This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
"I rejoice in gratitude for the privilege of checking in and keeping you up to date on the happenings here in the home."
That's the opening of another interesting letter from Joseph Allred that has appeared in the court records. This letter, like the other, was written to Warren Jeffs while Jeffs was on the run in 2006. It has some fascinating depictions of life in Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., and an explanation of how one big family makes money.
Allred is the current mayor of Colorado City and the former head of the utility Twin City Water Works. There is a motion before a Utah judge to put Twin City Water into receivership over allegations that it pumps wells that do not belong to it, sells the water at an inflated price and send proceeds to the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints.
Like Allred's previous letter, dated April 23, 2006, the latest letter, dated May 28 of that year, asks Jeffs if Allred should continue using Twin City Water money to pay his own bills. But most of this latest letter discusses Allred's family and extend family. Allred implies he also was overseeing the family of his father, Richard Allred, at the time. (The letter starts on page 54 of the embedded document.)
After the salutation, Allred recounts the visit he received from FLDS missionaries. Then he tells Jeffs that some of the "ladies" — FLDS parlance for plural wives, though in this case it's not clear if they are all married to Allred — do not honor him as the head of their household by consulting with him before making decisions.
"However, all the ladies have expressed their support of the prophet," Allred writes.
Then it's implied that Jeffs had posed a query about whether members of the household are home at night. Allred informs Jeffs that the answer generally is yes, though some of Richard Allred's older boys have sneaked out at night to go jump on a trampoline. Allred also says "Mother Gwen" has been taking walks after midnight, "sometimes with Nephi's wife Millie." Allred writes that lately he has been encouraging his family to stay indoors at night.
Then it's onto household finances. "Mother RoLayne" has been making bread — 25 loaves at a time, indoors and "away from officers of the law" — and selling it to extended relatives, Allred reports.
Meanwhile, "Mother Mary" has been sending items like fabric and honey to what Allred calls Zion. That's probably a reference to the Yearning for Zion Ranch in Texas. Allred asks Jeffs if the women in his household should continue to do this.
Allred goes on to report: "… several of the boys are working at Reliance Electric and Moroni just started at Streamline Automotive. Until about a week ago, Moroni had worked at Modern Tech Construction in the office ... "
Allred continues: "Moroni's younger brother Warren had worked at Preferred Auto doing window tinting, but he is just starting in the office for Tonto Supply, working with John M. Barlow. Mother Janice works for her son Brian Knudson in his construction office.
"The funds that the boys have been bringing in, as well as a few social security checks that the older ladies have been getting, have provided for the family needs. In addition, we have been able to turn in some funds to the storehouse, especially since a couple of tax returns came in recently."
Allred also describes the lockdown procedure at the house "in the event the enemy is outside the gate or inside the property." That's apparently a reference to law enforcement.
Allred says "Code Green = normal, Code Yellow = don't be out unless you have to, Code Orange = make sure all outside doors are locked and no one goes outside, Code Red = complete lockdown and mothers take their children to their rooms and lock the bedrooms."
Code Red was announced, Allred writes, when the FBI rang the doorbell and another time when someone posted a tax notice on a home.
Allred also describes his family's scripture lessons including a Friday night mother's class in which the participants read ''In Light and Truth: Raising Children in the Family Order of Heaven. The Word of the Lord Through is Servants, the Prophets.'' That's a book compiled by Jeffs from numerous texts in 1994.
Tribune reporter Brooke Adams in 2007 described the book as a combination of "Benjamin Spock's 'Baby and Child Care' and 'Fascinating Womanhood' by Helen B. Andelin."
While the letter is almost nine years old, it's not clear that much has changed for people still loyal to Jeffs.
Another document filed in the Twin City Water case is the deposition of Scott Jessop, who says he maintains the water system. Jessop listed five other employees at Twin city Water Works. Of those, Jessop said in his deposition, four are related to him — three sons and one celestial wife.
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