The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS Church) is one of the largest Mormon fundamentalist denominations^[1][2] and one of America's largest practitioners of plural marriage.^[3] The FLDS Church emerged in the 1930s when its founding members left The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The split occurred largely because of the LDS Church's renunciation of polygamy and its decision to excommunicate practitioners of plural marriage. The date of establishment or date of founding of an institution is the date on which that institution chooses to claim as its starting point. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Hildale is a city in Washington County, Utah, United States. ... Mormon fundamentalism is a conservative movement of Mormonism that believes or practices what its adherents consider to be the fundamental aspects of Mormonism. ... Plural marriage is a type of polygyny taught by Joseph Smith, Jr. ... For other uses, see The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (disambiguation). ... Polygamy has been a feature of human culture since earliest history. ...

Since its inception in the 1930s, FLDS Church headquarters have been in Hildale, Utah, which is a twin city with Colorado City, Arizona. However, news reports since 2004 have suggested a possible shift of the church's headquarters to Eldorado, Texas, where a temple has been built by FLDS Church members.^[4] As of 2007, the church was being led by Warren Jeffs, who succeeded his father Rulon Jeffs in 2002. For nearly two years, Warren Jeffs had been wanted on sex-crimes charges. From May 2006, until his arrest in August 2006, he was on the FBI's Ten Most-Wanted List.^[5] On September 25, 2007, Jeffs was found guilty of two counts of being an accomplice to rape^[6][7] and was sentenced to ten years to life in prison.^[8] Hildale is a city in Washington County, Utah, United States. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Colorado City is a town in Mohave County, Arizona, United States and is located in a region known as the Arizona Strip. ... Official language(s) English Spoken language(s) English 74. ... Eldorado is a city located in Schleicher County, Texas. ... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... Temple of Hephaestus, an Doric Greek temple in Athens with the original entrance facing east, 449 BC (western face depicted) For other uses, see Temple (disambiguation). ... Warren Steed Jeffs (born December 3, 1955 in San Francisco, California) is a convicted accomplice child rapist and the leader of a controversial Mormon fundamentalist polygynist sect known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS Church). ... Rulon Jeffs (December 6, 1909 - September 8, 2002) was the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a religious group with strong belief in polygamy based out of Colorado City, Arizona. ... The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a federal criminal investigative, intelligence agency, and the primary investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... The FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list arose from a conversation held in late 1949, during a game of Hearts between J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, and William Kinsey Hutchinson,[1] International News Service (the predecessor of the United Press International) Editor-in... is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

Although news reports have circulated that Warren Jeffs had formally resigned as the president of the FLDS Church, the statement released by his attorneys reads as follows: "Mr. Jeffs resigned as President of the Corporation of the President of The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Inc., on November 20, 2007."^[9] It is possible that Warren Jeffs is still heading the group,^[10] as the carefully worded statement by his attorneys does not specify that he stepped down as prophet of the church. William E. Jessop, Jeffs' first counselor in the FLDS church presidency, was named by Jeffs as his successor.^[11] Some reports^[12] have stated that Jeffs never was the leader of the FLDS, but this has not necessarily been accepted by Jeffs' followers, many^{[attribution needed]} whom claim Jeffs still heads the church.^{[citation needed]}

Membership and headquarters

The exact number of members of the FLDS Church is unknown due to the relatively closed nature of the organization; however, their population has been estimated at between 6000 to 10,000 in the twin communities of Colorado City, Arizona and Hildale, Utah.^[13][14] After purchasing land now called the Yearning for Zion Ranch in Eldorado, Texas, there appears to be a shift in the headquarters of the church along with a large exodus of the "most faithful" church members. The church also has a long standing colony in Bountiful, British Columbia. ^[15] Colorado City is a town in Mohave County, Arizona, United States and is located in a region known as the Arizona Strip. ... Hildale is a city in Washington County, Utah, United States. ... The main temple in the YFZ Ranch The YFZ Ranch, also known as the Yearning for Zion Ranch,[1] is a 1,700-acre (7 km²) compound just outside of Eldorado in Southwest Texas. ... Eldorado is a city located in Schleicher County, Texas. ... The community of Bountiful was founded in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, in 1947. ... Motto: Splendor sine occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor Steven Point Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 36 Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area  Ranked 5th Total 944...

