Both Brower and Doran said they weren't sure if the church dedicated the temple Wednesday.

Brower was at the compound early Wednesday morning and said people were inside the temple, but the drapes on the windows blocked his view. The private investigator used night vision goggles to keep watch of the early-morning events.

"They had spotlights scanning the property, so there were things going on at midnight, 1 o'clock in the morning, but what that was, I don't know," Brower said.

Work at the compound came to halt Wednesday as residents prayed to honor the 175th anniversary of the LDS Church.

"This is a day that is a holy day for them, a day of prayer," Doran said. "They've shut down construction. Other than that, it's just another day at the ranch."

Members of the FLDS church annually celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the mainstream LDS Church on April 6. The FLDS church boasts some 6,000-10,000 members — most whom live in the twin towns of Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Ariz.

The sect split off from the Mormon church in 1890 when the mainstream church outlawed polygamy. Members of the FLDS church openly practice the lifestyle today.

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E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com