Samantha was married in the Jordan Temple into the mainstream Mormon Church. Fifteen years later, when she became pregnant with her seventh child, her husband started making jokes about polygamy. Soon after, the joking became serious discussions. While pregnant with her eighth child and an enormous amount of pressure to live plural marriage, she eventually went to the ordinance building of a local polygamist group. She was re-baptized into the Allred group also known as the Apostolic United Brethren (AUB). Four years later her husband took wife number two, and then eleven months after that came wife number three with his ultimate goal of having seven wives. One of the wives started to withhold food from her and her children while the husband’s behavior became more and more controlling.
Confused and struggling, Samantha began to pray for guidance. She felt she had a clear answer from God that it was time to leave. When her husband found out, he lined the children up and asked who they would pick – him or their mother – but told them if they picked their mother they would be choosing Satan’s path and blow the family to hell. The children chose her! She took her kids and ran. Samantha bounced around between friends before landing on the doorstep of Holding Out HELP. Today, she describes her life as freedom and receiving the love that she has always dreamed of. She also feels a new sense of identity and empowerment to be herself. She is strong, brave, a phenomenal mom & one of the most grateful clients we have had the privilege of serving.