Finances

Members of the FLDS church have owned machine shops that have sold airplane components to the United States government. From 1998 until 2007, the receipts of these airplane components totalled over $1.7 million.^[16]

History

Origins

The residents in the area of Hildale and Colorado City have had a long history of practicing plural marriage, dating to the mid-nineteenth century. Brigham Young, then President of the LDS Church, once visited the area and stated, "This will someday be the head and not the tail of the church."^[17] The twin cities were once known as Short Creek, officially founded in 1913 as a ranching community. Hildale is a city in Washington County, Utah, United States. ... Colorado City is a town in Mohave County, Arizona, United States and is located in a region known as the Arizona Strip. ... For other uses, see Brigham Young (disambiguation). ...

Although officially claiming roots back to John Taylor and the LDS Church,^[18] the FLDS Church traces their inception back to a schism from the LDS Church. After the LDS Church formally abandoned plural marriage in 1890, many members, around Short Creek and elsewhere, continued to practice it and enter into new plural marriages. After the Second Manifesto renouncing polygamy was issued in 1904, the LDS Church began excommunicating those who continued to solemnize or enter into new plural marriages. Many prominent members in and around the community of Short Creek were excommunicated in the late 1920s and early 1930s.^[19] For other persons named John Taylor, see John Taylor (disambiguation). ... The 1890 Manifesto, sometimes simply called The Manifesto, was a historical statement which officially renounced the practice of polygamy in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS Church; see also Mormon). Signed on by LDS President Wilford Woodruff in September of 1890, the Manifesto was a... Joseph F. Smith, author of the Second Manifesto The Second Manifesto was a 1904 declaration made by Joseph F. Smith, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in which Smith confirmed that the church was opposed to plural marriage and set down the principle that... Colorado City is a town in Mohave County, Arizona, United States and is located in a region known as the Arizona Strip. ...

Short Creek soon became a gathering place for polygamist members of the LDS Church.^[20] In 1935, the LDS Church excommunicated the Mormon residents of Short Creek who refused to sign an oath renouncing polygamy. Following this event, John Y. Barlow began to lead a group of Mormon fundamentalists who were dedicated to preserving the practice of plural marriage.^{[citation needed]} The location on the Utah–Arizona border was thought to be ideal for the group because it allowed them to avoid raids by one state by moving across the state line to the other.^[20] John Yeates Barlow (also known as John Yates Barlow) (March 4, 1874–December 29, 1949) was a Mormon fundamentalist leader in Short Creek, Arizona. ... Teens From Polygamous Families protested on August 19, 2006 In Salt Lake City Mormon fundamentalism most often describes splinter movements of Mormonism that believe or practice what its adherents consider to be the fundamental aspects of Mormonism. ...

Some locally prominent men in Short Creek were excommunicated by the LDS Church and later became leaders of the fundamentalist Mormon movement, including Lorin C. Woolley, J. Leslie Broadbent, John Y. Barlow, Charles Zitting, Joseph White Musser, LeGrand Wooley, and Louis A. Kelsch. In 1932, some of these leaders created the organization known as the Council of Friends, a group of seven high priests that was said to be the governing priesthood body on the earth.^[21] The Council of Friends became the governing ecclesiastical body over the Mormon fundamentalists at Short Creek. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Joseph Leslie Broadbent (3 June 1891–16 March 1935) was a religious leader in the early stages of the Mormon fundamentalist movement. ... John Yeates Barlow (also known as John Yates Barlow) (March 4, 1874–December 29, 1949) was a Mormon fundamentalist leader in Short Creek, Arizona. ... Charles F. Zitting (d. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... High priest is a priesthood office in the Melchizedek priesthood of denominations within the Latter Day Saint movement, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ... In the Latter Day Saint movement, priesthood is considered to be the power and authority of God, including the authority to act as a leader in the church and to perform ordinances (sacraments), and the apostolic power to perform miracles. ...

The early years of the movement were contentious and saw many differing interpretations and opinions among leaders as to how plural marriage should be practiced. These contentions eventually led to the subsequent schisms that created the multiple Mormon fundamentalist organizations that now exist, including the FLDS Church.^[22][23] It is commonly believed by all of these sects that the early leaders of the fundamentalist movement received revelations from God commanding that plural marriage should not cease.^[22] Revelation of the Last Judgment by Jacob de Backer Revelation is an uncovering or disclosure via communication from the divine of something that has been partially or wholly hidden or unknown, which could not be known apart from the unveiling (Goswiller 1987 p. ...

