A chilling indictment of contemporary Mormon and Christian fundamentalist polygamy, God's Brothel reveals gruesome facts about Bible-based polygamy through the brave voices of 18 women who escaped from 10 of the 11 main religious groups as well as independent families. Their stories include rape, incest, orgies, and violence, making this form of polygamy more akin to sexual slavery than to any quaint religious or lifestyle choice.
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Editorial Reviews
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"'Not a single woman I've ever known is happy,' one polygamous wife says. Reading 'God's Brothel,' you'll understand why." -- Denver Post, August 15, 2004
"... a stinging indictment of the hidden practice of polygamy, in which patriarchy reaches an almost unfathomable extreme." -- Patricia Ireland, former president of the NOW
"As God's Brothel makes clear, fundamentalist Mormon polygamy can lead to pedophilia, rape, domestic violence... incest and welfare fraud." -- Editorial, Salt Lake Tribune, August 15, 2004
"Reading [these stories] I felt like a curious spectator to a gruesome accident." -- Fred Silverstein, former producer, CNN, CNBC
"[An] illuminating new book..." -- CNN.com, August 1, 2004
"... a stinging indictment of the hidden practice of polygamy, in which patriarchy reaches an almost unfathomable extreme." -- Patricia Ireland, former president of the NOW
"As God's Brothel makes clear, fundamentalist Mormon polygamy can lead to pedophilia, rape, domestic violence... incest and welfare fraud." -- Editorial, Salt Lake Tribune, August 15, 2004
"Reading [these stories] I felt like a curious spectator to a gruesome accident." -- Fred Silverstein, former producer, CNN, CNBC
"[An] illuminating new book..." -- CNN.com, August 1, 2004
From the Publisher
Until I received the manuscript for God’s Brothel, I had given little thought to polygamy, even though I had grown up in Utah and attended school with the children of polygamists. I thought, "Whatever. They don’t seem to be hurting anyone."
God’s Brothel changed my view entirely, with its reports of the women who escaped from polygamist groups and several independent families. The book describes a patriarchal world where girls from a very young age are treated as sexual objects and denied an education. Sexual abuse and coercion are at the core of these chilling accounts of Christian and Mormon fundamentalist polygamy.
The women’s stories told in God’s Brothel offer a rare insight into the complexities of polygamy in the United States. The book debunks any idea that polygamy as practiced in the U.S. is a "quaint lifestyle choice," or that the instances of abuse are rare.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
76 of 84 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This expose is badly needed.
I am not a Mormon, but I do know that the original believers advocated polygamy and later on the mainstream LDS church repudiated it. Since I don't have a thorough knowledge of Mormon doctrine so I'll not attempt to do a critique on it here.
But I do know that the kind of polygamy shown in this book is ghastly. That's the only way I can describe it.
1. First of all, the young age of these brides is unbelievable. Twelve, thirteen, fourteen years old. I believe that no matter what the culture, a person needs to mature emotionally and physically before marriage.
2. The refusal of many of these men to support their wives and children, making them dependent on the welfare system. This is just plain unbiblical. Even in the early cases of polygamous marriages in the Old Testament, the Patriarchs kept their wives and families fed and cared for.
3. The spousal beatings. If these people claim to believe the Bible along with their Mormon doctrines, they will have to realize that there is not one command given to men (in either the Old or New Testaments)that they can beat their wives. In one of the examples given in Moore-Emmet's book, a man hit his wife so hard that he broke her eardrum. Religion or no religion, there's one word for an act like that -- it's a CRIME! And it needs to be prosecuted as one. (By the way, the man I just mentioned was prosecuted later on.)
4. Although this book mostly concentrated on the plight of the girls, it also showed that young boys can be victimized, too -- that sometimes they are considered threats to the older men who want the young wives.
5. The slowness of the city and state governments to do anything about it. When the whole state is majority Mormon, I can understand the uneasiness about prosecuting polygamy in general, although I think it needs to be done. But how about outright abuse that is against the law? Or, for those who think they are above the law of the United States, how about against the Bible itself?
I think polygamy is set up for problems, and I'm not just saying this because I'm female. History is full of family squabbles over the children of one mother ganging up on their half-brothers and sisters who are descended from a different mother. It can breed a lot of jealousy and resentment because many men will have their favorite wives and neglect the others.
