Warren Jeffs Resumes Control of FLDS Church, Files Documents to Reclaim Leadership

Warren Jeffs has resumed control of the Fundamentalist LDS Church, according to recently filed documents. Wendell Nielsen, 70, resigned as president of the church on January 28, marking a significant shift in leadership. Sources familiar with the situation report that Jeffs has initiated an extensive purging within the organization.

Residents of Hildale and Colorado City say as many as 30-35 members of the FLDS Church have been asked to leave. In a separate document filed on February 15, Jeffs stated he had “been called and sustained as the president” of the Utah-based church, asserting his role as the corporation sole of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Nielsen, who had served as president since January 2010, was named to the position following legal paperwork that clarified his authority over church business and legal dealings. At the time, attorney Rod Parker noted that the paperwork was a formal process to establish Nielsen’s leadership.

Jeffs resigned as president of the church corporation on December 4, 2007, shortly after being convicted of rape as an accomplice. The Utah Supreme Court later overturned this conviction. During his incarceration, Jeffs was reportedly overseeing church affairs from behind bars, as evidenced by documents and videotapes from his court proceedings.

Although church members have not detailed Jeffs’ role since then, indications suggest he has remained the spiritual leader or prophet of the FLDS. The transition of leadership within the FLDS corporation is part of broader changes within the polygamous community.

People familiar with the situation in the FLDS towns of Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, say Jeffs has removed between 30 to 35 male church members. Former member Issac Wiler, who was removed from the FLDS Church in 2004 by Jeffs, indicated that more members may have been affected, though specifics remain unclear.

Source: Read the original report