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Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please
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contact your local crisis center. For suggested phone numbers, for confidential support, and for a more
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detailed list of content warnings, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website.
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The Christian Bible is composed of 66 books which are divided into the Old Testament based primarily on the Hebrew
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Bible and the New Testament, an exploration of the teachings and life of Jesus Christ.
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The very final book of the Bible is the book of Revelation, a 22 chapter series penned by a prophet known as John of
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Patmas. It is an apocalyptic text that details a spiritual battle between good and evil
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culminating in Jesus returning to Earth. Combining warnings to followers with prophecies about the future, the book of
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Revelation anticipates the ultimate defeat of Satan and a final judgment passed on all human beings.
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Those deemed worthy by their deeds during life and their adherence to Christ will be saved, resurrected to
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live in a new heaven and earth, free from pain, suffering, and death. Unbelievers and individuals deemed to be
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wicked will be sentenced to a lake of fire, a final demise and the ultimate punishment for lost souls dubbed the
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second death. The mysterious language of the book of Revelation and its many prophecies have
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led to countless Christian scholars, leaders, and adherence attempting to predict when this end of the world will
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come. In chapter 5 of the book, John of Patmas introduces the prophecy of the seven
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seals. Seven separate events that will take place between Jesus's lifetime and his eventual return known as the second
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coming. These prophecies are written on a book or a scroll sealed shut with seven wax
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seals, which no one but a figure dubbed the lamb of God is able to open. Quote, "Then I saw in the right hand of him who
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sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals.
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And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?"
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But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept
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because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, "Do
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not weep. See, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has triumphed.
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He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals." Then I saw a lamb looking as if it had
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been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.
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The lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which had the seven spirits of God sent
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out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.
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Traditionally, the lamb of God has been interpreted as Jesus himself, whom Christians believe was sacrificed to
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atone for humanity sins, just as actual lambs were sacrificed in stories of the Old Testament.
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However, some individuals have used scripture to argue that this lamb was a different Messiah who would assist Jesus
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in the final spiritual battle. They found more passages in other parts of the Bible that also prophesized a
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second Messiah whose name was Cyrus the Great. In Hebrew, the name Cyrus translates to
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Kesh. The 7th Day Adventist Church originated in the state of New York during the
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1840s and places a particular emphasis on the impending second coming of Christ.
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The name Adventist stems from the group's belief that Jesus will soon return to Earth, with several pioneers
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of the Adventist faith attempting to predict when his return would occur. Although opinions have differed, a
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consistent theme is that Christ will return after a period of turmoil. In addition to this emphasis on the
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second coming, 7th Day Adventism has a number of other defining features. its adherence observed the Sabbath on
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Saturdays instead of Sundays as most other Christians do. Engage in missionary work to spread the word of
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Christ. Advocate for a vegetarian diet and believe firmly in God's final judgment predicted by the book of
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Revelation. Bible study must be ongoing and is crucial to the faith as all truth that
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can be known lies within its passages. By the early 1920s, the 7th Day Adventist Church had spread from the
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east coast of America to the west as well as overseas. One adherent to the faith was an
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immigrant from Bulgaria named Victor Hotf. Victor had immigrated to the US at the
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age of 22 and initially lived in Illinois before later relocating to California.
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Although he was originally baptized in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Victor later converted to 7th Day Adventism in
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1919 at the age of 34. He became consumed by his faith and spent all of his spare time when he
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wasn't working pouring over the Bible, especially the book of Revelation. While earning a living as a washing
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machine repairman, Victor also taught classes at a 7th Day Adventist Sabbath School, a weekly religious education
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program held on Saturday mornings before church service. Victor began to worry that other members
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of his faith weren't taking it seriously enough. He made a list of problems he had
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observed in other congregants, including a disbelief in prophecy, selling church
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merchandise, following earthly trends and fashions too closely, and a lack of reverence.
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When Victor began speaking more openly about his concerns in his classes and at other Adventist gatherings, church
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elders took note and asked him to stop. They also objected to some of his interpretations of scripture.
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Victor refused and in 1930 he published a manuscript titled The Shepherd's Rod in which he called for denominational
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reform and a recommmitment from all 7th Day Adventists. Victor predicted that the second coming
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of Christ was imminent and that soon there would be an apocalypse where Christ's warriors would defeat the evil
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armies of Babylon. a term 7th Day Adventists used to refer to the fallen state of traditional Christianity.
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That same year, Victor's actions led to him being dysfellowshipped by the church, but he maintained a strong
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following of his own. When he could no longer teach Sabbath school in church, he continued to do so
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at a house across the road. Some study groups at different Adventist churches across the country worked off his ideas,
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which led to those who promoted Victor's material being dysfellowshipped, too. Eventually, the church declared Victor's
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work to be outright heresy, and in 1934, he began his own organization called the
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Shepherd's Rod. This was later officially renamed the Devidian 7th Day Adventists.
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The name Devidian stemmed from Victor Hotef's belief that he was destined to restore the Davidic kingdom, the
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historic kingdom of Israel ruled over by descendants of King David. A direct ancestor of Jesus, King David's
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lineage is key to Christianity's messianic prophecies. Seeking a base that would allow him to
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establish headquarters for his new church, Victor scoured a map of the United States, looking for a suitable
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place. He wanted somewhere with the cheap land and a culture receptive to religion.
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By 1935, he'd found a location that fit perfectly and purchased almost 200 acres
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of land that sat northwest of the Texan city of Waco. Sitting deep in the heartland of Texas,
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wedged some distance between the progressive capital of Austin and major city Dallas, Waco was then a small
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conservative city primarily known for being the birthplace of the soft drink Dr. Pepper.
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Other than that, there was little that stood out about it. In 1935, its population sat at around
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55,000. Located on the banks of the Brazis River and built in a valleylike area, Waco was
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also home to Baylor University, a private Baptist college where students were expected to abstain from alcohol,
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premarital sex, and dancing. Even within the religious state of Texas, Waco had a fervor that was seen
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as particularly strong. According to author Jeff Gwyn, other Texans nicknamed the city Jerusalem on
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the Brazis and the buckle of the Bible belt. These were unofficial titles that Waco
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residents took pride in. The land purchased by Victor Hotf was 7 mi northwest of the city limits and lay
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on the shores of Lake Waco. Victor named his headquarters Mount Carmel in honor of a biblical passage
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found in the book of Micah that describes the land of Judah becoming desolate due to people's wicked deeds.
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God is then asked to shepherd his people who are living in the midst of Carmel. The passage is one of hope for a
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miraculous rescue and a peaceful, bountiful future. Roughly 120 people moved to Mount Carmel
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with Victor Hotf and they built a community there. In addition to working on the property
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and for surrounding neighborhoods, the Devidians still worked to bring more converts to their church.
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They acquired a printing press and used it to publish Victor's sermons, which were then sent to every 7th Day
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Adventist whose address was available. Victor did not claim to be a messianic figure, but his followers saw him as a
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prophet who could foretell the coming of a new savior. As the years passed, Mount Carmel grew
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both in size and population. In 1937, the now 52-year-old Victor Hotf married Florence Hermanson, the
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17-year-old daughter of two of his most devoted followers. Some church members were disturbed by
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this significant age gap. Florence became Victor's primary assistant, transcribing all of his sermons and
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assisting her husband in his ministry. Almost 20 years after Victor established Mount Carmel, he fell ill towards the
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end of 1954. He died of heart failure in February 1955, just a few weeks before his 70th
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birthday. Shocked and shaken by the sudden loss of their leader, the Devidians future
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seemed uncertain. But to their surprise, Victor's widow, Florence Hotf, explained they didn't
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need to wonder about the path forward. As Victor lay dying in hospital, he'd revealed to Florence that he knew when
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the end time would arrive, 4 years from now on Wednesday, April 22, 1959. Jesus would arrive on Earth along with a
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holy cleansing fire and only 144,000 people known as the elect would survive this apocalypse.
