From Rebecca Musser:
I have been touched and blessed by literally hundreds who directly and indirectly supported us in the writing and creation of this book. What I wouldn’t give to mention you all! Please know that the spirit of your contribution resides within these pages.
For my new life outside the FLDS, I express my love and gratitude for so many people who have become family, believing in me when others believed I was evil incarnate. I will be forever grateful for those who helped me sort myself out in Coos Bay: Michelle Inskeep; Martha, Leah, and Mary Houghton; Dr. Bob and Kim Richards; Vinnie and Alison Cavarra; Martin and Sequoia Abts; Jona Artz, Carol Jackson, and my Opry family at the Little Theater on the Bay. In Idaho and Utah, my special love and thanks to my children’s adopted “grandparents” and very special friends, Wayne and Pat Stutzman. I am forever grateful for your example of charity and love for me and my extended family. I would like to acknowledge my brother Todd, and his daughter Lexi, who have come through insurmountable odds to create a new life, and whose acceptance and love have continued to inspire me; and to Megan Galligar, whose love has helped to deeply heal in unexplainable ways. I express appreciation and great love as well to Kara Currey, Kim Bruce, Robin Hollis, Craig and Kristin Van Engelen, Tiffany Mills, Zanny Young, Sarah Dutson, Dianne Hawkins, Leslie Ward, John and Jane Close, Ben Musser, Jill Reiher, Brian and Sandy Kendall, Jim and Tijon Moore, the Gardner family, the Dan Fischer family, and Bonnie Jackson. Special thanks to those who were so patient in the writing of this story and who came to be a part of it: BreeAnna, McKenzie, and Brent Cook; along with Doug Burch and his daughter Baily; and Eric and Val Gibbons.
It is impossible for me to name every Texan who deserves acknowledgment for his or her incredible service in the quest for truth and the protection of FLDS children. I especially wish to acknowledge the families of every person who put forth the grueling efforts behind the FLDS investigation. Your sacrifice has not gone unnoticed. With special thanks to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott; all attorney general officers and staff not limited to but including the incredible Angela Goodwin, Eric Nichols, and Wes Hensley; all legal assistants in and out of the courts; all investigators on behalf of the state of Texas; all attorneys and guardians ad litem who volunteered their time on behalf of the FLDS children; the Texas Fugitive Units, who provided security for every trial; the Texas Department of Public Safety’s officers and staff; every Texas Ranger, most particularly Brooks Long and Nick Hanna; and Fifty-First District Court judge Barbara Walther.
In addition, I must acknowledge all those in their untiring efforts to bring compassion and continued justice: the county clerks and office staff of Schleicher and Tom Green counties; court reporter Debbie Harris; the Schleicher County sheriff’s office and staff, with special thanks to David and Lenette Doran and George Arispe; the Christoval Carmelite Monastery; the presiding judges of Tom Green and surrounding counties; all the jury members for your untiring efforts to hand out fair and even justice; and finally, the Texas CPS investigators and the numerous staff who spent countless hours in their attempts to protect women and children. May you all be blessed a thousandfold for your momentous efforts in a case that was supposed to be minuscule and turned out to be larger than Enron in terms of manpower, dollars, and evidence. I also must thank the families of each of these people. I know firsthand the many sacrifices you made while your loved ones served on this enormous case. Special thanks to Bitsy Stone, Sam Brower, and Kathy and Randy Mankin as well as others who followed the story through the years, seeing beyond the propaganda to the human drama unfolding before their eyes—and helped wherever you could to bring truth and compassion.
I would not be the advocate I am today without the professional support and coaching of powerful, inspiring mentors who helped me to heal myself before reaching out to serve others: my special Idaho counselors—you know who you are; Dr. Larry Beall; Dave Blanchard, Og Mandino Group; Mike Johnstone; Michael Ken; Tiffany Berg; Carrie Purser; Kevin and Sherry Hall; Pat and Jack Lawson; Greg and Melodie Neel; Matt Spencer Photography and Sam Marvin Photography; and Sam Silverstein and Mike Domitz. Also, I would like to acknowledge several powerful organizations: SHEROESUnited.org; Positively Positive; Nuskin; my friends in both the Idaho real estate community and in the Genshai community.
Bridget and I are so honored to work with an amazing team in bringing this book together. First, special thanks to Margret McBride and Faye Atchison from the McBride Agency, for seeing the possibilities of this story and supporting us through the process of finding a fantastic publisher! And so to that wonderful publisher, beginning with the visionary mind of Jamie Raab, who saw that this was more than a story and could be an entire movement, and to the extraordinarily talented Emily Griffin from Hachette, who has patiently assisted us in whittling away at the voluminous manuscript to make it intrinsically valuable to the readers while preserving the essence of Rebecca flowing within its pages. Thanks also to Mark Steven Long for copyediting. And thanks to Eric Rayman for his advice and assistance. And to publicist Linda Duggins, working so graciously and effectively with media.
