Ex-Testimonies Part IV - David Pike (Nabashalam)

This video was created around November of 2004. If you are an ex-member of the TT you may see some friends or family in this video. There are two men I consider very dear friends and brothers.



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Ex-Testimonies Part III - Children of the Elders – Noah Jones and Zeb Wiseman Video Testimonies

The Twelve Tribes can continue to spin the truth (or more accurately, their lies) about child abuse and the “great and happy life of children in the community”. Attached below are two testimonies of children of high level leaders in the Twelve Tribes who were born and raised and “escaped” the “life” that they describe as far different than the picture portrayed by the Twelve Tribes propaganda machine.

Noah Jones and Zeb Wiseman - Part I

Zeb Wiseman who is featured in these videos is one of Eddie Wiseman’s children who had to face the slander and lies told about his mother Mary after she died of cancer within the communities. Yoneq (Spriggs) felt the reputation and character of this loving, God fearing woman was worth trashing in order to maintain control of his flock and strengthen his own position and power. Furthermore, the mental wellbeing of Mary’s children were also an acceptable cost to maintaining control and power. The lesson he effectively communicated was "if you speak against the “anointed” (Spriggs) you will die".

Noah Jones and Zeb Wiseman - Part II

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The Twelve Tribe leaders will tell you the proof they are God's chosen people is the "life" they are leading. They can't tell you why other communal religious groups who live the same "life' the same way, are also not "saved".

It is their belief that they are going to raise 144,000 virgin young men who will go into the world to preach "the Gospel". Yoneq (Spriggs) claimed that he had come to "turn the hearts of the sons towards their fathers and the hearts of the fathers towards their sons" However, the evidence above is just a small glimpse of the horrible truth. The Twelve Tribes are effectively destroying the basic structure of the family and driving their sons to the point they feel the need to "escape" the oppression of the "life" within the Twelve Tribes.

The leaders of the Twelve Tribe are held up as examples for their followers to emulate. Here are two examples of leaders who instead of turning their hearts towards their sons, have cut them off as if they were dead. They are so headstrong on living out the dogma of their doctrine and following their "anointed" leader above all, they have allowed their own children to be abused, abandoned and slandered just like anyone else who chooses to leave the Twelve Tribes. In Eddie's case, he was willing to allow his wife to be openly slandered in front of her children immediately following her death. No wonder Noah can say, "I realized, this is not where God lives."

I still hear the little children of the Twelve Tribes singing, "Do you wonder if life has something more to offer? Ask yourself if you belong where you are?" At least two children raised within the Twelve Tribes have asked themselves this question and the answer was an emphatic "NO".

Voice

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Personal Testimonies of Ex-Members - Part II

The following Testimony is from a member who left about 10 years ago but was only able to get the TT out of his mind around 2 years ago due to the devastating affect of the thought reform tactics the TT employs.

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The last time I lived with the TT was 10yrs ago. I went back and forth several times over the years. I probably only actually lived with them for a total of about 4yrs over all. In my head I was always living with them. I finally gave up the notion of having to go back only about 2yrs ago.

It all started for me around 1980 while I was studying bible in a local college in my home town. During summer vacation of the first year I volunteered to work at a Christian summer camp. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I was totally unfamiliar with the idea of living in community until I worked at this summer camp. Living with about 100 children and maybe 30 adults in such close proximity for 6 weeks was my introduction to that kind of life. I went back to school in the fall and felt like something was missing. I was trying to understand the harsh reality of Christian living in comparison with what i had experienced over the summer. Loving one another was a way of life at camp. The Christian experience was empty compared to that. I longed for more.

So here I was, not even knowing there was any such thing as people living together in community, thinking there must be more to this whole experience.
It was while I was in my church history class one day that that all changed for me. One sentence in my Church history book grabbed my attention. It mentioned a people called the Anabaptists. These people didn't think that Martin Luther had gone far enough with just nailing nine thesis' to the door of the local Catholic church. They believed that the Catholic church was beyond reform and that it was time for a complete separation. It was exactly what i was beginning to think concerning all of Christendom..

Just a little side note...
If you ever get a few minutes you should read the story of the Anabaptists.
Start here: Anabaptists
You will then know that the idea that the Holy Spirit has not been on the earth for 2000yrs is categorically false.

I am amazed by that teaching by the way. If anyone was wondering about whether Yoneq is delusional or not they ought to really consider the full ramifications of what that teaching means.

Back to my story...
Of course when I would bring these ideas up to my fellow students they thought I was a bit crazy. "It was just summer camp" they would say.
"People don't live like that in the real world." I would point out the example of the Anabaptists and I would just be told; " that was the middle ages, we know better now." It just didn't sit right with me. It seemed to me if people really had the Holy Spirit then love would be overflowing everywhere. It was not, as many of you are painfully aware. I met one person there however that listened to what I had to say. He was about 20yrs my senior and was very familiar with community life. He had been searching for something more substantial himself for most of his life. He had thus far come up empty. He had researched many communities all over the U.S.. He had even lived with a few for a time.