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After it was over, they would emerge triumphant and live happily in God's new kingdom on earth.
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Florence explained that Victor had tasked her with taking over the church's leadership and recruiting many more
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members in anticipation of the imminent spiritual battle. Not everyone agreed with Florence
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leading the Devidians. One member named Benjamin Rhoden claimed that he'd received messages from God
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that he should be the new leader, but Florence Hotf and the church's executive council refuted this.
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Over the next few years, the Devidians worked at recruiting more members. They purchased more land east of Waco, a
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sprawling 941 acres in a rather desolate scrubland area with the address 1781 E Ranch Road.
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This land was dubbed New Mount Carmel, and members used cheap materials to build a church, a main building, and
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some shacks that would serve as residences. Tents, trucks, and buses were also used
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as additional accommodation. The Devidians also began broadcasting recruitment messages, purchasing a
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weekly time slot on ABC radio. Their show was called the 11th hour call and was recorded from a studio they'd
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built at New Mount Carmel. As Wednesday, April 22, 1959 neared, the group sold their personal possessions,
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gave their money to the church, and sent out broadcasts and pamphlets encouraging
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people to join them at New Mount Carmel to await the impending end time. Roughly 1,000 people heeded their call,
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descending on New Mount Carmel and crowding inside and around its chapel as they waited for the apocalypse to begin.
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They waited all through Wednesday, April 22 with nothing happening. As midnight struck and the date ticked
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over to Thursday, April 23, most of the crowd left New Mount Carmel on mass in a
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state of utter disillusionment. Newcomers who'd hoped to see Jesus return to Earth weren't the only ones
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disappointed. Devidian members were left stunned by the failed prophecy. It even prompted some to doubt the
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legitimacy of their deceased founder Victor Hotf. If he had indeed made the incorrect
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prediction that Florence had relayed, then he was no true prophet. Some Devidians left Mount Carmel and
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returned to 7th Day Adventism. Others abandoned their faith altogether. In the wake of the failed end time, only
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about 50 Devidians remained. Florence Hotf was not one of them. After informing her followers that she
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had been mistaken, she sold most of New Mount Carmel's land, relocated to California, and began working for tech
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giant IBM. She later remarried and eventually passed away in 2008 at the age of 89.
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With Florence out of the picture, another Devidian was ready to fill her shoes. Benjamin Rhoden had always objected to
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Florence succeeding her husband after his death and had long said that God wanted him to lead instead.
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Born into a Jewish family, Benjamin had converted to Christianity and then 7th Day Adventism after meeting his wife.
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The couple had heard of Victor Hotf during the mid 1940s and relocated to Waco to join his church.
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Their admiration of Victor did not extend to his wife, and Benjamin Rooden had aloudly disputed her claims that the
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end time would commence on April 22, 1959. No one took much notice of his arguments
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until Florence's prophecy failed. Under Benjamin's leadership, the Devidians became known as the branch
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devidians with Benjamin adopting the term branch from biblical scripture. In one passage he cited as an
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inspiration, Jesus told his followers. I am the true vine and you are the branches.
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Benjamin declared that the Christian holidays of Christmas and Easter were actually pagan celebrations with origins
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in the winter solstice and spring equinox. From now on, branch devidians would observe her braic customs instead,
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celebrating the Jewish holidays of Passover, soot, and Old Testament feast days.
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Benjamin purchased the 77 acres that remained of New Mount Carmel and was joined by about 40 followers.
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Although most of the Branch Devidians lived side by side at New Mount Carmel, they were by no means cut off from the
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broader community. Some of the children attended local public schools, while a number of adult
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members held jobs in downtown Waco. A few worked as cashiers at various stores. Others worked in manual labor as
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trades people and landscapers. Benjamin's wife, Lois Rhoden, was his second in command and biggest supporter.
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The couple acquired property in Israel with the intention of eventually moving their entire congregation to Jerusalem.
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Over the next two decades, Ben and Lois worked side by side with additional support from their elder son, George.
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George Rhoden was a big personality, and he had a passion for building the church
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that some congregants found inspiring. But he could also be arrogant with no interest in anyone's opinion but his
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own, and could also be both verbally and physically aggressive. George's parents didn't like his
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attitude, but they appreciated his enthusiasm. In 1977, Benjamin Rhoden, now aged in his mid70s,
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fell sick, and his wife, Lois, took on a greater role in the church's leadership.
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Lois, who was more than a decade younger than her husband, intended to take on the role of church president after
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Benjamin passed away. At around this same time, she summoned a meeting of church members to share
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something amazing that had happened to her. She had been awake at 2:00 a.m. reading
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a verse in the book of Revelation that referred to an angel descending from heaven when she looked outside her
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window and saw a shining silver angel fly by. Although the angel said nothing, Lois
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intuitively knew that the angel was the embodiment of what she called the Holy Spirit mother.
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In Christianity, a central doctrine is that of the Holy Trinity. The notion that God is one being existing as three
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co-equal persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father is God, the creator of the
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universe. The Son is Jesus Christ who came to earth in human form. The Holy Spirit is the non-physical presence of
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God in daily life. Lois explained that she had always believed the Holy Spirit was masculine
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in nature. Upon seeing the angel, she'd had a revelation that it was actually feminine.
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The Holy Trinity blended both masculine and feminine energy. Some branch devidians reacted negatively
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to this message, believing it to be blasphemous, but others were intrigued and receptive
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to the idea. Benjamin Rhoden, who by this point was very sick, supported his wife, and her
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vision was said to be evidence that she was a true prophet. When Benjamin died on October 22, 1978,
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Lois became the new branch Devidian president. Her son George was not happy about this.
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George was an ambitious person who believed he was destined to lead. Several years earlier, in 1976, the then
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38-year-old George ran in the United States presidential election, nominating himself as a Democratic candidate.
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According to author Jeff Gwyn, there is no evidence that he received a single vote in either the Democratic primary or
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the national election. He now turned his attention to taking on his father's role as church leader as
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he'd long seen himself as the natural heir. In 1979, George called for a leadership election.
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His mother won in a landslide. Undeterred, George continued to badger the branch devidians and declare himself
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the rightful leader. This prompted Lois to obtain a restraining order against her son,
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barring him from New Mount Carmel. George left and split his time between Texas and California.
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But sometimes he defied the court order and returned to New Mount Carmel, lurking around its perimeters.
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He refused to give up his ambition of leading the branch devidians, and would argue his case both in person and in
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long rambling letters. Lois continued running the church as well as traveling both domestically and
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overseas to procilitize. By the early 1980s, Lois was in her mid60s and mindful that she needed to
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come up with a succession plan. George showed no signs of giving up his goal of taking over the branch
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devidians, which was not what Lois wanted. She needed to find someone else to be
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the church's next prophet. One day during the summer of 1981, two young friends drove down to Waco from
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the East Texas city of Tyler after hearing reports that there was a woman at New Mount Carmel who was a true
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prophet. The journey took over 2 hours for 21-year-old Vernon How and his friend
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Harriet, whom he'd met at a 7th Day Adventist church back home. Vernon had already experienced a lot of
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instability in his young life. His mother had given birth to him when she was just 14 years old, and his father, 6
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years her senior, had been a distant presence, refusing to even visit Vernon when he was born.
