Human nature is a universal phenomenon. The Bible calls it "the flesh" which many assume refers to anything to do with the physical body (a Catholic and Gnostic error) though the context is always an inner, spiritual phenomenon - a tendency, if you like, to draw the soul away from Christ and towards selfishness and carnal indulgence. Like the serpent in Eden who first bequeathed it to our first parents, Adam and Eve, this nature is subtle, deceptive, divisive, and entirely self-serving - in short, it is devilish. Every person is born into this world of every race, gender, IQ, and giftedness, with what the Gospel of John refers to as the Spirit of Christ. We have two natures from the moment we are conceived in our mothers' wombs.
In many ways, these two natures symbolise on a human level the cosmic war between Elohim (God) and Satan, good and evil, light and darkness, truth and error. As far as Yahweh is concerned the contest is entirely unequal, since Satan and his followers are under the delusion that they can triumph. But when we zoom in on the human soul we find the battle is unequal in the opposite direction - without additional support, the light side of us cannot ultimately triumph even though it posesses a conscience of sorts and has convinced itself that it can. The reason humans persist in their selfishness is because they have been deluded into believing by the fallen nature that it is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). Your average human being, more conscious of darkness than light, mistakes the darkness for light and pursues it with an enthusiasm that is proportionate to the 'kick' he gets out of the sensual pleasures he receives from it. Convinced that this is the only reality, he embraces and nurtures it and makes himself a miniature devil as a result.
The Light of Christ, given to guide us in truth, is a divine spark within man, endowed by Yahweh-Elohim to enable man to make right decisions as well as to ensure that darkness is not allowed to completely overwhelm him. It is present, not as a human right or as something meritoriously earned by man, but is a gift of Yahweh's grace. It is not, however, that which saves a soul - it is not exactly 'God within man' as the New Agers and Gnostics teach (pantheism), not even strictly speaking even a portion of Elohim (God). In fact, as the scriptures teach us, it is itself liable to corruption by the fallen human nature if not properly cultivated. The apostle Paul calls it the light of conscience, from which we derive feelings of both purity as well as guilt, but is not an absolute barometer of truth. It is a lens, not immortal, but corruptable - sin can stratch, chip, and crack it, and in so doing distort both thoughts and feelings, what Paul calls "defilement". Hence that condition of man called a "defiled conscience", a part of him which he believes is leading in truth, but because it is so damaged leads him in contrary directions - sometimes towards it, sometimes away from it, and always confusing the mind and heart.
Solomon warns us in the Book of Proverbs not to trust our hearts, and yet (especially in women) it is the first thing we do (men tend to be more thought-centred). 'My heart tells me this or that' is a common reply I get from people presented with the Truth of Elohim's (God's) Word as though human conscience was superior to Yahweh in some way. This, indeed, is why we have been given the Bible, so that we can measure our consciences (thoughts, feelings) and actions against it and take prayerful steps to remedy the condition. You see, our consciences are ill - defiled - and not reliable guages of truth. And one thing they do not do is save a soul.
Salvation, as every Christian/Messianic knows (or ought to - most don't seem to), is through an external agency to ourselves, the Lord Yah'shua (Jesus). His sacrificial, atoning death and physical resurrection has provided a supernatural power that is divine for man to enable him not only to become jurisdictionally saved (put right with Elohim/God from a legalistic point-of-view) but to equip him to begin a process of inner cleansing which the Bible calls Sanctification (to make holy).
This sanctifying process causes several things to happen. Firstly, it renews (changes, transforms) the mind and heart so that they progressively think and feel more like Yahweh. It doesn't happen overnight but is a process which occurs at varying rates depending on other factors. As human thinking and feeling change, so step by step do our actions until they are acting more in harmony with Yahweh's will. But perhaps more importantly than that, the sanctification process results in a cleansing of the conscience so that it is able to discern the truth more clearly and not be deceived by contrary impulses. Scratches on the lens of conscience get smoothed over by the sandpaper of heaven, cracks are filled, breaks mended as the soul examines its actions, feelings and thoughts of the past, feels a godly sorrow for error (sin) and invokes the Name and Blood of Christ for healing, restoration and forgiveness. As the lens becomes smoother and more polished, so Elohim's (God's) will - initially accepted simply on trust - is better understood, and an inner rejoicing takes place. Instead of being initially conceived as a burden and restrictive, Yahweh's commandments are seen for what they are - liberating, restoring and healing.