I wanted to know more. Once the 2yr bible program was over we were off and running. We traveled all over the northeast U.S. so that I could get a taste of what community life was all about. After living and working with several different groups ( all along the way hitting every college library I was near to continue studying this phenomenon) I too was coming up empty. I never seemed to be satisfied. Finally I went back to my friend ( who had since left me to my own devices because he had a family to take care of) and told him that I was not finding what I was looking for. Nearly 7yrs had gone by. He told me that he knew of one other group that might interest me. He said he never mentioned them because he just saw them as a hippy commune. Off to Island Pond VT we went. It was my last hope. When we arrived I thought I had found heaven on earth. My friend left at the end of the day, I did not.

Thus began my relationship with the TT. It didn't take long before I began to be dissatisfied with life there as well. What I was looking for just didn't seem to exist. I have spent most of my life thinking that it must exist, that the problem must be me.

What I was looking for I was eventually to realize was inside of me not outside of me. That is what we are all looking for, the love of God. We do not need to get it from anyone but Him. Everyone around us could be wanting to kill us (sound familiar? our brother Stephen comes to mind) and we could still be "perfectly" content with the love that God gives us. Yes, we would all like to be surrounded by loving people all of the time. That is not reality however.
We have already been told this by Yahshua. I must have missed that one in bible class.
The crucible that is called the TT is just a microcosm of the world. Take all of the "evil" thoughts in the world and put them under one roof, there you have a description of community living. If you can bear that kind of test then living in community is for you. If you are just looking for the love of God, then look inside. When you are certain that you are loved by God then you can stand under any pressure. The problem I had was I was looking for God in those communities, not inside myself.

The world is full of false beliefs and delusional people. It is full of people searching outside of themselves for what can only be found within. The desire that draws us to want to live in a community is a desire for something that we all have available to us where ever we find ourselves. It is the desire to experience oneness with God and his creation. Pray for this experience where you are here and now. It is the desire of God's heart for us to have it. It is a prayer that if sincere, will never go unanswered.

Ex-Member


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Personal Testimonies of Ex-Members

The following story is from an ex-member:

I thought I would share a little of my story. It took me along time to accept that I didn't need to live as a member of the TT before I could be accepted by God.

It took a lot longer than 4 years. I was still defending them on Factnet not more than two yrs ago. I Have grown up you might say since that time.

It takes courage to face the truth of one's beliefs. When put to the test some of them come up empty or even ugly. It is hard to accept but accept it we must if we are going to do what we all set out to do in the first place, meet God face to face. On His terms not ours. God is Truth, should we not seek truth with all our effort? If our beliefs are found to be false or ugly we should abandon them. As difficult as it is to abandon one's beliefs it is much less painful than turning our backs on God.

I have associated with the TT for nearly 25yrs. It could have been any group like them. I lived with several throughout those years. They all had people who were clearly lovers of the truth. Most of them were Amish and or Mennonite background. There is still life deep within those traditions as well. I think I liked the TT because of the culture as well as the message.

I remember when the first three eternal destinies paper was published. It was in Island Pond VT. For a Christian that teaching was an answer to prayer. It was hard not to find a denomination that wasn't condemning another denomination to hell, without trying to find one that thought anyone that didn't go to church on Sunday in America could ever please God.

The three eternal destinies answered the question of what was going to happen to everyone else but me and few select others on the earth that were lucky enough to figure this out.

The spirit of God is everywhere. We should be content with our lot in life and spend our time trying to make sure that everyone less fortunate than ourselves is cared for to the best of our ability. The more you give, the more you are given. That is God's work.

• The widows and orphans are his priority.
• The homeless living in the woods.
• The wounded soldiers that sacrificed there lives for their country.
• The starving children all over the world.

Those are the people that God cares for the most. They are the most needy, it would only make sense. Should it not be our most pressing need? Groups like the TT wouldn't even need to exist if we had the moral will to change some things in this world.

When I really exited the TT was when I grew up.

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Late Breaking TT News - More leaders defect 02/04/08

Reliable sources report that the Ithaca Community Coordinators for the Twelve Tribes, Elahav and his wife and kids have left the Twelve Tribes. Details are sketchy but our thoughts and prayers go out to this man and his family.

Elahav - If you have access to this site and need some help, contact VOOCITD@gmail.com

PLACE REMAINING POST HERE.



