A Teenager's Tears: When Parents Convert to Polygamy [Paperback]

A growing number of people enter polygamy each year. Travel that world through a modern day family that leaves traditional Mormonism and enters polygamy, the father excited, the mother and teenagers deeply troubled. Meet the adult and teenage cliques of the governing "ellte" families, the "second-class" families, the "obedient" women who believe they must be subservient in every way, and finally the strong-willed women who use their intrinsic powers to develop a life of freedom and choice within the group. Meet the men and their different uses of religious power over the women whose lives they control -- and those they only think they control. In the end will these teenagers and their mother give up the "good life" they have created -- and their very freedom?

Laura Chapman, who grew up in the Colorado City Polygamist Group as the 25th child of 31 children, has been featured on CBS/48Hours, ABC 20/20, and In The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and in London newspapers. Believing education critical to understanding life and with double degrees in Sociology and Human Development, and a minor in Psychology, Mrs. Chapman is deeply concerned with the Colorado City group forcing all their children to withdraw from public schools.

"Llewellyn accomplishes the incredible task of exposing the many diverse dynamics of Utah polygamist groups and their members in A Teenagers Tears. The characters of the women, children, men and self-proclaimed apostles are both astounding and precise. The display of male privilege, abuse of power in leadership, and struggles within families, is triumphantly accurate. The "feminists" within the groups, however, are still captured in the basic belief thatwithout a man there is no heavenly glory in the hereafter".

Rena Mackert, formerly of the Colorado City Polygamist Group, appeared on A & E's "Inside Polygamy" documentary, "Mr. Llewellyn has effectively presented the fears of a young girl entering a lifestyle she does not understand. An e

John Llewellyn retired from the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office where he specialized in sex crimes and polygamy investigations. After retirement, he joined Apostolic United Brethren, Utah's second largest polygamist group and at one time had three wives. He disassociated himself from AUB in 1994 and became the lead investigator in a multimillion dollar law suit where 1.5 million in cash was stolen to purchase the Las Vegas mafia recreational ranch in Southern Utah. Tom Green was the paralegal.

BACK COVER: Laura Chapman, who grew up in the Colorado City Polygamist Group as the 25th child of 31 children, has been featured on CBS/48Hours, ABC 20/20, and in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and in London newspapers. Mrs. Chapman has double degrees in Sociology and Human Development, and a minor in Psychology, and she comments :

"Llewellyn accomplishes the incredible task of exposing the many diverse dynamics of Utah polygamist groups and their members in A Teenager's Tears. The characters of the women, children, men and self-proclaimed apostles are both astounding and precise. The display of male privilege, abuse of power in leadership, and struggles within families, is triumphantly accurate. The "feminists" within the groups, however, are still captured in the basic belief that without a man there is no heavenly glory in the hereafter."

Stunned, Emma stared at the mother she adored long auburn hear swept back, high cheek bones, flawless skin, a vivacious women in her early forties with the figure and mannerisms of a women in her twenties. She's fun, the prettiest mother in the whole neighborhood, she's faithful, an excellent housekeeper, the best cook; why, she's the most perfect mother in the whole world. And Dad is going to replace her?
She heard her father say, "We studied and prayed and this is what God wants us to do."
"Studied and prayed," Emma whispered under her breath. Fighting tears, she looked at her mother.
"Mom, is this what YOU want?"

Forcing a smile, Connie desperately wanted to reassure her children, to convey to them that it would be all right, that all would be well. "Yes yes, children," she said quietly.
But Emma knew. Her mother's beautiful and loving heart was shattered. She knew that her mother adored her husband, and that while her own opinions about life often differed from his, she had taken a temple covenant to be faithful to him and obedient to his final decisions as the priesthood holder in the family. That is what the Church taught and that is what her mother did.

And what will happen to me? Fighting nausea, her own life flashed before her eyes my friends, my plans for the future, my very life. A stark realization flooded her soul.