From Hunting Ground To Polygamist Ranch

The Yearning For Zion Polygamist Ranch Was Supposed To Be Corporate Hunting Retreat

(AP)  The guy didn't look much like a hunter. He was beanpole tall - scarecrow-ish, some might say, with a high, collegiate forehead and a reluctant handshake. Even in a pearl-snap shirt and jeans, this cowboy somehow seemed better suited for a college lecture hall than a saddle.

Still, he wanted land - lots of it - for a corporate hunting retreat. Said he might build a lodge, to entice some big-roller clients of his in Vegas. North of town, the old Isaacs ranch - rocky and dotted as it was with rusty oil rigs, cactus and gnarled mesquite trees - caught his eye. It was plenty cheap, he said, and plenty remote.

But it didn't take long for the sheriff and everyone else in Schleicher County to figure out that their new neighbor, David S. Allred, president of YFZ Land, LLC, had much more on his mind than the hunting of whitetail.

After the closing in November 2003, dozens of Allred's associates arrived to make improvements on the property. Sunday to Sunday, day and night they toiled, completing three, three-story houses - each 10,000 square feet - within weeks. Soon, a cement plant shot up. Then fields of limestone were miraculously plowed into fertile farmland. And then, a superstructure unseen in these parts - a temple, masterfully clad with limestone quarried onsite - ascended into the west Texas sky.

And that, as it happened, was only the beginning.

The YFZ Ranch - which, as the townspeople would come to learn, stood for Yearning for Zion - would mushroom into a bustling, parallel city: a 1,691-acre, self-sustaining enclave carved, literally, into a rock pile for the innermost circle of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints, FLDS, a 10,000-member sect that has continued to practice polygamy after it was banned by the Mormon Church in 1890.

Here, there would be enormous dormitories for enormous families, a cheese factory, a medical clinic, a grain silo, a commissary, a sewage treatment plant - and watchtowers with sentries, infrared night-vision cameras to monitor gated entrances, and 10-foot-high compound walls topped with spikes.

There would evolve a saga of "plural marriages," racism, underage "celestial" brides and allegations of child abuse, turning Eldorado upside down with frightening tales, rumors, and a flood of reporters and investigators. A raid on the polygamists' compound - the largest of its kind in more than a half century in the West, involving hundreds of law enforcement agents - would lead to the removal of 416 children and set up a child custody confrontation of unprecedented dimensions.

The episode would also fire up debate in the courts, and in this community of 1,951 residents, over the state's duty to protect children from alleged abuse and over the limits of basic constitutional rights like religious liberty and freedom from unreasonable search and seizure.

In the end, the residents of Eldorado would lose a measure of their rural innocence and find themselves conflicted, caught between their love of traditional, family values and their powerful, west Texas beliefs in civil liberties.

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On a chilly evening in January 2004, J.D. Doyle, a pilot, and his father, James, the local justice of the peace, climbed into their Piper twin-engine plane and took to the skies over Schleicher County to see if recent rains had greened the grazing fields owned by friends who were cattle ranchers.

But as they flew over the YFZ property four miles north of Eldorado, they noticed something different: Down below, jutting up between scatterings of cedar bushes and outcroppings of limestone, were three, enormous, cabin-style barracks with enough room to accommodate two football teams.

What were those doing on a hunting retreat?

Later, they asked a friend, Joe Christian, a computer tech who lived adjacent to the YFZ ranch, what he made of it. Christian hadn't a clue, actually. His new neighbors had been reclusive, leaving him to puzzle over all that nonstop building. We should take some aerial photographs, he suggested; the Doyles agreed.

The photos intrigued Randy and Kathy Mankin, who published the town's weekly paper, The Eldorado Success, so they did a background check on the buyer, Allred. Initially, they saw no red flags: He was, as he'd claimed, a builder from Washington County, Utah. Still, why build such large residences on so remote a ranch?

Then, in late March, the paper got a call from Flora Jessop, an anti-polygamy activist from Utah who'd been raised in the FLDS and who, as a teenager, had run away from the sect. A polygamist group, she'd been told, was rumored to be establishing another enclave in west Texas.