But how is this restorative work accomplished in practice? Your average person is usually aware of no more than vague impulses from within. And because they are many and often contrary, they create confusion. These he often collectively or specifically identifies as 'the Spirit', a term so vague and meaningless that more often than not that soulish impulses are often mistaken for Yahweh's presence because they seem good. And that really is the crux of the problem of deception in general - what seems may not actually be.
Because we are not omniscient (all-knowing) we rarely have the full facts about any given situation of a person. Trained in the methodology of science, particularly since the 1800's, man has tended to rely more on logic and the Socratic method than upon divine guidance. Not that one should berate logic and clear thinking, for these obviously are an integral part of the armoury and weaponry of the conscience. Clear thinking is without a doubt expected of the son or daughter of Yahweh. Scripture admonishes us to reason with the Almighty (Isaiah 1:18) in a spirit of humility and contriteness and assures us that He is more than willing to teach us by mental processes. But equally He wishes to instruct the heart which, in the Hebrew mindframe, is indistinguishable from the head. Thus references in Hebrew to the "heart" always imply mental processes working in harmonmy with feelings - indeed, the whole soul. And this was always the divine intent. Science, on the other hand, has tended to divide the two so that in Western thinking the head and heart should be completely divided, much as in the American Constitution separation of Church and State is viewed as the best possible solution to the pursuit of liberty and freedom.
Many of the ways of being which characterise Western man have evolved in a wrong direction because of justifiable fears. To take the Church-State example, Protestantism arose as a reaction to is abuses in Catholicism, and has since stressed the rights of the individual over that of the collective good. Right though the Protestant reaction was at the time, it inevitably swung too much in the opposite direction and has, aided and abetted by humanism, resulted in the opposite of the desired purpose of the Reformation, namely a culture of selfishness and hyper-individualism. Today the highest ideal seems, for most people, to be independence, and this has resulted in the fissure of the nuclear family and eroded the cohesiveness and morality of the state. Theocratic oppression (too much control) has now resulted in liberal oppression (not enough of it) in those areas that matter the most - love and justice.
In view of the numerous failed attempts at building secular and religious utopias, all of which have led to oppression, it becomes immediately obvious that an ingredient is missing. The light of conscience, though plainly brighter at some times and in some people than at others, has never been enough to build stable individuals, families, and societies. Though the action of the Holy Spirit has been attributed to nearly every Christian movement in history (in order to legitimise that movement and especially the human powers lying behind them), it must be obvious even to the simplest simpleton that Yahweh is not the author of confusion. And when Christians/Messianics maintain in the face of such contradictions that it is the Holy Spirit and not them who are the moving powers behind such movements, they undermine the credibility of the Gospel in the minds of the more intelligent unbeliever.
They are right, though, in positing that the Holy Spirit is the 'missing ingredient' but are often deceived into thinking it is that same Spirit which is leading and directing when in reality is is their own CONSCIENCES - consciences, we will remember, which the apostle tells us are defiled. Tempting though it may to throw up our hands in the air and bewail, 'Then how can we ever tell the difference?', this we must not do. For in crying out in the hopelessness of our inner condition we must not thereafter make declarations of direct or implied atheism but rather seek the remedies Yahweh has all along provided for our perceived dilemma - remedies which the carnal nature is resolutely opposed to - actively, that is, and not passively. The war within is not something casual but a real battleground. But people do not like admitting they are in a spiritual civil war because it disturbs the image of harmony that they wish to present to the outside world (not to mention the fellowship itself, leading to airs of spirituality) in order to gain credance and acceptance (for acceptance is what everyone craves). There is a strong element of pride involved here, and this, actually, is the root problem of all our difficulties, for pride does not like to admit it is in error - confession of error, to the carnal nature, implies a loss of self-worth and dignity. And a loss of these creates insecurities and inner tensions.
And all of this is true. This is what happens when the hegemony of the carnal nature is challenged. So it revolts and declares: 'No, I will save myself from the indignity of this humiliation' and as a result the carnal nature embarks on a wicked and devilish course of action (often unconsciously) in order to preserve its 'reputation' and 'status' with others from whom it seeks affirmations of self-worth.
