So, here's the current situation facing FLDS Church members (Imagine if they were LDS Church members and dealing with the same reality):

Jeffs is headed to prison for life, summarily found guilty of serious crimes by a non-FLDS jury, thanks to a justice system which Jeffs declares is in fundamental violation of God's law.

Given Jeffs' conviction, how do you think the FLDS faithful will react?

And, if Warren Jeffs was Joseph Smith, how do you think the LDS faithful would react?
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From a news story in the Arizona Republic, "Jeffs Gets Life; Sect’s Future in Question," 10 August 2011:

BACKGROUND

"Hours after fundamentalist-church leader Warren Jeffs was sentenced to life in prison by a Texas jury on Tuesday, experts offered conflicting views of what will become of his sect and its polygamist commune along the Arizona-Utah border.

"Some former sect members say Jeffs will remain in charge from behind bars, while others familiar with the religious group predict a turnover in leadership as followers learn details of the criminal case and conviction.

"Jeffs, known as the 'president and prophet, seer and revelator' of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, stood silent as the maximum sentence was read after less than a half-hour of deliberation.

"The 55-year-old leader was found guilty last week of sexual assault against two underage girls he took as brides."
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OPINION #1: Members of the Church Will Ignore Jeffs Conviction and Continue to Regard Him as God's Prophet

"Isaac Wyler, a former member of the sect who still lives in Colorado City, Ariz., said there was no immediate reaction in the polygamist outpost.

“'I just drove through town, and not one word from the FLDS,' he said Tuesday morning. 'It’s like it hasn’t happened.'

"Wyler predicted that Jeffs, who has overseen the church from jail for the past five years, will maintain his authority despite the conviction and sentence.

“'He will definitely remain as prophet behind bars,' Wyler said. 'And they (subordinates) will be telling everybody that God’s going to tear the prison down and let him loose. When that doesn’t happen, they’ll say it’s because they (church members) lacked faith.'"
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OPINION #2: Jeffs is a Fallen Prophet, Irretrievably Toasted in the Eyes of His Followers

Ken Driggs, a Georgia attorney who wrote a thesis on Colorado City’s history and befriended polygamous families in the town, . . . said [FLDS] church underlings are aware of devastating evidence presented against Jeffs during trial and a new order of leadership is likely to arise.

“'It was bad, bad stuff. Just vile,' Driggs said. 'I just think Warren is tainted in a way now that he will never come back with the influence he had.'. . .

". . . Driggs said Jeffs has excommunicated many members and admitted at one point while in jail that he was a false prophet. He predicted that members will find new leadership. 'He’s driven a wedge between a lot of the people and himself,' Driggs said. 'They still consider themselves fateful people. But they realize there is a new reality.'"
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OPINION #3: Jeffs Will Not Be Exposed by New Church Leadership Bent on Maintaining Power

"Roger Hoole, a Utah attorney who has fought a series of legal battles against the sect, said Jeffs bans followers from use of news media and the Internet, where they might learn the truth about his crimes. He said the question now is whether underlings will inform the members about what happened in court.

“'Are they going to come clean and expose Warren Jeffs for what he really is?” Hoole said. “I don’t think so. These leaders want to maintain control. I mean, it’s all been control of money and sex.'"
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OPINION #4: Jeffs Got a Raw Deal

"Michael Piccarreta, a Tucson attorney who represented Jeffs against the charges in Arizona, said the outcome in Texas is a miscarriage of justice because searches were conducted unlawfully and Jeffs was forced to represent himself.

“'It’s an old-fashion, Texas-style lynching,' he said. 'If you deny an individual a lawyer of his choice, the result is predictable.'

"Over six months, Jeffs fired seven attorneys, each time asking the court for a delay to hire a new one. He fired the last one as opening statements were set to begin. When the judge refused to delay the trial, Jeffs acted as his own attorney but called only one defense witness, a church member who read scripture.
'
“He wasn’t going to get a fair shake in rural west Texas,' Piccarreta said. 'They wanted a quick trial, and they weren’t going to wait around for him.'"

http://tucsoncitizen.com/arizona-news/2011/08/10/jeffs-gets-life-sects-future-in-question/
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My take? (for what it's worth): Opinions #1 and #4

As the freakish phenomenon of the true-believing Mormon amply demonstrates, nothing fazes the blindly devoted.

I suspect that if it was a convicted child rapist Joseph Smith who was in prison, faithful Mormons would be:

--singing "Praise to the Man;"

--claiming persecution of Smith (and them) at the hands of the godless Gentiles;

--sending Smith fan mail;

--praying for Smith's miracle release;

--plotting Smith's prison break; and/or

--hoping for the death of those who had sent Smith to the pokey for life. (Remember the Oath of Vengeance in the LDS temple ceremony targeting the persecutors of the prophets?)


