FLDS polygamists broke into a book storage facility, stole books, burned thousands of books last weekend, and apparently had second thoughts and donated thousands more to a Deseret Industries outlet in Cedar City (about 60 miles north).
The FLDS split into two groups years ago, and the book donations started with someone from the breakaway group:
Stefanie Colgrove, of Centennial Park, Ariz., had the vision to start the library. With grandparents who were educators, she started the library with her family's personal collection.
The books burned, Colgrove said, were part of her grandmother's collection - medical journals and memoirs …
More books were donations to the FLDS community from outsiders who wanted to provide a public library.
The books missing were encyclopedias and dictionaries, and books like that …
… The HOPE Organization's book donations were valued at more than $15,000. Barnes & Noble donated $9,800 in books, and a private individual donated $1,500 worth of books that came in sets of four and five, and were composed of classics by authors such as Charles Dickens.
… Utah Attorney General Spokesman Paul Murphy said he personally delivered books in his truck donated from book drives in Salt Lake City to benefit the library in Colorado City. He was joined by Jane Irvine, of the Arizona Attorney General's Office, who also personally loaded her vehicle and delivered books to Colorado City to benefit the polygamous community.
Even though prophet Warren Jeffs is in jail, probably for life, FLDS members are asserting themselves again because recent Federal court decisions have been breaking their way; 2,000 male-only FLDS members recently swore continued allegiance to Jeffs.