Leaders

The FLDS Church has been led by a succession of prophets, many of whom have claimed to have been called by God to lead the fundamentalists. The first leader of the FLDS Church was John Y. Barlow, who led the community of Short Creek until his death on December 29, 1949. He was succeeded by Joseph White Musser who was the leader during the Short Creek raid in 1953, in which all of the FLDS Church members of Short Creek were arrested, including 236 children. John Yeates Barlow (also known as John Yates Barlow) (March 4, 1874–December 29, 1949) was a Mormon fundamentalist leader in Short Creek, Arizona. ... is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Short Creek raid is the name given to Arizona state police and U.S. National Guard action against Mormon fundamentalists that took place on the morning of July 26, 1953 at Short Creek, Arizona. ... Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Musser led the community until a contentious appointment of Rulon Allred to a high position of authority in 1951 angered some members of the Short Creek community. Musser had appointed Allred to be his successor, but Allred was not accepted as his successor by the Short Creek community. This led to a schism , with many followers breaking off and joining Allred; this offshoot became known as the Apostolic United Brethren. The core group in the Short Creek area instead followed Charles Zitting as their leader. This schism may be seen as the point at which the FLDS Church became a distinct organization within the greater Mormon fundamentalist movement. Rulon Clark Allred (March 29, 1906 – May 10, 1977) was a homeopathic physician and chiropractor in Salt Lake City and the leader of what is now the Apostolic United Brethren, a breakaway sect of polygamous Mormon Fundamentalists in Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. ... The Apostolic United Brethren (hereafter AUB) is a polygamous fundamentalist sect not affiliated with the well-known The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ... Charles F. Zitting (d. ...

Zitting died in 1954 and Leroy S. Johnson was chosen to lead the church in Short Creek. Johnson led the FLDS Church until his death in 1986. He was succeeded by Rulon Jeffs, who assumed the position of prophet, a title his predecessor refused to use. In Jeffs' later years, his poor health led to his son Warren serving as leader of the church in his stead, and upon Rulon's death in September of 2002, Warren Jeffs essentially proclaimed himself prophet and leader of the FLDS Church. However, immediately after being convicted of being an accomplice to rape by the state of Utah, Warren Jeffs resigned his leadership of the FLDS Church. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Rulon Jeffs (December 6, 1909 - September 8, 2002) was the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a religious group with strong belief in polygamy based out of Colorado City, Arizona. ... Warren Steed Jeffs (born December 3, 1955 in San Francisco, California) is a convicted accomplice child rapist and the leader of a controversial Mormon fundamentalist polygynist sect known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS Church). ...

Since no public statements have been made by officials of the church indicating a successor to Jeffs, it is not now known who may be leading the FLDS Church. There are private statements that have been recorded by Jeffs that indicate that William E. Jessop was to be his successor, or possibly that Jeffs was never the prophet of the FLDS Church at all and Jessop had been rightful prophet since Rulon Jeffs' passing, but these statements have not been accepted by the FLDS community and have been contested by Jeffs' attorneys as misstatements.^{[citation needed]}

Legal trouble and leadership struggles

The home of FLDS leader Warren Jeffs in Colorado City

In 2003, the church received increased attention from the state of Utah when police officer Rodney Holm, a member of the church, was convicted of unlawful sexual conduct with a 16- or 17-year-old and one count of bigamy for his marriage to and impregnation of plural wife Ruth Stubbs. The conviction was the first legal action against a member of the FLDS Church since the Short Creek raid. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2816 × 2112 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (2816 × 2112 pixel, file size: 1. ... Warren Steed Jeffs (born December 3, 1955 in San Francisco, California) is a convicted accomplice child rapist and the leader of a controversial Mormon fundamentalist polygynist sect known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS Church). ... Colorado City is a town in Mohave County, Arizona, United States and is located in a region known as the Arizona Strip. ... Polygamy, literally many marriages in ancient Greek, is a marital practice in which a person has more than one spouse simultaneously (as opposed to monogamy where each person has a maximum of one spouse at any one time). ... The Short Creek raid is the name given to Arizona state police and U.S. National Guard action against Mormon fundamentalists that took place on the morning of July 26, 1953 at Short Creek, Arizona. ...

