Warren Jeffs grew up knowing that he would be the prophet of the FLDS. His own father prepared him. Warren was "forced" to be prophet much like many LDS men are "forced" to serve a mission. It was expected of him.
He became a crazy tyrant because of the unlimited power he had. Other people in other situations have done similar things. Many of the Roman leaders were prepared for their positions from birth. Caligula, etc. found themselves with unlimited power. Freud taught that the id is selfish, and that the superego instills guilt and keeps the id in check. In the case of Jeffs and Caligula, there was not much of a superego to keep the id at bay. Consequently, the leaders obeyed the pleasure principle until they were checked, not by the superego, but by other men.
Contrast these leaders with other leaders. The U.S. President is not free of a superego. He is not prepared to be president from birth; he must deal with limitations all the way along.
Jeffs may have been doing the world a favor. By bringing the insanity of FLDS doctrine to national attention, he may have hastened the ultimate demise of the FLDS and all things Mormon.
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Being raised in a lawless manner does not excuse lawlessness once you are a legal adult. It doesn't even excuse it in juveniles, although they are given greater leniency by the courts. Warren Jeffs knew what he was doing was against the law. He likes the privileges and freedoms of living in the U.S. well enough. He just doesn't want the responsibilities.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/27/2012 02:57PM by summer.

Yes, but Warren Jeffs WAS the law. He was a lawmaker. He ruled over his own kingdom. His religious beliefs taught him that he shouldn't obey every U.S. law. So in his mind, he didn't have to obey U.S. law, because the law of God takes precedence over the law of the land.

Brigham Young and the early Mormons didn't feel they were breaking the law. They felt they were obeying a higher law that overruled the U.S. law.

That's not the same thing as not feeling like you're breaking the law. He knew he was breaking the law and that's why he shuffled everyone off to the back of beyond. And like Warren, BY actively arranged for his promotion to Prophet status.

You're half right. He was groomed for this. He acted out the part written for him.

However, I work with actual victims. Children who were abused by their parents or other close relatives. We know these kids may already have their futures written for them. But once a person makes the decision to act against another there's no other way to go. How things started is not his fault. How they progressed absolutely is his fault. He is in a position of power and has chosen to abuse the vulnerable.

Yeah, just like Joe Smith. He didn't want to have to pound out 14-year old girls or the wives of his associates. God sent an angelic assassin with a burning sword to force his --err -- hand. What choice did he have?

Victim my ass.

Warren Jeffs extended his evil doings far beyond anything his parents or even Joe Smith could have anticipated.

biological rather than induced. He'd have been mentally ill if he was raised well.

I do agree he has done a great job of damaging Mormonism. The cost is just way too high.

He was not a victim. He had choices.

I get SO angry when I hear about someone blaming their childhood for their evil doings in adulthood. That is $#!† pure and simple.

"Oh, wahh, not my fault, I was abused..." for example. That's a crock. If it were true how come EVERY survivor (I prefer that term for adults) isn't an abuser? How come so many are working tirelessly against abusers (like Jeffs)?

And Caligula was a piece of poo too.

Don't get me start--

:::::::::::::::The StalkerDog™ is dragging me away from the keyboard!:::::::::::::::::::::::::::



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/27/2012 04:00PM by Doxi.

+1

I agree. I was abused but I still know the difference between right and wrong and make my choices accordingly.

He probably has a genetic mental illness -- perhaps from inbreeding -- that is something of which he is probably a victim.

Then how do you explain his child molesting years before he became the profit?

Sorry, I'm not buying what you're selling.

His father said that someone else was prophet (I don't remember the name but he's building a following now that Warren has stupidly declared that there's no more sex until he get's out of jail.). Warren finagled to get that title. He wasn't raised into it at all. He was a power hungry man from the word go. And no, he wasn't a victim. Maybe as a child he was victimized but he made his choices as an adult.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/27/2012 07:35PM by behindcurtain.

Warren Jeffs ? I'm surprised that someone doesn't shank that dirty S.O.B.

Warren is NO victim! He isn't even the person who was designated to succeed his father. He manipulated the entire situation to benefit himself and put himself into power. He was not groomed to be the next "prophet."

Warren was a manipulative and conniving bastard early in his life. He is probably also mentally ill, as mental illness runs in his family, but most of all he is an abusive narcissist who cares nothing about anyone but himself. He is a truly evil man.

Behindcurtain, you really need to read Prophet's Prey by Sam Brower. Then you need to go online and see if you can find some of the recordings that were played at his trial of him grooming and instructing young girls in how to come to him in "quorums of wives", comfortable in their mutual nudity and "assisting" each other in achieving sexual excitement. Listen to the rape of the 12-year-old girl, as he gives her a priesthood blessing in the midst of his heavy breathing.

The FLDS are a sick, sick group. They always had problems, but under Warren they became deeply pathological.

Watch for more shocking news out of Hildale-Colorado City. It will surely come.

Ultimately, everybody has to choose whether they are going to follow the path they have been raised in, or choose another way.

I think he is far worse than his father EVER was.

I can't say if he is crazy or just evil, but he belongs where he is--far, far away from people, especially young girls.