Jessop was born into a family that eventually had two wives but one that, compared to others in the community, seemed almost normal. There are around 10,000 adherents to this cult living in the United States today. Women are generally placed with husbands at the whim of the cult’s leader (who claims to receive divine guidance about which women belong with certain men). Some of the leaders are believed to have fifty, sixty, or even one hundred wives. Most men eventually have at least three wives, with more prominent members of the cult holding far more than that. The FLDS, which emerged in the 1930s as a fundamentalist offshoot of the Mormon church, holds that God has ordained polygamy and not only that, but that it is a requirement for anyone who wishes to attain the highest level of heaven. Written by Carolyn Jessop, a woman who was born into the Fundamentalist Lattery Day Saints (FLDS), the book describes what it is like to live as part of this cult which is distinctive primarily for its beliefs about polygamy. It is small wonder that it quickly made its mark on the New York Times list of bestsellers. Escape is undoubtedly one of the most bizarre memoirs you are ever likely to read.
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