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Vernon and his mother, Bonnie, lived with various extended family members until Bonnie married when Vernon was 2
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years old. Her new husband spanked Vernon as punishment in a way Bonnie felt was
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excessive. She left her husband but felt overwhelmed by her situation as a young
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single mother in a conservative and judgmental community. She gave Vernon to her mother to raise,
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believing this was in his best interests. Vernon's grandmother posed as his mother. When Bonnie visited him, she
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pretended to be his aunt. By the time Vernon was five, Bonnie had remarried a merchant marine named Roy
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and felt well enough to care for her son again. When she told Vernon who she really was
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to him, the truth left him feeling shocked, confused, and as though his entire world had just tipped upside
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down. He moved in with Bonnie and Roy who was a disciplinarian and difficult for
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Vernon to get along with. His parents soon had another child named Roger who appeared to Vernon to be the favorite.
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Vernon would later say, "I was always getting whooped by Roy for everything." While Roger got away with murder.
00:26:00
Vernon would also later reveal that at around the same time that he reunited with his mother, one of his male
00:26:07
relatives began sexually abusing him. The abuse, which included rape, went on for 4 years. He never revealed the
00:26:17
identity of his abuser as he didn't want to upset his mother. Vernon struggled at school due to a
00:26:25
learning disorder that has been speculated to have been attention deficit hyperactive disorder or ADHD.
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But he loved church. He attended 7th Day Adventist sermons with his mother and grandmother and would memorize entire
00:26:41
chapters of the Bible. Vernon later dropped out of high school and became a carpenter.
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At 19, he fell in love with Sarah, not her real name, who was 3 years his junior.
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In violation of Texas's statutory rape laws, Vernon began an intimate relationship with Sarah, who soon became
00:27:03
pregnant due to Vernon not believing in birth control. She terminated the pregnancy, but the
00:27:10
two remained a couple. Sarah's father allowed Vernon to move into their home. But when Sarah became
00:27:17
pregnant again, he threw Vernon out. Sarah also felt Vernon wasn't fit to be a father and cut off contact with him.
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Heartbroken, Vernon moved back in with his mother and stepfather while deciding he would devote himself to God in the
00:27:35
hopes of improving his life and winning Sarah back. Vernon was enthusiastic about church,
00:27:42
but the church elders were less enthused about him. He frequently interrupted Bible studies
00:27:49
with questions and opinions. Vernon found it frustrating that all of their studies focused on long ago
00:27:56
prophets from ancient times. He wanted to know about present-day prophets and what they were saying.
00:28:04
Vernon also spoke with the church's pastor about some sexual concerns he had. He described himself as a
00:28:12
compulsive masturbator and was distraught over this behavior, which he considered a sin against God.
00:28:19
The pastor encouraged him to pray and trust that Jesus could help him overcome his desires.
00:28:28
By the time he was 20, Vernon became fixated with the idea of finding a god-fearing wife, which he believed
00:28:35
would take care of his obsession with sex. He struck up a relationship with the pastor's 15-year-old daughter and told
00:28:43
the pastor she was destined to be his wife. The pastor forbade Vernon from seeing
00:28:49
his daughter, but Vernon was adamant that he had to marry her. Ultimately, he was barred from the
00:28:56
congregation. Not all of the other congregants disliked Vernon. A young woman named Harriet befriended
00:29:05
him and told him about Lois Rhoden and the branch devidians. Harriet's mother had been a member of
00:29:12
Shepherd's Rod over in California. And Harriet said that Lois's congregation was highly spiritual.
00:29:20
Even better, Lois herself was a prophet. Together, they decided to pay the branch
00:29:27
devidians a visit. The pair were welcomed in by the group, and Vernon was mesmerized by their
00:29:34
teachings. When Lois invited him to stay and study alongside them, he readily accepted the
00:29:42
offer. Vernon moved into New Mount Carmel, where he was something of a misfit. Some of his fellow congregants would
00:29:50
later tell author Jeff Gwyn that Vernon wasn't quite like the rest of them. While most of the other branch Devidians
00:29:59
were either middle-aged or children, Vernon was in his early 20s. He wore thick eyeglasses, his hair was long and
00:30:07
straggly, and he dreamed of becoming a rock star. Vernon could be awkward, mumbling when
00:30:15
he spoke or praying overly loudly from behind his closed bedroom door. Sometimes he spoke about inappropriate
00:30:23
things like his habit of masturbating too much. But Vernon could also be an asset to the
00:30:31
group. His skills as a carpenter meant he became something of a handyman at New Mount Carmel, repairing its flimsy and
00:30:38
rickety buildings that always seemed to be falling apart. Vernon performed this work without
00:30:45
complaint. After he'd been living there for a few months, Lois Rhoden began employing
00:30:50
Vernon as her personal chauffeur. She didn't like to drive long distances, instead preferring to use the time to
00:30:59
reflect and think. So Vernon would drive Lois to appointments or speaking engagements.
00:31:05
Over time, the pair grew closer. Vernon was thirsty for biblical knowledge, and Lois had lots to tell him
00:31:13
about the other contemporary prophets who had paved the way for her. She shared with him how her husband
00:31:20
Benjamin Rhoden had advocated for celebrating Hebraic holidays and how she herself had experienced the revelation
00:31:27
that the Holy Spirit was feminine. Lois suspected that Vernon might also be destined to be a prophet.
00:31:37
This idea thrilled and donored him. He'd always felt the presence of God in his life, even when he'd felt forsaken.
00:31:49
Over the next 2 years, Vernon and Lois spent more and more time together in private Bible classes.
00:31:56
Under Lois's tutelage, Vernon was becoming more articulate and charismatic. He mumbled less and spoke with
00:32:05
confidence. By 1983, Lois sometimes employed Vernon as her public representative.
00:32:13
When Lois's son, George, found out that his mother was seemingly grooming Vernon
00:32:17
to be her successor, he became angry. Worse still, he soon heard rumors that Lois and Vernon's relationship was also
00:32:27
physical. Some members of the church had speculated for a while that the two were
00:32:33
having sex. Even though there was a restraining order out against him, George began
00:32:39
returning to New Mount Carmel and staying for lengthy periods. Lois didn't alert the authorities to his
00:32:46
breach of the order for reasons unknown. Eventually, George moved back permanently and decided to air his
00:32:55
grievances. One day, he invited all of the branch devidians to the chapel for an important
00:33:01
conversation. Standing in front of the other congregants while wearing a gun at his
00:33:07
holster, George Rhoden announced that Vernon Howal was raping his mother. The accusation didn't prompt the
00:33:16
leadership overhaul George had likely been hoping for. Lois and Vernon ignored his claims and carried on with their
00:33:24
private tutorials. The truth was the pair had been having sex in an attempt to conceive a child.
00:33:32
They drew their inspiration from some scripture found in the Old Testament book of Isaiah.
00:33:39
And I went unto the prophetess s and she conceived and bore a son. As Lois was 65 years old and passed
00:33:49
menopause, their attempts to have a baby failed. Yet Lois and Vernon remained certain
00:33:55
that their work together was being commanded by God. In 1983, Lois took Vernon with her on a
00:34:04
pilgrimage to Israel, where he could finally see the Holy Land described in the Bible for himself.
00:34:12
The more Vernon worked with Lois, the stronger his own preaching abilities became.
