The Council of Friends (also known as the Woolley Group and the Priesthood Council) was one of the original expressions of
Mormon fundamentalism
Mormon fundamentalism (also called fundamentalist Mormonism) is a belief in the validity of selected fundamental aspects of Mormonism as taught and practiced in the nineteenth century, particularly during the administrations of Joseph Smith, Bri ...
, having its origins in the teachings of
Lorin C. Woolley
Lorin Calvin Woolley (October 23, 1856 – September 19, 1934) was an American proponent of plural marriage and one of the founders of the Mormon fundamentalist movement. As a young man in Utah Territory, Woolley served as a courier and bodyguard ...
, a courier and bodyguard for polygamous leaders of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
(LDS Church), who was
excommunicated
Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...
in 1924.
History
The LDS Church openly practiced
plural marriage
Polygamy (called plural marriage by Latter-day Saints in the 19th century or the Principle by modern fundamentalist practitioners of polygamy) was practiced by leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) for more tha ...
from 1852 and went through
a series of legal battles with the U.S. government, and eventually
ended the practice in 1890. Sometime before 1920, Woolley taught that LDS Church President
John Taylor had set apart five men, including himself and his father
John W. Woolley
John Wickersham Woolley (December 30, 1831 – December 13, 1928) was an American Latter Day Saint and one of the founders of the Mormon fundamentalism movement. Most Mormon fundamentalist groups trace their origin directly or indirectly to Woolle ...
, to ensure that the practice of polygamy would continue into perpetuity even if abandoned by the church. Taylor's alleged action came shortly after the
1886 Revelation on the subject of polygamy. Between 1929 and 1933, Woolley extended the same supposed apostolic authority that Taylor granted to him, to a seven-man
Council of Friends
The Council of Friends was an organization described by Joseph Smith in early 19th-century Mormon theology. He viewed the organisation as being part of a world government which would guide and direct the Kingdom of God (Zion) on earth during the ...
.
Following the death of Woolley in September 1934, and of his Second Elder
J. Leslie Broadbent six months later, the leadership of the Group fell to
John Y. Barlow
John Yeates Barlow (also known as John Yates Barlow) (March 4, 1874 – December 29, 1949) was a Mormon fundamentalism, Mormon fundamentalist leader in Short Creek, Arizona.
Childhood
Barlow was born in Panaca, Nevada, Panaca, Lincoln County, Nev ...
. In May 1935, Barlow and his fellow Friends sent a handful of followers to the small ranching town of
Short Creek in the
Arizona Strip
The Arizona Strip is the part of Arizona lying north of the Colorado River. Despite being larger in area than several U.S. states, the entire region has a population of fewer than 10,000 people. Consisting of northeastern Mohave County and n ...
(now
Colorado City, Arizona
Colorado City is a town in Mohave County, Arizona, United States, and is located in a region known as the Arizona Strip. As of the 2020 census, the population of the town was 2,478, down from 4,821 in 2010. At least three Mormon fundamentalis ...
, and
Hildale, Utah
Hildale is a city in Washington County, Utah, United States. The population was 1,127 at the 2020 census.
Hildale is located on the border of Utah and Arizona.
History
Hildale, formerly known as Short Creek Community, was founded in 1913 by ...
), with the express purpose of building "a branch of the Kingdom of God." Barlow believed that the isolated Creek could provide a place of refuge for those engaging in the covert practice of polygamy, a
felony
A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "félonie") to describe an offense that resu ...
; within a month, the town's population more than doubled.
After the failure of an attempted communal United Trust in 1935, the Group, particularly
Apostle
An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
Rulon Jeffs Rulon may refer to:
Persons with the surname Rulon:
*Kelly Rulon (born 1984), 2004 Olympian in water polo
Persons with the given name Rulon:
*Rulon C. Allred (1906-1977), leader of the Apostolic United Brethren
*Rulon Davis (born 1982), defensive ...
, an accountant, worked to develop the United Effort Plan (UEP), intended to prepare the way for the collectivist
United Order
In the Latter Day Saint movement, the United Order (also called the United Order of Enoch) was one of several 19th-century church collectivist programs. Early versions of the Order beginning in 1831 attempted to fully implement the law of consecr ...
described by
Mormon
Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...
founder
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he ...
