From Deseret News archives:

FLDS sect may splinter now that Jeffs is in prison

Published: Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007 12:06 a.m. MST
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
audio

 Audio link (1.8MB .mp3)

 Audio link (2.2MB .mp3)

Calls made by Warren Jeffs.

The Fundamentalist LDS Church could be in for a leadership shake-up — or it may splinter now that polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs is in prison, the attorney generals of Arizona and Utah say.

"It's awfully hard to have a leader in prison," Terry Goddard said in an interview with the Deseret Morning News.

Goddard was in Park City this past week for the conference of the National Association of Attorneys General. In the interview, he weighed in on Jeffs' recent sentence.

Story continues below
Jeffs was convicted of first-degree felony rape as an accomplice and sentenced to two terms of five-years-to-life in the Utah State Prison for performing a marriage between a 14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old cousin. His attorneys have said they will appeal.

The FLDS leader is facing similar charges in Arizona, and a federal grand jury has indicted him for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution stemming from his time on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list.

Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said there may be a split within the ranks of the closed polygamous society.

"I've heard from members of the FLDS Church who are standing by him 100 percent," Shurtleff said. "(They are) telling me how wrong we are, how godly a man he is and how we don't know the true Warren Jeffs."

Others are beginning to waver.

"We've heard there are a number who are hedging their bets and looking to the new potential leader," he said, adding that there may be divisions within FLDS enclaves scattered across the West and in Canada.

Goddard said he expects a challenge to Jeffs' leadership, especially since the FLDS leader renounced his role as "prophet" in a series of jailhouse conversations that were recorded.

Tape recordings

The Washington County Attorney's Office also has released 10 recorded telephone conversations in response to a records request by the Deseret Morning News.

Recent comments

I don't follow Jeffs and I feel that what he did was wrong. But I...

Repeating Times | Dec. 3, 2007 at 11:22 p.m.

These guys all need to be put in prison if they are going to break...

BAD GUY | Dec. 2, 2007 at 9:22 p.m.

previousnext

Latest comments

watch out for next year for sure, the negatives are just closet (and...

And something else, I generally follow players from the state schools when...

I could care less that Max Hall said what he did. The feeling is mutual BYU...

BYU is champion of the state

Dear Max, probably could have done without that comment. Probably would've...

Hall mouths off about hate of Utah

As a Utah fan, let me first say congratulations to Max Hall, the Cougars, and...

Geno's and Pat's are good.. but, they are mostly for tourists, the real...

Hall mouths off about hate of Utah

(You even got a middle initial... how's that for 'ya Max) It's nice to see...

Air Up There, The

Even today, I still cannot get enough of this movie or Charles Gitonga Maina....

Cougars beat Utes in overtime

...disappointed with Max Hall's comments that he hates everything about UofU....

Over the last few days I read comments of people complaining about tasteless...

Advertisements