Rival polygamist leader to re-dedicate controversial monument located near core of Warren Jeffs' followers
 
By Brent Hunsaker
ABC 4 News
 
A historical marker to the Short Creek raid once briefly stood in Colorado City. Warren Jeffs, leader of the largest polygamist group in the United States, ordered it destroyed and the pieces scattered among the red cliffs above the polygamist community on the Utah-Arizona border. Now, a rival to Jeffs wants to replace the marker that was destroyed. He also wants to put a thorn back in Jeffs' side.

The rival is Winston Blackmore. Blackmore was once known among the FLDS as "The Bishop of Bountiful". He presided over the 2nd largest FLDS community of Bountiful, British Columbia - just across the Canadian border from Idaho. But he was kicked out of the Church in the late 90's and is now one of Warren's most powerful and vocal opponents.

He says the monument he will dedicate in a park in Colorado City is simply to remind the people of the raid conducted by Arizona law enforcement in 1953. But observers see it as an open challenge to Warren's leadership in the heart of what remains the largest single concentration of "Warrenites".

Although some who rejected Warren Jeffs as their prophet are returning to Colorado City and Hildale, the vast majority remains loyal to Jeffs.

There are concerns that the monument's dedication could spark a confrontation. But Gary Engels, the special investigator for the Mohave County Attorney, downplays those concerns. More likely, he says Warren's followers will wait until dark and then will destroy the new monument just as they did the old.

But all this is coming at a time when the pressure from both without and within is being ratcheted up on the FLDS community. Local and federal law enforcement continue the manhunt for Jeffs, who is on the FBI's 10 most wanted list. A federal grand jury in Phoenix has jailed at least 5 prominent members of the polygamist group for refusing to answer their questions. Mohave County, Arizona is prosecuting 7 Colorado City men for entering into forced, polygamist marriages with underage girls - 1 was convicted earlier this month.

What's more, Jeffs continues to use the threat of expulsion to extort money and loyalty from his followers. Some sources say his run from authorities is being financed with nearly $2,000,000 a month in "tithes and offerings." Despite a poor track record, Warren Jeffs continues to routinely predict the end of the world. The latest prediction appears to put the end on or before April 2007. Beyond that, polygamists outside Warren Jeffs' circle have been getting "goodbye's" from relatives still faithful to him. Those relatives, while being short on specifics, have said "the end (of the world) is near" and they expect to give their lives for the prophet.

If nothing else, the Short Creek monument will be a reminder to the people of Colorado City of their shared past and perhaps also a reminder of how Warren has worked to wipe away all references to that past.

brent@abc4.com
 
ABC4.com
Originally published July 26, 2006
 
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