I just discovered a good FLDS blog that effectively represents their church's concerns. Link:

http://fldsview.blogspot.com

In the latest post, the editor rebuts the five biggest lies about the FLDS, and reveals that they are still race-conscious. Link:

http://fldsview.blogspot.com/2008/05/top-5-lies-about-flds.html

Lie #1 Girls are forced to marry:

No person was ever forced to get married. That is so ridiculously untrue it should not even need to be discussed, but it is so universally believed that it is used to justify the bigotry that exists and the genocide that is being attempted in Texas. No one is forced to do anything in the FLDS after they reach an age to be accountable for themselves, and that is long before marriage. Marriage is the greatest and most important step in life, and is revered more within the FLDS church than it is outside the church. The women who have left the church and say they were once forced to get married are only saying it to get attention and appease the preconceived perceptions of the general public. I feel sorry for those who declare this after they leave. The memories of their whole lives have change to having been forced, abused, and miserable. I do not doubt that they are miserable now, because you cannot lie as they do and be happy. To blame their misery on their former church is ridiculous. It brings me to pity them. There is as much freedom in the FLDS as anywhere else. You always have the freedom to leave if you want. To say they mourn the loss when one leaves is an understatement, but no one is forced to stay. If you do not want to obey the FLDS gospel, feel free to leave; just don’t try to force those who want to stay to leave too. OK? They can choose too can't they? Let them choose to believe what they want, and get on with your own life.

Lie #2 The FLDS exists by pillaging the government for welfare:

This is so absolutely untrue it is laughable. I first heard the term “bleeding the beast” by reading the newspaper, it did not come from the FLDS. The fact that some of the FLDS people have received Social Security, food stamps, and medical benefits from the government is true, but never did the leaders tell the people to do it. In fact the opposite is true. The leaders often recommended staying off government aid. In Texas there was no one on any assistance at all unless you count Social Security. Until now. To think that children were being born for the purpose of taking your tax money is ridiculously stupid. The State governments have been meticulous in investigating all assistance in Hildale and Colorado City, probably more than in any other community in the U.S. because of the continuous accusations, but despite the assumptions there has not even been one case of welfare fraud charged against an FLDS family.

Lie #3 The FLDS do not educate their children:

The FLDS believe, as all civil people do, that children should be educated, and that to, by their parents and whomever their parents want them to be educated by. Girls are given the same opportunity as boys, and I believe that there are no better teachers in the world than those in the FLDS church. More girls graduated from high school than boys. And never are the children pulled out of school because they don’t want them to be too smart. Education is the most important thing for everyone on earth, and you can be educated without going to liberal College. The most important education you can get is how to get back to heaven. We are taught that obedience creates happiness, but that does not mean the children are forced to believe as their parents do. They want them to believe as they do, they teach them to believe, but they do what they want with that education. Would you teach your children that what you believe in is wrong? Why would you want the FLDS to?

Lie #4 The FLDS hate black people:

We do not hate anyone. We believe that the Negro have just as much right to the salvation of heaven as we do, just not the rights to the priesthood. Joseph Smith said this: “Elder Hyde inquired the situation of the negro. I replied, they came into the world slaves, mentally and physically. Change their situation with the whites, and they would be like them. They have souls, and are subjects of salvation. Go into Cincinnati or any city, and find an educated Negro, who rides in his carriage, and you will see a man who has risen by the powers of his own mind to his exalted state of respectability. The slaves in Washington are more refined than many in high places, and the black boys will take the shine off many of those they brush and wait on” (History of the Church 5:217) (Read by Warren Jeffs in History Class)

We believe that the Negro people are our brothers and sisters, all descendants like we are, of Adam, and Noah. But everyone is given different obstacles to overcome. We believe that all people who are born into this world were put here for the same reason, to obey God. We all will be judged by what we do, what we say, and what we think, according to what we have been taught. We also will be judged by what we teach our children. This is the same no matter where you were born, or what color you are. We believe in freedom for all. We believe we lived before we came to earth, and it is there that we were given our calling. God chose our color, our nationality, and our family not by accident, nor against our will. For the black race, they must overcome the curse they were born with. For us, we must live up to, or overcome our heritage also. The black race cannot be a part of the Priesthood family in this life, but we hope to see as many as will pass their own trials and purify their own lives in the highest heaven too. I believe there will be many.

Lie #5 All people besides those in the FLDS will go to hell:

The Savior of the world died on the cross for all of Adams children, and that almost all will go to heaven; Sons of Perdition being the lone exception. All will have the happiness that they earn here, in the next life. They will be happier there then they are here. We believe that there are at least three heavens, or degrees of heaven, and that if you want to go to the highest, you must do what it takes to get there, you must sacrifice all earthly things. To us that is what obedience is. Jesus died so that all will be resurrected and have physical bodies again. And His sacrifice gives us the opportunity to save ourselves through righteousness. You will be just as good, or just as bad, after you die as you are here. You will dwell in heaven with those who you are the most like in character.