You wouldn’t be holding this particular book in your hands if it weren’t for my coauthor, Bridget Cook, who shared her gifts on this project. Testifying more than twenty times on meticulous details about my life, never had anyone asked me, “How did you feel when…?” I had no idea I had so much intense, unexpressed emotion inside. Bridget had the courage to walk beside me as I shared the darkest points of my life and even my unresolved pain. Yet she did it without planting seeds of hatred or vindication. Instead, she supported me in bringing light and healing to the most painful memories and joyously welcoming the future. She has cried with me, celebrated with me, laughed with me, and most of all, she has loved me and my children. In Natalia’s words, “My friend Bridget is one of my favorites!” I wholeheartedly agree, and I am forever grateful our paths have crossed. From the depth of my soul, I thank you, Bridget.
Last, but not least, I am honored to give special acknowledgment to a coach and mentor who made me seek bigger and fly higher than I ever thought possible: Kim Flynn at KimFlynn.com.
And finally, I joyfully honor all of the angels along the way who have been beacons of light, have touched our lives, and breathed hope into the writing of this book. You know who you are, and so do we. Namaste.
From Bridget Cook:
Before any other acknowledgments, I first salute the courage and strength it took for Rebecca Musser to share intricate and often painful memories in the desire to serve her people and others. With her nearly eidetic memory, it’s obvious why her ability has continually impressed members of law enforcement and baffled defense attorneys. From her interviews alone, I gathered enough material for well more than three volumes of her remarkable journey. She brought that willingness to be truthful and authentic in the courtroom directly into this book. Thank you, Rebecca, for your profound legacy.
I am exceptionally grateful for the literally hundreds of hours of interviews among those Rebecca listed in Utah, Idaho, and Oregon, and especially the men and women of Texas, who considerately took the time to make sure the events and facts of a very complex situation were accurate, namely, Eric Nichols, Brooks Long, Wes Hensley, Nick Hanna, and David Doran. Special thanks to Carmen Dusek, Randol Stout, and others who strove diligently to represent the children and bring fairness and compassion. And to Bitsy and Sara, for your gracious hospitality.
I would like to thank Ezra Draper, Zanny Young, Brent Jeffs, and many others for providing additional insight into having been raised within the FLDS. May you continue to discover your rich, innate value as you discover a new world. To those still in polygamy because they believe in it, thank you for honestly sharing your views.
Rebecca and I both express deep gratitude to the following: Holly Hansen, Cindy Iman, Steve and Maureen Burch, Emily Cox, Jessica Parry, Emily Christopolus, Pat Werling, and Jeanne Doyle. Your multiple perspectives from within the mainstream LDS culture and from outside of it, your honesty in editing and your willingness to assist helped to create a more balanced and informed view and, frankly, a much better book. History leaves tremendous clues in the study of a particular people. Special thanks to two of the foremost scholars on the subject of polygamy, Newell Bringhurst and Craig Foster, who have provided an overview of polygamy from the early beginnings with Joseph Smith down to the present day of the FLDS with refreshing objectivity. Their essay can be found on a website existing at the time of publication: www.TheWitnessWoreRed.com/appendix.
To my cohort, Eric Gibbons; his beautiful wife, Val; and to Leland Gibbons, who I trust will see their contribution to this project ripple out into the world, just as you do every day in business and in life. May God bless you a thousandfold for your graciousness. And to Tom O’Connor, for seeing that long-term vision and utilizing your vast skills to creating continuing miracles. Special thanks to Bianca Atilano, Darci Patterson, Cortney Lui, Wes Hainsworth, Josh Watterson, and the rest of our amazing team, who prove to the world that people can bring both ethics and joy to this world! Know that you are all a priceless treasure. To Dan Follett and Tom Christopolus, who believed in Rebecca and me enough to open beautiful new doors. To Stedman Graham, who assisted me in recognizing my value as a speaker and messenger. And to Faye Helm and Paula Fellingham, two shining examples as to the contribution entrepreneurial women can make in the world.
To all my SHEROESUnited sisters and adopted sisters: Celeste Gleave, Julie Harman, Micaela Choo, René Johnson, Sandra Hudson, Rebecca Musser, Pamela Okumura, Becky Swanson, Debi Aguirre, Jacqui Voland, Elise Peterson, Ale Cox, Mandy Aguirre, and Gina Monibi; and to Mary Ellen Shivers—who first taught me what a SHERO was. And to my WIN sisters for reminding me of the enlightenment women already are bringing to the world in the most profound ways! To Cindy Iman, my beautiful butterfly, who teaches me to spread my own wings while fanning them during my busiest and most essential times—always. To Bonnie Jackson, my sweet sister who worked tirelessly by my side for years as a loving support and without whom this book would have never happened. And to Sarah Gillen, who has been a sounding board, friend, mentor, my girl Friday, and the bringer of laughter, sanity, and stability. And finally to my family, who has never given up on me and who loves me in all of my humanness. That means more to me than you will ever know.