None of this is Christian. Not remotely. The whole Christian/Messianic paradigm is that this way of thinking, feeling and behaving has to DIE. Paul calls it "crucifixion". That's right, it has to be violently nailed to the gibbet, to the execution stake, to the cross. It is violent, it is painful, and it is the very last thing that anyone whose centre is that nature wants to do. The flesh absolutely rebells against it.
But the cardinal problem with the flesh is that it has no faith and cannot be safely listened to. Though often eloquent in speech and capable of conjuring up feelings that seem sweet and loving, it is a Jacob, a deceiver, a liar, a coward, a devil. And it is for this reason that Yahweh often counsels us to fast and pray so that we can silence it and allow purer voices to speak and be heard.
The only rememdy to the sin-nature is death, but you can't kill it unless you have something to replace it with. Transplant surgery involves not only the removal of the diseased organ but the grafting in of a healthy one. And then a time of recouperation is needed. When a Christian claims a life in Christ, he is applying for spiritual transplant surgery. He often assumes it can be accomplished by the mumblings of some words (a confession that 'Jesus is Lord') and sometimes deludes himself into thinking that he is instantly sanctified (made holy) upon doing do (confusing jurisdictional salvation with spiritual process-salvation or sanctification), and so begins to strut around believing himself to be a spiritually whole, completed person in Christ when he is still the same old carnal beast wearing a thin outer veneer of Christianity. Divesting ourselves of this illustion is an absolute must if this civil war is to be prosecuted successfull and the conscience given a chance to be purified.
The death of ego and self-will must preceed a life in Christ. That life in Christ is caused by a supernaturally-applied inner, spiritual, and invisible baptism called Immersion in the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit), also described as a "baptism of FIRE" (Matthew 3.11) to convey the sense of dramatic and burning change. Yet again this "baptism of fire" has been misunderstood, many of its side-effects (various physical miracles) being mistaken as its primary purpose. The baptism of fire when it is happening, or has happened (it is both an initiating event as well as a life-long process), has as its clear results a complete change in character and behaviour. There can be no doubt whatsoever that the one thus baptised literally has his or her world turned upside down. New vision, new thoughts, new feelings, new drives and motives begin to entirely replace the old carnal ones. Yes, the old carnal drives may still be present (and usually are to some degree or another) but now they have a rival - and a powerful rival at that.
New Christians/Messianics wrongly assume that once the baptism of the Spirit has come, life will be considerably easier. Wrong. After an initial and often brief honeymoon stage, the battle gets a hundred times worse, for there is now a real battle for hegemony or supremacy in the soul. Whereas the carnal nature has previously been unopposed and has almost always won, now it is meeting a power stronger than its own - the power of the resurrected Christ. The soul, however, is still a free agent, and can still choose, even after jurisdictional salvation, whether or not to submit to the carnal nature or the new spiritual one. For most the battle is intense and uneven - there are victories and ignominious defeats, but the important thing is not to give up. The temptation to return to old sinful habits and practices is great, often more accute than before, but it is vital at this stage that the soul does not yield. INTENSE immersion in the Word (the Bible), prayer, fellowship with maturer believers, praise, evangelism, a striving to be obedient to the commandments, and good deeds are an absolute must for the survival of this new birth experience.
One great danger is the many false spirits (false traditions, priestcraft, churchianity, legalism, etc.) that lurk within Christianity/Messianism which the believer never dreamed were there. And these may discourage him. No-one said the Christian/Messianic life would be easy, only worth it. Those lacking a soldierly spirit need not apply, because to win in Christ requires something of a militant spirit ... against untruth and unrighteousness.
No Christian is immune from temptation, and no Christian can ever declare that he has entirely stopped sinning. As he matures and grows stronger in Christ, temptations will lessen and the tendency to habitually sin will disappear. Mistakes will continue to be made. New and more subtle temptations will creep in under new guises - believers can get proud in their giftedness and their accomplishments in the field of righteousness, forgetting where the giftedness comes from and who is actually doing the accomplishing in the believer. We live a life in Christ, not a life in mere alliance with Him. Remember, self is supposed to be dead...out of the picture.
Remember also that the Holy Spirit can also be vexed (grieved) and can, and will, depart to varying degrees and for different lengths of time, depending on the sin committed and the length of time it takes for the soul to repent and forsake the sin. If a soul doesn't repent, it begins to adjust to its defiled conscience and to assume that it has the same light as it had before and the same powers of discernment. But this is a dangerous and spiritually life-threatening delusion. It's how the Pastor Huds and Dr. Fundamentalists, and those of like ilk, convince themselves of their superior righteousness when they are living in the deepest darkness. The problem with them is that the genuine Ruach (Spirit) has departed and never returned. And since nature abhors a vacuum, guess what fills the gap left by the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit)? Yes, demons.