00:34:18
After the pair returned home from Israel, Lois invited all of the branch devidians at New Mount Carmel to attend
00:34:24
a series of Bible studies Vernon would be leading, telling them, "Vernon's been talking about something I think everyone
00:34:33
should hear." Dubbed the serpent's root, Vernon's classes centered on the role of serpents
00:34:40
in the Bible. Traditionally seen as a symbol of evil and deception, a serpent first appears
00:34:47
in the Bible's very first book of Genesis, where it tempts Eve into weeding fruit from a forbidden tree in
00:34:53
the Garden of Eden. The book of Revelation later identifies this serpent as Satan.
00:35:01
But Vernon Hal had found scripture to support the idea that serpents weren't always evil. In fact, if you acted as a
00:35:10
serpent in service of the Lord, then being a serpent could be a righteous thing.
00:35:18
Those who attended Vernon's classes were struck by how adept he was at reciting scripture and interpreting its meaning.
00:35:26
They were already very familiar with the Bible, but he was introducing them to ideas that felt shockingly innovative
00:35:32
and resonant. On top of that, Vernon had an easy, folksy kind of demeanor that was warm
00:35:39
and engaging. He sang and played guitar with an appealing, youthful energy. He'd come a long way since his first
00:35:49
days at New Mount Carmel. Vernon continued to take on a larger leadership role within the branch
00:35:59
devidians. He visited authority figures in downtown Waco as a representative of the church,
00:36:05
introducing himself and offering to discuss the Bible. People who he visited regularly included
00:36:12
the Mlennon County District Attorney and its sheriff. Vernon built friendly relationships with
00:36:18
them and eventually began bringing along a new recruit as well. Wayne Martin was a Harvard Law School
00:36:25
graduate who left the 7th Day Adventist Church to join the branch devidians along with his wife and children.
00:36:33
Wayne and Vernon became good friends and Wayne became the church's legal counselor.
00:36:40
One of Vernon's most loyal followers within the branch devidians was a 54 yearear-old man named Perry Jones.
00:36:48
Perry had first followed Victor Hotf when he started Shepherd's Rod in California, then became a branch
00:36:55
Devidian alongside the Rhodens. Before Vernon rose in the church's ranks, Perry had acted as Lois's second
00:37:03
in command. His wife Mary Bell and their children were members of the branch devidians as
00:37:09
well. In early 1984, when Vernon Hal was 24 years old, he said he received a prophecy from God that he must marry one
00:37:20
of Perry's daughters, Rachel, who was 10 years his junior at 14 years old. Under Texas state law, miners could
00:37:30
marry with their parents' permission. Perry and Mary Bell consented to the union and Vernon and Rachel were wed on
00:37:38
Wednesday, January 14, 1984. Although Lois Rhoden was still in charge, Vernon no longer deferred to her
00:37:48
as much as he used to. When he encouraged her to make some changes within the church, Lois listened and
00:37:55
took his advice seriously. After a photo was taken of Lois that appeared to show her with bruises around
00:38:02
the eyes, likely due to poor lighting, Vernon told her this was an indication she was losing her prophetic power.
00:38:11
Lois was getting older and was not in the best of health, having recently been diagnosed with breast cancer.
00:38:19
Vernon felt ready to take over. Lois's son, George Rhoden, wasn't happy about this.
00:38:28
George wasn't as popular amongst the branch devidians as Vernon, but he still had some followers, and there were a few
00:38:35
congregants who didn't like Vernon. George began agitating against Vernon and even took his argument outside of
00:38:42
New Mount Carmel. One day he sent a telegram to the county DA that read in part, "Have a Jim Jones type character
00:38:52
in Waco, Texas making death threats to me and family and proclaiming mass murder at New Mount Carmel Center.
00:39:00
Need investigation now." George's comparison of Vernon How to Jim Jones was a reference to the People's
00:39:10
Temple cult leader, whose crimes were covered in episode 60 of Case File. Roughly 5 years earlier, Jim Jones had
00:39:19
murdered 99 individuals at his Jonestown compound in Guyana by forcing many of them to consume cyanide.
00:39:27
The massacre had shocked Americans and its ramifications were still being felt during the early 1980s.
00:39:35
The DA, who had established a cordial relationship with Vernon, did not investigate George's claims.
00:39:45
Not long after this, a fire broke out at New Mount Carmel and its administration
00:39:50
center was burnt down. George blamed Vernon and his mother for the fire, pointing out that as the
00:39:57
people in charge, they were responsible for anything that went wrong. Tension was rising between George and
00:40:04
Vernon, and it was being felt by the other residents of New Mount Carmel. Deciding to extricate himself before the
00:40:12
situation worsened any further, Vernon left abruptly in mid 1984. While still maintaining a connection
00:40:24
with the branch devidians, Vernon and about two dozen of his most loyal followers moved about 100 m east of Waco
00:40:32
to the Texan city of Palestine. They purchased 20 acres of land covered with pine trees.
00:40:40
Members of the group made do by sleeping in cars, trucks, tents, and buses while
00:40:45
building a log cabin that would function as their headquarters. Despite the primitive and basic living
00:40:52
conditions, Vernon and his followers were optimistic. He reassured them that this new home was
00:40:59
merely temporary. Soon they would return to New Mount Carmel, where he would assume his rightful place as leader.
00:41:08
By this point, Vernon's wife, Rachel, was pregnant with the couple's first child.
00:41:14
Eager for his first child to be born in Israel, Vernon again traveled to the Middle East, this time accompanied by
00:41:21
his young wife. The couple stayed in a small apartment in Jerusalem while Vernon studied the Bible with local
00:41:28
rabbis. He also took it upon himself to fulfill some biblical scripture. In the book of Revelation, a hill
00:41:37
outside Jerusalem called Mount Zion is measured to ensure there will be enough room for the 144,000 elect who returned
00:41:45
to the Holy Land after the final battle. Vernon wanted to see the hill for himself and make sure the area could
00:41:53
accommodate the elect. After doing so, he and Rachel flew back to Texas. Their community was surprised to see
00:42:04
them back before Rachel had given birth. Over time, Vernon explained that he'd received a prophecy that upended his
00:42:12
plans. It was no longer crucial that his first child be born in Israel, as Vernon was
00:42:19
now facing more pressing matters. While he was in Jerusalem, seven angels had taken him up to heaven, where he'd
00:42:27
received some important information. First of all, Vernon was informed that he was the same Cyrus as the king of the
00:42:37
same name who appears in the Bible's book of Isaiah. In 586 BC, Babylon conquered Israel and
00:42:46
imprisoned many Jews. Almost 5 decades later, King Cyrus of Persia defeated the Babylonians with his
00:42:54
army and freed the Jewish people. His actions in defense of the Jews led to Cyrus being declared a Messiah of God,
00:43:04
the only non-Jewish Messiah in the Bible. As the present-day embodiment of Cyrus,
00:43:11
it was Vernon How's destiny to once again help the righteous defeat Babylon. The second piece of information related
00:43:21
to the seven seals mentioned in the book of Revelation. It is written that only the lamb of God
00:43:28
can open the seven seals which must be opened in order to unleash certain events that will lead to the second
00:43:34
coming of Christ. Although Christians traditionally believed that Jesus was the lamb of God
00:43:41
himself, Vernon had been told that he was actually the lamb. Therefore, he was the only one capable
00:43:49
of opening the seven seals and launching the end time. The final revelation was the most
00:43:58
terrifying. In order to fulfill the prophecy outlined in the book of Revelation, the
00:44:04
lamb and his followers would have to go to battle with Babylon, a term that in contemporary use meant forces that
00:44:11
opposed their religion. During this battle, the righteous would be killed, but it was only a temporary
00:44:19
death. And once good had finally defeated evil, they would be resurrected. With these prophecies revealed to him,
00:44:28
Vernon explained that he was changing his name in honor of two biblical kings. His first name would be David and his
00:44:37
surname would be the Hebrew version of Cyrus. Caresh, the newly christened David Caresh,
00:44:50
decided he needed more followers if he was going to be able to take on Babylon. Thinking there might be more
00:44:57
opportunities to expand in a big city like Los Angeles, Caresh, his wife Rachel, and a few other followers headed
00:45:04
to California in mid 1985. By this stage, Rachel had given birth to the couple's first child, a boy named
00:45:14
Cyrus. The group was welcomed by some branch devidians who lived in the area and
00:45:20
began seeking out potential converts. The city of Lominda, about 60 mi east of Los Angeles, had a large 7th Day
00:45:30
Adventist population and even an affiliated college. Karesh spent lots of time on the college
00:45:37
campus, striking up conversations with young students. Caresh also used his musical skills to
00:45:45
try and draw in more members, playing his evangelical rock songs in parking lots to attract attention.
