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YFZ Ranch

T

TXTibbs

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 9, 2005
Messages
1,591
Location
South Central Texas, former South Dakotan
I'm sure ya'll have heard of the town Waco, Texas. Sadly, but mostly known for the Branch Dividians and David Koresh who if you remember burnt here several years back in a stand off with authorities.

Well how many of you have heard of the YFZ Ranch near the small Texas town of Eldorado? If you haven't, you should! A very similar thing is cropping up there. A group of Mormans, known as FLDS or Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purchased a some 2000 acres about 4 miles north of town and at the time of purchase disguised themselves and said it was to be a hunting retreat.

I used to live in Eldorado and I'm going back there this weekend actually. Anyway what they are doing is outrageous. They practice polygamy and are building huge shrines and temples and are expecting to move in 2000+ people to Schleicher County. The town of Eldorado only has about 1900 people so they will be bigger than the town. Fear is they will take elections and win over major offices and political power of the town. They done a very similar thing in two towns on the Utah/Arizona border.

Anyway....check this site out it tells a little:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4629743

And here is Eldorado Texas' newspaper which has an on-going section devoted to the development of the YFZ Ranch.

http://myeldorado.net/
 
reader (the Second) said:
Thanks. Very interesting. Did you see the TV show on the Mormon polygamous town which ran out most of the young boys so there would not be competition for the women? Poor young boys can't see their moms or their siblings anymore and are out in the world on their own. And the U.S. Government lets this ILLEGAL practice continue.

I'm outraged that this is happening in Texas.
Click to expand...


Lots of Crazies in TEXAS :cowboy:
 
Big Muddy rancher said:
TXTibbs said:
now now Big Muddy......Montana has it's share of whack jobs to :wink:
Click to expand...

Yea Montana has the Freemen and I just learned that the UNA BOMBER is running for pres of R-CALF.
Click to expand...

Actually the attorney that developed much of the Freeman theory and made money off selling tax avoidance packets to the ranchers that were losing there places due partly to the depressed cattle prices caused by NAFTA and the packers manipulation of the captive Canadian cattle supply was a Canadian... I think his office is in Calgary-- Last I heard he was doing the same, trying to profit off Canadian ranchers over the BSE issue :wink: ......
 
Sorry, OT, I have to take issue with one of your comments. "...losing their places because of depressed calf prices due to NAFTA"...

The process of those people losing their places most likely started way before NAFTA. If NAFTA was the common denominator, why didn't almost everyone else lose their places?

I've seen a lot of difference in ranch management, handling of finances, etc. that more than likely had way more to do with losing places than NAFTA did.

We came up through the FmHA ourselves. It wasn't always easy, but we did prevail~along with many others. I'm not saying FmHA did everything right, either, but many times what happens to you is not the result of just 'Good Luck' or 'Bad Luck' but management, plain and simple.


~Nothing personal, you understand~
 
Texas and Montana aren't the only states that have religious cult kooks as residents. Colorado is also home to some whackos that our 'used-to-be-darling-daughter' has taken up with.

Her mother and I thought we were "out of the woods" and had raised an intelligent beautiful charming daughter, who had never given us a bit of trouble through the years. She graduated from high school with honors, and she wanted very much to be an architect. Her desire was to go to the Savannah College of Art and Design, in Georgia. We complied, and did our best to help make her dreams come true. She went there last fall, and attended the first trimester, which ended just before Thanksgiving. She studied hard and made the Dean's List.

Alas, she had met a handsome young man at a wedding last August, where she was a bridesmaid and he was a groomsman. She went to see him and his family in their quaint little Colorado mountain town at Thanksgiving time. She went back for a visit at Christmas, and has basically been living there ever since. It turned out that the boy's father was involved in an off-shoot of Deliverance Ministries, and was off the beaten path far enough that he thinks he is God, and that the Real God is just his Foreman. (This is my interpretation. :???: :? )

Our daughter has allowed herself to get swallowed into their false teachings hook, line and sinker, and she has completely alienated herself from all of her family and friends. She and her boyfriend won't even acknowledge their friends who were the bride and groom at the wedding where they met.

The Devil has the whole family wrapped around his little red-hot finger. They have secluded themselves in their own town. They have even gone so far as to have built a ten-foot wall around their house yard, in the quiet nice neighborhood in which they live.

