Fundie polygamists are no longer considered victims. Who knew?

After months of haggling over every period, definition, connotation and allusion, the state's Safety Net Committee has released a revised guide to understanding so-called fundamentalist Mormon communities in Utah, Arizona and as far away as Missouri and Canada.

The Primer , as the booklet is known, now has a neutral tone that no longer promotes the idea that fundamentalist Mormons, many of whom practice polygamy, are "victims" of groups who experience more domestic violence or abuse than other populations, said Pat Merkley, Safety Net Committee director.

"I think we have produced the best dialogue we possibly could," Merkley said. "It is a true consensus."

The Primer is primarily designed for use by law enforcement and social services agencies, but Merkley said it also has been of wide interest to the public.

The first version of The Primer was put together by the Utah Attorney General's Office in 2005, and it has been a "sore spot" with many fundamentalist Mormons who did not like its disparaging tone and over-generalizations, Merkley said.

The guide's new introduction is an example of the difference in approach. Previously, it told the story of one woman's "escape" from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Now it attributes the origins of The Primer to a recognition that those who "elect to leave" fundamentalist Mormon communities have unique needs. ...

Here's the primer: http://attorneygeneral.utah.gov/cmsdocuments/The_Primer.pdf