In Mankin's mind, polygamy had already taken its place on history's ash heap. But the caller wouldn't stop asking questions. When Mankin finally relinquished the name of the buyer, he heard a silence on the line, then:

"Oh, my God ... it's them ... "

[gunownerdan]

SAVE OUR HUNTING LANDS!
For the sake of our children.

[beehive21-2009]

Lets us all dance , dance all over
the Bill of rights and The Constitution of the United States of America,dumb donkeys in Texas, are a National disgrace.Hope you all have lots of $$$$$$$$$ you have just made the perverts as you call them millionaires.Why ? ,cause you violated the rights that were all guaranteed ,Sorry idiots,don''t mess with the citizens of the USA .

[cpaide]

ha, and there is still NOTHING good proof and evidence of ANYTHING of this allegations made by the KLK (krazy lesbians kult) social workers, but clean good proof of this false police reports by that 30-year-old woman who is saying she is 16-year-old girl who is raped by nasty old mormans, but this 50-year-old man is living in arizona--not in texas! do not believe what this KLK is telling you!

[cpaide]

why you not arrest this filthy pope and put him in the rodeo arena in texas with the lustful old mormans men, and free this poor humble clean mormans womens and children?

[sincebyjake]

Just more of the same disregard for the law, individual civil rights, and religious freedom on the part of our government. They decide something might be bad (we can only guess what''''''''s going on there) ... make up an excuse to bring in the troops (the missing complainant Sarah) ... then justify your actions by demonizing them in the press to sway public opinion (expert testifies the sect is abusive). Our government lies to us (justify war with Iraq), ignores international law (torture terror detainees), ignores our own laws (illegal wiretaps), snubs their nose at congressional investigations (lying under oath), and who knows what else. Our government is out of control.


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Posted by cbsn9000 at 07:44 AM : Apr 19, 2008
+ report abuse

Don''t be a moron. There is no way you can honestly believe these people are doing no wrong. Did you even read the article? The fact that the guy who started this "ranch" lied in the first place about it''s purpose is a 100-foot wide red f-u-c-k-i-n-g flag posted up in front of the "temple". Just shoot yourself. Really.

[joyous88]

the people running this place are criminals

they just happen to be hiding behind a church

we have all seen it before

[mcvet]

Just more of the same disregard for the law, individual civil rights, and religious freedom on the part of our government. They decide something might be bad (we can only guess what''''s going on there) ... make up an excuse to bring in the troops (the missing complainant Sarah) ... then justify your actions by demonizing them in the press to sway public opinion (expert testifies the sect is abusive). Our government lies to us (justify war with Iraq), ignores international law (torture terror detainees), ignores our own laws (illegal wiretaps), snubs their nose at congressional investigations (lying under oath), and who knows what else. Our government is out of control.


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Posted by cbsn9000 at 07:44 AM : Apr 19, 2008
+ report abuse

Can I ask you what should have been done? A Girl calls the POLICE saying she''s being abused. The PEOPLE abusing them... well their LEADER is in PRISON for setting up the RAPE for minor Girl. The GROUP has a LONG history of such things and worse. Just what should the judge have done? Ignored the call? Waited until the Girl who is calling about abuse manages to escape? You FreakEvanglist are WORSE, do you folks out there here me? They are WORSE than the Taliban! Sieg Heil and Amen

[grumpas]

If they wanted to have plural wives most of us wouldn''t say much about it. I could care less what they do. But, when you get into underage girls, forcing young boys out of the flock because they are seen as a threat to old men''s reproducing, pregnant 13 year olds, girl''s who are only seen as owned livestock able to reproduce, children forced into marriage. Then it becomes a whole different ball of wax.

[tkarb40]

It is apalling to me how people break the laws of the land in the name of religion.

[joyous88]

Yet, we can say with certainity that any group that
isolates human beings from the outside world, be it
the catholics, the christian sects and cults that abound, or small little husbands that want to enslave their wives, any group or person that isolates human beings is up to no good, they are hiding their dirty
little secret and need to be found out.

[joyous88]

Now we are useing a moron like warren jeffs and U-Tube

for references - get real!