We have surveyed all of our options, and have made a couple trips out to the mountains to try to visit with her. They won't see us, and have had their telephone disconnected. We have talked to lawyers, Christian counselors, friends, and family, and have sifted through a lot of good advice. The worst problem is that she is in love. Cupid rhymes with Stupid, for a reason. We would like to kidnap her back, but it would probably not accomplish a thing. She is an adult of legal age, and seems to want to do things her way.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we pray a lot. We have given her over to the care of the Good Lord. He brought her along very well up until six months ago. She has always been a fine Christian girl, with her head on straight. She went into this deal for the right reasons, but it turned out all wrong. We have faith that the Good Lord is allowing this chain of events for a reason, and that He will bring her back, stronger than ever.
 
Faster horses said:
Sorry, OT, I have to take issue with one of your comments. "...losing their places because of depressed calf prices due to NAFTA"...

The process of those people losing their places most likely started way before NAFTA. If NAFTA was the common denominator, why didn't almost everyone else lose their places?

I've seen a lot of difference in ranch management, handling of finances, etc. that more than likely had way more to do with losing places than NAFTA did.

We came up through the FmHA ourselves. It wasn't always easy, but we did prevail~along with many others. I'm not saying FmHA did everything right, either, but many times what happens to you is not the result of just 'Good Luck' or 'Bad Luck' but management, plain and simple.


~Nothing personal, you understand~
Click to expand...

I understand FH- but if you look twice I said "losing their places due PARTLY to the depressed cattle prices caused by NAFTA and the packers manipulation of the captive Canadian cattle supply"....And no-one will ever convince me that these did not play a partial role in cattle prices....

Especially when days after announcement of a US positive BSE case and 1 day after it was confirmed native- cow prices today locally were still higher than they ever were for the whole time period previous to the border closing.......

I understand that management, banker advice and stability, weather factors, government program instability and much more all contributed.....
 
Soapweed said:
Texas and Montana aren't the only states that have religious cult kooks as residents. Colorado is also home to some whackos that our 'used-to-be-darling-daughter' has taken up with.

Her mother and I thought we were "out of the woods" and had raised an intelligent beautiful charming daughter, who had never given us a bit of trouble through the years. She graduated from high school with honors, and she wanted very much to be an architect. Her desire was to go to the Savannah College of Art and Design, in Georgia. We complied, and did our best to help make her dreams come true. She went there last fall, and attended the first trimester, which ended just before Thanksgiving. She studied hard and made the Dean's List.

Alas, she had met a handsome young man at a wedding last August, where she was a bridesmaid and he was a groomsman. She went to see him and his family in their quaint little Colorado mountain town at Thanksgiving time. She went back for a visit at Christmas, and has basically been living there ever since. It turned out that the boy's father was involved in an off-shoot of Deliverance Ministries, and was off the beaten path far enough that he thinks he is God, and that the Real God is just his Foreman. (This is my interpretation. :???: :? )

Our daughter has allowed herself to get swallowed into their false teachings hook, line and sinker, and she has completely alienated herself from all of her family and friends. She and her boyfriend won't even acknowledge their friends who were the bride and groom at the wedding where they met.

The Devil has the whole family wrapped around his little red-hot finger. They have secluded themselves in their own town. They have even gone so far as to have built a ten-foot wall around their house yard, in the quiet nice neighborhood in which they live.

We have surveyed all of our options, and have made a couple trips out to the mountains to try to visit with her. They won't see us, and have had their telephone disconnected. We have talked to lawyers, Christian counselors, friends, and family, and have sifted through a lot of good advice. The worst problem is that she is in love. Cupid rhymes with Stupid, for a reason. We would like to kidnap her back, but it would probably not accomplish a thing. She is an adult of legal age, and seems to want to do things her way.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we pray a lot. We have given her over to the care of the Good Lord. He brought her along very well up until six months ago. She has always been a fine Christian girl, with her head on straight. She went into this deal for the right reasons, but it turned out all wrong. We have faith that the Good Lord is allowing this chain of events for a reason, and that He will bring her back, stronger than ever.
Click to expand...

Soapweed, I was very sorry to hear of your family's ordeal. Often over the winter for some reason I wondered how your daughter was enjoying the college experience never guessing her plight.
But I'll share a similar situation some of our close Christian friends had with their eldest daughter in a large midwest city. She similarly grew up in a very caring Christian home and graduated highest in her class but instead of going to college fell in with a controlling young man who managed to sequester her. Her family had no idea where they went which was the most painful stress. After some years one of her sisters happened to see her on the other side of the city. All that time she had been near enough for a phone call. She talked with her long lost sister and learned her sister realized her predicament (finally :x ) but couldn't think of any way to get free of him. So with the help of the parents the two sisters cooked up a scheme to go together to live with an aunt many states away, I suppose since he wouldn't know the connection and she'd feel completely safe. They found work out there and eventually the eldest daughter, now with her head screwed on straight, went to college, graduated, married a hard working young man and is back in the family fold. A tortuous path but the Lord and Right prevailed. We will be praying intensely for all of you.
 
