The Polygamists: A History of Colorado City, Arizona [Paperback]

What some of the people have been forced to endure in Colorado City is little different from living in a third world country. TEN-YEAR-OLD Benjamin Bistline moved with his parents to Short Creek (Colorado City), Arizona, in 1945 to join with a group of excommunicated Mormons who believed in honoring the law of polygamy as revealed by the Prophet Joseph Smith and instituted by Brigham Young. Mr. Bistline has compiled A DETAILED HISTORY of the significant events that shaped and sustained this community from the beginning. He tells of the shifts in power, changes in leadership philosophies, persecution from outside forces - and from within. Mr. Bistline's goal in writing this history is to reveal that the original leadership structure of a Council of men holding common and balancing power has slowly descended into a ONE-MAN TYRANNICAL RULE over the people. Bistline has observed: 1) Older men being taught to take CHILD BRIDES before the girls are attracted to boys their own age. 2) BOYS DRIVEN OUT of the community for competing with older men for wives. 3) Plural wives expected to apply for WELFARE as single mothers. 4) Men out of favor are "EVICTED" from their homes with their wives and children reassigned to a more compliant man. 5) Community members AFRAID TO DISOBEY the "Prophet" out of fear for their eternal salvation. RESIDENT HISTORIAN Ben Bistline is recognized as the most credible and knowledgeable source of information about Colorado City. He knows more about the people, their motives, their family connections, their religion, their strengths and their weaknesses than any other pundit. Mr. Bistline is contacted by media and the press from all across the country, and has appeared on CNN and Dateline NBC.

It is February of 2004 and I’m often asked the question, "What will happen next at Colorado City?" I offer two scenarios.

First: Warren Jeffs will take a select group with him and escape to Mexico. He has borrowed millions of dollars on the property and homes that the people have built and paid for with their own money. He will abandon Colorado City, leaving those who stay to try and pick up the pieces from the destruction he has created.

Second: The civil authorities will indict him for his crimes. These include extortion, exploiting and destroying the lives of teenage girls, income tax violations, money laundering, and overall fraudulent activities.

If either of these happen, the way will be clear for the Barlows to take over. The community was promised to them by their father John Yates Barlow as their heritage in the Barlow dynasty. Perhaps the Barlows truly believe the Keys of Priesthood remain under in their family. I strongly suspect the Barlows have long waited for an opportunity to assume full leadership of the Group. I believe Rulon Jeffs and Warren Jeffs both knew this and it would account for why Warren has acted swiftly in excommunicating so many Barlows. An underlying power struggle has gone on for years. Given all that has occurred, I suspect the Barlows will create a somewhat more open atmosphere within First Ward. Because of all the public and government scrutiny, it would be politically smart to do so, and the Barlows are very articulate and very politically astute.

There is still the problem of what to do to protect the young people of the society and to free the people from bondage. In the case of the young people, the state authorities must take some action to protect them from further exploitations. There are very few polygamist wives who will leave the community to seek a better life. We can only hope to make changes that will affect the next generation. State authorities must have facilities in place (local sheriff’s sub-station, for example, staffed by law enforcement from outside Colorado City) to accommodate any young people who wish to flee the society. There will be more boys wanting to leave than girls. This, however, is only a short term solution.

Much has been done to help victims of domestic violence leave their abusers and restart in society. Similar action is needed for our people. Safe houses, education, child care, learning a skill or trade – all are needed to help these polygamist girls and women (and boys), some of whom have lived in a third-world environment and will feel frightened about entering mainstream society. Those helping them must remember that the people leaving have never been taught to think for themselves. Many are easily misled, easily manipulated. Therapy is needed. Patience and kindness are needed. Creating a new life structure in which they can live day to day is essential.

The bottom line solution that may produce the greatest gain to free the people is to decriminalize polygamy. We can see what making polygamy illegal has done, not unlike prohibition in the last century. Let these people come out into the world. And as they do so, they will see clearly that they have choices. Stay in polygamy. Or leave. But the choice is theirs. And I suspect fewer people will enter plural marriage.

If it is decriminalized, over zealous leaders will have less control. It would remove the power of self-proclaimed religious leaders in controlling its people and their marriages, particularly of young girls. The child rape trial of Tom Green and the new book by John Llewellyn teach the world a great deal about why Tom wanted his wives "young," so he could "train" them. A girl must be allowed to mature so she can make a legitimate decision about her future. And it would be good if First Ward children returned to public school.

The next step would be to dissolve the United Effort Plan Trust, placing ownership of the homes and property in the hands of those who paid for and built the houses, so that the threat of being evicted for perceived infractions to their leaders is removed.

A comparison between First Ward at Colorado City and Second Ward at Centennial Park shows a significant difference. The people living in Centennial Park are much freer and live a more normal lifestyle. Their dress is more modern and less conspicuous than their First Ward neighbors. Two reasons for their freedom and open-mindedness: Young girls are not forced to marry older men, and the people own the property on which their houses are built. Thus they can’t be threatened with losing their homes for disagreeing with or for perceived lack of devotion to their leaders.

