Join RFM today as his good friend, Sue, tells about her escape from polygamy! Sue was a happily married TBM until her husband became converted to the fundamentalist practice of plural marriage, converted Sue after a year-long emotionally abusive indoctrination, and began taking new wives. The family moved down to Mexico to continue the practice where Sue lived with her husband and sister wives for two years before finally getting fed up with it and making her escape! This is one you won’t want to miss!
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What.A.Story.! Wow, Sue has sure gone through some things! I’m looking forward to more of her story. Thanks, RFM, for bringing this to us! Also, RFM, thanks so much for your sensitivity with Sue as you asked questions.
Me and Julio down by the school yard. Nice way to finish on my birthday with my song. I’m Julio.
Everything Sue described in Idaho is correct, because I lived some 10 miles from Clearwater at the time described. I knew three other women who went through similar experiences but not nearly as rough as they did not move to Mexico. They ended leaving their husbands for the same reason as Sue and all 3 ended up as roommates in Sugar City, Idaho.
I knew Sue and Joe when we lived on an island in Washington around 1973. My wife and I went camping with them and their family of 5, once at Baker Lake. I worked as a carpenter for Joe and called him to be my counselor in an Elder’s Quorum so I knew them both well.
After my wife and I had settled in Idaho in our 16-foot trailer with our daughter, I phoned Joe in Washington and told him that I found the place we were looking for. I was also very much a back-to-the-lander survivalist. One day he phoned and said he was coming to visit and not long after he arrived he purchased land. He attended the same ward as we did.
The Kooskia got to be a real hot spot for polygamy for a while. For people like me who were a bit on the edge in the Church, I was around people who were learning about polygamy. I am very proud of my good friend, Sue, for leaving polygamy.
Great interview! What an ordeal Sue endured!
Here was my favorite moment (approx. 51:10 minutes in):
Sue is describing Joe’s 17 year old second wife, who had been previously married to a 62 year old man who died.
RFM characterizes that relationship as RAPE, and Sue counters that she doubts there was intercourse, though she admits she is “not sure how the functioning works of every male at that age.”
And RFM jumps in, lightening fast, and exclaims: “No problems HERE, in case you’re wondering!”
And then the signature laugh: “HA HA HA HA Ha Ha.”
GTK, RFF, GTK. Priceless!
Suggestion for your next interview: your fiancé! For corroborating testimony, you know.
Best, Matt
Wow, such a sad story of what can happen when one person has a lot of control over the other. She would be “sent to her room” when she cried at dinner, just like a child. It’s hard to understand how this can happen, but she was able to escape and regain autonomy over her life – so a success story in the end.
Looking forward to hearing more about her life…