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Interview with Michael Painter and James Howell - #11-17

Interview with Michael Painter and James Howell, 1/23/93.
Michael Painter was in the Communities for 18 years and started many of the Communities’ "cottage industries," and James Howell was Spriggs personal secretary and third in command for over a decade.

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Video 17






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This article is an online conversation with the Sister in the “Story about a Brother and Sister”.

I wrote this the form of a article because I started to reply to Cindy and it became more than a comment could hold. Let me start with Cindy's comment and then my response.

Cindy said...

"It is ironic how situations, circumstances, FACTS, get missconstrude and miss communicated when the one communicating has been offended in some way. The only thing one can realy communicate in that state is the offensive atittude. This is the case with the story of a brother and sister... I don't know who you are or where you gathered your imformation from but I know enough of the story to know you are talking about me, my husband and my brother and your facts are way off. All I hear in your version of this tragedy is that, a trajedy. Yet it is not truth. And if you want the truth I can give it to you> But I don't think you realy do. It seems to me that you are out to make something look realy bad that in fact was not bad at all. In reality the "story" you published was slanderous and not factual. I do not know the what has offended you but i do know that if it is something someone in the community has done i am sure if you can find forgiveness in your heart than you would be able to communicate and get this thing settled. I know Yoneq, and have for 21 years now. Even in the state which my family has been in for the past year and a half (we have been functiong apart from the tt for that long because of issues with our children that we are bringing healing to) all he has communicated to me and my children is hope and encouragement. My children (ages 21 down to 8) all love the heart of that man and the life in the tt. We are all looking forward to returning and building up what is there! I only ask you to remove the story from your sight as it in no was represents our entry into the community. It realy missrepresents both my husband and myself completely! I have written this knowing you have the right as the author to do what you wish with my comment. Yet i will take legal action if you print this in any way that makes the community look worse than you already have. I find it a sad thing that someone would have to spend the rest of his life (being an older man and all) trying to slander someone who doesn't even know that they have offended you. If you, in fact, realy do love Yoneq and would "serve side by side with him "if he would only "repent" then it seems as though you would want to cover this transgression, because true love covers his brothers transgression, and even bares it to his own hurt. That is the way of Messiah. Oh by the way my brother doesn't consider your relationship as a dear friendship, as he only met you for the first time 4 days ago when you called and asked him for a place to stay. Get the story right!"

My Response -

Qetsiyah - Thank you for taking the time (and having patience with the technology) to respond to this story. You are right, this story is about you, your husband Yacob and your brother Billy. I am very sorry if it offends you. I stated in the story that most of the facts about you and your husband were given to me by your brother a number of years ago. I tried to capture and represent them as honestly and accurately as possible. I even had your brother read the story while I was staying with him and he did not contradict anything he read. This may have given me the false impression that it was 100% accurate. I would be more than happy to edit the story and make corrections regarding you and Yacob’s story if you were to provide these to me (either directly at VOOCITD@gmail.com or through your brother if that makes you more comfortable. I unlike Keli, will not attempt to “track you down” using your emails as I mean you no harm at all. There are things about Yacob that I know that I could have published but chose not to (and I will not under any circumstance) because they would only work towards destroying his character, and that is not my intent. You may not believe it, but I truly love you, Yacob and your children (you have 7 now?).

You say that all you hear in the story is a tragedy. I agree with you. No matter how, you edit the story it will be similar to 100's of others were a wife leads her husband into a thought reform group for whatever reason. The husband should be the head of the household. Your story is not unique. Change the names and dates and I can provide testimonies from many couples where the same thing happened. I hope some of these can find the courage to leave at least an anonymous "amen" to this. You should ask yourself, why so many wives enter the TT before their husbands, and so many men leave the TT before their wives (I know there are exceptions to this but if you saw the statistical numbers you would know the truth). I submit, the reason for this is because the true honor and authority of a husband is constantly usurped by TT leadership. Yacob is a perfect example. He is a good man who loves God, loves his wife and loves his children. He is a hard worker and a humble man. Yet he has been repeatedly slandered by the TT leadership and demeaned in the eyes of his peers, his wife and his children. Again, you two are not unique in this. It is my belief that the issues you are having with your children are due to the fact they have a hard time respecting their father because his position and authority and character have been repeatedly been brought into question. As a wife, you to must have struggled with your relationship with him. I do not say this because I have any special insight into your heart but because this is a common and repeatable “tragedy” that occurs in the TT. I am not trying to destroy you or Yacob, just the opposite, I hope to build you up and encourage you.

Whether you want to admit it or not, you are still under the thought control of the TT. I know a dear man who has been out of the TT for almost 10 years now and only two years ago, he stopped defending the practices of the TT even though he was dismissed and discarded by them. He now sees the group for what it is, a coercive controlling organization. You will call this slander and judge his and my “attitude” but it is simply the truth. At least it is my truth and that of 100’s of people who have left and of that of psychological experts who have studied the TT. And just because you do not agree, does not make it untrue or slanderous.

