KAMC-28 told you last week about a fundamentalist group that has purchased a building in Lockney in Floyd County which has some residents feeling uneasy about what this means for their town.
The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is not associated with the modern Mormon Church. And with the news that the fundamentalist group is moving in to Lockney, some have questions about what the group is all about!
“There`s always some apprehension on the part of the church members of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to hear the fundamentalist name come up in connection with us because there is no connection” with LDS Spokesperson, Dave Walker.
The name may sound similar, but to those of the LDS faith, more commonly known as Mormon faith, there`s nothing similar about them.
“At some point in the past there was a connection but that was something like 100 years or more when some of the same families came from the same group. But that connection was severed years and years ago” says Walker.
But that connection is moving close to home for the LDS church here in Lubbock. The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints purchased a building in Floyd County.
“Certainly, any religious group in the past that is new is scary to people. And while I don`t anticipate a large growth of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Lubbock area or surrounding areas, we just don`t know a lot about this group” says Wes Crawford an Assistant Professor at Lubbock Christian University.
But what experts do know is the issue of polygamy. They say in the 19th century, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or LDS ruled out polygamy from its faith. But a small group, the Fundamentalist Church upheld the polygamist beliefs. The group`s current leader, Warren Jeffs was arrested last August and is facing charges of rape as an accomplice, stemming from his groups` support of marrying underage girls to older men.
“They don`t uphold the laws of the United States of America and certainly the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints do. And that`s very, very important for us to do that” says Walker.
And what`s also important, guarding beliefs that won`t be mistaken.
“We’re no different than any other church or religion like that. Yes, we have faithful, good, strong members and no one in any other particular faith wants an imposter group coming in and representing them or anyone mistaking them for that” says Walker.