00:45:53
He soon welcomed a young college graduate named Mark Bro to his flock. Mark was impressed with Caresh's
00:46:01
knowledge of the Bible and left the Adventists to become a branch Devidian. Mark and Caresh quickly became close.
00:46:11
Like Caresh, Mark had a strong knowledge of scripture and was also a musician. He joined a fledgling band Caresh had
00:46:19
started playing keys. Originally from Hawaii, Mark helped Caresh recruit more followers from the
00:46:27
7th Day Adventist Church in his home state. Caresh still went back to Palestine occasionally to check in on his base.
00:46:36
But in California, he was able to save more money than was possible in Texas. More job opportunities meant his members
00:46:44
were expanding their incomes, and they passed that money along to him. Soon David had enough money to travel
00:46:52
overseas in search of international converts. When Benjamin Rhoden had been in charge
00:46:59
of the church, he'd done some missionary work in Australia, which resulted in a small community of branch devidians
00:47:05
there. David Caresh followed in his predecessors footsteps in 1986, flying to Melbourne in the hope of finding more
00:47:15
converts. Quite a few Australians joined his church, including twins Peter and Nicole
00:47:22
Jant and the Gyus family of four. They flew over to the United States to live alongside their fellow worshippers
00:47:31
in California and Texas. Next, Caresh went to England with the intention of recruiting 7th Day
00:47:40
Adventists there. England's Adventist leaders warned congregants of Caresh's arrival and he
00:47:47
was banned from holding Bible studies at their churches. He rented meeting halls instead and
00:47:54
ultimately recruited 30 Britons. Many of these converts were part of what was called the Windrush generation,
00:48:03
individuals who moved to the UK from Caribbean nations after World War II. The 7th Day Adventist Church had become
00:48:12
popular in the Caribbean after being introduced to the region by visiting missionaries.
00:48:18
Like Caresh's Australian converts, the British branch devidians eventually relocated to the United States.
00:48:26
The 20 acres owned by the group in Palestine, Texas, wasn't large enough to accommodate its ever growing population.
00:48:35
David Caresh was eager to return to New Mount Carmel and lead his followers from
00:48:40
there. In the years since Caresh had left New Carmel, his mentor Lois Rhoden had died
00:48:50
of breast cancer and her son George was running the compound. He had renamed it Rodenville.
00:48:59
But most of the Branch Devidians left behind didn't like George's aggressive style and soon left the church.
00:49:07
Only a few followers remained, and finances quickly dwindled with fewer people bringing in money.
00:49:15
George Rooden began renting out some of the cabins that had been built on the land to outsiders.
00:49:22
The isolated setting attracted tenants who were engaging in untoward activities, including selling
00:49:28
pornographic materials and manufacturing illicit drugs. Despite his dwindling support, George
00:49:37
Rooden remained fixated on David Caresh and was determined to defeat him once and for all.
00:49:45
He knew that Caresh wanted to regain control of New Mount Carmel, so he concocted a plan to get rid of him
00:49:52
permanently. George contacted Caresh and challenged him to a competition. Whichever one of them could raise a
00:50:01
person from the dead was New Mount Carmel's rightful leader. If Caresh was truly doing God's work,
00:50:10
then he should be able to resurrect a corpse just as Jesus was said to have done centuries earlier.
00:50:18
A year earlier, in October of 1986, George had exumed the casket of a branched Devidian named Anna Hughes, who
00:50:26
had been buried in a cemetery on the property almost two decades earlier in 1968.
00:50:33
Anna's casket was moved into New Mount Carmel's chapel and an Israeli flag was draped across it.
00:50:41
George then told Caresh that whoever brought Anna back to life first could have new Mount Carmel.
00:50:48
The loser would have to leave and never return. Rather than accept the challenge, David
00:50:57
Caresh drove to Waco and reported to the county sheriff that George Rooden had desecrated a grave.
00:51:04
He asked the sheriff to arrest George for this crime. When Caresh was told that nothing could
00:51:11
be done without evidence, Caresh left and returned a few days later with photographs of a coffin caked in dirt
00:51:19
taken from inside the New Mount Carmel Chapel. One of his contacts within the compound
00:51:25
had snapped the pictures at Caresh's request. The sheriff and his deputies told Caresh
00:51:33
that these photos weren't proof enough. Because the coffin was sealed shut, there was no evidence that human remains
00:51:40
were even inside. In order to arrest the George Rhoden, they would need pictures of the actual
00:51:48
corpse. Determined to obtain the necessary evidence, on Monday, November 2, 1987,
00:51:59
David Caresh gathered seven of his most trusted followers and took them to a Walmart.
00:52:06
The group purchased camouflage hunting clothes and guns. It was well known that George Rhoden
00:52:13
carried an Uzi firearm with him at all times. if they were going onto his property,
00:52:20
they would need to be armed as well. That night at 3:00 a.m., the group sneaked on to New Mount Carmel, dressed
00:52:29
in camouflage, and with black grease paint smeared on their faces. They brought along shotguns, 22 caliber
00:52:37
rifles, and more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition. They made their way to the chapel, but
00:52:45
Anna Hughes's coffin was gone. The group spent the next day hiding behind the property.
00:52:53
They hadn't given up on finding the coffin's whereabouts. At one point, they spoke to some
00:53:00
residents who were living in a house on the land and warned them that they were planning to confront George Rhoden.
00:53:07
They advised the residents to leave for their own safety. They did so, but not before informing
00:53:14
George of the situation. George, enraged by Caresha's reappearance on the compound, raced
00:53:23
outside wearing a black cowboy hat and carrying his Uzi. "Is that you, Vernon?" he yelled.
00:53:32
Caresh replied, "George, just leave the property. We don't want anyone getting hurt."
00:53:40
In response, George began firing indiscriminately at Caresh and his followers. The group ducked and took cover while
00:53:50
returning fire. Their guns were not of the same caliber as George's, but the gunfight raged on
00:53:57
for 45 minutes. Eventually, one of the shooters on Kesha's side managed to hit the magazine
00:54:04
on George's Uzi, which jammed the gun and rendered it useless. A metal splinter struck George's hand
00:54:11
near his thumb, and he became pinned down behind a tree. At around the same time, sheriff's
00:54:20
deputies, who'd caught wind of the gunfight, came roaring up to the property, sirens wailing.
00:54:26
Caresh and his followers were ordered to drop their weapons and lie face down on
00:54:30
the ground before being escorted to the local station. Ultimately, the facts were that even
00:54:38
though George Rhoden had started firing first, Caresh and his followers had gone
00:54:43
to his property armed and without permission. All eight of them were charged with
00:54:50
attempted murder. David Caresh and his followers received bail and returned to their side at
00:55:03
Palestine to await their trial, which was scheduled to commence in 5 months time.
