The Maggie Jessop fan club
Those closest to me have known that my mind has been consumed to a great degree concerning ways of living, particularly the paradoxical requirements of living life as a saint in modern society. Much of my thinking has touched on or been inspired by the lifestyle lived by the members of the FLDS who reside at the YFZ ranch in Texas, brought to public view by their recent, heart-wrenching, constitution-crunching persecution and the veritable mass-kidnapping of their children. Since learning of their plight, I have followed the developments of their case closely. I have haunted their new church-sponsored websites, FLDS Truth: the truth about the FLDS faith, Captive FLDS Chilren, and the blog-like Truth Will Prevail waiting for the next development. Three times now, a name has caught my eye, “Maggie Jessop.”
Maggie is absolutely brilliant.
She first caught my eye when she blew the lid off of the grossly-incorrect stereotypes of FLDS women, with this biting essay, “Hello, America!” in which she not only tells, but unequivocally shows, that she’s got all the wit, spirit, talent and intellgence anyone could need or want. The second time I caught her name was in a video segment with Larry King in which Maggie actually frustrated the quintessential cool tv-man with her coy wit. When he mentioned her name, I immediately thought of the essay I had read. Well, she’s done it again. This time, though her language is just as moving, Maggie takes us all on a sentimental-yet-frustrated walk through her heart on the eve of what we all hope to be her reuinion with her children in “Tender Thoughts of a Lonely Mother.” The challenges Maggie mentions here, as well as her beutiful expressions of faith are moving to say the least.
I have learned so much from and taken so much inspiration from the FLDS sisters in their example, in their writings, interviews, and the like. I am so profoundly grateful that they have broken their silence to a degree, not to mention delighted that their reality is so vastly different from what their detractors would have everyone believe. I admire these women. I particularly admire Maggie Jessop.
In her latest essay she mentions donations. I’d like everyone to know that I donated. A few weeks ago, I sent in a hundred dollars. I plan to send more. I say that not out of self-congratulation, but as vadlidation for the feelings of wanting to help that anyone else may also be experiencing. Common Mormon roots aside, what has happened to these people is terribly wrong, and they are going to need a lot of help before it can be made right. If you have felt the call to offer something, well, then I want you to know that you’re not alone. Go ahead and do it. I didn’t sit down to write this post with the purpose of encouraging donations, but I feel very moved upon by the Spirit to do so. If you would like to, then you can do so on their donations page.
If the FLDS were not such a closed community, I would dearly love to go spend some time there and see what more I could learn from Maggie or some of the others, as mothers, as sisters, as daughters of God.
(Now, I would like to think that it goes without saying that I don’t want to hear boo about what anyone thinks is wrong with the FLDS religion or community, but alas this is the internet and there’s always someone with an axe to grind. Please know that comments on my blog are fully-moderated and that only I will see your reponse. If it is hateful, awful, or in any other way not in keeping with the spirit of what I have said, please know that it will not be made public here but will be deleted. I have no wish to contribute to the mythmongering that has plagued this community by giving voice to such things.)
12 Comments
Naiah, thank you for this post and for the links to the FLDS websites. I read Maggie Jessop’s two essays that you linked to. Obviously, she is a spirited, intelligent woman, and I admire her, too.
I have thought that what Texas has done to the FLDS people is an outrage and unconstitutional. And always there is the thought in the back of my mind that the LDS people, or any other group you can think of, could also be subjected to such an outrage. I think we would do well to pay attention to the situation and do what we can to help, whether it is speaking out against the wrongness of it all, or donating to help the FLDS, or whatever it might be.
Thanks for your insights.
I do not think I will donate anything, but I do find myself hoping that they file a lawsuit against the state of Texas. And win. I think about a billion ought to cover it.
Hi there Naiah,
I just read your post on this and thought it was great. I am grateful there are good and Reasonable people out there still! I am glad you have the nerve to say what you mean and Not try to be ‘right’ in the public eye. I don’t know Maggie very well but I do love her family, they are all great personalities and Very sweet and outgoing people. What Texas did/are doing is wrong and they know it. Any one with an ounce of decency would know it.
Hi Naiah,
I’ve really enjoyed reading your website.
I came across it because I look up Maggie Jessop every couple weeks in a vain hope that an email address for her will pop up somewhere. I notice you say you don’t hear anything back, but if you think they’re at least listening (and I would guess they are), the next time you send something their way could you please let them know that at least one more family’s thoughts and prayers are with them as they heal?
If she’s a fair example of the moms in their community they will heal, but they should know that many hearts are broken along with theirs as a result of this action. A hope is that reform will come about. A fear is that this case will be used to try to create more leniency for CPS. “After all,” the cry is going up, “there was abuse.” It’s glossed over that in fact there is little or no evidence that there was abuse, of any kind. (Ironically, the same is highly unlikely to be the case in many other communities of the same size that CPS would never dream of violating in this way.) It’s people like her who will help make a positive difference in how events continue to unfold.
Please, if you wouldn’t mind, let her know she’s being heard. Most can only dream of such grace under that kind of pressure.
Thank you,
Peace
I know some flds and i know they are a very kind and peaceful people. Maggie is a good example of how most of the women in colorado city and hildale live. I dont think there is any abuse in their way of living. Public opinion has defamed theses people and they dont even know them on a personal level.
Hello Naiah, my family and I have gone through these same experiences that our dear brothers and sisters are being subjected to in Texas, perpetrated by none other than Flora Jessop. we are very upset by the unholy actions of the state of Texas and the CPS. And yes, Maggie is a Mag-nificent lady. She’s my cousin!
Naiah,
I’ve been trying to contact someone from within the FLDS as well. I’ve spent the past decade studying the history of American Christianity, and have found the FLDS particularly fascinating, mostly because I can find so little information on them aside from negative coverage due to the raid, Warren Jeffs’ arrest, and the book by Carolyn Jessop. I’ve tried to remain neutral throughout the development of the case (I was trying to learn about the FLDS long before the raid…) but it’s difficult when the information put out by the FLDS is sparse and in stark contrast to accusations against them. I wish I could learn more, and if you’ve found an address or someone willing to correspond with you, please let me know. I tried to let them known in the email I sent that I just wanted to learn more about them– that I’m not a biased, hateful, outsider with ill intent! I, like you, however, got no response to my email…
Let me know if you can help,
Kimberly
Kimberly, feel free to write to me but read all the posts on my blog first. I will answer any questions you may have (that I would know).
Wonderful post! I absolutely adore Maggie Jessop and admire her in each and every way. What a wonderful lady and mother. She is absolutely hilarious on Larry King Live and her essays and blogs are both enlightening and heartfelt. She and the rest of the FLDS ladies are wonderful, godly women and I pray for their safety and for the best for them. They are in the prayers of many of us out here.
Wow.
Thank you for posting this! I have read Maggies essays as well as the one she wrote on getting her children back which I believe to be the best Essay of them all. She is in a horrible situation of not having a way to pick up her children after the State says she can have them back and she is franticly trying to get to her 8 year old Daughter who had unfortunately been taken why Maggie wasn’t on the ranch and had missed visits for cercomstances out of her control.
I was in tears by the time I reached the end of it with pictures of her and her little girls with messy hair all curled up together sleeping soundly.
What an amazing spirt and light! She has inspired me to do cartoons and artwork of her and her Children I plan to Donate to the FLDS to help out.
Thanks for posting again! I’m very much in the Maggie fan club!
-Marikay
Maggie is an amazing lady! You should hear her sing, she has a beautiful voice.