. The UEP was incorporated on November 9, 1942.
By 1944, the illicit activities of the Group, now boasting about 2,500 members, had come to the attention of LDS Church President
Heber J. Grant
Heber Jeddy Grant (November 22, 1856 – May 14, 1945) was an American religious leader who served as the seventh president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Grant worked as a bookkeeper and a cashier, then wa ...
, who agreed to cooperate with state and federal authorities in a multi-state raid intended to wipe out polygamy. In the 1944 raid, forty-six Community adults were accused of "unlawful cohabitation" and similar crimes, of whom fifteen ultimately received state prison sentences and nine federal prison sentences, with two,
Charles Zitting
Charles Frederick Zitting (March 30, 1894 – July 14, 1954) was a Mormon fundamentalist leader of the community in Short Creek, Arizona.
Life
Zitting's ancestors came to the United States from Sweden, Denmark, Canada, and Britain.
Fundamentali ...
and David Darger, receiving both.
The group was notorious for the practice of
polygamy
Crimes
Polygamy (from Late Greek (') "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, sociologists call this polygyny. When a woman is married ...
due to media coverage during the
Short Creek raid
The Short Creek raid was an Arizona Department of Public Safety and Arizona National Guard action against Mormon fundamentalists that took place on the morning of July 26, 1953, at Short Creek, Arizona. The Short Creek raid was the largest mass a ...
s of 1945 and 1953. The
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS Church) is a religious sect of the fundamentalist Mormon denominations whose members practice polygamy. The fundamentalist Mormon movement emerged in the early 20th century, ...
(FLDS Church) later developed in the same geographical region and changed the name of the town to Colorado City and Hildale to eliminate any ties to the
Short Creek raid
The Short Creek raid was an Arizona Department of Public Safety and Arizona National Guard action against Mormon fundamentalists that took place on the morning of July 26, 1953, at Short Creek, Arizona. The Short Creek raid was the largest mass a ...
s.
Additions were made to Woolley's Council of Friends as time went on and former members died or left the movement.
Leroy S. Johnson and
Rulon Jeffs Rulon may refer to:
Persons with the surname Rulon:
*Kelly Rulon (born 1984), 2004 Olympian in water polo
Persons with the given name Rulon:
*Rulon C. Allred (1906-1977), leader of the Apostolic United Brethren
*Rulon Davis (born 1982), defensive ...
, future leaders of the FLDS Church, were ordained by
John Y. Barlow
John Yeates Barlow (also known as John Yates Barlow) (March 4, 1874 – December 29, 1949) was a Mormon fundamentalism, Mormon fundamentalist leader in Short Creek, Arizona.
Childhood
Barlow was born in Panaca, Nevada, Panaca, Lincoln County, Nev ...
in the 1940s, while
Joseph Musser
Joseph White Musser (March 8, 1872 – March 29, 1954) was a Mormon fundamentalist leader.
Musser was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Amos Milton Musser (an assistant LDS Church historian) and Mary E. White. He is known for his Mormon fundamen ...
's ordination of
Rulon C. Allred
Rulon Clark Allred (March 29, 1906 – May 10, 1977) was a homeopath and chiropractor in Salt Lake City and the leader of what is now the Apostolic United Brethren, a breakaway sect of polygamous Mormon fundamentalists in Utah, Colorado, and ...
in 1952 caused a division in the community and led to the creation of the
Apostolic United Brethren (AUB). Today, the AUB continues to be led by a Priesthood Council, while the FLDS Church transitioned to autocratic "One Man Rule" by a single
prophet
In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the s ...
in the 1980s. Other fundamentalist groups led by a Priesthood Council include the
Centennial Park group
The Centennial Park group is a fundamentalist Mormon group, with approximately 1,500 members that is headquartered in Centennial Park, Arizona. The Centennial Park group broke with Leroy S. Johnson, leader and senior member of the Priesthood Co ...
, the
Latter Day Church of Christ
The Latter Day Church of Christ, is considered a Mormon fundamentalist denomination by some in the Latter Day Saint movement. Also known as the LDCJC, the Kingston Clan, and The Order, it is a religious organization created by members of the Dav ...
(Kingston Group), and the
(Peterson Group).
