To be or not to be a prophet
Last January, Warren S. Jeffs told family and select followers he had been ''deceived by the powers of evil'' and had never been the prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
The real prophet, Jeffs said, was William E. Jessop.
''Brother William E. Jessop has been the prophet since Father's passing, since the passing of my father,'' Jeffs told his brother Nephi during a jailhouse visit.
Jeffs also said his family was to be turned over to Jessop.
So who is William E. Jessop? Was Jeffs just having a mental breakdown, as his lawyers claim? Or is there a reason he said Jessop is the true FLDS prophet?
Here's what I've been told.
William E. Jessop is really William E. Timpson. His mother was Kathy Jessop, a daughter of Edson Jessop. She was married to Alma A. Timpson. Timpson helped found Centennial Park with Marion Hammon after a falling out with Leroy S. Johnson in the mid-1980s.
Kathy sided with her family, which stayed loyal to Johnson. She left Timpson and was placed with Fred Jessop, the FLDS bishop and big man about the twin towns.
William E. adopted his stepfather's last name. Several sources told me he is in his late 30s to mid-40s.
According to John Nielsen, a former FLDS member, William E. Jessop was supposed to be set apart as a counselor to Fred Jessop around 2002 by then-prophet Rulon T. Jeffs.
Here's where the story gets interesting.
Rulon T. Jeffs had been waylaid by several strokes and was in poor health by then; he died in September 2002. He had, apparently, taught that people impaired by strokes couldn't give ordinations, a position that could be traced back to the whole affair with Joseph Musser and Rulon Allred. Musser was disabled by a stroke when he appointed Rulon Allred to the fundamentalist's priesthood council, which other members opposed.
The result: the split that led to the creation of the Apostolic United Brethren.
So here is Rulon T. Jeffs, in a similar condition, giving an ordination to William E. Jessop. According to Nielsen, Rulon T. Jeffs slipped up and gave Jessop the whole package, including an apostleship.
''It was kept quiet,'' Nielsen said. ''They hushed that up. Not many people knew about that.
''It wasn't intended and they probably told him you didn't get all that, but at the end of the day Warren Jeffs sits in prison and he isn't being sustained in anything and he knows he never had what he had.''
A similar mix-up happened with Richard Blackmore, Nielsen said. He was supposed to be set apart as a bishop, but Rulon T. Jeffs gave him additional callings.
Richard Holm, another ex-FLDS member, told me the Richard Blackmore story, too. He heard it directly from Blackmore. Richard Blackmore, who lives in Canada, was called in 2001 and told to drive to the twin towns to meet with Rulon Jeffs. He arrived 20 hours later and Rulon T. Jeffs immediately ordained him, giving him the bishop's title and all the other callings, too.
Warren later told Richard Blackmore to ''Forget everything else, except the bishop. You've got nothing else, so don't worry about all this other stuff.'' At least, that is what Holm says.
William E. Jessop served as Fred's assistant and then, after Fred's death in 2002, became bishop.
Where is William E. Jessop? No one knows. He is in hiding like other leaders.
Now, a few other pieces of the puzzle.
After Rulon's death, several people claimed the prophet had set apart Warren to take over the sect. Who made that claim?
Mary Fischer, one of Rulon Jeffs' younger wives.
Isaac Jeffs, the brother who was with Warren when he was arrested.
And Naomi Jeffs, another of Rulon's younger wives, who subsequently married Warren and also was with him when he was arrested. In January, Warren spoke to Naomi, whom he referred to as No. 91, and told her the same thing he was told everyone else: that he was not a prophet.
But Rulon T. Jeffs preached repeatedly that there would be no other apostles after him, since the Second Coming was imminent. So there was no succession plan in place.
Except, perhaps, for William E. Jessop, the accidental apostle.
The real prophet, Jeffs said, was William E. Jessop.
''Brother William E. Jessop has been the prophet since Father's passing, since the passing of my father,'' Jeffs told his brother Nephi during a jailhouse visit.
