Former polygamist church member receives threatening letter
 
The Associated Press
 
Mohave County authorities are investigating a possible death threat against a former member of a polygamist church.

Ben Bistline, a former member and outspoken critic of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, received a letter Jan. 23 at his home near Colorado City, vowing revenge and predicting that God will order "the destroying angels to go forth, and they will kill off all the wicked."

The only hope for a person who disobeys is blood atonement, the letter said.

Bistline told the East Valley Tribune that the letter did not frighten him, but he turned it over to law enforcement anyway.

"If they were going to kill me, they would have just come over and killed me," he said. "It's just some kid."

The FLDS church, a sect that broke away from mainline Mormonism, has been under more scrutiny since 20 church leaders were excommunicated in mid-January by church prophet Warren Jeffs.

The church's attorney Rodney Parker said the Bistline letter is a publicity stunt.

"I really think this is a hoax designed to keep the story going," he said.
 
Associated Press
Originally published February 5, 2004
 
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