It's a thorny problem that won't go away soon. But thanks to this and other books like it, our attention can be guided to the problem and some time in the future we can find a solution. We must never forget about it.
I am not a Mormon, but I do know that the original believers advocated polygamy and later on the mainstream LDS church repudiated it. Since I don't have a thorough knowledge of Mormon doctrine so I'll not attempt to do a critique on it here.
But I do know that the kind of polygamy shown in this book is ghastly. That's the only way I can describe it.
1. First of all, the young age of these brides is unbelievable. Twelve, thirteen, fourteen years old. I believe that no matter what the culture, a person needs to mature emotionally and physically before marriage.
2. The refusal of many of these men to support their wives and children, making them dependent on the welfare system. This is just plain unbiblical. Even in the early cases of polygamous marriages in the Old Testament, the Patriarchs kept their wives and families fed and cared for.
3. The spousal beatings. If these people claim to believe the Bible along with their Mormon doctrines, they will have to realize that there is not one command given to men (in either the Old or New Testaments)that they can beat their wives. In one of the examples given in Moore-Emmet's book, a man hit his wife so hard that he broke her eardrum. Religion or no religion, there's one word for an act like that -- it's a CRIME! And it needs to be prosecuted as one. (By the way, the man I just mentioned was prosecuted later on.)
4. Although this book mostly concentrated on the plight of the girls, it also showed that young boys can be victimized, too -- that sometimes they are considered threats to the older men who want the young wives.
5. The slowness of the city and state governments to do anything about it. When the whole state is majority Mormon, I can understand the uneasiness about prosecuting polygamy in general, although I think it needs to be done. But how about outright abuse that is against the law? Or, for those who think they are above the law of the United States, how about against the Bible itself?
I think polygamy is set up for problems, and I'm not just saying this because I'm female. History is full of family squabbles over the children of one mother ganging up on their half-brothers and sisters who are descended from a different mother. It can breed a lot of jealousy and resentment because many men will have their favorite wives and neglect the others.
It's a thorny problem that won't go away soon. But thanks to this and other books like it, our attention can be guided to the problem and some time in the future we can find a solution. We must never forget about it.
59 of 65 people found the following review helpful
By K. A. Palmer
Format:Paperback
Anyone who believes polygamy and slavery are sins of other cultures or times, will find this disturbing collection of true stories about contemporary American women who have escaped from polygamous marriages both shocking and a call to action. Readers learn about girls who are "bred" to become young brides of their own male relatives or of their father's close friends, of women denied education, freedom, and even the use of money, and of local government officials complicit in keeping the women and girls enslaved, even physically beaten.
Most chilling to me is the patriarchy's justification for polygamy, rooted primarily in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' (Mormon) history and doctrine. Although polygamy was officially outlawed by the Church in the late 1800s via a revelation (that many fundamentalists believe was politically motivated so Utah would attain statehood), the practice flourishes in growing enclaves in Utah and surrounding areas.
This powerful expose shows how the huge families of sister-wives and children drain welfare funds in order to survive and typically live in poverty while the patriarch enjoys his sexual, monetary, and religious status. It also tells of a group called TAPESTRY that is dedicated to helping the women and children escape from the religious and sexual domination of these men.
My feelings while reading this book included anger and disbelief, shock and sorrow, a voyeuristic horror, and finally pride in the women brave enough to tell their stories to the author so that the sexual predators could be "outed" and their victims, especially the young girls, offered hope of escaping the horror of this slavery. Polygamy in God's name is certainly NOT "sex between consenting adults" when young girls are treated as wombs and chattel, and given no choice in who or when they wed.
By giving a voice to the brave sister-wives, and creating an underground railroad route for others to escape, "God's Brothel," the author and other members of TAPESTRY may be the Harriet Tubmans of our time.
Most chilling to me is the patriarchy's justification for polygamy, rooted primarily in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' (Mormon) history and doctrine. Although polygamy was officially outlawed by the Church in the late 1800s via a revelation (that many fundamentalists believe was politically motivated so Utah would attain statehood), the practice flourishes in growing enclaves in Utah and surrounding areas.
