NOTE: I have spent years covering polygamy and events in the FLDS community, including the first trial of Warren Jeffs and the 2008 raid on the YFZ Ranch in Texas. You can find all of my posts on polygamy by clicking here: Category:Polygamy
There are two competing story lines to Betty Jessop, which I think are summed up in the two photos above.
1. The FLDS view (on the left) is a smiling and happy young FLDS woman who returned to her faith and family when she turned 18 and now lives a wonderful life surrounded by family and friends.
2. The worldly view (for lack of a better term) is a curiosity and sadness that this young girl had escaped a cult but chose to return to its secretive culture and give up her freedom.
Please use a permanent marker to circle your position on the computer screen. Especially if you are at work.
Hey, did I mention that I met Betty Jessop?
We were ushered into this dining room area in a home on the YFZ Ranch and met Betty. She was surrounded by (I’m guessing) her sisters and other family members. They were all a little nervous at all the attention, and there was much giggling. I don’t think too many strangers with cameras come around.
Betty laughed and was a little camera shy at first. It was the end of a long day and she hadn’t expected to have her photo taken tonight. She was hardly the first young woman to ask me to delete any “ugly” pictures. I thought she looked great. We sat down and she talked, and after thirty minutes or so it was over.
Last night I went to a local bookstore to hear Betty’s mother, Carolyn Jessop, talk about her bestselling book, Escape. As she read about Betty, Carolyn got emotional. At one point, reading about her leaving, she told of going back into the house to get her daughter and saying, “Betty, I will not leave you behind!”
During the Q&A Carolyn was asked how her kids are doing now. Speaking of Betty, she said that Betty had turned down a friend’s offer to pay for college. About Brooke’s article on the front page yesterday, FLDS Teen Disputes Mom’s Book, Carolyn said, “That’s been very painful.” Brooke’s story focused on a book that Betty has been writing about her experiences in and out of the FLDS community. Someone described it to me as “Escape From Escape.”
Carolyn said that Betty had lots of friends when she was attending public school after leaving the FLDS (in West Jordan, a suburb of Salt Lake City), and she worried that the book might destroy Betty’s relationships with those friends, further locking her into the FLDS society.
Someone asked if the FLDS members of Carolyn’s family had read the book. Carolyn said she didn’t know, that if any had they would never admit it as the book would be contraband. During our interview with Betty, she said she had read parts of her mother’s book, and expressed hurt by some of it.
Carolyn talked about how smart Betty was, and suggested that Betty would be saddened at the state of education among the FLDS. She said Betty had taken a child development class in high school, and would know sexual abuse when she saw it.
Someone said to Carolyn, “I have a hard time understanding what is pulling Betty back.” Carolyn said that Betty was a favorite of her father, that he named her his favorite name. She said Merril was very protective of Betty. If the girls got in trouble the punishment would be, “A slap to the sisters and a sucker for Betty.”
According to Carolyn, leaving the community was a big blow to Betty. In the FLDS community, she never got in trouble. She was the favored daughter of one of the most powerful men. Teachers bowed to Betty. She had the world by the tail. When she left and went to a public school, she felt alone. She missed her half brother. All the kids had a hard time without their siblings.
I think you are seeing some of the people that Betty felt alone without in these photos.
The mind control is really strong, Carolyn said. We sent her to twelve therapists; it was impossible to break through the mind control.
Carolyn said she calls and texts Betty all the time, though she wasn’t sure if it was really Betty’s number or if Betty even had access to a phone. “Once in a while I get a call,” Carolyn said.
I remembered that Betty had a phone and a camera, which you see in most of these photos.
Carolyn said that if Betty wanted to get out, she would. “I would make sure,” said Carolyn.
I have just finished reading Escape. My heart goes out to all the women in the FCLS. I can’t imagine going through all that abuse…..I hope Betty returns home to her Mother.
I think Betty went back to what she wanted. She must feel most secure within the FLDS framework. I’d like to hear the story from her perspective. I wish I had the opportunity to share the true, and only gospel of salvation with her: Through faith in Christ and his death on her behalf alone; not by works or religiosity. Betty, if you only knew how freeing the gospel is, that you can live in purity in a dark world, but be free to seek God’s will and calling on your life.
I just finished this book and I am totally alarmed by the whole cult. The things that get done in the name of God. Just crazy. I have 5 kids and can’t begin to imagine giving one of my 4 girls to a man 4 times their age. Did I hear right that jeffs was let out of jail….his sentence overturned???
Warren Jeffs is currently in a Texas jail awaiting trial there. His sentence in Utah was overturned.
I find the majority of the comments here pretty disturbing. I just finished reading Escape, and, like so many others, have been blown away by the horrible abuse described by Carolyn, and have tremendous admiration for her courage and sacrifice.
BUT… I think most people fail to see one thing: Carolyn’s experiences don’t necessarily reflect ALL experiences within FLDS. In fact, a careful reading of the book shows how different Merril Jessop was from many other FLDS men. Carolyn describes her own relationship to her father as healthy and fairly normal. And while she seems to have had a sheltered and somewhat difficult childhood, it can hardly be claimed that it was so much worse than your average American child or teen. Her severe disaffection with the lifestyle seems to have begun only after she married.
Of course, underage marriage and spousal abuse are horrible crimes. But I’m not sure it’s fair to characterize an entire community by the experiences of one (or even several) individuals.
As for Betty, I have no reason to doubt that she is genuinely happy. And for all we know, she might marry a good FLDS man, and remain hapy for the rest of her life. To doubt her sincerity is to arrogantly assume that our mainstream culture is necessarily the only kind leading to happiness. I also find it pretty ludicrous that people think nail-biting in the photos is an indication of unhappiness. If I had to guess, I would say that these girls were anxious in the presence of reporters and camera. These kids and sheltered and grow up with no movies and TV. For them NOT to be nervous would be worrisome.
buat carolyn,it is a very good job.saluuttttttt!!!
I have recently finished reading both Escape and Triumph. I believe that Carolyn Jessop truly is one of God’s angels. I just cannot understand why she has chosen to keep the surname of Jessop. ? has she not completely cut her ties with that evil ‘man’. As for her daughter Betty – I have much empathy for her.
I attended the same high school Ms. Jessop back in 2005 and was amazed by her mothers story. She was actually in one of my classes called Adult Roles and sat behind me, I also knew her older brother who sat next to me in a Science class. I needed electives and I guess at the the time this class sounded interesting. Betty was very shy and reserved as I remember, but seemed liked she agreed what was being taught and the teacher was really impressed by her. In this class we were taught about maturity as we transitioned from teenagers to adults. For the majority of the time we were taught about relationships when dating, marriage, child bearing and raising. We were also taught our responsibilities on how we treated our future spouse. We also talked how to build strong marriages through equal partnership. I wonder how often she is affected by this class now.
I know high school was rough for her but she did have some friends from what I saw. I regret one day for not standing up for her in the hall. Some dumb kid yelled pretty cruel things trying to be funny about her hair and clothes, right in front of me. She didnt deserve that, and if you ever read this Betty I am sorry for being the big dumb jock I was, and not stepping up to that punk telling him where he could go. You never deserved that, in fact I thought you were very brave for always standing up for your beliefs in a high school like ours. Her brother was cool , I got along with him in fact he graduated in my class I think. Anyways I hope she is happy, same with her bro.
just finished escape hope betty finds clarity and leads a normal lifestyle