00:55:08
Several weeks before their trial began, George Rhoden was taken to court after someone alerted the authorities to the
00:55:15
fact that a restraining order still technically barred him from New Mount Carmel. Moreover, taxes hadn't been paid
00:55:22
on the property in almost 20 years, and more than $60,000 was owed to the county.
00:55:30
George filed legal motions filled with foul language and threatened the court against ruling in Caresh's favor,
00:55:38
stating, "Maybe God will make it up to you in the end and send you herpes and AIDS."
00:55:45
The judge subsequently ruled that he was in contempt of court and sentenced him to 6 months in prison.
00:55:53
David Caresh seized the opportunity, paying back the taxes owed on the property. The branch devidians loyal to
00:56:01
Caresh began returning, reclaiming Rodenville as Mount Carmel again. The outside tenants George had installed
00:56:09
were evicted, and the branch Devidians set about repairing the property. They also reported evidence of drug
00:56:16
manufacturing to the police as well as a cash of firearms George had left behind.
00:56:23
David Caresh and his co-acused weren't allowed to own guns while they were awaiting trial.
00:56:30
The trial began on Tuesday, April 12th, 1988. All eight of the defendants were represented by attorney Gary Koker, who
00:56:39
argued that his clients had been acting in self-defense. One of the items of evidence he wished
00:56:45
to introduce was Anna Hughes's casket, which George Rooden had moved from the chapel to a storage shed.
00:56:53
One day during the trial, a number of branch devidians attempted to carry the casket up the courthouse steps only to
00:57:00
drop it along the way. It was subsequently removed to sit in a rotunda next to the courthouse.
00:57:09
The judge refused to allow the casket as evidence and told the branch devidians to remove it immediately, stating, "The
00:57:18
remains of a body are not appropriate to have sitting in a public building." Eight men, including six of the
00:57:26
defendants, had to slowly carry the heavy casket down the street and into a waiting van.
00:57:32
They were trailed by fellow church members as well as a television cameraman and a newspaper photographer.
00:57:40
Defense attorney Gary Koker questioned George Rhoden on the stand. When asked if he'd tried to resurrect
00:57:47
Dana Hughes, George replied, "I attempted three times yes." Ultimately, the jury acquitted seven of
00:57:56
the defendants of their charges, but told the judge they couldn't come to a verdict against David Caresh. A hung
00:58:04
jury was declared, and the district attorney chose not to refile charges against Caresh.
00:58:12
After George Rhoden completed his sentence, he moved to the city of Odessa, almost 350 mi west of Waco.
00:58:21
He continued to assert that he was a messiah anointed by God and the rightful branch devidian leader.
00:58:29
In October 1989, he was visited by a branch devidian named Weman Dale Adair who'd left Mount Carmel.
00:58:37
Weman wanted to share a vision he'd had that he was actually the true messiah. This led to an argument and George
00:58:46
killed Weman with an axe. He was subsequently found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a forensic
00:58:54
mental health facility. He was no longer an impediment to David Caresh's leadership.
00:59:01
In 1998, George Rhoden died of a heart attack. In 1990, Vernon How legally changed his
00:59:12
name to David Karash. He was now the official head at New Mount Carmel, typically referred to as
00:59:19
simply Mount Carmel. About 60 followers joined him there, roughly half of whom had lived there
00:59:26
previously. The remaining half were new converts who'd relocated from Australia, the UK,
00:59:33
Hawaii, and California. Mount Carmel had attained a sort of mythical status amongst the converts
00:59:41
who'd heard how it was something akin to the promised land for the branch devidians.
00:59:47
In reality, it wasn't much nicer than the basic camp the group had set up in the town of Palestine.
00:59:54
The earth was dry and barren from the scorching Texas heat with almost no shade thanks to trees that were stunted
01:00:01
and sparse. Flies, mosquitoes, and ants were prevalent at the site with their presence prompting some of the branch
01:00:09
devidians to dub their new home the antill. The dwellings had running water and electricity, but no heating or cooling.
01:00:20
Ineffective space heaters and fans were used instead. Poor construction did little to protect
01:00:26
the buildings from the elements, and the wind that often blew across the property
01:00:31
could be heard whistling through the plywood walls. Bunk beds were used to fit more people
01:00:37
in. Men had an outhouse that used a septic tank, while women used chamber pots to go to the toilet.
01:00:46
Children were tasked with digging holes and disposing of the chamber pot contents each day.
01:00:52
Unhappy with the standard of living, some new members soon departed. David Caresh viewed this as a kind of
01:01:00
test of their faith. Only those who were true believers remained. Over the course of several years, the
01:01:08
group redesigned and rebuilt the site. The individual houses that made up Mount Carmel were torn down and the materials
01:01:17
were repurposed to create one sprawling multi-story L-shaped building with various rooms.
01:01:24
Branch Devidian David Tibido would later describe it as a rambling two and threetory complex cobbled together out
01:01:32
of salvaged lumber and cheap siding. At the center was a kind of watchtowwer that provided a 360° view of the entire
01:01:42
property and all the roads leading in. There was also a kitchen, a cafeteria, a chapel, some offices, a gymnasium, and a
01:01:51
swimming pool. Small bedrooms were scattered throughout the first and second floors.
01:01:59
Life at Mount Carmel was highly structured. Meals were eaten together, though the diet was basic and often
01:02:06
consisted of just bananas and popcorn. Mandatory gatherings for prayer and quiet reflection were held every morning
01:02:14
and afternoon and were known as the daily. These were followed by communion. The congregation was divided by gender
01:02:24
with women sitting on the right side and men on the left. David Caresh held group Bible studies
01:02:30
most nights where he invited debate from his followers and encouraged exploration.
01:02:37
These classes started at 700 p.m. and lasted for as long as Kesh felt moved to speak. Sometimes Karesh played his
01:02:46
guitar which had passages of scripture painted on it. Even though he often reminded the branch
01:02:52
devidians that he was just a messenger and not a figure to be worshiped, his fluid and sometimes dramatic sermons
01:02:59
made it easy to believe he truly was a prophet channeling godly knowledge. When Caresh spoke of the book of
01:03:06
Revelation and other scripture, he made Christianity's teachings feel immediate,
01:03:11
local, and alive instead of unrelatable stories from an ancient and remote setting.
01:03:18
Central to Caresh's teachings was the prophecy of the seven seals. He elaborated on the revelation about the
01:03:26
seals that he'd had while staying in Israel, explaining that he, as the lamb of God, was the only one who could
01:03:33
reveal the seals, and they had to be opened one at a time. In the Bible, the opening of the first
01:03:40
four seals unleashes the four horsemen of the apocalypse: conquest, war, famine, and death. According to Caresh,
01:03:49
these first four seals were warnings that announced the impending disasters to come.
01:03:55
The fifth seal specifically related to what would happen to Karash and his followers. When it was opened, there
01:04:02
would be a big battle between the branch devidians and external forces believed to be the American government.
01:04:11
On very rare occasions, Caresh held private one-on-one Bible studies with specially selected individuals.
01:04:19
These cherished classes were revered by the branch devidians, and being chosen was a great honor.
01:04:26
Sometimes Caresh was absent from Mount Carmel. He still traveled into state and overseas from time to time to conduct
01:04:34
business and recruit more members. Perry Jones, his father-in-law, took charge of Mount Carmel whenever Caresh
01:04:42
was away. Parents were encouraged to homeschool their children. The congregation at Mount Carmel was
01:04:51
diverse with members hailing from various socioeconomic, educational, and racial backgrounds.
