In Colorado City and Hildale there are a large amount of families who are moving. Many families have chosen to leave the community while others have been forced out.

Recently, the trust fund for the FLDS church, the United Effort Plan (UEP), has been taken over by the state due to a mismanagement of funds by the leader and prophet Warren Jeffs.

A state representative now controls the funds of the FLDS church. This is critical because most of the land in Colorado City and Hildale is owned by the FLDS. Community members rent this land and pay their property taxes to the church. Now that the state is in control of the UEP, many people feel outraged and believe that this is a hostile takeover by the state.

Subsequently, some families are not paying their property taxes. They do not recognize the takeover by the state. Unfortunately, plots of land typically have more than one home on them. Therefore, if one family decides not to pay their property taxes then the others are in default. All may be subject to eviction.

Some families have been forced out and others have left out of their frustration with the state takeover of the UEP.

Many are also moving to Eldorado, Texas, where Warren Jeffs and other FLDS leaders have purchased large plots of land and have successfully built the first FLDS temple. Homes have already been constructed for families to potentially move into. However, it is a very secretive project and no one is allowed onto the land.

Much of the controversy today is over the abuse that occurs in Colorado City and Hildale. The HOPE Organization, located in St. George, Utah, helps men and women who have chosen to leave or who have been kicked out of the community. I interviewed Elaine Tyler, a representative of this organization. She informed me that many individuals who have come out of this community have reported large amounts of abuse, ranging from physical abuse to sexual abuse.

This is not to say that all families or even a number of the families are abusive. However, accurate numbers are not available. It is also unknown if church leaders regulate abusive behavior.

Underage marriage, another felony in the states of Utah and Arizona, is pervasive in the FLDS community. Many women are given into marriage before the age of 18. Warren Jeffs is currently being hunted by the FBI on charges of conspiring to aid in unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

Within the past few years there has been an unprecedented pull out of the public school systems in Colorado City. Families no longer allow their children to attend the public schools.

Consequently, children are home schooled. However, very few tests are conducted to measure a child's learning.

There has also been a significant decrease in the amount of individuals who attend college. This makes leaving the community much more difficult because they have very few skills to compete in the society at large.

Many citizens in Utah and Arizona are angry over the amount of welfare and tax dollars the FLDS community receives. Many of the plural wives claim themselves as single mothers in households with large numbers of children.

On the website for the HOPE Organization, it says,

It has been reported that the citizens of Colorado City, Arizona receive $8 in government welfare subsidies (Medicaid, WIC, food stamps, etc.) for every $1 they pay in.

Elaine Tyler stated that Colorado City and Hildale received nearly 8 million dollars in government funding through various welfare programs when they only put in $72,000 in income tax.

Leaving the FLDS Leaving the FLDS can be exceedingly difficult. For individuals who wish to leave or who are forced to leave must deal with a variety of problems. For one, if a husband or wife wishes to leave the community, then they must give up their children and spouses. In the FLDS church, wives and children are seen as belonging to the priesthood council. For example, if a husband decides to leave the community, then his wife(s) and children are reassigned to another man and family. The same is true if a woman decides to leave. Another difficulty in leaving is having to find out how to live in a culture and society that is very different from the FLDS. Many people leaving the FLDS do not necessarily know how or where to get help. Some rely solely on others who have left the community and were forced to figure out how to survive in another culture. One of the largest problems individuals face when choosing to leave is facing the idea that they may be eternally condemned for their action. The belief is that they will not be saved and that they will go to Hell.