David Jessop Related to Warren Jeffs? The Truth About the FLDS Family Ties

Publish date: 2023-12-30

The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) is a breakaway sect of the Mormon Church that practices polygamy and follows the teachings of its self-proclaimed prophet, Warren Jeffs. Jeffs is currently serving a life sentence for sexually abusing underage girls and orchestrating marriages between his followers. He is also accused of kidnapping, extortion, fraud, and other crimes.

One of the questions that many people have about the FLDS is whether David Jessop, a former member who left the church in 2011, is related to Warren Jeffs by blood. The answer is no, but there is a complex web of connections between the two men that involves marriages, children, and power struggles within the FLDS.

The Jessop Family and the FLDS

The Jessop family is one of the most prominent and influential families in the FLDS. They have been involved in the church since its early days and have held various leadership positions over the years. Some of the notable members of the Jessop family are:

• Joseph W. Jessop: He was one of the founding members of the FLDS and served as its first bishop. He was also the father of 46 children by eight wives.
• Merril Jessop: He was one of Warren Jeffs’ closest allies and confidants. He was also the father of 64 children by seven wives, including Merrianne Jessop, who became one of Jeffs’ wives when she was 12 years old.
• David Jessop: He was one of Merril Jessop’s sons and a former bishop of the FLDS. He left the church in 2011 after discovering evidence of Warren Jeffs’ sex crimes and has since spoken out against him and his followers.

The Marriage Connections Between David Jessop and Warren Jeffs

David Jessop is not related to Warren Jeffs by blood. However, Jessop is connected to the Jeffs family by a series of marriages that involved his daughters and granddaughters becoming plural wives to both Rulon and Warren Jeffs.

Rulon Jeffs was Warren Jeffs’ father and the previous prophet of the FLDS. He died in 2002 and was succeeded by his son, who claimed that his father had appointed him as his successor. Warren Jeffs then married many of his father’s widows, including some who were younger than him.

One of these widows was Naomi Jessop, who was David Jessop’s daughter and Rulon Jeffs’ 19th wife. She married Rulon when she was 17 years old and had six children with him. She then became Warren Jeffs’ wife after his father’s death and gave birth to two more children with him.

Another connection between David Jessop and Warren Jeffs is through Merrianne Jessop, who was David Jessop’s granddaughter and Merril Jessop’s daughter. She married Rulon Jeffs when she was 12 years old in a ceremony officiated by Warren Jeffs. She later became one of Warren Jeffs’ wives after Rulon’s death and testified against him in court.

The Power Struggle Between David Jessop and Warren Jeffs

David Jessop was once a loyal follower of Warren Jeffs and served as a bishop in the FLDS. However, he became disillusioned with Jeffs after he learned about his sexual abuse of young girls and his dictatorial control over the church. He also resented Jeffs for taking away his daughters and granddaughters as wives.

Jessop decided to leave the FLDS in 2011 and took some of his family members with him. He also exposed some of Jeffs’ secrets to the public, such as his hidden vaults that contained recordings of his teachings and sexual encounters with underage girls.

Jessop’s defection caused a rift within the FLDS and sparked a power struggle between him and Jeffs. Jessop claimed that he was the rightful successor of Rulon Jeffs and that Warren Jeffs had usurped his position. He also accused Jeffs of being a false prophet who had corrupted the church.

Jeffs retaliated by excommunicating Jessop and his followers from the FLDS. He also ordered his loyalists to shun them and cut off all contact with them. He also tried to reclaim some of the properties that Jessop had owned or controlled in Utah, Arizona, Texas, and South Dakota.

The conflict between David Jessop and Warren Jeffs is still ongoing as both sides vie for influence and resources within the FLDS community. However, both men face legal challenges as well as opposition from former members who have left or escaped the church.

Conclusion

David Jessop and Warren Jeffs are not related by blood, but they have a complicated and contentious relationship that stems from their involvement in the FLDS. They are connected by marriages, children, and power struggles that have shaped the history and future of the church. They are also both controversial figures who have been accused of various crimes and abuses by the authorities and their former followers.

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