SAN ANGELO, Texas — Authorities who took 220 women and children from a polygamist compound weren't sure whether the teen girl whose phone call prompted the raid was among them.
State troopers raided the 1,700-acre West Texas ranch on Friday to look for evidence that the teen, who called authorities a week ago, was married. They planned to continue interviews Monday with some of the women and children, who were transported to a historic San Angelo museum, said Child Protective Services spokeswoman Marleigh Meisner.
So far, 18 children have been taken legally in state custody, Meisner said, who explained Friday that the children had either been harmed or were in imminent danger at the compound. She would not give details. The children remain with relatives, and no arrests had been made as of Sunday.
18 CHILDREN!!!!!
Now, don't misunderstand. These folks were Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints, and were not affiliated with the LDS church headquartered in Salt Lake City. I am not making that leap, and neither should anyone else. But what bugs me to no end is how long it took the LDS church to finally fess up to the fact that, "Oh, yeah, I guess Joseph Smith did say, oh, I don't know, something or other about plural marriage."
But what should strike one is that these people were following the teachings of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and every Mormon president until Wilford Woodruff (And don't think he, or anybody else, was happy about having to sign the Manifesto). And I dare say there are some in the LDS church at Salt Lake City who would have this scene be repeated numerous times in many places all across the country, with young girls being forced to marry much older men. Don't think the day isn't coming when someone will try and legalize what happended on that Texas ranch.
Mormons like to challenge us that their faith is the true faith by saying, "A tree is judged by its fruits." This is their fruit.
