Posted on 12/06/2011 10:20:11 AM PST by greyfoxx39
SALT LAKE CITY — A new crackdown on followers of Warren Jeffs by his own lieutenants, and a ban on such everyday items as children's toys, have triggered turmoil in the FLDS community. Former members of the group say a large-scale purge is underway in the twin towns of Colorado City, Arizona and Hildale, Utah. Many followers of the imprisoned polygamist leader are being forced out and many others are said to be leaving voluntarily because they're disturbed by what's going on. "A lot of people are scared; a lot of people are just getting tired," said Isaac Wyler, a former member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. "With the numbers of people that are being kicked out right now, yeah, I'd say it's a purge."
With the numbers of people that are being kicked out right now, yeah, I'd say it's a purge,
Among the new edicts, according to Wyler, is a ban children's toys. "Also," Wyler said, "they have been told to get rid of their bicycles and trampolines."
Observers say it's part of a program to cleanse and purify FLDS members, with a deadline of Dec. 31. FLDS faithful reportedly have to profess their loyalty to Jeffs and to show they're obeying his moral edicts. If they don't do so by the end of the year, they're out.
Attempts to reach FLDS leaders for a statement were unsuccessful. One person who has acted as an FLDS spokesman in the past said he believes the leaders would have no comment on the new developments.
Convicted child-rapist Warren Jeffs is reportedly still pulling the strings from his prison cell in Texas. Former members say his edicts are passed on through phone calls to FLDS leaders. His brother, Lyle Jeffs, appears to be the most powerful FLDS leader outside of prison.
Tensions are on the rise, according to private investigator Sam Brower who has tracked the group's activities for years. "I think Warren's getting them wound up pretty tight," Brower said. "I worry now more than I ever have before."
More than 100 used bikes are for sale at a business alongside the highway in the FLDS community. Brower said he knows an ousted FLDS member who tried to give bicycles as gifts to his estranged children who are living with their mother under FLDS control. "He brought brand new bicycles to his kids," Brower said, "An hour later they were in the dumpster."
They've completely banned Internet from Colorado City. They don't talk to anybody on the outside unless it's for business.
Former member Carlos Holm, who has numerous relatives in the group, said many FLDS members are quitting or expecting to be forced out by Dec. 31. Holm said FLDS leaders are cracking down on entertainment and outside sources of information, enforcing bans on DVD movies, news media content and the like.
He also said FLDS members were ordered to make a list of their personal possessions. "And they're supposed to write down everything they had," Holm said, "every last item in their house — from a dish-cloth to every butter knife — everything they owned. And if they owned any movies they were supposed to write that too. But they'd obviously lie about it so they wouldn't be kicked out."
FLDS families have been told to turn over $5,000 to the church, Brower said, and all members have been told they must be re-baptized by Dec. 31.
Wyler said members are required to profess their loyalty to Jeffs in personal interrogations by the end of the year. "They're going to ask them if they believe that Warren Jeffs is the prophet of God and will they obey him 100 percent, and things like that," Wyler said.
Interrogations have been so intense, focusing on intimate sexual matters, that many are quitting before they're kicked out, Wyler said. "They're just leaving. They're just saying the questions they ask are way too personal and they feel violated when they're done," he said.
He believes by the end of the year, hundreds will have quit or been kicked out. Typically, departing members leave behind fractured families because church leaders reassign their wives and children to faithful FLDS members. The disruption of family life could put FLDS leaders in danger, according to Holm.
"There will be violence," Holm said, "because people have been, their whole entire life has been completely destroyed by Warren Jeffs."
They're having meetings every day. (Warren Jeffs is) backing them against the wall.
Wyler and Brower said the bans on toys and bicycles stems from printed declarations by Jeffs. He has taught that children should not be encouraged to play but should be put to work and, in the case of girls, be turned into mothers. "His purpose is to take all the joy out of life," Brower said.
Wyler said a ban on toys is not a surprise, since similar bans have been in effect for years at the FLDS ranch in Texas. "They'll do anything in a cult," Wyler said. "To me, it's a cult. And the more control they gain over the people the more cultish it becomes."
Brower also worries increasing pressure by Jeffs on his own followers is a sign of a dangerous tendency. "They're having meetings every day. He's backing them against the wall," Brower said, comparing Jeffs to such notorious religious leaders as David Koresh and Rev. Jim Jones.
