Back about the year 2000 Flora Jessop was just starting her career publically fighting the FLDS. Her 14 year old sister was about to leave Colorado City and Flora was trying to help her. But Ruby was lured back under false pretenses and she disappeared off our Radar screens. Flora came on this exmo BB and asked for help putting Ruby's picture on the internet. The result was the website www.helpthechildbrides.com I've neglected that site so it's outdated a few years. From that point on Flora was very actively involved in trying to bring enough attention to the FLDS problem to get government entities off the dime and get something done.

SO: Today I can report that Ruby has left Colorado City and the FLDS. She has 6 children now. She went to court in Kingman and got a court order to bring her children out. I talked to her for a bit his morning. The kids were huddled around a TV, which they have seldom if ever seen before. They will have a hell of a time adapting to the world of normal but at least they are free of Warren Jeffs hellish cult.

That's wonderful news, Cactus Jim. Flora must be so happy.

Miracles still do happen. Thank you Flora. BTW, Note to Flora...thank you for your wonderfull book and helping me to open my eyes to the evilness of the Mormon so called "religion".

Oh! I am so glad!
Flora is a hero of mine, I am so happy for them. I hope Ruby and the kids will get help adjusting to the real world. Great news, thanks.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/2013 01:57AM by ambivalent exmo.

That is great news!

I have not forgotten and actually have thought about Ruby often. I am so so so so very happy she is alive. I really had thought the worst and didn't think we would ever know what happened. I am sure she has had a very hard time but SHE IS ALIVE!!!!!!! Damn, I am so happy I could just cry and I might. Would you please tell her hello for me and that she was NOT FORGOTTEN. I wish her and the kids the very very best that this new life of freedom can bring them. I know it will not be easy but she is a SURVIVOR and she must never forget that or be proud of herself.

And do tell Flora she ROCKS and looks great in red. Every time she wears red it makes me smile :)

This is great news. I remember meeting FLora at the Exmormon Conference a few years ago and admired her so much for blazing a trail and never giving up.

Bravo and keep up the good work!

Anagrammy

I've said before that we walk with giants at RFM, and in my book that little 90 lb. wildcat Flora stands as tall as Dave Twede...

I'm happy for her and Ruby... Thanks for the update, Jim...

How sad they've had to live this way!

How fantastic. It's been so long - what a trip down the memory hole. I spent a lot of time on your site back then.

What ever happened with the two girls who ran away together and were returned by authorities to the cult? Fawn?

The Fawn that went back just missed her family too much. I hope she is doing well. The other from what I understand is doing well out. Maybe Jim will post some kind of an update.

I really haven't been following them. I know less than you do. I could ask Flora but she seemed to have her hands full today.

That's wonderful news! I'm so happy for them.

Thank goodness.

How come there are never "reality" TV shows dealing with these situations ?

Thank you for the update. Fantastic news!

OH! This makes me happy! :-)

Awesome! Makes my day to hear this!!!

Fabulous news. Glad to hear this. And the kids can now be free. YES!

I went over there today and met Ruby and her children. The oldest is a boy about 10. They are having a ball riding bikes, playing with toys, and watching TV. They haven't been allowed to do any of those things. The one girl about 4 years old or so was carrying 3 dolls around. She'd never had a doll before and she wanted them all. The prairie clothes are gone. Ruby didn't even want to keep one for a souvenir.

Apparently Warren has had some kind of a nightmare that they should only eat beans. Anyway, the kids have been living on them and they are a bit malnourished. Flora says they are dehydrated. They haven't been passing water or stool. Maybe that's partly because of the stress of such a drastic lifestyle change. Hopefully they won't have any problems on that line.

Other than that they are all healthy and normal looking kids. They are young enough that they should be able to catch up in school. Ruby seems quite solid in her decision to leave, unlike some others who've waffled and been wishy washy, so I don't think there's any going back, even if polyg husband tries to work on her.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/2013 10:50PM by Cactus Jim.

Kinda brings back memories of what the real world was like for me when I left the mainstream Mormons and got the hell outta Utah all together. I literally did not sleep for 3 days. I couldn't believe that I could do what I wanted, when I wanted...Everyone kept telling me "Welcome back to the real world." I even got to go to a REAL library where they had books and info on everything, even "evil" anti mormon books, (materials that were NOT censored by TSCC), DVDs, (yep, R rated no less), CD's, magazines, newspapers, liquor stores that were privately owned, a lottery, legalized gambling, off track betting, casinos, shopping available 24 hours, and even pools and businesses that were open on a SUNDAY...and the best yet, is that everything here is open on Sunday!!! On a more serious note though, at the library I sure "hoarded" books and anything I could get my hands on, cause I had gone "without" for sooo long.
Welcome home Ruby. Best wishes for you and the kids, and thank you Flora.

I hope that bit of information receives plenty of publicity so that child protective services will have to check things out for other children still trapped.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/22/2013 09:28PM by Susan I/S.

So happy for Flora to finally achieve her dream of getting Ruby out of the cult. The kids are a bonus. It is a miracle come true for her. I really hope that Haven leaves them alone and lets them be.

Someone asked about the Fawns and I can tell both are out of the FLDS.

Ruby looks and sounds a lot like Flora. She's quieter but I get the impression that she's got the same spine. If Haven tries to make trouble for them I suspect he'll find it wasn't a very good idea.

Kudos to you, Flora, for sticking to your guns and saving your sister. And kudos to you, Ruby, for surviving and saving your children.

This is great news!

Oh happy day!!! What amazing news this is! Flora is a hero indeed and her book and story are such an inspiration to many!

This is an incredibly wonderful story, Cactus Jim. Thank you for sharing it with us and congratulations to Flora and Ruby!

Great story. And uplifting too.

Don Bagley Wrote:
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> Great story. And uplifting too.

Truly great news! I wish I could thank Flora in person for the courage she displayed throughout her ordeal, and in sharing her story with the world.

I can literally point to her book as the one thing that finally cracked my belief system open such that I was able to see once and for all that the church is false.

Thanks Flora and good luck wherever you are!

I am glad that Rudy has finally got the courage to escape the life that she was living in but to also be able to get her precious children out as well. I know that there will be alot of things that this family will have to over come but I hope that she will see how much freedom she and her children have outside the walls of FLDS and be able to use her story to help others out of this horrible cult.

Saw her and Flora, with some of the kids, at a press conference tonight (on the news). They all look good and Flora was making some strong and necessary statements. Great to see!

To Cactus Jim: Do you maintain a certain blog spot? Just asking.

No. I'm not a blogger.

Topping because it's such good news!