Dr. Phil, Dr. Phil, Dr. Phil, I immediately knew what type of family you were dealing with yesterday. I moved from Texas to Colorado and then to Utah in 1984 and have been here since. I am still amazed that the rest of the US does not get the Mormon religion. This whole feud is about this girl leaving "The Church" and the tremendous amount of guilt she feels over this. Her family wants her back in the cult and they believe this is the way to get her back. Most Americans have no idea what this church does to people and the guilt and shame it inflicts on people who leave it. Family is everything to them and if you are not Mormon, you are not worthy of many things. I an not Mormon but have a really close Mormon friend. We traveled together in the winter, however, she would not tell her Ward members or Mormon friends that she went with a non-Mormon. I felt our friendship suffered because she could not tell them that she has friends outside the church.
This girl will never do anything right in the eyes of her family until she asks for forgiveness and gives her testimony in church and gets to go back. The Church will actually excommunicate people who do not live the life according to 'The Book of Mormon." You know they baptize the dead and got in lots of trouble over doing this to the Jewish Community a few years ago. I was told by a co-worker that I was actually "good enough" that I could be Mormon. Like I want to be Mormon. This family will seek guidance from their ward Bishop, who has no formal training in counseling. He is just a member in good standing with a Temple card. Many of the people that make confessions to Bishops do not get in trouble because they consider all information confidential, when a lot of the information is criminal activity. We have a high rate of child abuse, child sexual abuse, wife beaters, meth users, etc. But if you go to the Bishop, you will be counseled, and I use that term loosely. He will not tell the authorities of criminal activities. I could go on and on about this cult, but it would take a book to describe how they work within their own communities. Imagine someone like me and my family, liberals, 1 child, as a woman, I have a mind of my own, living around people who are told who to vote for, what to endorse and what not to endorse. You can't get a drink anywhere w/o the state govt. permission. Our town has 1 liquor store, owned by the state and they regulate the prices. Thank goodness I'm only 25 miles to the Colorado border. Good luck with helping these people, but remember, the Bishop will come first and you will come later, when it comes to taking advice.
I was shocked that they would even go on public TV with such a problem. I'm sure they were told not to do so, by the "Church." There is a big debate going on now about Dick Cheney doing the commencement address at BYU this year. In their eyes he is a heathen and not worthy enough to be on their campus. He is visiting the heads of the "Church" before he speaks. All political figures, as a sign of respect, visit these leaders when they come to Salt Lake City, as if they were Gods. They do believe they are Prophets. I have followed your son's efforts in Colorado City to help those misguided people. Jeff Warrens was arrested in Nevada but the state of Utah did not incarcerate his accomplices, that were driving him down the freeway. Isn't that aiding and abetting one of the top 10 people on the Most Wanted List from the FBI? I still have not heard why they did not arrest the 2 people that were moving him around and around. One was his brother the other was 1 of his wives.
Don't feel like a failure if all your efforts make no changes. This family's issues will resolve when she goes back to the "Church," or leaves the state and lets no one know she is a former Mormon.
(Original Air Date: 04/23/07) No matter how much we try to avoid it, conflict is a part of life. But what happens when an entire family points the finger at one person as the source of the chaos? Carrie’s family calls her a drama queen who tries to destroy their relationships. Her sister, Miranda, says Carrie called their mother trash and wants their father to divorce her. Her brother, Meikle, says Carrie is upset because she didn’t approve of his fiancée and now refuses to attend his wedding. Carrie admits that she can be attracted to conflict, but says she feels isolated by her family. Then, Carrie’s parents, LaRon and Susan, confront her about trying to break up their marriage. Carrie hasn’t spoken to her mom in over a month, and they face off onstage. Plus, Carrie reveals a shocking secret that she’s kept from her family for years. Share your thoughts, join the discussion.