In associating with the people in both communities (my wife and I are related to 90 percent of them), the attitude and feelings we encounter are many times more friendly and truly warmer among those of Centennial Park Second Ward than those of Colorado City First Ward.

We have a daughter living in a polygamist relationship in First Ward and another living in a polygamist relationship in Second Ward. We have a good relationship with both. They each chose their lifestyle and are happy and satisfied with their choice. They feel they have the right to make this choice and desire to be left to pursue their own mode of happiness. This is not the case with all polygamist wives living in the society, however.

There are many human rights abuses of men, women, and children, and these abuses must be addressed. Evicting people from their homes must stop.

We face a monstrous problem that must be overcome, but I do believe that all things are possible.

Benjamin G. Bistline, the sixth of ten children, was born in Logan, Utah, on April 21, 1935, the son of John Anthony Bistline and Jennie Johnson Bistline. His parents were active members of the Mormon Church but became involved with polygamist families in Millville, Utah, and were excommunicated by LDS Church in 1937.

The family moved to Short Creek, Arizona, in 1945 to join a united order movement, also known as The United Effort Plan. His father soon became discouraged by John Barlow's ineptness in governing his Order, and by 1948 he had repented of his decision to join with Barlows' group at Short Creek. He then decided to rejoin the Mormon Church, but his wife refused to leave, taking a firm stand. Ben’s father died in April of 1949, before rejoining the LDS Church because of their policy of a one year repentance probation period after being excommunicated.

Ben’s mother had always wanted to live polygamy and this gave her the opportunity to do so. She married Richard Jessop as his fifth wife and they moved into his large household of four wives and about thirty children.

Ben lived in this polygamous household for the next three years until the raid on Short Creek in 1953. While living with his stepfather, he became romantically involved with one of the daughters, but the Raid interrupted the courtship. Ben was eighteen and Annie was fifteen. All minor children in the community were declared wards of the state of Arizona, and were transported with their mothers to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1953. They were released and allowed to return to Short Creek in 1955

Annie and Ben were married June 24, 1955, and remained in the society where they parented and raised sixteen children. He was never allowed to marry any other wives, after being deemed unworthy of the privilege by polygamist leaders because of his "rebelliousness." His refused to take what he was told at face value, he refused to join one of the leadership cliques, and he refused to live in blind obedience Thus he was never a polygamist. He and his wife would have accepted plural marriage.

In the early 1980s Ben became discouraged with the polygamists due to their changes in religious doctrine. He now lives on his own property in an area called Cane Beds, about two miles south of Colorado City. He and his wife are still very much involved with the polygamists due to extended family relationships.

Ben and his wife Annie joined the LDS Church in 1992. They believe the same doctrine as the LDS Church in regards to polygamy. They are members of the Kaibab Moccasin Ward where they have served in several church callings. Ben presently serves on the high council of the Kanab, Utah Kaibab stake.

What our people did not realize is described in the polygamist’s Law Book, the Doctrine & Covenants.

"We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion." D&C 121:39

The faithful people of Colorado City gave their time, talents, money, devotion, and ongoing hard work to build their community, trusting all the while that their leaders would behave honorably and do right by them. Much of the money accumulated by the leadership-controlled UEP Trust came from the people: through work that produced income to the UEP, through requested donations, and regular tithing of 10 percent of their income. This money was used to purchase land for the Trust and the people were "allowed" to build their homes on it.

The leaders acted as if the money was rightfully theirs and did not belong to the people who produced it. The leaders did not see themselves as stewards over this money and accountable to the people.

Lorin Woolley, who claimed he had been commissioned in 1887 by a prophet of God to keep plural marriage alive, called a Priesthood Council of men to "govern and make decisions together" to oversee it and keep it going. He emphatically taught them what he had been taught: Not to organize, not to set up a church, not to proselyte, not to hold public meetings, not to set up a United Order, and not to collect tithing money from the people. Just quietly teach about plural marriage and live it in secret.

But John Yates Barlow, one of the men on the Council apparently came to believe he had been given the Keys of the Priesthood, which polygamists believed was a bestowal by God upon a man so righteous he should have supreme power over others on earth. This dictator type power by John Y. Barlow was used to organize the polygamists, proselyte for new members, create a United Order, and collect tithing money from the people. He taught this One Man Rule to those around him, to the leaders who would succeed him, and to his sons whom he expected would one day take their rightful place and rule. As years passed the "one man" was called a prophet and his direction to the people was taught as coming from God. Otherwise, one’s eternal salvation was in jeopardy.

Older men needing more wives were taught to take child brides, women were told to apply for welfare as single mothers, boys competing with older men for wives were driven out of the community, and men out of favor were "evicted" from their homes and their wives and children reassigned to a more compliant man.

This "unrighteous dominion" described in the Law Book would grow into an unprecedented dictatorship secretly hidden away in a remote corner of America. It would grow and eventually come full circle, creating a stranglehold on the people they never imagined.