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How many doomsday predictions does one prophet get?

by Randy Mankin
Winston Blackmore, known by many in the FLDS church as the Bishop of Bountiful, British Columbia, at least until he was excommunicated in 2002 by Prophet Warren Jeffs, posed some interesting thoughts this week. In a newsletter he publishes on the Internet, Blackmore pointed out a number of predictions Jeffs has made, all of which have failed to come true.

Writing directly to Jeffs, Blackmore says, “I was so impressed when you told us that your father would live 320 years into the future that I could have bet it would happen. I was so impressed when you told us that when the DOW hit 9000 that it would be the ultimate end of the economy that I traded off my investments and gave you the money. When you predicted the end of the world in 98, I bought a generator. When you changed the date twice in 99 I bought another generator. When you changed the date to 2000, I traded again on a new, bigger one. When you called for last minute donations, I sold my generators and donated my thousands.”

But wait, it gets better. Blackmore continues, “I knew that the Olympics would never happen because you said it wouldn’t. I traveled hundreds of miles around Salt Lake City, stayed away from California, sold my trucking company, and gave the money because I believed.

“Why did Uncle Rulon not live 320 years into the future? Why is the economy prospering while the DOW is beyond 10,000? Why did the Olympics happen? Why did you ruin the Barlows? Why the sacking of the UEP?

But Blackmore did more than take Jeffs to task for his erroneous predictions, he challenged the prophet’s decision to claim his dead father’s wives as his own and chastised him for his treatment of the FLDS faithful.

“I confess that I was troubled when I heard about Zion being in Texas. Throughout our history we have been taught by real prophets that Zion would be built in Jackson County, Missouri.

“I confess that I was troubled when I saw that you had taken your fathers wives for your own as Uncle Roy (former FLDS Prophet Leroy Johnson) had taught us that that practice was an abomination in the sight of God and was the reason for the destruction of great nations. I confess that I struggled when I saw what you have done to Allan Steed (an early worker at the YFZ Ranch who was later excommunicated). You took his millions and then took his wives and family. You have killed Uncle Allan as surely as if you had sent him to the front lines to battle. In a time of peace, you have practiced family genocide on a weak and believing people.”

“I confess that you are a hypocrite when it comes to those Canadians. You go there and let them have meetings and let them pretend to be so much better. I know why. If you cut any of those guys off like you have done to the Barlows, you would have to sleep with one eye open. As long as a steady stream of log houses comes your way they are needed good guys. When they find out that you have no plans for even one of them to come live in Zion, not now or ever, they may not like it at all.”

Blackmore ends with a prediction of his own -- a prediction I wish Warrren Jeffs remaining followers would carefully consider.

“You will be known in history as the Prophet of Doom. You will have to go through all you have put us through, and in the end God will confess, “Paul I know, Jesus I know, but you— I don’t know you.”

False prophets come and false prophets go. Warren Jeffs maintains his hold on his flock...for the time being, at least.

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. — 1 John 4:1 KJV