Author to discuss polygamy book
 
For The Spectrum Daily News
The Spectrum
 
ST. GEORGE - Zoe Murdock always saw a deep sadness in her mother's eyes, but she wasn't sure what caused it. Then when her mother died, she read her journals and began to understand. Some of the things her mother wrote revealed just how terribly hurt she was during the period her husband was exploring polygamy.

Murdock will discuss her novel at The Book Cellar, 130 N. Main St., Suite C, St. George, on Thursday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Call 652-0227 or log onto www.sgbookcellar.com for more information.

Murdock knew about her father's interest in polygamy and she knew his best friend had become a polygamist, but she didn't know exactly what had happened between her parents. She was young at the time, and they never talked about polygamy around the children.

She did remember her mother saying, "If there's polygamy in heaven, I don't want to go there." She remembered finding her mother in the bathroom with a towel over her head, crying.

When Murdock's father died several years ago, she found a notebook in which he had written his thoughts about polygamy, about wanting to see God and wanting to become a god himself.

She was startled to see just how obsessed he was with it, and it made her remember more things: like how he always wanted to practice the Law of Consecration, and how he tried to move the family to Hurricane about that same time he was exploring polygamy, and how he left home for three months and she didn't know where he was or what he was doing.

Murdock novel, "Torn by God: A Family's Struggle with Polygamy" is the product of a journey back in time.

The novel delves into the confusion caused by Mormon Church's decision to rescind polygamy, and it explores the controversial association between mainstream Mormons and fundamentalist off-shoot groups such as the one led by Warren Jeffs.

At once chilling and informative, "Torn by God" exposes the destructive power of religious indoctrination and control.

The novel is sure to spark a lively discussion and perhaps more than a little controversy. Read what people are saying about the book at www.zoemurdock.com.
 
TheSpectrum.com
Originally published September 20, 2009
 
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