On the CD, Jeffs announces that he had been "immoral" with a sister and a daughter when he was 20, but does not elaborate. His defense attorneys have said the conversations were made at a time when Jeffs was suffering from medical and mental problems, and he has since recanted his renunciation as the FLDS prophet. In one conversation a follower asks: "Are you just giving us a test right now?"

The tapes also coincide with a suicide attempt Jeffs made while incarcerated.

In one conversation, Jeffs orders people to move homes and tells one of his wives, Naomi, that she will be given to someone else.

"You will need to be re-baptized and that you'll be given to Brother William. So will all the ladies," he said. "You heard the recording? Did you hear the recording I made?"

"Yes," Naomi Jeffs replies.

In another phone call, Jeffs speaks to the man he declared in one conversation to be the real prophet, William Jessop.

"I know of your ordination, that you are the key holder, and I sent a note with my signature verifying it so that there is no question, according to Section 43, although not valid," Jeffs said. "And all the work since father's passing has to be re-done. And there's many men that are sent away that do hold priesthood, and their families will need to be put back."

"Section 43" is a reference to the Doctrine and Covenants and makes reference to false claims of revelation. The FLDS Church is a breakaway sect from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"And then I say this to you, I am one of the most wicked men on the face of the Earth since the days of Father Adam," Jeffs said. "OK? Have you been able to hear me?"

"Yes, sir," Jessop said.

"Thank you and goodbye. You'll need to...."

"Good luck," Jessop replies.

"Thank you."

Ex-FLDS members have said those loyal to Jeffs will not believe the declarations or even pay attention to the tapes.

"A lot of people absolutely refuse to look at anything," said Isaac Wyler, who still lives in Colorado City, Ariz. "There's a few people that are questioning things."

In faithful followers' homes, portraits of Jeffs still hang on the walls, Wyler said. But so do pictures of Jessop and Wendell Nielsen, another FLDS leader.

Power center

Goddard does not believe this is the beginning of the end of the FLDS Church, but he said future leaders would not be able to exercise as much control over people's lives outside the faith.

"I do believe that between Shurtleff's office and mine, we've done a good job of taking away the non-religious aspects that used to be power centers for the prophet's position," he said.