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Glossary
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321 Glossary Some entries adapted with permission from Utah Attorney General’s Office and Arizona Attorney General’s Office, The Primer: A Guidebook for Law Enforcement and Human Services Agencies Who Offer Assistance to Fundamentalist Mormon Families (Salt Lake City: Utah Attorney General’s Office, 2009), available at http://attorneygeneral.utah.gov/cmsdocuments/The_Primer.pdf. Adam/God doctrine: Some fundamentalists believe Adam is God the Father and came to the Garden of Eden with Eve, who was one of his many wives. There are disputes about this belief, but many practicing polygamists still adhere to this doctrine. aunt: A biological aunt, a “sister wife,” “another mother,” or a title of respect and endearment for an elderly woman in the family or community. bigamy: Bigamy is the practice of marrying or purporting to marry or cohabit with one person while being legally married to another. This includes those living in common- law marriages. bishop: The ecclesiastical authority over a group of members who represents the church president in his leadership position. Bishops are appointed by the church president or the council. bleeding the beast: An expression used by some fundamentalists as a rationale for accepting assistance (i.e., financial grants, WIC, TANF, food stamps, housing , medical assistance, etc.) from governmental agencies that they might not otherwise trust. Occasionally, the same term is used to justify the abuse or exploitation of such systems. Within certain groups it is taught that “bleeding the beast” will assist God in destroying the “evil” U.S. government and is considered a righteous endeavor. blood atonement: A doctrine some groups teach that requires a person to have his/her blood “spilt upon the ground” or be executed to make up for what are considered to be unforgivable sins. Some victims of domestic violence are told that breaking a sacred covenant or leaving a relationship or family are unforgivable sins. Some victims may choose to stay in the abusive relationship out of fear for their lives. 322 glossary Brethren: The vernacular name for the male priesthood leaders of either the LDS Church or any of the schismatic sects: FLDS, AUB, and so on. Celestial Kingdom: Another name for the highest of the three levels of heaven. The Celestial Kingdom is reserved for the most righteous, and some groups believe that polygamy is an essential practice to dwell in this kingdom. celestial marriage: The term adherents prefer for plural marriage, polygamy, or polygyny. Many polygamists consider celestial marriage to be a requirement for entering the highest level of the Celestial Kingdom. circumscription: A term coined by Robert Carneiro (1970) referring to environmental obstacles that inhibit emigration from a place of tyranny or control. It is used in this volume to refer to the blocks imposed by patriarchy as well as geographic structures that inhibit females from leaving the sect. constitutional law: Some fundamentalists believe that the Founding Fathers were divinely inspired when they wrote religious freedom into the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They also believe the United States will fall by the hand of God because of sin. Some believe that the current federal and state governments and many of their laws are corrupt and that every action that takes freedom away from the individual and adds power to the government is unconstitutional and must be weighed against the “original intent” of the Constitution. Even though the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that polygamy is not protected by the Constitution , they claim that plural marriage is protected under the freedom of religion clauses. corrected or handled: The disciplining of an FLDS member by kicking him out of his home or reassigning his wives and children to another man. covenant: A binding and solemn agreement made by two or more individuals with God. Creekers: Members of the FLDS who live in Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale , Utah, are often called “Creekers.” The nickname “Creekers” began when this area was called Short Creek. curse of Cain: Some fundamentalists believe that African Americans are an inferior race. They also believe that black people are descendants of Cain and have been cursed by God and are therefore ineligible to hold the priesthood. Doctrine and Covenants: The title of religious scripture used by both the LDS Church and fundamentalist groups. This book contains revelations concerning polygamy (Section 132) and the Word of Wisdom (Section 89). [18.209.209.28] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 09:30 GMT) 323 glossary Doctrine of Consecration: Some fundamentalist groups ask or require members to consecrate...