01:04:58
Though most of the branch dividians were white Americans aged in their 30s and 40s, there were also quite a few black
01:05:04
members, including most of the British converts and Caresh's highly trusted friend Wayne Martin and his family.
01:05:12
Other branch devidians came from Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and the Philippines.
01:05:19
Some were college graduates with degrees from prestigious universities such as Harvard, while others hadn't pursued
01:05:26
tertiary studies. While some people had jobs outside of the compound, many did not and instead
01:05:36
devoted their time to renovating and working on the property. Branch Devidians were not permitted to leave
01:05:43
Mount Carmel at night in search of entertainment. The group held their own movie nights at
01:05:48
the compound instead using a television and VHS machine they'd purchased. Caresh always chose the film. He liked
01:05:57
action blockbusters that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger. Caresh could go out at night and drove
01:06:05
into Waco some evenings to play gigs with his band, performing a mix of covers and his own Christian themed
01:06:12
songs. Being a rock star was still a deeply held ambition for Caresh that existed
01:06:18
alongside his passion for the Bible. He sang vocals and played guitar at a regular Saturday night residency in a
01:06:26
bar called the Qstick. On stage, Caresh wore t-shirts that read, "David Caresh/God
01:06:35
rocks." His backup musicians were all fellow branch devidians with a convert from
01:06:42
Hawaii named Steve Schneider acting as the band manager. As part of his missionary travels,
01:06:50
Caresh sometimes went back to Southern California where he'd been based a few years earlier.
01:06:56
While there, he tried to get a record deal and to drove around with his band in a shiny silver tour bus labeled
01:07:03
Messiah Productions. But Caresh's evangelical rock songs attracted little interest from record
01:07:10
labels. However, the band found a new member and a convert allin-one when they met a
01:07:18
21-year-old drummer named David Tibido out in LA. David was playing for another band at
01:07:24
the time and wasn't religious, but he liked Caresh's friendly smile, sincerity, and downto-earth manner.
01:07:32
Over the course of several weeks, David spent time with Caresh, Steve Schneider,
01:07:37
and the band, both the jamming and discussing the Bible. David Tibido accepted an invitation to
01:07:44
visit Mount Carmel and ultimately stayed on, drawn to the community and friendship there.
01:07:52
As well as going out to bars and pubs to play music, David Caresh enjoyed additional benefits that other branch
01:07:58
Devidians didn't. He drank beer from time to time and also smoked cigarettes. Smoking was forbidden, but Caresh
01:08:08
pointed to a psalm that described smoke emanating from God's nostril to justify this indulgence.
01:08:16
Although many branch devidians as converts from 7th Day Adventism maintained a vegetarian diet, Kesh
01:08:23
decreed that meat should be served sometimes and that everyone must eat what they were given.
01:08:31
But it was the ultimate exception granted to David Caresh that would become the church's most notorious
01:08:37
feature. It related to a revelation Caresh received from God that he called the new
01:08:44
light. Several years earlier, in the spring of 1986, while Caresh was living in Palestine, Texas, he told his
01:08:56
17-year-old wife, Rachel, that God had told him to take another wife. Rachel wasn't happy about this, but she
01:09:05
later reported that she'd had a dream that gave her the same message. Caresh chose his second bride, the
01:09:13
daughter of a longtime branch Devidian named Clive Doyle. Like his first wife, Karen Doyle was 14
01:09:21
years old when Caresh married her. Caresh's marriage to Rachel had been legal as her parents gave permission.
01:09:30
But even though Karen's father also gave permission, this second union was illegal because Texas law forbade
01:09:38
polygamy. David Caresh, who was now in his late 20s, soon had another revelation.
01:09:46
He was to take several more wives. Some branch devidians were uncomfortable with this new decree, but Caresh could
01:09:54
always point to scripture to support his actions. Over the next year, he married
01:10:00
his wife Rachel's 12-year-old sister Michelle, a 17-year-old girl named Robin Buns, a 20-year-old Australian convert
01:10:09
named Nicole Jant, and a Hawaiian woman in her early 20s named Dana Okimoto. Caresh informed these girls and young
01:10:19
women that being selected as his bride was a tremendous honor. They had been spiritually chosen to help
01:10:26
him spread his seed. The Bible commanded that humans must be fruitful and multiply. And as the lamb
01:10:35
of God, Caresh's children would have a very special role to play in the end time.
01:10:42
It is unclear how most of the chosen girls and women felt about the matter due to a lack of documentation.
01:10:50
But because there was great status and honor in being chosen by Kesh, some of the girls may have felt as though they
01:10:56
had a divine purpose while others felt afraid and coerced. Some of their parents gave their
01:11:03
approval. Others objected openly and were overruled. Although David Caresh believed that
01:11:11
God's law trumped state and federal ones, these marriages still had to be kept secret from the authorities to
01:11:18
prevent government interference and unpleasant consequences. A number of young male followers were
01:11:25
asked to marry Caresh's new wives to provide legal cover for any children born to them.
01:11:32
These relationships were purely for appearances. Each wife could perform domestic duties
01:11:38
for her pretend husband, like doing his laundry, but they were not to be physically intimate.
01:11:45
More than 3 years after his revelation to take a second wife, David Caresh announced another revelation that he
01:11:52
called the new light. Based on scripture in the book of Revelation that described four and 20
01:12:00
elders who would help rule the kingdom of God after the end time was complete. Kesh announced that he needed to father
01:12:08
24 children. His offspring were destined to be the elders described in the Bible.
01:12:16
In order to have these children, he would now become the husband of every branch Devidian woman.
01:12:23
Women who were already married to other men were told that those relationships would cease from now on. Caresh was
01:12:31
their partner in every sense of the word. All men in the church aside from Caresh
01:12:41
were ordered to be celibate from there on out and their marriages were enolled. Sex with partners was forbidden as was
01:12:50
masturbation. only Caresh could engage in sexual activity. He reassured the other men that this was
01:12:59
a duty, not a pleasure for him. By giving up their wives and intimate relationships, the men of the church
01:13:06
would also be blessed. God would look kindly upon their sacrifices for him. From then on, all of the men slept on
01:13:16
the first floor of the compound. Women, children, and David Caresh had their bedrooms on the second floor.
01:13:25
The new light was difficult for most of the branch devidians to accept. Even some of Caresh's most ardent and loyal
01:13:33
followers struggled with it. One evening, David Tibido stumbled across Steve Schneider, one of Caresh's
01:13:40
inner circle, slumped over with his head in his hands. Steve confided in David that he was
01:13:47
having difficulty accepting the new light. His wife Judy was now considered Caresh's wife and Steve was agonizing
01:13:55
over losing her. Ultimately, however, he came to a painful kind of acceptance, asking
01:14:03
David, "If your wife had a chance to marry the lamb, would you want to hold her back?"
01:14:12
In 1990, Judy Schneider conceived a daughter with Caresh, who was born on November 6 and named Minor Songbird.
01:14:22
Every evening after Bible study, Caresh selected which wife he would spend the night with.
01:14:30
Kathy Schroeder, a former branch devidian, told author Jeff Gwyn that some women would loiter around the
01:14:36
chapel afterwards, hoping to be chosen. According to Kathy, Caresh made sure to give every woman some attention, but he
01:14:45
had obvious favorites, including his legal wife Rachel, her little sister Michelle, a 15-year-old Australian girl
01:14:53
called Aisha Gyus, and Judy Schneider. He had children with all of them. Branch Devidians observed that Caresh's
01:15:04
preferred wives also happened to be those considered most attractive. He justified this by pointing out that
01:15:11
God's children should be beautiful. Sometimes Karesh teased the other men, asking, "I got all the women. Aren't you
01:15:22
jealous?" before reassuring them that he'd happily trade places with them if he could. It wasn't easy having to
01:15:30
procreate so much. He didn't limit his interest to women in the church. David Caresh was infatuated with the pop
01:15:39
star Madonna who gained celebrity status during the 1980s and he taped a photograph of her to his motorcycle.