"It's getting really weird," Brower said. "The rabid 'Warren-ites' are taking over."
On Monday, Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff received a mailing of purported revelations from Jeffs. The writings claim that God wants imprisoned polygamists released. They also predict death and destruction to countries that don't "cleanse" themselves, including the United States.
Brower said he has information that three truckloads of "revelations" were mailed last week from Colorado City, presumably copies of the documents received by Shurtleff.
True. He'll be asked WHY he does NOT have more than one wife.
"Now if any of you will deny the plurality of wives, and continue to do so, I promise that you will be damned; and I will go still further and say, take this revelation, or any other revelation that the Lord has given, and deny it in your feelings, and I promise that you will be damned.- Brigham Young in JoD 3:266 (July 14, 1855)
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Temple Recommend Questions
1 Do you have faith in and a testimony of God the Eternal Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost? 2 Do you have a testimony of the Atonement of Christ and of His role as Savior and Redeemer? 3 Do you have a testimony of the restoration of the gospel in these the latter days? 4 Do you sustain the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the Prophet, Seer, and Revelator and as the only person on the earth who possesses and is authorized to exercise all priesthood keys? Do you sustain members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators? Do you sustain the other General Authorities and local authorities of the Church? 5 Do you live the law of chastity? 6 Is there anything in your conduct relating to members of your family that is not in harmony with the teachings of the Church? 7 Do you support, affiliate with, or agree with any group or individual whose teachings or practices are contrary to or oppose those accepted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? 8 Do you strive to keep the covenants you have made, to attend your sacrament and other meetings, and to keep your life in harmony with the laws and commandments of the gospel? 9 Are you honest in your dealings with your fellowmen? 10 Are you a full-tithe payer? 11 Do you keep the Word of Wisdom? 12 Do you have financial or other obligations to a former spouse or children? If yes, are you current in meeting those obligations? 13 If you have previously received your temple endowment: Do you keep the covenants that you made in the temple? Do you wear the garment both night and day as instructed in the endowment and in accordance with the covenant you made in the temple? 14 Have there been any sins or misdeeds in your life that should have been resolved with priesthood authorities but have not been? 15 Do you consider yourself worthy to enter the Lord's house and participate in temple ordinances? |
Marge, Nicky, Margie, and Ana.
;)
Barb, Nicky, Margie, and Ana.
;)
Then fLDS member Wee Willie Mitty better drop out now ...
Cause for sure it will be unfair to the other candidates who have to put up with lies told about them...
While Willie Mitty gets the truth told on him...
This is his religion...
What he believes in ...
“Folla da profit”
With the call for re-baptism, this is the same sort of ‘cleansing’ that Brigham Young did in Utah in the 1860’s. There was blood then as well, but that time it was limited to those who wouldn’t obey. This time I suspect the deaths will be on both sides.
Mormon history repeats itself.
I check the Joseph Smith Translation and the wording is the same as the KJV but the numbering is different. Here is a link for you.
http://www.centerplace.org/hs/iv/iv-mat.htm
But Mormon ‘nutbars’ like Jeffs are the ones who are actually FOLLOWING the teachings of their church. It is the SLC ‘mormons’ who are the heretics in Mormonism.
Not unfairly at all. These groups come from the same root as SLC LDS and are the ones following ALL of Joseph Smith’s teachings. Mormonism, by its very nature cannot allow for reformation since to do so would be to claim Smith was a false prophet and did not ‘restore’ anything.
FLDS in short is True Mormonism.
I actually liked that show. MrR couldn’t stand it.
I actually liked that show. MrR couldn’t stand it.
Have a snippet where the JST and the KJV are compared...
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Color coding explanation:
Added stuff... Changed stuff... Rearranged stuff... Removed stuff...
*(UNDERLINED stuff is the DISTRACTING reference on every tenth word or so that infuses LDS 'scripture' online.)
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Thanks, Els. BTW SD is going nuts over on the Smithmas threads.
Are there still Warren Jeffs apologists hanging around here? I thought they’d be ashamed by now.
I liked it. Haven’t seen season 5 yet though.
I liked it. Haven’t seen season 5 yet though.
I haven’t seen Season 5 yet either. I’m waiting for my Sister in law to buy the DVDs of it so I can borrow them.
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