In November 2003, church member David Allred purchased "as a hunting retreat" the 1,371 acre (5.5 km²) Isaacs Ranch 4 miles northeast of Eldorado, Texas on Schleicher County Road 300 and sent 30 to 40 construction workers from Colorado City–Hildale to begin work on the property. Improvements soon included three 3-story houses—each 8,000 to 10,000 square feet (740 to 930 m²), a concrete plant and a plowed field. After seeing high-profile FLDS Church critic Flora Jessop on the ABC television program Primetime Live on March 4, 2004, concerned Eldorado residents contacted Jessop. She investigated and on March 25, 2004, Jessop held a press conference in Eldorado confirming that the new neighbors were FLDS Church adherents. On May 18, 2004, Schleicher County Sheriff David Doran and his Chief Deputy visited Colorado City, and the FLDS Church officially acknowledged that the Schleicher County property would be a new base for the church. It has been reported in the media that the church is building a temple at the YFZ Ranch, which has been supported by evidence including aerial photographs of a large stone structure (approximately 88 feet wide) being built. Recent pictures now show the temple in a state of relative completion. A local newspaper, the Eldorado Success, reported that the temple foundation was dedicated January 1, 2005 by Warren Jeffs.^[24] Eldorado is a city located in Schleicher County, Texas. ... Flora Jessop is a critic and former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints church, a polygamous group unaffliated with the Mormon church. ... British Independent Television (ITV) (commercial television) contractor on Saturdays and Sundays in the Midlands and North of England between 1956 and 1968. ... Primetimes logo Primetime is a general-interest American news magazine show which debuted on ABC in 1989 with co-hosts Sam Donaldson and Diane Sawyer and originally had the title Primetime Live. ... is the 63rd day of the year (64th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 84th day of the year (85th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 138th day of the year (139th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Schleicher County is a county located in the state of Texas. ... The main temple in the YFZ Ranch The YFZ Ranch, also known as the Yearning for Zion Ranch,[1] is a 1,700-acre (7 km²) compound just outside of Eldorado in Southwest Texas. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Warren Steed Jeffs (born December 3, 1955 in San Francisco, California) is a convicted accomplice child rapist and the leader of a controversial Mormon fundamentalist polygynist sect known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS Church). ...

On January 10, 2004, the church suffered major upheaval when Dan Barlow, the mayor of Colorado City, and about 20 men were excommunicated from the church and stripped of their wives and children (who would be reassigned to other men), and the right to live in the town. The same day two teenage girls reportedly fled the towns with the aid of activist Flora Jessop who advocates the escape of plural wives from polygamy. The two girls, Fawn Broadbent and Fawn Holm, soon found themselves in a broadly publicized dispute over their freedom and custody. After the allegations against their parents were proven false, Flora helped them flee state custody together on February 15, they ended up in Salt Lake City at Fawn Holms brother Carl's house.

In October 2004, Flora Jessop reported that David Allred purchased a 60-acre (240,000 m²) parcel of land near Mancos, Colorado (midway between Cortez and Durango) about the same time he bought the Schleicher County property^{[citation needed]}. Allred told authorities the parcel is to be used as a hunting retreat.^{[citation needed]} Mancos is a town located in Montezuma County, Colorado. ... Cortez is a city in Montezuma County, Colorado (USA). ... Downtown Durango, Colorado Durango (Navajo: Kinłání) is a city in La Plata County, Colorado (USA). ...

In July 2005 eight men of the church were indicted for sexual contact with minors^{[citation needed]}. All of them turned themselves in to police in Kingman, Arizona within days^{[citation needed]}. Kingman is a city in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. ...

On July 29, 2005, Brent Jeffs filed suit accusing three of his uncles, including Warren Jeffs, of sexually assaulting him when he was a child. The suit also named the FLDS Church as a defendant. On August 10, former FLDS Church member Shem Fischer, Dan Fischer's brother, added the church and Warren Jeffs as defendants to a 2002 lawsuit claiming he was illegally fired because he no longer adhered to the faith. Fischer, who was a salesman for a wooden cabinetry business in Hildale, claims church officials interfered with his relationship with his employer and blacklisted him. The claim against the company was thrown out because he quit rather than being fired.^{[citation needed]} is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

In July 2005, a half-dozen lost boys who say they were cast out of their homes on the Utah–Arizona border to reduce competition for wives, filed suit against the FLDS Church. "The [boys] have been excommunicated pursuant to that policy and practice and have been cut off from family, friends, benefits, business and employment relationships, and purportedly condemned to eternal damnation," their suit says. "They have become 'lost boys' in the world outside the FLDS community." Lost Boys of Polygamy are young men who have been excommunicated or pressured to leave polygamous groups such as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) or the Latter-day Church of Christ. ...

On May 7, 2006, the FBI named Warren Jeffs to their Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list on charges of sexual misconduct with minors. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a federal criminal investigative, intelligence agency, and the primary investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... The FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list arose from a conversation held in late 1949, during a game of Hearts between J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, and William Kinsey Hutchinson,[1] International News Service (the predecessor of the United Press International) Editor-in...

