http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11328844/Compound of Concern: Pt. 1
Fundamentalist group's West Texas temple appears complete
ELDORADO, TEXAS - They're a church whose presence in West Texas continues to create concern, and attract the interest of the nation's law enforcement community. We're talking about members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or FLDS. They broke away from the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (or Mormon Church) in the 1890s.
The FLDS has built a compound near the Schleicher County seat of Eldorado, in West Texas. It's built on property they purchased nearly two years ago, and is now the site of several buildings including what appear to be large dormitory-style residences, observation platforms or towers, and the church's first temple.
Schleicher County Sheriff David Doran says that temple appears to be finished.
"Members from all over the United States, and maybe from Canada and Mexico, that are members of the fundamentalist church. will flock here, stay for a period, do their temple work and then return home," Doran suggested.
The church property is located in remote ranchland about forty miles south of San Angelo.
For the first time, we're seeing what the completed temple looks like, from the air.
"There's no way to comprehend how fast they have built," Randy Mankin, Publisher of the Eldorado Success stressed. "And the photos really don't do it justice on the size of these buildings. The thing is just massive."
The Success is the small, weekly newspaper that first exposed the compound, which was originally represented by the FLDS as a "hunting retreat" for church leaders.
"It's not every day that a little. tiny paper like us stumbles over a national news story," Mankin acknowledged. "But, sure enough, that's what we had."
In the past two years, Mankin and his wife have taken thousands of photographs of the compound.
"Twelve-foot-tall fence," he pointed out on a photo of the temple in the center of the compound. "They've just put sod down, rolled it out, so they are through. This is pretty well finished. They may still be working on the inside. But, they don't invite me in ... I've never made it past the gate."
But, he has managed to capture photos of the group - and their compound - from the air.
"The women all wear long dresses, the little girls all do the same," he pointed out on one photo. "It's a different world, a different environment."
"'Dormitory-style buildings,' we call them. They're very large. Most of the buildings out there are log cabin."
Mankin's extensive research on the FLDS has included talking to former members of the group. They tell him, "everyone in this group is related to everyone in this group. There's only ten or twelve last names in this entire group, and they're all brothers, half-sisters, cousins to one another."
Sheriff Doran is one of only a few outsiders allowed onto the property.
"You have a man who believes he has to have three or more wives, to get into the highest celestial kingdom," he explained. "So, you're looking at three or four different families living under one roof - with one man."
"How many people do you think are living here year-round," he was asked. "My best estimate, is anywhere from 80 to 150. There's quite a few women and children out there," he answered>
Doran says he's keeping a very close watch on what's happening on the group's 1,700-acre ranch.
"Of course, everybody wants to compare it to Waco," he acknowledged. "Because that's the only thing that they can compare it to, because it's a religious group living together."
At this point, Doran stressed, the group hasn't committed any crimes. However, the church's leader - Warren Jeffs - is a wanted man. Arizona authorities say he arranged for children to marry men.
"I have no proof or evidence he's been on the property," Doran reported. "There's no doubt he probably has been here.. I feel like, being the leader of the church - this is a very important property to the church, because the temple is here."
"This is the only temple that the fundamentalist Mormons have ever built. This is a mission for them, this is a holy place out here for them."
Because of that significance, the sheriff expects many people will make pilgirmages to the compound.
"Members from all over the United States, and maybe from Canada and Mexico, that are members of the fundamentalist church. will flock here, stay for a period, do their temple work and then return home," he suggested.
In the meantime, questions surrounding the group's existence, continue to mount.
"It's like they're just one step ahead of the law all the time," Mankin observed. "And you just wonder, 'is this going to be where it happens? Is this going to be where they caught?' And, 'why did they come to Eldorado?' I still don't know."
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Side note - someone might have luck google earthing the place - but so far i've struck out.
