these findings into what is today known as the Book of Mormon.
He organized and formed churches, feeling that God chose him to revivify Christianity to its true form of practice. Many people outside of our faith do not realize that Jesus came to the Americas after His resurrection.
In the early 1930’s, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints grew concerned with some of the tenets detailed in their Book of Mormon. They worked to distance themselves from a growing public concern around one of their core beliefs: polygamy. If I had to describe polygamy in two words I would probably use: plural and marriage .
What many people refer to as polygamy, we simply call the principle .
In the mid-‘30’s, the church had officially renounced the principle. In an attempt to assure followers also abided by this change in opinion, the church required members to sign an oath abandoning their belief in plural marriage. Failure to do so resulted in excommunication from the church.
The new stance on an old doctrine created a huge divide amongst believers. There was outrage for many who considered questioning the doctrine outright sacrilege. People began refuting this blasphemy; people including my Great-Grandfather.
My Great-Grandfather and a small sect of others began listening to a self-proclaimed prophet named Waynard Quinn. If I had to describe Waynard in two words I would probably use: Verdell’s and dad .
Waynard Quinn told the group he had received a revelation from God. God was very upset, as Waynard would explain, condemning those who had renounced polygamy. God asked Waynard to spread the word that plural marriage was not to cease.
My Great-Grandfather and the others believed Waynard’s testimony to be true. With this new revelation, the group now knew the only way to true salvation would be to leave the church and continue living the fundamental values of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The group bought land in Kanab, Utah, in an attempt to remove themselves from the rest of the world. Considered one of most isolated cities in the United States, Kanab is cut-off from the East by the Colorado River, and provided the seclusion desired. We were nestled between majestic red cliffs and sand dunes. This is where our family still resides today.
Waynard Quinn, my Great-Grandfather, and the others established their own church, Brethren of the Last Days. They committed themselves to living the true righteous life as outlined in the Book of Mormon. Many people found truth in this commitment to the word and made their way to Kanab.
Brethren of the Last Days used the old church program known as the United Order to get as much land in Kanab as possible. If I had to describe the United Order in two words I would probably use: American and Communism .
In 1831, with his church struggling and nearly bankrupt, Joseph Smith claimed to have received a revelation detailing the Law of Consecration. The Law of Consecration would later become the backbone of the United Order. According to the Law of Consecration, each church member was to impart their land and money to the church. The deed of each property was now to be in the church’s name. The church would then assign each member enough property as deemed sufficient.
As people found their way to the group through the early years, all of their assets would be turned over and sold, with all proceeds going to the church. More and more acreage was purchased at each opportunity.
Once our self-made society was large enough we no longer allowed outsiders to join. We would build our congregation from the inside through childbirth, gaining members who had never been tainted by the outside world.
Our group, Brethren of the Last Days, practices both plural and placement marriage. The doctrine states that a man having multiple wives is ordained by God. It is a requirement in order for a man to receive the highest form of salvation. Most of the men in our group have at