FLDS Buy Retreats In Colorado
 
Reported by: Fields Moseley
KUTV 2News
CBS
An FLDS compound in Colorado

FLDS compound in Colorado.

Members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints have been accused of bigamy, forced marriage and the mistreatment of women and children. Their prophet, Warren Jeffs, sits in jail convicted of rape as an accomplice after the marriage of an underage girl.

Now, members have purchased at least eight properties in Colorado and some are occupied. After gaining notoriety on a national level with the raid on their Eldorado, Texas ranch, their new Colorado neighbors are suspicious.

"I think we just came here for a place of safety while this goes on, we're not going to settle here," said Margaret Jessop in from the ranch outside Westcliffe, Colorado.

Several women of all ages were washing large jars and paring fruit for canning recently in a large home at the ranch. But they insist that ranches like this are meant for widows and grandmothers to escape what’s been going on in Hildale-Colorado City on the Utah-Arizona border.

"We enjoyed it there until persecution, they just moved in."

Jessop is referring to the government control of the churches trust fund which holds title to most of the property in the two cities. Dozens of members from the FLDS Church poured out the federal courthouse in Salt Lake City Wednesday evening. The group made the five hour drive to try and stop lawyers from selling their church's property to pay legal fees. The land is meant for a temple.

"I'm only here to stop the sale of church property," one church member said.

"Our religion is based around Father in Heaven and that is his home," said another.

Back in Colorado, it’s unclear how much peace the FLDS members will get. Citizens have been meeting and trying to learn more about the sect. Custer County Sheriff Fred Jobe recently served a search warrant at the ranch.

"Yeah, because of their association, I mean it's not likely they come here by their selves," he said.
 
KUTV.com
Originally broadcast November 12, 2008
 
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