Priesthood authority
The authority of the Council of Friends pertained to the
Priesthood and not to the church, early Mormon fundamentalists, most of whom had been excommunicated from the LDS Church, felt that its existence gave them the right to continue solemnizing plural marriages even after LDS Church President
Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff Sr. (March 1, 1807September 2, 1898) was an American religious leader who served as the fourth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1889 until his death. He ended the public practice of ...
's
1890 Manifesto
The 1890 Manifesto (also known as the Woodruff Manifesto, the Anti-polygamy Manifesto, or simply "the Manifesto") is a statement which officially advised against any future plural marriage in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS ...
discountenancing the practice. Indeed, Woolley claimed to have been ordained to the Council for precisely that purpose by President
John Taylor in 1886, along with his father
John W. Woolley
John Wickersham Woolley (December 30, 1831 – December 13, 1928) was an American Latter Day Saint and one of the founders of the Mormon fundamentalism movement. Most Mormon fundamentalist groups trace their origin directly or indirectly to Woolle ...
and four others. In order to ensure that "no year passed by without children being born in the principle of plural marriage." Woolley, who had ostensibly become the last member of the Council after his father's death in December 1928, ordained six more men to the same calling between 1929 and 1933:
J. Leslie Broadbent,
John Y. Barlow
John Yeates Barlow (also known as John Yates Barlow) (March 4, 1874 – December 29, 1949) was a Mormon fundamentalism, Mormon fundamentalist leader in Short Creek, Arizona.
Childhood
Barlow was born in Panaca, Nevada, Panaca, Lincoln County, Nev ...
,
Joseph White Musser
Joseph White Musser (March 8, 1872 – March 29, 1954) was a Mormon fundamentalist leader.
Musser was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Amos Milton Musser (an assistant LDS Church historian) and Mary E. White. He is known for his Mormon fundame ...
,
Charles Zitting
Charles Frederick Zitting (March 30, 1894 – July 14, 1954) was a Mormon fundamentalist leader of the community in Short Creek, Arizona.
Life
Zitting's ancestors came to the United States from Sweden, Denmark, Canada, and Britain.
Fundamentali ...
, LeGrande Woolley, and Louis A. Kelsch.
Council of Friends leaders
The following are the leaders of the Council of Friends prior to the 1954 split:
*
John W. Woolley
John Wickersham Woolley (December 30, 1831 – December 13, 1928) was an American Latter Day Saint and one of the founders of the Mormon fundamentalism movement. Most Mormon fundamentalist groups trace their origin directly or indirectly to Woolle ...
(1918–28)
*
Lorin C. Woolley
Lorin Calvin Woolley (October 23, 1856 – September 19, 1934) was an American proponent of plural marriage and one of the founders of the Mormon fundamentalist movement. As a young man in Utah Territory, Woolley served as a courier and bodyguard ...
(1928–34)
*
J. Leslie Broadbent (1934–35)
*
John Y. Barlow
John Yeates Barlow (also known as John Yates Barlow) (March 4, 1874 – December 29, 1949) was a Mormon fundamentalism, Mormon fundamentalist leader in Short Creek, Arizona.
Childhood
Barlow was born in Panaca, Nevada, Panaca, Lincoln County, Nev ...
(1935–49)
*
Joseph W. Musser
Joseph White Musser (March 8, 1872 – March 29, 1954) was a Mormon fundamentalism, Mormon fundamentalist leader.
Musser was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Amos Milton Musser (an Church Historian and Recorder, assistant LDS Church historian) an ...
(1949–54)
*
Charles Zitting
Charles Frederick Zitting (March 30, 1894 – July 14, 1954) was a Mormon fundamentalist leader of the community in Short Creek, Arizona.
Life
Zitting's ancestors came to the United States from Sweden, Denmark, Canada, and Britain.
Fundamentali ...
(1954)
Notes
References
*
*
*
*.
{{Apostolic United Brethren
1920s establishments in Utah
1920s establishments in Arizona
Christian denominations established in the 20th century
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Latter Day Saint movement in Arizona
Latter Day Saint movement in Utah
Mormon fundamentalist denominations
Organizations based in Arizona
Organizations based in Utah
Religious organizations established in the 1920s