That is why repentance from dead works for an unbeliever as much as for a believer is a matter of life and death. There are many Christians/Messianics out there with impeccable (or near impeccable) theologies but who are being steered by another spirit which they think is the Holy Spirit. And so it is that you can have two Christians/Messianics believing in practically the same thing and preaching almost the same Gospel and yet are steered by two entirely different spirits. Do not be fooled into believing that just because someone shares almost identical ideas with you that they necessarily belong to the same Elohim (God)! It just is not necessarily so! And whilst, I know for sure, the antipolygamy camp will try to gleefully level this charge at us because of our acceptance of polygamy, they will likely never consider the possibility that the spiritual rôles are in fact reversed and that they are the ones being steered by a false spirit. If one is in any doubt, where does one go? To the fruits of their behaviour, of course.
But it isn't as simple at that, sadly, for I know many polygamist patriarchs who, for all their correct doctrine on polygamy are nevertheless walking in darkness because of their lack of repentance in other areas of their spiritual life. The issues are not, therefore, primarily theological but spiritual. And often those in the monogamy-only camp have more of the Holy Spirit than Christian/Messianic polygamists, not because of their theology, but because of their life in Christ. (I make a distinction here between monogamaniacs, who are without exception, filled with the spirit of the devil, and those of the monogamy-only persusasion who are not unduly dogmatic but teachable).
Polygamy is not therefore to be seen as a partisan issue. It would be utterly wrong to say that polygamy Christians/Messianics are 'right' and monogamy-only Christians/Messianics are 'wrong'. Once you start to think like that a spirit of CULTISM has raised its ugly head. This is not an issue of theological camps but of SPIRITUAL CAMPS, and whilst our theology may be superior to that of the monogamy-only people (in the area of marriage) it does not follow that we are necessarily right in all the others. And finally, let us not forget that because some of us have lucid minds and have the power of intense, concentrated logical thinking, that this necessarily equates with spirituality (though I have no doubt some would like to think so) - Satan has his geniuses too. I know some quite brilliant theologians whose spiritual lives were utterly bereft of Christ. Theology maketh not perfect. Christ does.
It is for this reason that I try to devote as much time on spiritual issues as I do on theological ones, recognising the importance of the latter at the same time as not exalting it beyond its assigned place. Without the life-changing Holy Spirit we are nothing, and our immaculate theology will in the end turn out to be useless. Those who rely too much on theology run the risk of becoming neo-Gnostics (who believed that salvation was through knowledge - they also believed the physical body was evil, incidentally).
There are definitely and inevitably divisions in the Christian/Messianic Polygamy Movement. To expect unity is absurd because the movement isn't a church (assembly) nor is it the Body of Christ (Messianic Community). The Polygamy Movement contains Christian/Messianic polygamists in Christ/Messiah just as it contains Christian/Messianic polygamists not in Christ/Messiah. To believe in polygamy and to have a right biblical doctrine of it does not necessarily imply salvation or an advanced degree of spiritual maturity. I have met many polygamy-professing people with a good grasp of the theologial issues who are spiritual dwarfs. Some are outright devils.
In a way this essay is serving notice to all who accept the principle of Christian/Messianic Polygamy that we who are leaders in the movement do not necessarily accept that they are all in Christ. Having polygamy-accepting credentials is not enough. Neither is it enough to claim Christ. To be embraced in the Christian/Messianic Polygamy movement demands adherence to, faith towards, and a life in Christ/Messiah with the fruits clearly manifest.
Inevitably, some of the craftiest deceivers slip through the net, especially in cyberworld where people can pretend to be whom they will. Time usually reveals them, however, in their conduct on-line, for it is hard work maintaining a deception, and slips inevitably occur. It is for this reason that we do not rush to embrace all and sundry who present themselves viâ the Internet. If we seem at first stand-offish it is only for this reason.
The enemy is constantly on the lookout to exploit weaknesses and to press his advantage when even seasoned ministers fail to repent. The failure to repent of a minor sin on the part of one who has an important and influential leadership calling can provoke a punishment from Yahweh as severe as that of a novice committing a comparitively serious sin.
In recent months (2001) there can be no doubt that the enemy is targeting leaders of ministries. There have been one or two quite dramatic falls. And now the targets seem to be aspirants to leadership positions contemplating starting their own ministries or churches (assemblies). One danger is that we can walk ahead of our calling and overestimate our abilities. Some who fancy themselves as great teachers have been tripping over their own tongues, others as potential polygamous husbands who understand almost nothing of women, women who fancy themselves as mature polygamist wives who gossip and meddle, men who think of themselves as spiritual counsellors who, both advertantly and inadvertanly, have become tools of division and destruction. Many are gathering personal disciples and making them worse prisoners than themselves. Praise Yahweh there are still many who are not bathing in the Slough of Despond!
In spite of the pain it causes, there are some self-professed polygamy ministers have taken it upon themselves to publically accuse me of being 'occultic', 'deceptive', and even (believe it or not) a 'white slave driver' in cahoots with the communist police and organised prostitution (many are unbelievably ignorant, not realising that communism was booted out of Europe a decade ago). That such godless slanderers are to be found in the movement as a whole, professing to be in Christ, ought not to surprise us. But as the evil genius Hitler correctly noted, tell a lie often enough and the people will start to believe you, no matter how outrageous the lies are. In the last month several of these men deliberately tried to break up an engagement. Perhaps some of these men are just blind nationalists or racists (I have met one or two) who think of Europeans as 'the communist enemy' and Americans as 'the capitalist heroes' (since my fiancée was American and all these opponents were Americans) - I am sure there's a Klu-Klux-Klan mentality amongst some of them which easily transfers its prejudices to matters of nationality. These prejudices are rather easy to spot. Of greater concern in many ways are those who hint and insinuate whilst flattering (the snake oil merchants as some call them) that maybe things aren't quite right with me, that maybe he shouldn't be trusted, that maybe she should watch out. In many ways this is more insiduous because it is hyper-subtle - it sows doubt in such a way as to make the tale-bearer look like a paragon of virtue with 'genuine concern' for others.
The other day one such patriarch took my fiancée aside and, though claiming to be a concerned friend, subtly tried to alert her to the fact that I might be a communist maffia white-slave driver, but put in such a way as not to make himself appear too ridiculous. His attempt completely destroyed her trust in him as a man of Elohim (God) and in his family.
"A question for you," he said to her, "between you and me...". Don't tell Yahweh, don't tell Adam, said the serpent to Eve. And then this patriarch began to sow little seeds of doubt here and there about my integrity. He never bothered to confront me over any fears he may have had, which he ought to have done, and if he felt I had been in transgression over some matter, should have called one or more witnesses to hold me to accountability. But like the serpent, he took the more vulnerable woman aside (my fiancée) and attempted to drive a wedge between us.
"I am beginning to get uneasy feelings about this thing with you and Stan. I am not trying to thwart your plans, am honestly worried." And then he proceeded to accuse me of being deceptive because I will not tell the world my real name or where I am located.
As a matter of fact, he thinks polygamists should be completely open about their identity and location, which is fine if they want to believe that. And we had amicably (or so I had supposed) agreed to disagree. In fact I think some patriarchs are fools for endangering their wives and children, but that is my opinion. We must live with our differences of opinion in a tolerant and charitable spirit. As a matter of fact, because I considered this man a good friend, I told him both my real name and where I live, as I do with all those whom I get to know well and trust. So he was by no means ignorant. Furthermore, I asked him not to reveal these things to others as a precondition to telling him, which he agreed to to. It wasn't long afterwards that some of this information 'leaked out' and was being voiced in public chat rooms by at least one close friend of his, and it was then I realised that I was not dealing with an honourable man but one who engages in lashon hara.
Having voiced his "concern" about my "tendency" to deception (over the name and place issue), he went on to say: "It is like a red flag to me of greater concerns of which I have no idea what may be." My fiancée rebuked him and said that I had always been completely open with my friends, to which he replied: "Well, do I [really know who and where he is]?. How can I be sure? In my opinion, it is crucial that we be upright and forthcoming in all communication". Responding to his complete lack of trust, my fiancée reminded him that the reverse was also true, and that all friendship is based on trust.
"Don't get me wrong," he continued, "I love Stan, I know he is sincere, but he may be sidetracked in this unknowingly. If Satan cannot outright deceive us, (and he can't Stan), Satan will waste our time and undermine our message." My fiancée replied: "That is true - so what do I do? Step away from the man God has led me to spend my life with because he may be a little mistaken in some of his methodology?"
