Nine FLDS followers testified in court this Wednesday in defense of Warren Jeffs the Prophet of a polygamist group known as the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints. Warren Steed Jeffs is being Charged with Two Counts of rape as an accomplice by the state of Utah. Two of the people who testified in Defense of Jeffs were Merrill Shapley and Christine Steed Shapley. Christine Steed Shapley was called to the stand to testify on Warren Steed Jeffs behalf
Christine said that when she was 17 she went to her parents and told them that she was ready to be married. After getting their approval, she wrote a letter to Warren Steed Jeffs and ‘turned herself in. This is a typical process for women in the FLDS church. A young womanl goes to her parents when she feels she is ready to be married and asks that her name be turned into the prophet.
In the FLDS church they believe that the prophet receives a divine revelation from God about who they are to place together as a couple.
Some of the women said their parents felt they were not ready and asked them to wait a while. One woman said that she was put off for about six months but eventually, the women said they and either both parents or their father would take her to meet the prophet.
Some of the women testified that Warren Steed Jeffs asked the young ladies if they had received their own impressions about who they thought they should marry. Although Warren does place a higher value a woman being willing to let the prophet make that decision for them.
When Christine went to talk to Warren Steed Jeffs she told him that she had no one in mind.
For a month or two She didn’t hear anything from Warren Jeffs but then the answer came. She was told that she would marry Merril Shapley,
Christine said she did not know Merril was concerned.
”I personally hadn’t heard a lot of good about the Shapleys,” she said.
Christine’s marriage took place about 10 minutes after she learned the identity of her soon-to-be husband.
Women are not always married that quickly other women who testified on behalf of Warren Jeffs said they were married anywhere from days to months later.
Christine said she was taught it was her decision when to being physical intimacy and that she was ‘’strongly taught there was no force.”
All of the people who testified said courting followed marriage and often times that is not a smooth process which is the same case for Christine.
”I didn’t really like him,” she said. ”I wasn’t real impressed. He wasn’t as cute as I thought he should have been.”
When Merrill asked Christine for the first time if she wanted to have a child, she gave a quick answer: ”No.”
Christine explained to the court that ”If you don’t want a child it’s not bad to say no.” There is no rule on how soon you should have children or on how many children you should have.
”I was taught you have as many as you wanted to take care,” Christine said.
For Merrill and Christine It took about four months for them to become comfortable with each other.
And Christine was the one who made the decision. ”I just said I wanted a baby. He said he wanted one, too,” said Christine.
The state then cross-examined Christine, it basically went like this:
”No one told you out of the blue one day you were going to get married, right?”
”No.”
”You turned yourself in, right?”
”Yes.”
And so on.
Merrill shapely then gave his testimony. Merrill grew up in the twin towns of Colorado City, Arizona and Hildale Utah and works in construction.
When he turned 20 he wrote a letter to Warren Steed Jeffs bringing up the issue of marriage
Soon he got a phone call in which he was told to meet with Warren Jeffs. A few minutes later he was married.
One of Jeffs’ attorneys asked Merrill ”Was that OK with you?”
”Yes,” Merril said.
For a while Merrill and Christine lived at Merrill’s father’s home buteventually received a home of their own from the bishop.
Merrill said that he courted her with letters. ”I told her how she was, I thought she was a neat person,” he said. He took his time, so ‘’she weren’t so scared” and tried to ”be nice to her, like you should. I was taught that my whole life.”
After four months, Christine eventually came around.
The state then asked Merrill a couple of questions.
”Did you like her?”
”Yes.”
”Did you think she was pretty?”
”Yes.”
And what did she think of you? The attorney wanted to know.
”She didn’t like me that well.”
”Did she tell you that?”
”No, but I could tell.” She was staying remote”
”You didn’t try to initiate or start any initimate advances with your wife?”
That was right, Merril said.
“What would have happened if you had forced her?” the prosecutor asked.
”I honestly don’t know,” he said, ”but possibly, I’m sure she would have went and lived with her mother.”