On August 28, 2006, Warren Jeffs was captured on Interstate 15 just north of Las Vegas, Nevada, after a routine traffic stop. He was captured with his brother, Isaac Steve Jeffs, and one of his wives, Naomi Jeffs, both 32. Isaac and Naomi were both released. Jeffs was tried in St. George, Utah and was found guilty by a jury of two counts of being an accomplice to rape. Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Interstate 15 “I-15” redirects here. ... For further information, see Las Vegas metropolitan area and Las Vegas Strip. ... Nickname: Settled 1861 Incorporated 1862 Government  - Mayor Dan McArthur  - City Manager Gary Esplin Area  - City  64. ...

The mayor of Colorado City, Terrill C. Johnson, was arrested on May 26, 2006 for eight fraudulent vehicle registration charges (providing false registration and title papers eight separate times)—a felony. He was booked in to Purgatory Correctional Facility in Hurricane, Utah and was released after paying the $5,000 bail in cash.^[25] A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ... is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the record label, see Felony Records The term felony is a term used in common law systems for very serious crimes, whereas misdemeanors are considered to be less serious offenses. ... Hurricane is a city in Washington County, Utah, United States. ...

April 2008 raid

It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article entitled YFZ Ranch. (Discuss)

On March 29, 2008,^[26] a Texas child-protective service hotline took a call from a female claiming to be a 16-year-old victim of physical and sexual abuse at the church's YFZ Ranch.^[27][28] (In interviewing residents in the raid that later took place, none of the teenaged girls found was understood to have made the call.^[29] On April 16, the Colorado Springs Police Department, accompanied by Texas Rangers, arrested Rozita Swinton, charged her with false reporting to authorities, and jailed her in El Paso County, Colorado, producing published speculation that Swinton had made the hotline call and impersonated a 16-year-old in it.)^[30] Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The main temple in the YFZ Ranch The YFZ Ranch, also known as the Yearning for Zion Ranch,[1] is a 1,700-acre (7 km²) compound just outside of Eldorado in Southwest Texas. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... A very large collections call centre in Lakeland, FL. A call centre or call center (see spelling differences) is a centralised office used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by telephone. ... Physical abuse is abuse involving contact intended to cause pain, injury, or other physical suffering or harm. ... Bad Touch redirects here. ... The main temple in the YFZ Ranch The YFZ Ranch, also known as the Yearning for Zion Ranch,[1] is a 1,700-acre (7 km²) compound just outside of Eldorado in Southwest Texas. ... El Paso County is a county located in the U.S. state of Colorado. ...

The call was the basis for a large-scale operation at YFZ Ranch by Texas law enforcement and officers child welfare officials, beginning with cordoning off the ranch on April 3.^[28][26]Troopers and child welfare officials searched the ranch, ^[31] entering especially the temple, and searching safes, vaults, locked desk drawers, and beds that they found there.^[32] Authorities believed the children "had been abused or were at immediate risk of future abuse," a state spokesman said.^[33] They removed 52 girls on the 4th, and ^[28][26] and eventually a total of 462 children went ^{[34] [35] [36]}into the temporary custody of the State of Texas.^[27] The children were being held by the Child Protective Services at Fort Concho and the Wells Fargo Pavilion in San Angelo,^[37] where they are housed until authorities decide who will have custody of them.^[38] 133 adult women chose to leave the ranch when the children were removed, in many or all cases for the sake of contact with the removed children.^[39] The young children were allowed to stay with their mothers until DNA testing was finished, children under 18 months were allowed to stay with their mothers.^[40] is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Fort Concho is a National Historic Landmark in San Angelo, Texas, and is owned and operated by that city. ... San Angelo is a city in and the county seat of Tom Green CountyGR6, Texas, United States. ... Genetic fingerprinting or DNA testing is a technique to distinguish between individuals of the same species using only samples of their DNA. Its invention by Sir Alec Jeffreys at the University of Leicester was announced in 1985. ...

A former member of the FLDS Church, Carolyn Jessop, arrived on-site April 6 in hopes of reuniting two of her daughters with their half siblings. She stated that the actions in Texas are unlike the 1953 Short Creek raid in Arizona.^[41] Jessop had been in Texas the prior month at a speaking engagement, where she said, "[i]n Eldorado, the crimes went to a whole new level. They thought they could get away with more" but "Texas is not going to be a state that's as tolerant of these crimes as Arizona and Utah have been."^[42] is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Short Creek raid is the name given to Arizona state police and U.S. National Guard action against Mormon fundamentalists that took place on the morning of July 26, 1953 at Short Creek, Arizona. ...

