Lorin summoned six individuals to occupy the openings during the period from 1929 to 1933.
Leslie Broadbent was born on March 6, 1929 (first).
John Y. Barlow, born on March 6, 1929 (the second).
Joseph W. Musser was born on May 14, 1929.
Charles F. Zitting was born on July 22, 1932 (initially).
Legrand Woolley was born on July 22, 1932 (second).
Louis Kelsch was born on January 26, 1933.
It appears that many details regarding the all-powerful Quorum priesthood were withheld prior to 1932 by Woolley. Later, it was only described as “blessings” received by Musser, Barlow, and Broadbent from the Council of Friends Seven.
The group known as the “Priesthood Council” was commonly referred to as such. By 1940, the Council of Seven Friends had established the belief system. While many followers did not accept the hierarchy of the priesthood as described, a majority of polygamists had come together to support the priesthood claims of these men by the mid-1930s. Joseph Musser mentioned in his journal multiple times that he dedicated time to educating his fellow fundamentalists about the priesthood “structure” or “condition.” Even those enthusiastic about polygamy were unaware of this idea prior to the 1930s. Once the doctrine of the Council of Seven Friends was established, council members began to spread the teachings to other polygamists.
The activities of polygamist proponents would soon turn the center into a large number of plural marriages, and it would become an outpost. Joseph Musser visited Short Creek, an area on the Utah-Arizona border, fifty miles east of St. George, and within months he eagerly took over the reins. Then, John Y. Barlow eagerly took over. Leslie J. Broadbent presided for a short six months before succumbing to pneumonia, and Lorin died in 1934.
1936: “Where are the Keys of Sealing?”
On November 8, 1936, Musser wrote that Kelsch and Louis Joseph Musser, who were from Salt Lake City, visited him. In response to numerous complaints, his autocratic behavior soon caused problems in all activities. However, as the senior apostle of the High Priest, he presided over all activities. Shortly after, John Y. Barlow moved there with his families, visiting Creek Short.
Col. Brother John Y. Barlow engaged in a personal conversation with Thursday Louis Kelsch and myself. We mentioned that there appeared to be a tendency towards a single person governing; that under the current structure, the group could not thrive; that the current arrangement did not align with the spirit of the recent Priesthood decision, which recommended that Brother Barlow step down from his role in managing the group’s affairs and focus more on spiritual matters; that our primary focus was on upholding the belief in patriarchal marriage, rather than directing colonization efforts.
Bro. Barlow was asked if he claimed to hold the keys of the Priesthood, to which he answered in the negative, without providing any explanation. However, he had a dream about a personage coming to him, handing him a bunch of keys, and saying that he had a special significance, although he did not know what it was.
Musser attempted to alleviate these concerns by passing a few days, amidst the confusion and doubt created by Barlow’s lack of clarity regarding his admission to the priesthood, among his followers.
The group of meetings that he presided over was such, and he was a senior member of the group. However, they did not believe that Brother Barlow held the keys to the Priesthood, despite his authority to seal. Barlow W.I. And Covington Elders expressed strong dissent, stating that they did not believe Brother Barlow held the keys to the Priesthood. The only reason they accepted Brother Barlow’s management of affairs was because they believed he was God’s mouthpiece on earth and held the keys to the Priesthood.
The implementation of the united order had not yet occurred. This decision could potentially indicate that the Lord wanted us to only settle in places that were not called upon. Our group, consisting of priesthood members, was focused on preserving the practice of plural marriage and carrying out special missions. Musser W. Elaborated on his views regarding priesthood matters.
The action was properly settled upon when the group unanimously voted on the questions pertaining to the mission. Bro. Barlow, who held the keys and presided over the group’s presidency, revealed to him that the Lord had not stated his involvement in the ordination due to his seniority. (Joseph Musser)
Explain the paradox of this difficult and persistent situation. It appears that he was unaware that in 1936, Barlow did not discourage thousands of modern fundamentalist Mormon polygamists from affirming or disagreeing with the fact that these plain admissions did not deter them. During this episode, Musser and John Y. Barlow explained to their listeners that neither of them held the keys of the priesthood.
Governmental Raid, Imprisonment, and a Manifesto
Twelve individuals were then known as “the Seven” as it was commonly referred to by Woolley. It was characterized as consisting of seven men. Surprisingly, this council was distinguished and three years later, Alma Timpson was called in 1946. Carl Holm was also called in that same year. Richard Jessop, Guy Musser, and Rulon Jeffs were appointed four years later. In 1941, Leroy Johnson and Marion Hammon were ordained and included in the Priesthood Council. Barlow then proceeded to designate new members as the leader of the polygamist organization.
In 1942, the United Effort Plan (UEP) was initiated by Barlow as an attempt to unite and organize the followers of polygamist leaders, who also used it as a tool to exercise control over their houses and properties. While providing services through a “bishop’s storehouse” run by Fred Jessop, Short Creek’s pluralist community, the UEP bore little resemblance to the consecration of law described in Covenants and Doctrine.
