Paula Zahn Now Interview with Ross and Lori Chatwin
 
By Paula Zahn
 
ZAHN: For 70 years, a breakaway group of Mormons has lived largely unnoticed in Colorado City, Arizona, quietly living in polygamous families.

Well, now the group has burst into the news with accusations that its prophet, or leader, is expelling some of the men from their homes and forcing their wives, even some of their children, to marry others, against their will. Is this a dangerous religious cult or simply a family feud within a small religious sect?

Joining me now from Saint George, Utah, are Lori and Ross Chatwin, who are fighting his expulsion from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Thank you both for joining us.

ROSS CHATWIN, EXPELLED FROM CHURCH: Thank you.

LORI CHATWIN, EXPELLED FROM CHURCH: Thank you.

ZAHN: Ross, I want to start off by reading what the leader of your church has to say about why he is throwing you out of his church. He claims you were stalking young girls to become your polygamous wives, against their wishes and the wishes of their father. Is that true?

ROSS CHATWIN: To some degree, it may have some merit to it. But I'm not going to try and defend myself on that. I'm going to say, hey, I'm sorry, all I was doing is what I was taught to do. And I just -- I want to repent and do better. And I feel like I've made a mistake.

ZAHN: Ross, you just admitted you made a mistake, basically conceding that you did violate the rules of this sect. Why are you admitting that now for the first time?

ROSS CHATWIN: I didn't want to bring up that family and go through all the humiliation. But now that they've brought it up, I don't have any choice.

ZAHN: So, basically, what you're admitting to tonight is that you went outside the sect and you solicited other wives to join your family. And was that against their will and was that against the will of their fathers?

ROSS CHATWIN: Their father was not impressed, no. He did not like that at all. But it was not against the will of the girl at the time.

ZAHN: OK, a single girl?

ROSS CHATWIN: Yes, a single girl.

ZAHN: So you're only admitting to a charge of soliciting one woman, not several, as the leader of your church charges?

ROSS CHATWIN: Right, exactly. Yes, there was only one girl involved. She was 17 years old. And we did tell her that, if she did want to pursue anything, then she would definitely have to wait until she was 18, because we would not consider it otherwise.

And she came to us. She asked us for help. And we just helped. And it turned into a little different relationship after we had been helping her for some time.

ZAHN: And, Lori, you were OK with all of this?

LORI CHATWIN: I'm the one that asked her.

ZAHN: And how did that come about?

LORI CHATWIN: She didn't have contact with Ross. She had contact with me in writing letters. We wrote letters back and forth, and, at her request, secret letters, because she knew that, if she was caught, then she was in big trouble.

ZAHN: Lori, I know your family has been practicing polygamy for generations. But I'll tell you, most of our audience listening tonight think this lifestyle is awfully weird. What would you say to them about why you would welcome a 17-year-old woman into your husband's lives and into your life as an intimate member of the family?

LORI CHATWIN: As a friend. Everybody likes friends. People have like bridge clubs and, you know. And His is like family, someone that they can be close, a close friend.

ZAHN: So, Ross, what do you plan to do? It seems leek you're at an impasse with the leader of this church. He wants you out. You say you want to admit that you made a mistake and you want to be given a second chance. What's going to happen next?

ROSS CHATWIN: We're going to just persisting at home. I don't plan to pursue plural marriage or polygamy at this point right now. And I think that I have a right to stay there. And Warren is going to try and prove me differently. He's going to try and prove me wrong. And he's going to try and use me as an example now.

ZAHN: Lori, how willing are you to fight this for the long haul?

LORI CHATWIN: If it was just for us, I would say, well, let's just get out of here. But we're doing it for other people, because there are many people being hurt. There are many people that have been hurt. And it's not stopping. And somebody's got to do something about it.

ZAHN: My interview with Lori and Ross Chatwin from earlier today.

Ross Chatwin also maintains, the church's leader, Warren Jeffs, has issued an ultimatum to his family. He says he and his family have until February 27 to leave their home and church property. If they refuse, Jeffs says he will go to court to get them out.
 
Paula Zahn Now
Originally broadcast January 28, 2004
 
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