He continued: "No. Just be aware of the signs I feel are there. Not really even sure why I felt so compelled to tell you."
Anyone with any experience in the ministry and the operation of the Holy Spirit knows that Yahweh does not operate like this. This is the working of Satan, subtly trying to undermine. The patriatch's next statement is the "give-it-all-away" as far as the spiritual origin of his "concern": "In a way, your ministry is superior to Stan's in who and how you are reaching women currently."
This is pure evil. It is divisive. A blatant wedge. It appeals to pride: "Your ministry is superior to his" and coming from a man who knows not the tiniest fraction of a percent of the ministry I do, but who announces with a trumpet to all and sundry every little work of 'righteousness' that he and his family is doing.
This same man went on to warn her (as if she didn't know) that Satan could appear as an angel of light and that she might be deceived as to who I am and, covering himself, added: "Again, I am not saying Stan is deceived by Satan outright" (though, if you'd like to believe it, quite a lot) "or [is] one of his ministers" (but you never know), "it's just that whether or not the 'signs' we receive as our "clues" are from Satan or God?" (i.e. maybe you have been deceived in your belief that God wants you to marry him). What follows is much praise for my fiancée (the sweetener in the broth of acid), and then added: "We are a natural pair lol".
These things, coupled with the fact that he and his wives have been more-or-less continually pressuring her to visit them since they met, even though she has a full-time job, was taking care of grandchildren, was not well, and was busy making arrangements for her relocation to Europe, finally convinced us that this was, and is, not a man of Christian honour and trustworthiness, and whether deliberate or unconscious, revealed an open door to satannically tempt his brethren. And whilst I bear no malice towards this man, and will forgive him freely if he (or even if he doesn't) confesses his sin (which at the time of writing has not occurred), I do not feel disposed to trust him again in the near future after what happened.
In this example the classic signs of the flesh being confused with the Ruach (Spirit) are revealed openly for the drama was in almost all respects a classic repeat of the Garden of Eden temptation. This was a subtle attempt to blacken my name and to break up our relationship, denials to the contrary and attempts to whitewash his behaviour (which he attempted to do with an intermediary whom I requested) notwithstanding. It may even have been an attempt at 'wife-stealing'.
Though such happenings are painful and to be deeply regretted, they are not unexpected. This is the war against the flesh we are fighting. And once Satan has failed in the obvious he seeks to be more subtle - always, even appealing to goodness and righteousness as a smokescreen. This brother was deceived and in a major way and lacked the discernment to know what he was doing. He should in any case have come to me and not to my fiancée instead of going behind my back, for I had no idea that he ever entertained such thoughts against me. He did what Satan always does when he has the opportunity, to attack the weaker of the two sexes by appearing as a self-appointed father figure and by undermining the authority of, and her trust in, her true heads - the husband she has committed herself to, and Christ.
We have to be alert to all signs of division-sowing in the Body of Christ. It is one of Satan's favourite weapons: divide and conquer. The realisation of how Satan used this brother is going to be painful for him, which his carnal nature will want to minimise, and which will tempt him to seek allies if he is not very careful, thus sowing further division. Alliances of mistrust must be avoided at all costs, especially if they are conducted in secret.
I shall not be naming this brother as there is no need. I let the events that transpired speak for themselves and serve as an illustration of the wider problem we all face in continuing the war against the carnal nature's ceasless quest for dominance - a quest aided and fuelled by Satan in a bid to destroy Christian unity and faith.
I wish this brother Yahweh's richest blessings and will assist him in whatever way I can in furthering the work of the Kingdom but it may be a very long time before either I or my family will ever be able to trust him as a bosom friend again.
The tragedy of this man, whose final fate I do not know as I lost track of him long ago, is sad indeed, for he not only seduced and forced himself on a woman in the shower while she was visiting his family, letting his flesh get the better of him but, it turned out, after he had married her, the secret that she was a lesbian who was interested in his other wives and not him, finally came out...something he had utterly failed to discern by his 'spirit'! Such is an example of the many bizzare stories I could tell you about the wild and lawless beginnings of the 'Christian' polygamy movement in the USA. I am so glad I got completely out of it.
The Wild West of the early American 'Christian' polygamy movement
Author: SBSK
