A businessman pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring with the leader of an offshoot polygamous sect near the Arizona-Utah border to transport underage girls across state lines, making him the first man to be convicted in what authorities say was a scheme to orchestrate sexual acts involving children.
Moroni Johnson, who faces 10 years to life in prison, acknowledged that he participated in a scheme to transport four girls under the age of 18 for sexual activity. Authorities say the conspiracy between the 53-year-old Johnson and the sect’s leader, self-proclaimed prophet Samuel Bateman, occurred over a three-year period ending in September 2022.
Authorities say Bateman had created a sprawling network spanning at least four states as he tried to start an offshoot of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which historically has been based in the neighboring communities of Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah. He and his followers practice polygamy, a legacy of the early teachings of the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which abandoned the practice in 1890 and now strictly prohibits it. Bateman and his followers believe polygamy brings exaltation in heaven.
Mormons. Jfc.
TBF these guys are to Mormonism what Mormons are to mainline Christianity
More or less the same? Got it.
not really. They’re ultra orthodox- like the polygamy is how mormons used to be be; they’ve gone away from that while this bunch stayed the same. Comparing them to main christianity, they’re more like old-school orthodox groups. the kind that still bitch about the Nicene Creed being “progressive”
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Yes. I guess my point was, that they’re not necessarily “newer” in their theology… they’re just more orthodox than mainline.
It really sucks when your leaders are “persecuted” for being rapey assholes. you’ve really got 2 choices… stop being rapey assholes or migrate. Puritans elected to migrate too…
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Less dangerous? Mainline Christianity has killed far more in my lifetime compared to the Mormons.
Mormonism is more dangerous to its own followers. The threat is turned inward.
You sound like the ex-jews at every atheist group I go to.
Call it what it is: rape. They planned to rape them.
I’m pretty sure this is the same group which was the subject of “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey”, a doco from the point of view of some women who escaped. It’s on Netflix. I recognize the mountains in the background.
It is the same group, Warren Jeffs is technically still that group’s leader from prison, but Samuel Bateman started telling followers that Jeffs died in prison to convince them he is their new prophet and they need to give up their minor daughters to him as wives.
https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2023/05/25/53-felonies-polygamist-leader/
Sick sex sects suck.
Damn that’s even trickier to say than Sally sold seashells by the seashore
Ah yes religion
If I ever make up a religion I’ll definitely have to have the lead mythical figure be named something revelatory of the personality type to adopt it.
Like “and then the genie Gulliblel appeared.”
So that then a bunch of my followers name themselves Gulliblel.
What does them being polygamous have to do with anything?
These polygamist Mormon cults have a long history of child abuse. It is relevant that they continue to arrange child marriages and facilitate child abuse even as their previous leader is spending the rest of his life in prison for the exact same thing.
But what does mentioning them being polygamst do other than try to associate the two together.
Like they don’t even say thr word Mormon in the tittle which is much more relevant.
It is inherently hierarchical to have a situation where men can have multiple wives but women cannot have multiple husbands. Can you see the increased potential for oppression and abuse there?
That isn’t true for all people who practice polygamy. It’s not an inherently bad practice.
This article is just trying to associate any deviation from normal values with these disgusting acts, just like when people do the same with trans people.
Because polygamy is generally associated with being different; and being different makes you weird and suspect according to the news now.
Edit: I’m not saying I agree with this line of logic. Simply stating an explanation.
Being different has ALWAYS made people weird and suspect.
Please refer to LGBTQI+ people, anyone with a physical deformity, non-white people walking down the street in a rich neighborhood, etc etc etc
Exactly. It makes them an ‘other,’ which the status quo wants you to mistrust and be weary of.
