Living in polygamy: Local author looks back on growing up in … – Wyoming Tribune

ROCK SPRINGS Polygamy was renounced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in 1890. Since then, they excommunicate members if they supported the practice.

Rock Springs resident Clark Allred and local author was about 13 years old when his Uncle Rulon was murdered by a rival polygamist leader. His uncle was the leader of a Mormon fundamentalist polygamist group, the Apostolic United Brethren (AUB).

After the death of his uncle, Allreds father, Owen, became the leader in 1977.

Allred grew up in Bluffdale, a suburb of Salt Lake City, not far from Jordan River.

We were the only ones out there at the time, said Allred, mentioning the town had a one-lane road back then. It was just us.

Allred was aware that his father had many wives, even at a young age.

Dad was at our house once-a-week, so I grew up knowing about it, he said, noting that his father had eight wives and had even built the first duplex in town for his first four wives.

Allreds father had 23 children and over 200 grandchildren.

Allred began to get acquainted with his siblings by the time he was 7 or 8 years old. His brothers built their houses near Allred, making it easier to get to know them.

Outside of polygamy, we followed Mormonism to a T, he pointed out, saying that Owen was close friends with Spencer W. Kimball, who was the 12th president of the Mormon church.

Kimball and several other church officials were aware of AUB but overlooked it since the group adhered to local laws.

My dad was well-respected by law officials, Allred revealed. In fact, when other groups were giving law officials trouble, theyd ask my dad for help and advice.

He said that his father was best known for his outspoken criticism of child abuse and marriages of girls under the age of 18. He also opposed arranged marriages and marriages between relatives.

Allreds father was interviewed by The New York Times in 2002. During the interview, he said, People have the wrong idea that were old-time kooks who prey on young girls.

Allred said, Dad was the person couples had to get the blessing from. He wanted to stick with the laws of the land.

He mentioned that if a man married an underage girl, it was done without his fathers blessing.

His father hated the child abuse that occurred in many polygamist groups and encouraged members of the AUB to report abuse to law enforcement officials.

They didnt believe in receiving state assistance for financial or housing needs, as well.

Dad always believed that you need to work hard and take care of your family. He always frowned upon those living off the government.

Allreds education merely consisted of Book of Mormon lessons in private basements. He had to teach himself how to read and write.

I despised those teachings, he chuckled, explaining that eventually a curriculum was introduced. Now, theres three schools there.

One of his mothers, Ruth, pushed Allred to write stories.

I wouldnt have done it without her, he expressed, pointing to one of the latest sci-fi novels he wrote, Dracaeda.

Susan is Allreds first and only wife. The couple had courted a couple of others, but at the last minute, we decided against it, thankfully, he said.

He explained that part of their belief was If youre not part of the church during the Second Coming, you wont be risen off the Earth. Youll be killed along with everyone else.

He and Susan had spent time with a Mormon family. He recalls how good they were and thought it was unfair that they wouldnt be saved.

Right before her death, his mother, Anna, believed that if someone isnt part of the church, he or she will not be allowed into the Celestial Kingdom, which is the three degrees or kingdoms of glory in heaven.

Ultimately, he started questioning and realizing things werent adding up.

I told my dad I just didnt think it was right, referring to the fate of those who still do good deeds.

Allred said he and his father were sitting at the kitchen table, having lunch when he admitted that he couldnt live in polygamy. His father cried, thinking that he had lost his sons respect. Allred told him that the AUB lifestyle is just not for him.

I had once wanted to lead the church after he died, he admitted. I was his right-hand man. I wanted to take over. When I married Susan, I wanted to follow in his footsteps, but that changed.

He added, I was scared to death at first because I hadnt come to grips on whether there was a heaven and a hell. I was worried that the two, indeed, exist and I was worried that I was wrong.

It was a fear I carried for many years after we left the group. I kept thinking, If Im wrong, Im going to be in trouble.

After Allred broke away from the religion, he got a job at a bar.

The longer I worked at the bar, the further Susan and I got away from it.

Eventually, it was the excitement that fueled his days; it carried him through his new life more than anything else, he said.

He pointed out that when one is confined to a certain lifestyle and you have the world out here, suddenly, its opened to anything.

He said, Its like being a kid with candy for the first time. You just want to gobble it all up.

As he was growing up, members of AUB were taught to stay together.

You couldnt be too far away because you never knew when the end was coming, he said, revealing that their temples are also in other areas in the country.

He remembers the day he and Susan left their house in Bluffdale. By the time they were in Toole, he began to worry that the end was going to happen at that moment.

Will I be close enough to the temple and my family to survive?

Eventually, he learned that heaven and hell arent what his church said they were.

When I finally realized that, I was able to separate myself and be more comfortable, he said. The heartache of leaving my family is what took over next.

He expressed how much he misses his mothers and siblings.

My whole life was around my brothers and sisters. We did everything together. And my mothers. It didnt matter which house I went to; I would get a hug and a kiss. I had a huge family. All that is gone.

That was the hardest thing I had to work past.

He expressed that many family members did not accept their decision.

We were hated at first. Not only did I leave the group, but I was the prophets son so that made it worse.

Allreds father passed away in 2005 at the age of 91.

Regarding love, Allred said that he was taught that youre married for all time and eternity.

Polygamy was so hard on the wives but not on the husbands, he said. The husbands loved it. They had it easy. My mom even said once, I never want to live with dad in heaven.

Allred was confused because her statement went against everything he was taught.

It was a love-hate relationship, he pointed out. The wives were closer to each other than they were with dad. They loved dad and they respected each other.

When Allred wanted to live in polygamy, he had told Susan that its something youre going to have to deal with. She clearly told him that she wasnt comfortable with that at all.

I told her, If we want to get to heaven, this is what we need to do, he said. A lot of women hated it. To me, it wasnt love. They were living a religion. They had kids because they had to procreate. Love wasnt part of it. Romance wasnt part of it. How do you romance eight women?

He added, Theres so much under the skin hatred for the religion, but they do it because they believe thats how they enter heaven.

Allred expressed no regrets in leaving AUB, saying, I didnt love and understand my wife until we pulled ourselves away from the church.

Allred will be celebrating his 40th wedding anniversary in August.

Weve stuck it out through thick and thin. I cant imagine doing anything without her; our morning routines, our second job together. When Im in pain, shes the only one Id want to comfort me. Our relationship is better now than it was ten years ago. Were constantly making it better. It hasnt gone downhill and Im thankful for that.

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Living in polygamy: Local author looks back on growing up in ... - Wyoming Tribune