Thank you for the kind words, nr. This ordeal has been especially hard on Mrs. Soapweed, because she and our daughter have always had a very close relationship, being "best friends" besides.

Life has gotten easier since we just placed the whole problem and its outcome in the lap of the Lord. He knows what is best, and will take care of it in His Own good time. We can best prevail, by not letting it ruin our own lives.

Everyone who knows our daughter is pretty much "up in arms" about the situation. I know if we ever chose to use force, we could have quite a convoy of vehicles loaded with assistants. I think we could easily "take the fort" :wink: but probably that would not solve anything.

We are doubtful that mail sent to her ever reaches its destination. On her 19th birthday, which was June 10th, we tried to send her a bouquet by way of a local flower shop. The dear old dad in charge rejected the delivery.

We hope that by being open and candid about this ordeal, it might help other would-be victims to see the light in time and avert a similar situation. We are confident that it will all eventually have a positive ending. Our job now is to pray hard and keep the faith, and continue living this good life as it was given to us.
 
I think it is time for all Soapweed's friends on Ranchers take time to say a prayer on behalf of her daughter. Only prayer at this point can help. What a powerful tool we have.
 
Feeder is absolutely right. We should pray and continue to pray today and every day for her.

Soapweed, as always, you amaze me. Your wisdom in dealing with this situation is totally awesome. We are sorry for your pain, but you have a handle on the very best way to go foreward. You are to be admired.

It is in your favor that you have had a great relationship with this girl in the past. Hopefully, she will wake up one day missing her family and the love you have for her.

God Bless you all!
 
soapweed sorry to hear about your daughter, that is something that a family never thinks could or would ever happen to them. It is always something on TV or "in Texas", but never on your back door. And when it steps up on your porch it is very hard to deal with. I'll be thinking about you and your family. Must be even harder on ya'll during holidays and birthdays....I can't imagine. You have a very bright and positive attitude and you should be commended on that. Hang in there :nod:

The same thing is happening to women, girls, kids here in Texas on this YFZ ranch.

I wonder what gets into some people heads sometimes! Sad deal....but not sure what "we" can do about it.

Vaya con Dios!
(Go with God)
 
This is a touchy subject. While I would not want this group close to me nor would I want any of my children affected by one of these groups, I think they have a right to live and prosper. This country was founded on freedom and that included religions freedom so long as they act within the governing laws. Which in this case they don't seem to be.
The point is that is important to protect the rights of even those that we disagree with if only to insure that you're right to freedom is preserved.

On another note: I am surprised that the practice of polygamies is illegal in the United States. I think that a review before the current Supreme Court may well legalize it as a religious freedom.
 
Its not only the polygamy that is a concern, but also the fact that they have "child brides".....they will take 14 or 16 year old girls and match thing with their "husband" and that is the man to whom they must devote themselves to. The man might be 30-50. They are currently doing extensive investigations and in fact Warren Jeffs the leader has been indicted for two felony sexual conduct charges with minors. No one knows where he is at, but all authorities believe him to be on the Schleicher County YFZ Ranch here in Texas.

I agree that freedom of what you believe in, but like you said they have to be within bounds.....and this YFZ Fundamentalist Group certainly is not.

They struck oil on the ranch north of them and the YFZ didn't buy the mineral rights when they purchased the land, so i imagine they will start drilling on the YFZ. I'm very interested to see how that is going to work....cause they deem that land holy and should be untouched, but since they don't have the mineral rights they can't say a thing about a drilling rig coming in there and drilling. They may put up a fight....maybe this is when we will see them burn like Waco! I know from reliable sources from living in that town that they have a small arsenal out there capable of defending themselves if need be. Thats whats also scary is that they prepare for that. They know its coming, its just a matter of time they say themselves.
 
If I was a Mormon, which I am not, this would bother me. What do Mormon ranchers think of their church buying up ranches and entering into direct competition by raising cattle on church land? The Church buying up these ranches only makes taxes go up, and the value of cattle go down. I would be pretty miffed about the situation, if I was a Mormon and trying to make a living off the land. :( :???:
 

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