you said you would do, and don't sanction any of these sealings to girls from 12 through 17. Wait until they are 18 and then let them have a choice. If these men were not nefarious, this would not have become such a problem. Shame on the women who encouraged and let this happen to young girls. Shame on the leaders for scaring the families and moving them around like chess pieces....taking away property rights...expelling young men. Something is really not right with this religion...probably because it was based on apostasy and is to this day having a problem respecting the laws of the country.

GiGi13 | 6:22 p.m. Dec. 1, 2008

A lot of people keep going on and on and on about the FLDSers' rights. The FLDSers do:

1) NOT have the right to marry 12-year-old girls (or girls who have started their periods, who may be younger)

2) NOT have the right to have sex with these little girls, even if it is part of a religion. Yes I call it SEX because there's no love in it! They have sex for one purpose only and that is to have babies.

3) NOT have the right to perform illegal marriages

4) NOT have the right marry more than one person

The above acts are all ILLEGAL. Even if a religion practices the above acts, the acts are still illegal.

The religion is NOT illegal, but the ACTS ARE ILLEGAL!

Ohioan | 6:30 p.m. Dec. 1, 2008

Joey, you're not 70 years old, and your girl friends aren't 15 years old. That's the difference!

Constitutiom | 6:54 p.m. Dec. 1, 2008

Congress shall pass no law prohibiting the establishment of religion or the FREE EXERCISE (not the belief only) thereof. Laws against religious sealings are unconstituional.

Joey | 7:34 p.m. Dec. 1, 2008

Nielson's girlfriends (ok "wives") aren't underage. Why's he charged with a felony for having a few girlfriends?
What's the substantive difference between a "wife" and "girlfriend"?

Rose | 7:53 p.m. Dec. 1, 2008

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I joined the LDS church many years ago at the age of 15. No, my parents did not push me. It was my decision. My parents simply felt that I was mature enough to choose which church I wanted to join.

In your note, you said you hoped the LDS Church would be more Christian. I thought your comment was offensive. First of all, the LDS church already is a Christian church. Do you think we are "less Christian" because we don't believe exactly as you believe?

Secondly, if I wanted to believe what Protestants and Catholics believe, don't you think I would have joined one of their churches?

It makes no sense for the LDS church to become "more Christian" already is a Christian church. Many of the LDS converts, including me, chose to the LDS church because it was different from the Protestant and Catholic churches.

zxcvbnm | 8:23 p.m. Dec. 1, 2008

A religious ceremony not licensed by the state is not a marraige.

Isn't it strange that Texas brings bigamy charges under the new law targeted to catch the FLDS, yet with charges of what Texas defines as multiple marraiges polygamy isn't mentioned.

Noone will touch the polygamy issue with a ten foot pole.
Looks like the bigamy statute will get to the Supreme Court in due time.

awsomeron | 8:31 p.m. Dec. 1, 2008

Good! Things are finally beginning to progress.

Re: zxcvbnm | 8:44 p.m. Dec. 1, 2008

"A religious ceremony not licensed by the state is not a marriage."

I just love this logic. . . NOT!

Licensing a religious ceremony is a HUGE infringement on religion. There is supposed to be separation of church and state, but when it comes to marriage, there is no separation. Most people think churches impose their will on government, but really, government is constantly imposing its will on churches, like in the marriage example.

WOODY | 10:31 p.m. Dec. 1, 2008

RE-JOEY. IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THOSE STUPID QUESTIONS, YOU MAY AS WELL LEARN SOMETHING GOOD, LIKE READING A COMIC BOOK!!!!!

fincenMIB | 11:34 p.m. Dec. 1, 2008

I find nothing strange! When I lived 24 miles from Hildale/Colorado City the authorities were well aware of the FLDS and documented abuses. We go over and over this but there are several dozen names of convicted or admitted sex abusers from both zip codes. I was on the Washington county task force, a member of UGIA and the Child Abuse Prevention rep. of both Arizona and Utah. You can belly ache this issue, but Warren in his audios admitted the illegal side of this, so he knew it violated the law! Had he stayed away from the female minors, none of this action would of occured.

If you don't like America and its desire to protect children, I 'll pass the hat and we can get you a one way ticket to Iraq or Iran. Rodney, Warren, Thomas, soon to be Merril, and all the rest went after minors, WHAT DON'T YOU GET? Comic Books are a great idea, if you can't read, you can just look at the pictures!

Dawson | 9:00 p.m. Dec. 2, 2008

Great, So Texas is doing their fine work delving into personnal lives of these people, and now it seems that they are trying to prosecute/imprison the men. What about the "Victims" who have been dragged all over Texas by CPS/Texas' hands, and finally from the only source of stability and strength, the Head of the Household as some call him, the Father. What about these "Victims" who are going to be left out in the cold, do they now have to go to the State of Texas to take care of them finacially? What about the nightmares that the kids are UNDOUBTEDLY having of the raid and being taken against their PLEAS and CRIES? How are the nightmares EVER going to stop and these "Victims" ever going to find peace in this world when the mental torture is forever kept fresh in their minds. I don't think that the kids and mothers want their Father torn from their lives if they had a choice, but they don't get a choice. Texas has made their choices for them, they are to suffer to no end, and for no apparent purpose. Is there no hope for happiness for these "Victims?"

Anonymous | 10:16 p.m. Dec. 2, 2008

Well, there are consequences to actions.

Gal50 | 2:41 p.m. Dec. 3, 2008

Responsible leaders examine issues before making decisions. Warren Jeffs obviously wanted to do sexual things to little girls. There are punishments for doing these things. It seems apparent through many of his actions that Jeffs thought he should evade the law rather than abide by the law. He built walls, placed guards in towers, built in secluded areas. A good leader would not commit these kinds of crimes nor would he expect to get away with criminal activity because sooner or later repeat criminals are caught. All he had to do was look at crime statistics. Instead, he made bad decisions. Bad decisions come from weak leaders, many who have mental health problems. Jeffs has exhibited some of these in jail. He feels superior to others even though there is no evidence showing that he is. He has an especially difficult time dealing with the fact that he is a criminal (barring a successful appeal and not guilty judgments). Reality is that he is quite low down in societal status. That is a hard pill for him and his followers to swallow.

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