Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The two neighboring towns on the Arizona-Utah border that once served as a haven for a polygamous religious sect have entered a new era now that they've been released from court supervision nearly two years earlier than expected.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints denied the existence of an 1886 polygamy revelation for over a century. Mormon Fundamentalist Benjamin Shaffer said that denial harmed his community.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints quietly posted a document online written by its third president in mid-June. The church previously denied its existence for over a century.

Bateman had pleaded guilty to claiming more than 20 spiritual “wives” including 10 underage girls. He acknowledged coercing girls as young as nine years old to submit to criminal sex acts with him and other adults.

Samuel Bateman pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport underage girls across state lines. But his deal hinged on whether others charged in the case would also plead guilty.

Authorities say Bateman took more than 20 wives, including 10 underage girls. They say he created a network spanning at least four states as he tried to start an offshoot of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Authorities say the conspiracy between Moroni Johnson and the polygamous sect’s leader, self-proclaimed prophet Samuel Bateman, occurred over a three-year period ending in September 2022. Bateman has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Last week, a federal grand jury issued a superseding indictment that accuses Bateman of making child pornography and provides new details about how he took wives as young as 9 years old as he worked to win followers to start his own small offshoot group of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Josephine Barlow Bistlin faces charges for allegedly sending threatening emails to child welfare workers in a bid to get her two daughters released from state foster care.

Bateman’s trial was moved to March 5, 2024. He has pleaded not guilty to federal and state charges in Arizona.

Heber Jeffs waived extradition at a court hearing in Minot, North Dakota, on Monday. The sheriff of Piute County, Utah, says the 10-year-old niece was apparently unharmed.

Organizers and their legal advisers argue a 2006 Supreme Court ruling protects them from prosecution and participants say they are taking part in a religious service. Some experts raise concerns that the benefits of ayahuasca haven’t been well studied.