What say ye?



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2011 07:28PM by steve benson.

#2, I agree. It will not be in the best interest of the group to keep him as their P S & R. They will likely distance themselves from it and rationalize distancing from it. They don't need more scrutiny directed toward their group. If they want to stay a group they need someone who is more low profile; (maybe someone with only 10 wives all over 18). They may be brainwashed but they have some business sense or they would not exist. I believe there are those out there trying to get Jeffs off as their corporations president, William Jessop for one. It was met with opposition, but eventually I bet Jeffs is removed by a prominent member. They must know their ways need re-evaluation.

http://www.kcsg.com/view/full_story/14936854/article-Utah-Commerce-Decision-Looms-in-Polygamous-Church-s-Presidency-Dispute-?

An opportunist from the group will arise and take over- like BY did when JS disappeared.

and cry persecution.

Goodness they don't even care that he married 14 year olds, asked for other mens wives, married other mens wives, lied to Emma, Lied to the church members,joined the Masons, ordered destruction of printing presses, blasted gunshots in Carthage, gave them Masonic Style Temple throat slitting oaths of obedience and all the rest of it.

Mormonism is all about Joseph. Oh Joseph!

I watched the LDS movie Prophet of Restoration. I knew it was going to be BS! I spent two years studying church manuals which were equally deceptive.

It was pure propoganda designed to mislead it's viewers and create a totally false emotional attachment to the cult and keep them in a delusion and Fraud.

Those who wrote and produced it knew exactly what they were going to omit and manipulate for the purpose of deception.

The whole Church Educational System is deceptive. How can they all look each other in the eye and keep a straight face?

Quick thought... Terrorist that are not allowed to have prison contact with other terrroist an continue to run cells outside while they serve in prison. Polygamy is against the law, and to have a prisoner continue to run the reacket should be illegal....

I wish they would intercept and prevent any of his efforts to continue running his racket.

He shouldn't be allowed to continue giving direction given what he has done.

He would have to tell messengers what he wants them to do. The messengers would probably be too dumb to realize they don't have to obey. Only the trusted followers would be directed to use media lest they learn what else is going on in the world.

I know, I'm dreaming if I think he will actually be cut off. He will have the internet, phones, and everything else at his disposal. I wish they could silence him in jail.

Joseph/Warren is also a man and made a man's mistakes. It's in the PAST. We thank thee O God for a prophet. Praise to the man! Honey, go get the prophet another virgin.

http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,266988,267144#msg-267144

"Jeffs regains leadership of FLDS church in decision by Utah Department of Commerce"

Article by: JENNIFER DOBNER , Associated Press Updated: August 3, 2011
http://www.startribune.com/nation/126738648.html

Some of this article:

"In April, William E. Jessop filed papers with the state ousting Jeffs as president of the corporations that make up the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

A tug of war began when Jeffs loyalists filed a counterclaim, saying Jessop was not a member of the church.

Two legal entities form the church — the Corporation of the Presiding Bishop, which holds business and property assets, and the Corporation of the President, a separate entity embodied by the faith's religious leader who is considered a prophet.

Jessop filed papers to remove Jeffs from both offices. But commerce officials in May said the former church bishop had failed to prove he had the right to do that.

In a split ruling, the agency said it would continue to recognize Jeffs as the Corporation of the Presiding Bishop office holder."

And:

"Affidavits filed with the commerce department claim that more than 4,000 church members have sworn their allegiance to Jeffs by a show of hands during an April church meeting. Despite his incarceration in Texas, Jeffs has continued to speak by phone weekly to followers gathered at a church meeting house in Colorado City, Ariz., one of two towns on the Utah-Arizona border where most FLDS members live."

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/2011 11:46PM by atheist&happy:-).

I think FLD$ are more indoctrinated, and less likely to leave. I do not know much about them, but do know they are all about power, and money, and exploitation of women, and children, and an imprisoned profit has little power. Surely there are many opportunists around like BY who want his empire.

I think if JS were convicted today, a lot of people would do what they always do with these cases: blame the victims, say the "good man" got a bad deal, along with that special LD$ spin of: the government aka "the world" is corrupt, cries of persecution, etc. The real fanatics would cling no matter what, trying to be valiant in spite of all evidence, citing that many would fall away in the last days.

If mainstream Mormons can't deal with Joseph Smith's "unrighteous dominion" - abusing his prophet status to have sex with young girls--how would Mormons of a more extreme cult deal with *their* current prophet's doing it?

Won't happen.

The good news is that the rest of the of the world is all the wiser, now. A MORMON extremist cult is still a MORMON cult!

Maybe FLDS will hire someone in prison to knock Jeffs off then call it martyrdom.