On April 10, law enforcement completed their search of the ranch, returning control of the property to the FLDS Church.^[43] is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Distinctive doctrines

Plural marriage and the law of placing

The FLDS Church teaches the doctrine of plural marriage, which states that a man having multiple wives is ordained by God and is a requirement for a man to receive the highest form of salvation. It is generally believed in the church that a man should have a minimum of three wives to fulfill this requirement.^[44] Connected with this doctrine is the concept that wives are required to be subordinate to their husbands. Plural marriage is a type of polygyny taught by Joseph Smith, Jr. ...

The church currently practices the law of placing, whereby a young woman of marriageable age is assigned a husband by revelation from God to the leader of the church, who is regarded as a prophet.^[45] The prophet elects to take and give wives to and from men according to their worthiness. The law of placing is a Mormon fundamentalist practice associated with plural marriage. ... Revelation of the Last Judgment by Jacob de Backer Revelation is an uncovering or disclosure via communication from the divine of something that has been partially or wholly hidden or unknown, which could not be known apart from the unveiling (Goswiller 1987 p. ... For other senses of this word, see Prophet (disambiguation). ...

Dress code

All members of the church are required to abide by a strict dress code. In general, women are forbidden to cut their hair or to wear makeup, trousers or any skirt above the knees. Men are usually seen wearing plain clothing, usually a collared shirt and trousers. Men and women do not have any tattoos or body piercings. Women and girls usually wear solid-color homemade long-sleeved dresses, between ankle and mid-calf, and long stockings, keeping their hair coiffed.^[46] Medieval coif Detail of Edward VI as a child by Holbein, 1538. ...

Property ownership

The FLDS Church also prevents its members from owning real estate and other property. The land and houses occupied by the FLDS Church are owned by the United Effort Plan (UEP), a subsidiary organization of the church. The UEP also owns most businesses that are controlled by FLDS Church members. The church views this "United Order" as a means of living the traditional Latter Day Saint doctrine of the "Law of Consecration". The Attorney General of Utah has filed a lawsuit in an attempt to protect the holdings of the UEP for the current residents of Colorado City and Hildale. The Attorney General is seeking to have the assets of the UEP reassigned to the FLDS Church members. The UEP has been frozen by court order pending a resolution of the lawsuit.^{[citation needed]} In Mormonism, the United Order was one of several church programs established to manage and administer the Law of Consecration (a voluntary form of Christian communalism). ... In the Latter Day Saint movement (also known as Mormonism), the law of consecration has two broad meanings. ... In most common law jurisdictions, the Attorney General is the main legal adviser to the government, and in some jurisdictions may in addition have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions. ...

Home schooling

In 2000, the Colorado City Unified School District had more than 1200 students. When Jeffs ordered FLDS Church members to pull their children out of public schools, the number declined to around 250.^[47] Colorado City Unified School District No. ...

Temple worship

The FLDS Church is the fifth Latter Day Saint denomination to have built a temple.^[48] The Latter Day Saint movement (a subset of Restorationism) is a group of religious denominations and adherents who follow at least some of the teachings and revelations of Joseph Smith, Jr. ... The Salt Lake Temple, operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is the best-known Mormon temple. ...

Criticisms of the church

Plural marriage

A view of the FLDS ranch in Eldorado, Texas

At the time of his death, church leader Rulon Jeffs was confirmed to have married 22 women and fathered more than 60 children, although some^[49] have suggested that he had close to 75 wives. Current estimates also state that Warren Jeffs may have upwards of 60 wives.^[49] Critics of this lifestyle say that its practice inevitably leads to bride shortages and likely to child marriages, incest, and child abuse.^{[citation needed]} Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2000x1391, 1444 KB) Summary an aerial view of the FLDS compound in Eldorado, Texas. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2000x1391, 1444 KB) Summary an aerial view of the FLDS compound in Eldorado, Texas. ... Eldorado is a city located in Schleicher County, Texas. ... Rulon Jeffs (December 6, 1909 - September 8, 2002) was the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a religious group with strong belief in polygamy based out of Colorado City, Arizona. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Incest is defined as sexual relations between closely related persons (often within the immediate family) such that it is either illegal or socially taboo. ...

It has been reported that the FLDS Church has recently excommunicated over 400 teenage boys, some as young as 13, for offenses such as dating and listening to rock music. Former members claim that the real reason for these excommunications is that there are not enough women for each male to receive three or more wives. Six such teenage boys have filed a conspiracy lawsuit against Jeffs and Sam Barlow, a former Mohave County deputy sheriff and close associate of Jeffs, for a "systematic excommunication" of young men to reduce competition for wives.^[50][51] Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive or suspend membership in a religious community. ... Lost Boys of Polygamy are young men who have been excommunicated or pressured to leave polygamous groups such as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) or the Latter-day Church of Christ. ... Mohave County is located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. ...

