Merril Jessop (December 27, 1935 – February 28, 2022) was a high-ranking bishop in the
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, commonly referred to as the FLDS Church. He was briefly the
de facto
''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...
leader of the FLDS. Jessop was also in charge of the
YFZ Ranch
The YFZ Ranch, or Yearning for Zion Ranch, was a Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) community of as many as 700 people, located near Eldorado in Schleicher County, Texas, United States. In April 2014, the State o ...
during the 2008 raid.
Early life
Jessop was born in Salt Lake City to Richard Seth Jessop, a son of
Joseph Smith Jessop, and his wife Ida Johnson.
Bishop in the FLDS
Jessop has been a lifelong member of the church, as his father and grandfathers were former high-ranking FLDS officials. Jessop is connected by a nebulous series of marriages to the Jeffs family; several of Jessop's daughters and at least one of his wives were previously the plural wives of
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 ...
while at least eleven of Jessop's daughters and two of his granddaughters became plural wives to Warren Jeffs, several of them while they were underage. One of his daughters, Merrianne, was married to Jeffs three weeks after her twelfth birthday, a ceremony in which Jessop himself presided over. Another daughter, Naomie, was one of Jeffs' favorite wives and was with him at the time of his capture by police.
While he was imprisoned, Warren Jeffs reportedly designated
William E. Jessop William Edson Jessop (born William Edson Timpson) is a leader in the Mormon fundamentalist movement.
In a January 2007 telephone conversation between Jessop and church president Warren Jeffs, Jeffs suggested that Jessop was the rightful leader of t ...
as the rightful successor to the FLDS Church presidency. However, William Jessop remained at official church headquarters in
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 ...
. News reports suggested a possible shift of the church's headquarters to
Eldorado
El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king o ...
,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, where a
temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
has been built by FLDS Church members at the
YFZ Ranch
The YFZ Ranch, or Yearning for Zion Ranch, was a Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) community of as many as 700 people, located near Eldorado in Schleicher County, Texas, United States. In April 2014, the State o ...
. As the
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
of the church at YFZ, it appeared that Merril Jessop was the de facto president and the most powerful person in the FLDS Church, until February 2011.
Jessop was removed as bishop by Jeffs in February 2011.
Personal life
One of Jessop's former wives,
Carolyn Jessop
Carolyn Jessop (born January 1, 1968) is an American author and former Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints member who wrote ''Escape'', an autobiographical account of her upbringing in the polygamist sect and later flight f ...
, wrote a memoir in 2007 about their 17-year marriage, which had begun when she was 18 and he was 50. The book includes dozens of allegations of spousal and child abuse, both emotional and physical.
Carolyn Jessop left the FLDS Church in 2003 and, after a custody battle with Merril Jessop, won full custody of their 8 children. She is the second woman to leave an FLDS community and gain full custody of all her children, although her eldest daughter Betty decided, after turning 18, to return to her father at the Yearning for Zion Ranch in Texas.
[''Escape'' by Carolyn Jessop] Betty Jessop vehemently denies her mother's accusations. In 2009 Carolyn Jessop also won a child-support judgment against Merril Jessop in the approximate amount of $148,000 for support he failed to provide his children from 2003-2009.
As of February 2010, Merril Jessop had still not paid any of the child support he owed. According to Carolyn's attorney, Natalie Malonis, he can be jailed for contempt for this failure.
[
According to his former wife's memoir, Jessop is the father of more than 50 biological children, all by his first six wives.] His senior wife Faunita, mother of 10 of Jessop's children, suffered from mental illness; she was literally abandoned by the roadside when the group moved to Texas, and she became a ward of one of her grandchildren who was living in the mainstream-Mormon community. Jessop is believed to have taken many more wives since Carolyn's departure. According to his ex-wife's book, Jessop has nebulous business interests that include construction and hotels, and has suffered from major heart problems in recent years.
In a ''National Geographic
''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...
'' article published in February 2010, Jessop both praised and discussed his troubled relationship with Faunita (spelled 'Foneta' in the article). Over 5,000 people were in attendance at Faunita Jessop's funeral. "My hand is a bit sore today," Merril was quoted as saying at the end of the funeral after greeting all those who came.
See also
*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 ...
*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 ...
*Placement marriage
The term placement marriage (also known as the law of placing) refers to arranged marriages between members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS Church). Placement marriage is believed and practiced by members ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jessop, Merril
1935 births
2022 deaths
American Latter Day Saint leaders
Mormon fundamentalist leaders
Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints members