Polygamous sect’s small hometown sees big changes
Polygamous sect’s small hometown sees big changes
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, Norma Richter, left, and Lori Barlow hug after an eviction notice was served on their Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints church meeting house in their community on the Utah-Arizona border. Authorities later canceled the eviction after working out a deal with church leaders. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, young girls ride their bikes in Colorado City, Ariz., in a community on the Utah-Arizona border that has been home for more than a century to a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, Lydia Ann, 8, and her mother, Norma Richter, hold hands as they pose for photographs in Colorado City, Ariz. Their community on the Utah-Arizona border has been home for more than a century to members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, Shirlonna Barlow poses for a photo in Colorado City, Ariz. The community on the Utah-Arizona border has been home for more than a century to members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017 photo, Shirlonna Barlow, 14, bales hay for cattle at her home in a community on the Utah-Arizona border. The area has been home for more than a century to a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, Eddie Bistline paddles on the north reservoir at sunset, in Colorado City, Ariz. The community on the Utah-Arizona border has been home for more than a century to a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017 photo, Lori Barlow feeds her cattle at her home in a Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints community on the Utah-Arizona border. The area has been home for more than a century to the polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, a young boy and girl skip rocks in reservoir, in a community on the Utah-Arizona border that is home to a polygamous sect, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. The community is undergoing a series of changes as the sect’s control of the town slips away amid government evictions and crackdowns. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
This Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017 photo shows the mountains surrounding Hildale, Ut., and its sister city, Colorado City, Ariz., at sunset, in a community on the Utah-Arizona border that has been home for more than a century to a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. Changes in the area are being hailed as progress by some but considered cultural cleansing by members of the religious group known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
This Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017 photo shows the state line in Colorado City, Ariz., looking towards Arizona. The community on the Utah-Arizona border is home to a polygamous sect, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. The community is undergoing a series of changes as the sect’s control of the town slips away amid government evictions and crackdowns. The change is hailed as progress by some but considered cultural cleansing by members of the religious group known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Friday, Oct. 27, 2017 photo, the word “Zion” is written at the entry way to a home in Hildale, Utah, in a community on the Utah-Arizona border that has been home for more than a century to a polygamous Mormon sect, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The community is undergoing a series of changes as the sect’s control of the town slips away amid government evictions and crackdowns. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Friday, Oct. 27, 2017 photo, Norma Richter touches a collection of portraits of prophets of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, including Warren Jeffs, bottom right, in her home in a community on the Utah-Arizona border. The area has been home for more than a century to a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. “We still have a faith. We don’t follow a man. We have a very good man as a leader, but we follow a religion,” Richter said. “They have not conquered us. They can take everything but they can’t conquer our spirit.” (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, community members gather at a resource center run by a charity called “Voices for Dignity,” which is dedicated to helping members of a Mormon offshoot religion called the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The group’s home community on the Utah-Arizona border is undergoing a series of changes as the sect’s control of the town slips away amid government evictions and crackdowns. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, Kathy, left, and Lolly Bistline, run as the sun sets in Colorado City, Ariz., in a community on the Utah-Arizona border that has been home for more than a century to a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, Norma Richter, left, and Lori Barlow hug after an eviction notice was served on their Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints church meeting house in their community on the Utah-Arizona border. Authorities later canceled the eviction after working out a deal with church leaders. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, Norma Richter, left, and Lori Barlow hug after an eviction notice was served on their Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints church meeting house in their community on the Utah-Arizona border. Authorities later canceled the eviction after working out a deal with church leaders. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, young girls ride their bikes in Colorado City, Ariz., in a community on the Utah-Arizona border that has been home for more than a century to a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, young girls ride their bikes in Colorado City, Ariz., in a community on the Utah-Arizona border that has been home for more than a century to a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, Lydia Ann, 8, and her mother, Norma Richter, hold hands as they pose for photographs in Colorado City, Ariz. Their community on the Utah-Arizona border has been home for more than a century to members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, Lydia Ann, 8, and her mother, Norma Richter, hold hands as they pose for photographs in Colorado City, Ariz. Their community on the Utah-Arizona border has been home for more than a century to members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, Shirlonna Barlow poses for a photo in Colorado City, Ariz. The community on the Utah-Arizona border has been home for more than a century to members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, Shirlonna Barlow poses for a photo in Colorado City, Ariz. The community on the Utah-Arizona border has been home for more than a century to members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017 photo, Shirlonna Barlow, 14, bales hay for cattle at her home in a community on the Utah-Arizona border. The area has been home for more than a century to a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017 photo, Shirlonna Barlow, 14, bales hay for cattle at her home in a community on the Utah-Arizona border. The area has been home for more than a century to a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, Eddie Bistline paddles on the north reservoir at sunset, in Colorado City, Ariz. The community on the Utah-Arizona border has been home for more than a century to a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, Eddie Bistline paddles on the north reservoir at sunset, in Colorado City, Ariz. The community on the Utah-Arizona border has been home for more than a century to a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017 photo, Lori Barlow feeds her cattle at her home in a Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints community on the Utah-Arizona border. The area has been home for more than a century to the polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017 photo, Lori Barlow feeds her cattle at her home in a Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints community on the Utah-Arizona border. The area has been home for more than a century to the polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, a young boy and girl skip rocks in reservoir, in a community on the Utah-Arizona border that is home to a polygamous sect, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. The community is undergoing a series of changes as the sect’s control of the town slips away amid government evictions and crackdowns. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, a young boy and girl skip rocks in reservoir, in a community on the Utah-Arizona border that is home to a polygamous sect, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. The community is undergoing a series of changes as the sect’s control of the town slips away amid government evictions and crackdowns. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
This Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017 photo shows the mountains surrounding Hildale, Ut., and its sister city, Colorado City, Ariz., at sunset, in a community on the Utah-Arizona border that has been home for more than a century to a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. Changes in the area are being hailed as progress by some but considered cultural cleansing by members of the religious group known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
This Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017 photo shows the mountains surrounding Hildale, Ut., and its sister city, Colorado City, Ariz., at sunset, in a community on the Utah-Arizona border that has been home for more than a century to a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. Changes in the area are being hailed as progress by some but considered cultural cleansing by members of the religious group known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
This Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017 photo shows the state line in Colorado City, Ariz., looking towards Arizona. The community on the Utah-Arizona border is home to a polygamous sect, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. The community is undergoing a series of changes as the sect’s control of the town slips away amid government evictions and crackdowns. The change is hailed as progress by some but considered cultural cleansing by members of the religious group known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
This Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017 photo shows the state line in Colorado City, Ariz., looking towards Arizona. The community on the Utah-Arizona border is home to a polygamous sect, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. The community is undergoing a series of changes as the sect’s control of the town slips away amid government evictions and crackdowns. The change is hailed as progress by some but considered cultural cleansing by members of the religious group known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Friday, Oct. 27, 2017 photo, the word “Zion” is written at the entry way to a home in Hildale, Utah, in a community on the Utah-Arizona border that has been home for more than a century to a polygamous Mormon sect, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The community is undergoing a series of changes as the sect’s control of the town slips away amid government evictions and crackdowns. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Friday, Oct. 27, 2017 photo, the word “Zion” is written at the entry way to a home in Hildale, Utah, in a community on the Utah-Arizona border that has been home for more than a century to a polygamous Mormon sect, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The community is undergoing a series of changes as the sect’s control of the town slips away amid government evictions and crackdowns. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Friday, Oct. 27, 2017 photo, Norma Richter touches a collection of portraits of prophets of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, including Warren Jeffs, bottom right, in her home in a community on the Utah-Arizona border. The area has been home for more than a century to a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. “We still have a faith. We don’t follow a man. We have a very good man as a leader, but we follow a religion,” Richter said. “They have not conquered us. They can take everything but they can’t conquer our spirit.” (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Friday, Oct. 27, 2017 photo, Norma Richter touches a collection of portraits of prophets of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, including Warren Jeffs, bottom right, in her home in a community on the Utah-Arizona border. The area has been home for more than a century to a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. “We still have a faith. We don’t follow a man. We have a very good man as a leader, but we follow a religion,” Richter said. “They have not conquered us. They can take everything but they can’t conquer our spirit.” (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, community members gather at a resource center run by a charity called “Voices for Dignity,” which is dedicated to helping members of a Mormon offshoot religion called the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The group’s home community on the Utah-Arizona border is undergoing a series of changes as the sect’s control of the town slips away amid government evictions and crackdowns. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, community members gather at a resource center run by a charity called “Voices for Dignity,” which is dedicated to helping members of a Mormon offshoot religion called the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The group’s home community on the Utah-Arizona border is undergoing a series of changes as the sect’s control of the town slips away amid government evictions and crackdowns. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, Kathy, left, and Lolly Bistline, run as the sun sets in Colorado City, Ariz., in a community on the Utah-Arizona border that has been home for more than a century to a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo, Kathy, left, and Lolly Bistline, run as the sun sets in Colorado City, Ariz., in a community on the Utah-Arizona border that has been home for more than a century to a polygamous sect that is an offshoot of mainstream Mormonism. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Members of a polygamous group that is losing its grip on a remote red rock community straddling the Utah-Arizona border that’s been its home for more than a century say they love their religion and won’t cower no matter what happens.