National Polygamy Rights Movement Opposes Warren Jeffs

On Sept. 8, Mark Henkel, a national polygamy advocate and the founder of the TruthBearer.org organization in Orchard Beach, Maine, issued a press release asking the media to "get their facts straight about polygamy and polygamy rights" in light of the media frenzy that is expected with the upcoming trial of Warren Jeffs.

TruthBearer identifies itself as a Christ-centered, Spirit-led, Scripture-believing organization for Christian Polygamy. The organization says it's not about any form of Mormonism and does not involve underage or arranged marriages, but is about Christian polygamy as found in the Bible.

Henkel says that Warren Jeffs and his upcoming trial has absolutely nothing to do with either Mormonism or polygamy. Yet, virtually every news report about Jeffs and his alleged illegal activities makes a point of referring to him first and foremost as a polygamist.

On June 9, 2005, Jeffs was indicted by a Mohave (Arizona) County Grand Jury on two counts of sexual conduct with a minor and one count of conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor. He remained one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted fugitives until his arrest on Aug. 28, 2006, in Las Vegas, Nev. According to the FBI, Jeffs was the leader and prophet of "a polygamous sect known as the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints (FLDS)."

In the press release, Henkel said: "Every time that any media reports about Jeffs as a 'polygamist' while not specifically clarifying the national polygamy rights movement's opposition to that Utah-local rogue Mormon polygamy sect leader, the facts about polygamy rights are not being accurately presented. In fact, without such clarity, it becomes a grossly biased distortion instead."