Some family members say Murray's plan to close the mine is his way of avoiding potentially critical investigations. In a written statement, the family of a trapped miner said: "Bob Murray is trying to quit searching for miners and wants to shut the mine down as soon as possible. He wants to close the mine forever and make it so that it will never be accessed again. It is all part of his plan to keep an investigation away from his mine."

The family members asked the Deseret Morning News not to use their names. Relations between the outspoken mine owner and the families have deteriorated since Monday night, when family members say Murray bluntly told them their loved ones were likely dead and that their bodies wouldn't be recovered.

"He very aggressively told the families to give up," according to the statement, "that we might as well stop thinking we could pressure him to recover the bodies dead or alive because he changed his mind."

Murray said Wednesday he does not know how to appease the families.

"It's going to take the Lord, and it's going to take humans a lot better than I am to help them find closure," he said.

The local United Mine Workers of America said the families have signed forms consenting to allow the union to represent the six trapped miners in any discussions of rescue or recovery efforts.

"It gives them an equal voice in any decision-making," said Mike Dalpiaz of the local coal miners union in Price.

Under the federal MINER Act, miners can have a representative in discussions. Dalpiaz said since the miners were trapped and unable to speak for themselves, their families did.

"I don't think they've had a voice in what's happened to this point," Dalpiaz said of the families. "All they've heard is a script told to them by Murray."

"Bring them home"

Ruth Dunn stood by the creek this morning, reading from her well-worn scriptures. She drove 2,100 miles to pray before the mountain.

"We're expecting a miracle," she said. "We know our trip was not in vain."

Her son, Daniel, raised a ram's horn and blew into it, projecting the sound toward the mine.

"Hallelujah," Dunn said.

For days, the Dunns watched the tragedy unfold on the news. Then, compelled to be here by God, they said, the family drove from South Carolina to Utah where they have spent the past three days on the road outside the mine, praying and hoping for a miracle.

"This is just a show of Father's loving kindness," Michael Dunn said. "He sent us here just to show His kindness."