The Secret Lives of Saints

A riveting, shocking account of the founding and flourishing of the polygamous, fundamentalist Mormon sect in Bountiful, B.C. Here, Daphne Bramham uncovers the surprising truths about Bountiful, the epicentre of fundamentalist Mormonism in Canada, and tells the story of its self-appointed prophet and bishop, Winston Blackmore, who has dozens of wives—several of whom he married when they were as young as fifteen. The Secret Lives of Saints is a story of sex and power, a story of violations of Canada's criminal code hidden behind the veil of the Charter of Rights. Running through the narrative are the most troubling questions of all: Why has nothing been done to stop the illegal practices of this sect? Why haven't the polygamists, pedophiles and abusers been charged and jailed? This book will leave you pondering the notion of tolerance—whether it is possible to have both religious freedom and individual rights and where the line needs to be drawn between them.