On that point. The TT calls any negative report on them “slander”. This is a coercive tactic in itself. It is meant to put fear of legal reprisal into the person who is practicing their freedom of speech. The TT may disregard the laws and freedoms of this country, and their members may submit and obey without question, but those of us who have found true freedom know our rights.

You say you are “functioning apart from the TT”. In real-world language and even in the Twelve Tribes this is called being “cut-off”. Don’t sugar coat it. Other coercive thought reform groups call this being shunned. It is a common practice among these type of groups. You are not unique either within the TT or in the real world where other controlling groups manipulate lives.

Up until this point, I have been talking about things that I am aware of that have already happened to you that I say are not unique to you. You think I am a liar, slanderer, and someone out to destroy the TT or Yoneq. Let me speak about things that I do not know about that may have happened to you or will happen to you in the future. What I am about to say, obviously is not specific to you because either I do not know or it hasn’t happened yet. I predict these things based on facts and testimonies of 100’s of other people who have gone through what you are and will experience. I only ask that if these predictions are or do come true that you engage your mind and think for yourself without internally condemning yourself for doubting.

Probable Past Events

• You were sent out because you did not have control of your children.
• When you were sent out you were not given much resources to survive, maybe about 1 month’s rent and some spending money and a poorly running vehicle (if you were lucky). You may have been like many who only got $100-$200 and a bag of rice and your external family had to pick you up and take care of you.
• While you are out, you have been visited by people who give you a good report on how you are doing but then they give the TT a bad report which then leads to you having to stay cut-off for an extended amount of time.

Probable Future Events

• If you do well on the outside, i.e. start up your own business, you start to gain favor from the TT who eventually will want to take this business over. Mark my word, when this happens once again Yacob will be cut-down in character, someone else will be given control of the business and you will be right back where you were to begin with.
  
• More than likely, you have been building up a mountain of debt to survive and build your business. When you return, the TT will promise to take on this debt and cover it for you. However, in reality they will ignore it and it will ruin your credit.
  
• Therefore, the next time you are cut-off or you decide on your own to leave, you will have bad credit and it will be impossible to survive without the generousity of family and friends if they are still speaking to you. This is done by design to make you even more dependant on the thought/behavior control group

Cindy, I do not say the things that I have said on this site and to you in this letter because I have been offended by you or any true believer in the Twelve Tribes. I say these things because in my heart I believe them to be true. I confess that at times I can be sarcastic and even angry in my tone. However, if you believed what I believe would you not be angry that people that you love and miss terribly are being psychologically manipulated and controlled and systematically having their lives destroyed. Even Yeshua became angry at those who defiled His temple to make a buck. How much more would he be angry seeing what I see happening within the Twelve Tribes while the businesses of the Twelve Tribes pull in multi-millions of dollars each year on the backs of slave labor.

You do not see this like I and others have. There are men who were responsible for the books and the leadership who are first hand witnesses of this. Even if Yoneq chose to spend all these millions of dollars on setting up new communities and businesses without stashing away a penny, it is still abuse and only further builds his own kingdom on earth. This is part of the sin that I feel this man should repent from.

I truly hope you can hear my heart, even if you feel I am misguided or don’t want to hear what I have to say. It is not out of hatred or destruction that I speak. It is in my heart to see the restoration of the lives of those within the community and those who have left. These are good people like you who sincerely love God and want to see Messiah return, but they have been oppressed, have lost their voice and have been abused by leaders who obviously are not under God’s anointing. If they were, they would see what is happening and act accordingly. Instead, repeatedly, the innocent are “cut-off” while the guilty are given more power and position and praise to hurt even more of us.

I’m not sure of all the specifics of your situation, however, this is the experience of more and more people who have had the courage to speak up (there are many more who have not). These are people like you who were cut-off or kicked out of the TT or chose to leave. Another common practice of the Moonies, the Church of Scientology, the Mormons, the JW's is to slander and dismiss those who leave. So you are now thinking in your mind (they are people who didn't have what it took, or gave themselves over to Satan, or where not saved to begin with). These are all thoughts you have been given by the TT so you will not hear our VOICES. So we don't have a voice inside the community and we don't have a voice outside.

If you see any of this as true, then you would have to agree, there is a need for a change in the Government which would require a humbling of the hearts of its leaders. This would have to start with Yoneq and work its way down. I am Voice, I speak for those who have no Voice. Where is the life of Messiah? Is it a life of oppression? Is it a life of fear of being cut-off? Is it a life where husbands are constantly degraded in the eyes of their wives and children? Is it a life of position where some have power and money and others have nothing?

Sorry for being so verbose, but then again, I am Voice.



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