Jeffs also said his family was to be turned over to Jessop.
So who is William E. Jessop? Was Jeffs just having a mental breakdown, as his lawyers claim? Or is there a reason he said Jessop is the true FLDS prophet?
Here's what I've been told.
William E. Jessop is really William E. Timpson. His mother was Kathy Jessop, a daughter of Edson Jessop. She was married to Alma A. Timpson. Timpson helped found Centennial Park with Marion Hammon after a falling out with Leroy S. Johnson in the mid-1980s.
Kathy sided with her family, which stayed loyal to Johnson. She left Timpson and was placed with Fred Jessop, the FLDS bishop and big man about the twin towns.
William E. adopted his stepfather's last name. Several sources told me he is in his late 30s to mid-40s.
According to John Nielsen, a former FLDS member, William E. Jessop was supposed to be set apart as a counselor to Fred Jessop around 2002 by then-prophet Rulon T. Jeffs.
Here's where the story gets interesting.
Rulon T. Jeffs had been waylaid by several strokes and was in poor health by then; he died in September 2002. He had, apparently, taught that people impaired by strokes couldn't give ordinations, a position that could be traced back to the whole affair with Joseph Musser and Rulon Allred. Musser was disabled by a stroke when he appointed Rulon Allred to the fundamentalist's priesthood council, which other members opposed.
The result: the split that led to the creation of the Apostolic United Brethren.
So here is Rulon T. Jeffs, in a similar condition, giving an ordination to William E. Jessop. According to Nielsen, Rulon T. Jeffs slipped up and gave Jessop the whole package, including an apostleship.
''It was kept quiet,'' Nielsen said. ''They hushed that up. Not many people knew about that.
''It wasn't intended and they probably told him you didn't get all that, but at the end of the day Warren Jeffs sits in prison and he isn't being sustained in anything and he knows he never had what he had.''
A similar mix-up happened with Richard Blackmore, Nielsen said. He was supposed to be set apart as a bishop, but Rulon T. Jeffs gave him additional callings.
Richard Holm, another ex-FLDS member, told me the Richard Blackmore story, too. He heard it directly from Blackmore. Richard Blackmore, who lives in Canada, was called in 2001 and told to drive to the twin towns to meet with Rulon Jeffs. He arrived 20 hours later and Rulon T. Jeffs immediately ordained him, giving him the bishop's title and all the other callings, too.
Warren later told Richard Blackmore to ''Forget everything else, except the bishop. You've got nothing else, so don't worry about all this other stuff.'' At least, that is what Holm says.
William E. Jessop served as Fred's assistant and then, after Fred's death in 2002, became bishop.
Where is William E. Jessop? No one knows. He is in hiding like other leaders.
Now, a few other pieces of the puzzle.
After Rulon's death, several people claimed the prophet had set apart Warren to take over the sect. Who made that claim?
Mary Fischer, one of Rulon Jeffs' younger wives.
Isaac Jeffs, the brother who was with Warren when he was arrested.
And Naomi Jeffs, another of Rulon's younger wives, who subsequently married Warren and also was with him when he was arrested. In January, Warren spoke to Naomi, whom he referred to as No. 91, and told her the same thing he was told everyone else: that he was not a prophet.
But Rulon T. Jeffs preached repeatedly that there would be no other apostles after him, since the Second Coming was imminent. So there was no succession plan in place.
Except, perhaps, for William E. Jessop, the accidental apostle.
Labels: Warren Jeffs, William E. Jessop
2 Comments:
Good job, Brooke!! The only thing that I can add is William E Jessop is 37 years old.
Brooke, I think you have done an excellent job!! From what I can see you have most of the facts straight. And Warren really was a PROFIT! I really appreciate your openmindedness about plural marriage. If it is lived right, the way God intended it, it teaches women more self control,sharing,learning to get along peacefully and basically just helping them become better people.
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