Critics claim that some members of the church are violating laws (because polygamy is illegal in the United States) when they participate in polygamy.^[52] Critics claim that incest and sexual abuse of children are prevalent among church members.^[53][54][55]

Race

In its Spring 2005 "Intelligence Report," the Southern Poverty Law Center named the FLDS Church to its hate group listing^[56] because of the church's teachings on race, which include a fierce condemnation of interracial relationships. Warren Jeffs has said, "the black race is the people through which the devil has always been able to bring evil unto the earth."^[57] The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American non-profit legal organization, whose stated purpose is to combat racism and promote civil rights through research, education and litigation. ... A hate group is an organized group or movement that advocates hate, hostility, or violence towards members of a race, ethnicity, religion, gender or other designated sector of society, or that supports and publishes assertions and argumentation characteristic of hate groups without necessarily explicitly advocating such hate or violence that... An interracial couple is a romantic couple or marriage in which the partners are of differing races. ...

Blood atonement

Former FLDS Church member Robert Richter reported to the Phoenix New Times that Warren Jeffs has repeatedly alluded to the nineteenth century Mormon teaching of "blood atonement" in church sermons. Under the doctrine of blood atonement, certain serious sins can only be atoned for by the sinner's death. The Phoenix New Times is a free, weekly Phoenix, Arizona newspaper, put out every Thursday. ... This article is about the concept in Mormonism. ...

Birth defects

The Colorado City/Hildale area has the world's highest incidence of fumarase deficiency,^[58] an extremely rare genetic condition which causes severe mental retardation. Geneticists attribute this to the prevalence of cousin marriage between descendants of two of the town's founders, Joseph Smith Jessup and John Yeates Barlow; one local historian reports that 75–80 percent of the double-communities' roughly 10,000 inhabitants are descended from one or both of these men^{[citation needed]} Fumarase deficiency is an enzyme irregularity that causes severe mental retardation, unusual facial features, brain malformation, and epileptic seizures due to an abnormally low amount of fumarase in cells. ... John Yeates Barlow (also known as John Yates Barlow) (March 4, 1874–December 29, 1949) was a Mormon fundamentalist leader in Short Creek, Arizona. ...

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) has repeatedly emphasized that it is in no way affiliated with the FLDS Church.^[59] For other uses, see The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (disambiguation). ...

See also

• Caliente, Nevada: FLDS controversy

Caliente is a city located in Lincoln County, Nevada. ...

Notes

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is a federal criminal investigative, intelligence agency, and the primary investigative arm of the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 99th day of the year (100th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 268th day of the year (269th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 339th day of the year (340th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... {{Infobox_University |image_name = 135px-Baylor_seal. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 114th day of the year (115th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Marquis of the Salt Lake Tribune on the Tribune Building in Downtown Salt Lake City The Salt Lake Tribune (ISSN 0746-3502) is Salt Lake City, Utahs largest-circulated local daily newspaper. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 114th day of the year (115th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Deseret Morning News is a newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Utahs oldest continually published daily newspaper. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Deseret Morning News is a newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Utahs oldest continually published daily newspaper. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 114th day of the year (115th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 107th day of the year (108th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... KUSA-TV/KUSA-DT is the NBC affiliated television station in Denver, Colorado; broadcasting on VHF channel 9 (187. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 108th day of the year (109th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 113th day of the year (114th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Deseret Morning News is a newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Utahs oldest continually published daily newspaper. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Cable News Network, commonly known as CNN, is a major cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 113th day of the year (114th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Deseret Morning News is a newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Utahs oldest continually published daily newspaper. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 100th day of the year (101st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Marquis of the Salt Lake Tribune on the Tribune Building in Downtown Salt Lake City The Salt Lake Tribune (ISSN 0746-3502) is Salt Lake City, Utahs largest-circulated local daily newspaper. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Marquis of the Salt Lake Tribune on the Tribune Building in Downtown Salt Lake City The Salt Lake Tribune (ISSN 0746-3502) is Salt Lake City, Utahs largest-circulated local daily newspaper. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Cable News Network, commonly known as CNN, is a major cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. ... ABC News logo ABC News Special Report ident, circa 2006 ABC News is a division of American television and radio network ABC, owned by The Walt Disney Company. ... Marquis of the Salt Lake Tribune on the Tribune Building in Downtown Salt Lake City The Salt Lake Tribune (ISSN 0746-3502) is Salt Lake City, Utahs largest-circulated local daily newspaper. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... The Deseret Morning News is a newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Utahs oldest continually published daily newspaper. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Church of Christ, later called Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was the original church organization founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. ... For other uses, see The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (disambiguation). ... RLDS redirects here. ... The Apostolic United Brethren (hereafter AUB) is a polygamous fundamentalist sect not affiliated with the well-known The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ... NPR logo For other meanings of NPR see NPR (disambiguation) National Public Radio (NPR) is a private, not-for-profit corporation that sells programming to member radio stations; together they are a loosely organized public radio network in the United States. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 114th day of the year (115th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Deseret Morning News is a newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Utahs oldest continually published daily newspaper. ... The Deseret Morning News is a newspaper published in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Utahs oldest continually published daily newspaper. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 241st day of the year (242nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Further reading