This powerful expose shows how the huge families of sister-wives and children drain welfare funds in order to survive and typically live in poverty while the patriarch enjoys his sexual, monetary, and religious status. It also tells of a group called TAPESTRY that is dedicated to helping the women and children escape from the religious and sexual domination of these men.
My feelings while reading this book included anger and disbelief, shock and sorrow, a voyeuristic horror, and finally pride in the women brave enough to tell their stories to the author so that the sexual predators could be "outed" and their victims, especially the young girls, offered hope of escaping the horror of this slavery. Polygamy in God's name is certainly NOT "sex between consenting adults" when young girls are treated as wombs and chattel, and given no choice in who or when they wed.
By giving a voice to the brave sister-wives, and creating an underground railroad route for others to escape, "God's Brothel," the author and other members of TAPESTRY may be the Harriet Tubmans of our time.
93 of 106 people found the following review helpful
By Susan K
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Andrea Moore Emmett opens our eyes to a horror that most of us assumed did not exist in modern-day America. How wrong we were. Through heart-wrenching tales told by the women who lived them we learn of a dark, dismal world in which girls are nothing more then human cattle. This is a must read for any one who doubts the existence of polygamy in the Land of the Free. This is an especially important read in light of the current threats to all women's rights.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
God's Law: God's Brothel
I was born and raised a Mormon. From age 12 I was taught that polygamy (polygyny) is the only type of marriage allowed in Mormon Heaven. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Michael Oborn
1.0 out of 5 stars
Poorly Written Book. Too Simplistic.
This book is poorly written and overly simplistic. I have read several other books about polygamy and the many problems it creates. Read more
Published 15 months ago by ourmissboo
3.0 out of 5 stars
Looking into a secret world
This book takes a look into the subject of women in polygamist relationships. While it's very important that these fundamentalist groups be seriously looked into, the writing... Read more
Published on April 11, 2011 by Evan the Dweezil
1.0 out of 5 stars
Tabloid
This book, even if partially true was clearly written with the intent to sensationalize and entertain. Most polygamists are simply consenting adults with a different lifestyle. Read more
Published on March 16, 2011 by Windy E. Shaffer
4.0 out of 5 stars
God's Brothel
Sometimes it is just amazing what humans can do to each other. Especially those atrocities done in the name of religion in this case. Moore-Emmett is not unfamiliar to polygamy. Read more
Published on July 13, 2010 by M. Reynard
5.0 out of 5 stars
Heartbreaking
God's Brothel / 978-1-930074-13-2
For anyone seeking a swift introduction into the heartbreaking world of polygamous cults, "God's Brothel" is the perfect choice. Read more
For anyone seeking a swift introduction into the heartbreaking world of polygamous cults, "God's Brothel" is the perfect choice. Read more
Published on July 3, 2010 by Ana Mardoll
2.0 out of 5 stars
Wrong comparison between Mormonism and Christianity
First of all, I consider the title of this book to be blasphemous, and its antichristian position wrong. Read more
Published on May 18, 2010 by a Christian family
4.0 out of 5 stars
Heartbreaking, But True
Moore-Emmett is a real journalist, five time recipient of Utah Excellence in Journalism award. She is also President of the Utah Chapter of NOW. Read more
Published on July 13, 2009 by Barbara Frederick
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting Subject Matter, Not So Greatly Written
God's Brothel is a fascinating look at polygamy in the United States within the fundamentalist Mormon religion. Read more
Published on October 24, 2008 by ChaCha
1.0 out of 5 stars
DON'T BOTHER - POORLY WRITTEN, WASTE OF TIME
While not many would argue that abuses happen in SOME polygamous families, most would also readily agree that the same alleged abuses occur in "normal" families (whether one parent... Read more
Published on September 6, 2008 by Angela C. Olson
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 16
books:
See all 16 books this book cites
- Book of Mormon by Joseph Smith on 4 pages
- Cults in Our Midst: The Continuing Fight Against Their Hidden Menace by Margaret Thaler Singer in Front Matter, and page 47
- on page 30, and Back Matter
- Lake City: Colorado's Silver Camp & Tourist Mecca on page 55
- Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer in Back Matter
See all 16 books this book cites
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