Kunz Q. Morris and Timpson A. Alma, Boss Arnold, Cleveland K. Heber, Jessop Lyman Joseph, Zitting F. Charles, Darger B. David. The left back position was held by Barlow Y. John and Barlow F. Edmund, Barlow W. Ianthus, Barlow E. Albert, Allred C. Rulon Dr., Kelsch A. Louis, Musser W. Joseph, Brainich Oswald. In 1945, individuals practicing polygamy were found guilty and convicted.
The government officials on the Arizona-Utah border were not ignorant of the growing presence of polygamy. In January 1944, the F.B.I learned that Musser was making a desperate attempt to get something on the Barlow Brother to prosecute us in the courts. “The move behind this was the Church,” he believed. Undaunted, he seemed to say, “Let us investigate them and not stop, even if they choose to go to hell and be damned.” He reflected that if we are willing to bear testimony to the nation, that is the course of action the Lord’s work requires. Some of us may have to go to prison if that is the Lord’s will, he pondered, acknowledging the tensions.
On March 7th, at 6:00 am, law enforcement officers heavily armed swooped down on the inhabitants of Short Creek, as well as the homes of fundamentalists in other locations such as Idaho, Utah, Arizona, and Salt Lake City. I was taken to county jail when the officers searched my home at around 11:00 am. It was during this time that I found a large congregation of my brethren, who later became members of the Council of the Church. Among them were Jeffs T. Rulon, Musser H. Guy, Kelsch A. Louis, Woolley LeGrand, Zitting F. Charles, Barlow Y. John, and myself.
After approximately two months of being confined, the seventy-three-year-old Joseph Musser and seventy-one-year-old John Y. Barlow experienced the negative effects of prison life rapidly. Musser expressed his dissatisfaction, stating, “If I am forced to remain here for much longer, I genuinely think it will result in my demise.” Despite their initial enthusiasm and even hopefulness, their sentiments changed after six weeks in the correctional facility.
Shortly after I woke up, Joseph came to my prison cell. He looked very pale. “How are you, Joseph?” I kindly asked. “Not good, I’m afraid. When I came this morning, I found myself on the floor. I must have fainted during the night. It’s so hot in here.” He then sat on my bed. I tried to console him, but his lips quivered with emotion. On the left side of his face, there were three bar marks where blood had come through a bruise. Thankfully, the skin was not broken. “We have to endure it, no matter what. I suppose it’s all right,” he said.
[9] He spoke with trembling lips, indicating that he had tried and failed. He refused to let anyone in and closed the doors of the house. I would love to be at home, resting in a soft bed, just like he said. “He said to me,” I would enjoy a good glass of beer and a well-cooked T-bone steak, just as he mentioned. “Can you bring us anything?” We asked. “You’re not getting the right kind of food, Joseph,” Timpson [Dell] Brother said…We’ll talk about it later.
A manifesto was presented to the men. Council leaders Barlow and Musser called for a special meeting and summoned twelve out of the fifteen culprits, and three days went by.
Dear Sir/Madam,
The undersigned members and officers of the so-called Fundamentalist religious group, desiring to bring about harmony and peace within the Church, hereby declare their belief in the futility of disobeying the laws of the land even in the practice of religious faith.
We individually and separately pledge to refrain from advocating, teaching, or practicing polygamy or plural marriage in violation of the laws of the State of Utah and the United States.
The undersigned religious officers, from the above-mentioned group, pledge to refrain from solemnizing or engaging in plural marriages.
After their release from prison, the majority of the men continued with their polygamist endeavors. A few years later, the remaining four individuals were set free. Eleven of the men were granted parole after a period of six months. Council member Charles Zitting, one of the defiers of John Y. Barlow’s explicit orders to endorse the manifesto, was among them. This eventually led to a split within the group.
For a more detailed view, the book “The Manifesto After Generations: The Mormon Manifesto and Polygamy in Modern Mormonism and Fundamentalism” (Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2006) provides a comprehensive perspective.
[1] Consult Joseph Musser’s Journals, dating back to May 14, 1929, found in the Church Archives. The author currently possesses a duplicate of the initial manuscript.
On December 1, 1936; October 3, 1937; December 8, 1938; April 26, November 5, 1939, the concept of the “priesthood arrangement” is referenced, and on July 23, 1939, the “priesthood condition” is mentioned [2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid., November 8th, 1936.
[4] Ibid., November 13, 1936. Duplicate of handwritten document in the author’s ownership.
[5] Ibid., January 29, 1944.
[6] Ibid., February 29, 1944.
[7] Joseph White Musser, Journal of Joseph White Musser 1872-1954 (N.P.: Pioneer Press, approximately 1948), 13.
July 27, 1945, (Salt Lake City: privately published, approximately 1980), Arnold Boss’s Prison Diary, From May 15, 1945 to December 15, 1947, [8]