As Mary Mackert displays photos of her past, posing with someone she calls a "sister-wife," she sounds like a soft-spoken grandmother. But she claims to be the product of seven generations of polygamy.

"Every person in my family — from Joseph Smith's day, he was the founder of traditional Mormonism — to today, has lived polygamy," she said.

Mackert is the author of "The Sixth of Seven Wives." She was raised in Utah, part of the same Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints now based in West Texas.

At age 17, Mackert says she was forced to marry a man older than her father. "My wedding day was the saddest day of my life, bar none," she said. "I've been to happier funerals."

Her wedding album has no photos of the unhappy couple; she says her now-deceased husband feared such pictures could be used in court as evidence of polygamy.

Mary eventualy broke free, but she believes three of her sisters are now living at the compound in Eldorado, and she suspects at least two of their children are now in state custody.

"I have been talking with Child Protective Services to see if I can obtain custody of those who are related to me," she said.

Mackert said the public should not be fooled by the wholesome, happy look of the members of the fundamentalist sect. She compares life for the women inside the West Texas compound wearing pioneer garb to Taliban women in Afghanistan who are forced to wear burqas.

"For those that are still in it, its a life of complete submission and complete surrender of who you are to someone else, and it's wrong," Mackert said.

This weekend, she will travel to Eldorado to reach out to her sisters and their kids.

She says the men, however, belong in jail.

"Polygamy is against the law, and the law needs to be enforced," Mackert said.

E-mail greaves@wfaa.com