• Bradley, Martha Sontag Kidnapped from That Land: The Government Raids on the Short Creek Polygamists
• Watson, Marianne T., "FLDS Placement Marriages"
• Hales, Brian C. (2007), Modern Polygamy and Mormon Fundamentalism: The Generations After the Manifesto, Greg Kofford Books, ISBN 1-58958-035-4 .
• Quinn, D. Michael (1998), "Plural marriage and Mormon fundamentalism", Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 31 (2): 1–68, <http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/dialogue&CISOPTR=10335&REC=20>.
• Krakauer, Jon: Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith (July 15, 2003)
• Carolyn Jessop and Laura Palmer. Escape (book). Broadway Books, October 16 2007
• Van Wagoner, Richard S. Mormon Polygamy: A History
• "The Primer" - Helping Victims of Domestic Violence and Child Abuse in Polygamous Communities. A joint report from the offices of the Attorney Generals of Arizona and Utah.
• Van Wagoner, Richard S. (1999). Mormon Polygamy: A History. UK: Prometheus Books. ISBN -10: 0941214796. 

This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Jon Krakauer Jon Krakauer (born April 12, 1954), is an American non-fiction author and mountaineer, well-known for outdoor and mountain-climbing writing. ... Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith is an historical novel written by Jon Krakauer. ... The recently re-released Escape Escape is the 20th book in the Choose Your Own Adventure series, written by R.A. Montgomery. ...

External links

Wikinews has related news:

401 children from Texas sect compound taken into custody

Image File history File links WikiNews-Logo. ... Wikinews is a free-content news source and a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. ...

Official sites

• The Truth about the FLDS Faith
• Captive FLDS Children

Audio and video documents

• "Audio clips reveal FLDS leader's racist teachings", Success (text and audio)
• Banking on Heaven : a film exploring the FLDS Church
• Damned to heaven : documentary feature about Colorado City and FLDS Church

Media

• YFZ Ranch & FLDS Archive from The Eldorado Success
• FLDS El Dorado, Texas Current and archived aerial photographs of the community and new temple
• The Four Major Periods of Mormon Polygamy
• Rick Ross Institute Section
• [2]cnn right now on the issue

News articles

• MSNBC New Article 534 women, children leave polygamist ranch MSNBC (07 Apr 2008)
• Doughery, John. "Polygamy in Arizona: A New Times Special Report", Phoenix New Times, 2005.
• Egan, Timothy. "Polygamous Community Defies State Crackdown", New York Times, October 25, 2005.
• "Meet the New Neighbors", The Austin Chronicle, July 29, 2005
• "The lost boys, thrown out of US sect so that older men can marry more wives", The Guardian, June 14, 2005
• "Sect's secrets contained within compound walls". Dallas Morning News, February 18, 2006
• "FLDS temple appears complete". Deseret Morning News, Salt Lake City, January 31, 2006
• "Birth defect is plaguing children in FLDS towns". Deseret Morning News, Salt Lake City, February 9, 2006
• "Property Tax Dispute Threatens Band of Polygamists".New York Times, April 21, 2006
• "Jeffs on FBI's Top Ten". Deseret Morning News, Salt Lake City, May 7, 2006
• "Warren Jeffs waives extradition, will face rape charges in Utah". CourtTVnews.com, Las Vegas, August 31, 2006
• "Escape from Polygamy"
• Southern Poverty Law Center: In His Own Words; Intelligence Report (Spring 2005)
• Dougherty, John: Wanted: Armed and Dangerous; Phoenix New Times (10 Nov. 2005)
• [3] and [4]: Information on Utah Attorney General's Lawsuit against the United Effort Plan

Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ...

the Latter Day Saint movement

William Bickerton: The Church of Jesus Christ

Sidney Rigdon: "Rigdonites"

Granville Hedrick: The Church of Christ (Temple Lot)

Joseph Smith III: The Community of Christ

James Strang:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Brigham Young

The Fundamentalist Church of

Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Joseph Smith