Just because it is on TV or the Internet or even in

your bible does not make it the truth or even real.

In fact during the Bush administration you have had

to learn to really very carefully vet all information

to weed out the propaga lies, and greed driven

evangelical misformation.

[cnjcc]

Just more of the same disregard for the law, individual civil rights, and religious freedom on the part of our government. They decide something might be bad (we can only guess what''s going on there) ... make up an excuse to bring in the troops (the missing complainant Sarah) ... then justify your actions by demonizing them in the press to sway public opinion (expert testifies the sect is abusive). Our government lies to us (justify war with Iraq), ignores international law (torture terror detainees), ignores our own laws (illegal wiretaps), snubs their nose at congressional investigations (lying under oath), and who knows what else. Our government is out of control.

[pfd572]

You can''t completely change the law for your purposes. When there is a suspicion of child abuse, especially when backed up with evidence, in this case obviously underage pregnant girls, the law states the child is to be removed from the abusive ''home'' and parents. Most of the mothers returned to the ranch, with the men who are the reported abusers. The moms are brain-washed enablers. They were abused and continued the abuse with their children. In these cases, the children are separated from both parents until or if the situation is unproven or resolved. Hopefully it won''t take as long as authorities fear and the children will be able to see their mothers. The cycle has to be broken. I applaud Texas for being another state, with Utah and Arizona, that finally took a stand against the alleged abuse. We have some negative experience with Jeffs and his leadership. It isn''t just human abuse, but even though the community has assets in the millions, woman were not allowed to name their children''s father so they could collect assistance from the state: food stamps, money, etc. Its widespread abuse.

[irliberal]

"From hunting ground to polygamist ranch". Hmm looks like some territory is just bound to be doomed. Figures it would be in Texas.

[excoachken]

Ironic that "claims" of child abuse and "sexual exploitation" led to the raid. I am glad the State of Texas did it, but I am curious why none of our states have ever raided even one of the Catholic Church''s where, at last count, thousands of boys and girls have been sexually abused by pedophiles masquerading as Priest''s. It seems to be the only business where criminal action can be avoided just because the "boss" has said he has handled it "in house." Are we supposed to believe that the problem "magically" disappears by writing a check to victims? Or, are we to rely on "Devine intervention" for those perps who seem to be "above" the law?

[wlmrtpatriot]

Another O supporter. Egads.

[wlmrtpatriot]

Reverend Wright was a racist too.

[wlmrtpatriot]

I didn''t believe this in the beginning. The media has played this as if were a circus, and yes, I thought it was another Waco. I don''t believe in people being burned alive,,,,I believe in due process. I know what the government can be capable of doing and in some cases people are totally "set up" at least that''s what I''ve read. One poster on this message board stated "Janet Reno had it right and she should have set a match to these freaks too."
Ms Reno, did some really insane things in her career, which I don''t agree with. She was under the Clinton adm. and the Clintons are shady themselves, but then people have come to expect that from their elected officials. For those who want to read something that is probably true google F-LDS Lost Boys.
In this case I see all these rich people, who have been raised in a total lie, a discouraging dark lie. I believe these young children should stay with their mothers.

[fincenmib]

Warren Jeffs Teachings on the Negro Race

Warren Jeffs Negro Race Part 1

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nSgZzTkYiz4

Part 2 http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=eVzQZm75Nco

part 3 http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=nXo8qNxUlCU

part 4 http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=L6TNp63ZCZ0

part 5 http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BSKHLbxkkec

part 6 http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=x7YI3Q6U4Bw

part 7 http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=8GUEpNbPxx4

Warren Jeffs Explains POLYGAMY

Warren Jeffs Explaining POLYGAMY

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fbudqrmFSDs

Warren Jeffs #2 Cont. on Polygamy

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=RkXA2JxGrJw

Warren Jeffs #3 Continued on Polygamy

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JWzXCdehMI4

Warren Jeffs Jail House Confession

Warren Jeffs Confession part 1

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9fePt8-VndY

Part 2 http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=MQoknKRBqhw

Part 3 http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=u4t1EpxEsvg