Meet Lance Allred, Christine’s first cousin. Actually, as the title says, one of 400. Maybe she’s #362, who knows? Lance’s father and Christine’s father are brothers. Rulon Allred was their famous grandfather. Lance’s father did not become a polygamist. However, he grew up in Pinesdale, MT amongst his polygamist family. He also became a basketball player despite the fact he has O.C.D. and is deaf, overcoming some very strong odds. He is the first legally deaf player in NBA history. My interest is what he has to say about growing up around the Allred group. In the video, he paints a very honest view of what he observed.
Excerpt of an overview by John C.://Lance Allred has a gift for anecdotes and his stories of growing up polygamous are vivid. They range from stabbings and out-of-wedlock pregnancies to his favorite uncle’s pastime of randomly shooting the neighbor kids with BBs. Every story is steeped in rural poverty, scored by Garth Brooks and featuring large breakfasts and hosts of screaming kids. Allred also describes the isolation of living polygamous in the suburbs, where your friends are primarily your family and you all live too close together.
Owen Allred is prominent in polygamous circles for advocating against underage marriage and sexual abuse. However, Lance Allred repeats accusations in this memoir that sexual abuse occurred in the Pinesdale community. While Lance wasn’t a witness or victim, he implies that he knows those who were and that, one day, his father will write a summary of his experiences in the AUB. It was accusations of sexual abuse within the group’s leading Council that led the elder Allred to renounce them. He and his wife (they had never taken another spouse) left with their family in the aftermath of those accusations. I won’t spoil the events of their escape, but they do parallel classic Mormon tropes regarding the presence of evil and divine intervention.
Lance and his family eventually turn to the church, which is interesting because Lance greatly dislikes organized religion. He cites the LDS faith as giving his sister the motivation to become a doctor and he frequently records prayers and thoughts devoted to God. Lance Allred appears as a somewhat idiosyncratic Mormon, one prone to cussing and stories of his friends’ pranks involving gay pron, but also as a clearly devout, believing Mormon. His story, for those not inclined to read about the perils of playing under Rick Majerus or on shady Turkish professional teams, will appeal most to people who want some insight into life on a polygamous compound and in Utah suburbia, along with an interesting escape narrative. For those who really enjoy basketball, there is a lot of that, too.//
They’ve sparked my interest, have they yours? I want to hear about growing up, leaving then returning to all this. And, the remarkable young man’s ambition to play ball He’s played with many: USA Deaf Basketball team (2002), SPO Rouen Basket (2005), JL Bourg Basket (2005–2006), Sedesa Lliria (2006–2007), Idaho Stampede (2007–2009), Cleveland Cavaliers (2008), Scavolini Spar Pesaro (2009-2010), Maroussi B.C. (2010), Utah Flash (2010-11), Trotamundos de Carabobo (2011), Otago Nuggets (2011-present). In other videos, he also speaks of O.C.D. and how he deals with and speaks to children about. He’s overcome many obstacles and can be seen as a role model to children dealing with some of the same issues.
He’s also: Christine’s first cousin and first cousin 3 times removed; Meri’s third cousin once removed; David Preston Jessop’s first cousin, you get the drift…
Comments?
(Partial of the book review courtesy of http://bycommonconsent.com/2009/11/02/longshots-lance-allreds-polygamous-roots-and-my-familys-narratives/)
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Excerpt of an overview by John C.://Lance Allred has a gift for anecdotes and his stories of growing up polygamous are vivid. They range from stabbings and out-of-wedlock pregnancies to his favorite uncle’s pastime of randomly shooting the neighbor kids with BBs. Every story is steeped in rural poverty, scored by Garth Brooks and featuring large breakfasts and hosts of screaming kids. Allred also describes the isolation of living polygamous in the suburbs, where your friends are primarily your family and you all live too close together.
Owen Allred is prominent in polygamous circles for advocating against underage marriage and sexual abuse. However, Lance Allred repeats accusations in this memoir that sexual abuse occurred in the Pinesdale community. While Lance wasn’t a witness or victim, he implies that he knows those who were and that, one day, his father will write a summary of his experiences in the AUB. It was accusations of sexual abuse within the group’s leading Council that led the elder Allred to renounce them. He and his wife (they had never taken another spouse) left with their family in the aftermath of those accusations. I won’t spoil the events of their escape, but they do parallel classic Mormon tropes regarding the presence of evil and divine intervention.
Lance and his family eventually turn to the church, which is interesting because Lance greatly dislikes organized religion. He cites the LDS faith as giving his sister the motivation to become a doctor and he frequently records prayers and thoughts devoted to God. Lance Allred appears as a somewhat idiosyncratic Mormon, one prone to cussing and stories of his friends’ pranks involving gay pron, but also as a clearly devout, believing Mormon. His story, for those not inclined to read about the perils of playing under Rick Majerus or on shady Turkish professional teams, will appeal most to people who want some insight into life on a polygamous compound and in Utah suburbia, along with an interesting escape narrative. For those who really enjoy basketball, there is a lot of that, too.//
He’s also: Christine’s first cousin and first cousin 3 times removed; Meri’s third cousin once removed; David Preston Jessop’s first cousin, you get the drift…
Comments?
(Partial of the book review courtesy of http://bycommonconsent.com/2009/11/02/longshots-lance-allreds-polygamous-roots-and-my-familys-narratives/)
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