Pamela Black

Pamela Black is a former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who was ordered to leave the compound on July 3, 1998 because she wouldn't allow the church to control her.

Her husband, Martin Black, left with her moving into a trailer on the outskirts of town on a piece of family-owned land that Black had refused to turn over to the church.

Pamela Black prayed for a "sister wife" because it takes three wives for a man to enter heaven but after 35 years of marriage, and 14 children she was still Martin Black's only wife.

Pamela Black moded to Colorado City at age 11 with her mother, three sisters and a brother and tried to fit in with the community of the FLDS. She married at age 17 and said she was "smiling outside, crying inside" but decided to follow the church's rule of "not letting a year go by without a child being born".

After a frustrating start for Martin Black the marriage went on to produce 14 children. Still believing that it would take three wives for her husband to get in to heaven, Pamela Black prayed for a "sister wife" to no avail. After 35 years of marriage she was angry at God for not giving her that blessing. Black filed for divorce from her husband but he died just a week before the divorce was final.

After turning over the keys to their home to the church the Black's moved into a trailer on the outskirts of Hildale, Utah. Pamela Blackcut her hair, started wearing make-up and put away her long dresses in favor of pants. She doesn't want to be known as an "anti-polygamist" but does speak out about the abuses in the church.