01:15:47
Caresh confided to one of his inner circle that God had appeared to him in a dream and said, "I will give thee
01:15:55
Madonna." He believed that this was a message. Madonna would eventually hear about the
01:16:01
branch devidians, move to Mount Carmel, and become one of his wives. By 1993, David Caresh had 17 children
01:16:12
with 11 different girls and women. He was well on his way to achieving his goal of fathering 24.
01:16:23
Not everyone went along with Caresh's new teachings. some of his marriages ended.
01:16:31
Dana Okamoto began doubting what Caresh was saying and felt uncomfortable with the way children were disciplined at
01:16:38
Mount Carmel. In 1992, she left the compound and took the two sons she'd had with Caresh with her.
01:16:47
Another wife, Robin Buns, objected strongly to the new light teaching that all women were Caresh's wives.
01:16:55
Unlike Dana Okamoto, Robin didn't live at Mount Carmel. She resided with the Californian branch devidians.
01:17:03
When David Caresh caught wind that Robin was thinking of leaving the church, he took the toddler son he and Robin had
01:17:10
together back to Mount Carmel with him. He didn't mind losing Robin, but losing one of his children was another matter.
01:17:20
Robin was able to regain custody of her son after contacting local law enforcement. They in turn reached out to
01:17:28
the sheriff's department in Mlennon County and Kesh handed over the child after receiving a visit at Mount Carmel.
01:17:36
Some couples and male branch devidians began to defect too. The most significant to do so was Mark Bro, a
01:17:45
young Californian convert who'd established a close relationship with David Caresh over the course of 4 years.
01:17:52
Mark's knowledge of the Bible almost rivaled Caresh's and Caresh believed he might be another prophet as well, though
01:18:00
less powerful than he was. Mark Bro had recently married another branch devidian, an Australian woman
01:18:08
named Elizabeth Baroni. He was disgusted by Caresh's new light revelation and had no intention of
01:18:16
allowing Caresh near Elizabeth. Mark contacted Elizabeth, who was living in Australia at the time, and informed
01:18:23
her of the new teaching. Like Mark, Elizabeth was horrified by the idea, writing a letter to Mark that
01:18:31
read, "You are my only love, the love of my life, and I don't believe I will be able to go through with what he's being
01:18:39
asked." Mark came up with a secret plan to leave Mount Carmel and join Elizabeth.
01:18:47
The next time Caresh traveled to California, Mark accompanied him. He then used money Elizabeth had sent him
01:18:55
to fly from Los Angeles to Melbourne. Once in Australia, Mark Bro began openly speaking out against his former mentor.
01:19:06
Caresh was devastated by the loss of one of his closest followers, but he had no
01:19:11
idea of just how detrimental Mark Bro's defection would be. Even though a few branch devidians had
01:19:22
left Mount Carmel, most remained, and the population had grown steadily since Caresh had taken over in 1989.
01:19:31
More than 120 people lived there by early 1993, and 46 of those individuals were children.
01:19:40
Even though the group maintained a very spartan lifestyle, they still needed funds to support them.
01:19:47
David Caresh estimated that it cost between $30 and $35 to feed each person for a month, which is between 67 and 78
01:19:57
in today's money. Some branch devidians had jobs and donated their earnings. Others
01:20:05
contributed social security and pension checks to the communal funds. Steady money came in from a car repair
01:20:13
shop that Caresh opened. But these funds combined still weren't enough. In September of 1990, Caresh came up
01:20:22
with a new idea after learning that one of his clients at the car repair shop was also a licensed gun dealer.
01:20:31
What if the Branch Devidians bought secondhand guns cheaply, then refurbished them and sold them at gun
01:20:37
shows? He met with the gun dealer, Henry Mcmman, who schooled Caresh in the business, explaining what customers were
01:20:46
looking for. The group began purchasing old handguns and rifles from Henry that they would
01:20:52
repair and polish, then sell at shows all over Texas. Soon they expanded their business,
01:21:00
buying from multiple dealers and stocking other hunting gear as well. They purchased cheap hunting vests from
01:21:07
stores like Walmart and then the Branch Deinian women adjusted them to add more pockets and special features.
01:21:16
By early 1992, primary campaigns were underway for the next US presidential election, and it looked as though a
01:21:23
candidate from the Democrat party might defeat the Republican incumbent George Bush.
01:21:30
The prospect of a Democrat president created fears amongst some constituents that gun laws might be tightened with
01:21:37
the National Rifle Association warning that sales of fully automatic rifles would soon be banned.
01:21:44
People who already owned such firearms, however, would be permitted to keep them
01:21:48
under grandfather laws. This anxiety created an increased demand for fully automatic weapons.
01:21:58
Henry Mcmah proposed that the branch devidians buy semi-automatic weapons then convert them to fully automatic.
01:22:06
As only licensed gun dealers could sell fully automatic weapons, he would take care of the sales and they'd share the
01:22:13
profits. Caresh agreed to the plan. In the spring of 1992, the branch devidians began
01:22:21
buying rifle conversion kits as well as semi-automatic weapons. These purchases were legal.
01:22:30
However, converting semi-automatic weapons without the proper permits and without paying taxes was illegal.
01:22:39
The Branch Devidians didn't bother with this part of the process. As they began converting more and more
01:22:46
firearms, David Caresh also saw a chance to build up their own arsenal. Believing that a battle between his
01:22:54
followers and the forces of Babylon was inevitable and even imminent, he figured
01:22:59
it made sense to be armed in anticipation of this event. Soon they had AR-15 semi-automatic
01:23:07
rifles that they'd converted to fully automatic, the equivalent of an M16 assault rifle, nicknamed the meat
01:23:14
chopper during World War II. They bought grenade holes along with the ingredients that would turn them into
01:23:21
explosives, black gunpowder and powdered aluminium. At the same time that the Branch
01:23:31
Devidians began converting weapons and preparing for an impending battle, former member Mark Bro was waging his
01:23:38
own kind of war against them. Now living in Melbourne, he'd spoken out against David Caresh and his new light
01:23:46
mandate to the branch devidians there. Caresh's Australian followers began to falter in their belief.
01:23:54
Mark Bro didn't stop there. He contacted immigration officials in the US, alerting them to the fact there were
01:24:02
foreign visitors who'd overstayed their tourist visas living at Mount Carmel. He also reached out to the family
01:24:09
members of branch devidians, elected officials, journalists, law enforcement, and child protective services.
01:24:17
Mark alleged that Caresh was committing statutory rape with underage girls and accused him of physical abuse against
01:24:24
children. Other former branch devidians made similar allegations. Several said they had personally
01:24:33
witnessed David Caresh beating children as young as 8 months old with a wooden spoon.
01:24:39
One accusation read, "On one occasion, Vernon spanked my daughter for 40 minutes because she did not sit on his
01:24:47
lap. She was 8 months old at the time. Her bottom was badly bruised and he made her bottom bleed from spanking her so
01:24:56
much." These allegations led to the opening of an investigation by Mlennon Countyy's
01:25:02
Child Protective Services Office. CPS investigation supervisor Joyce Sparks led the investigation, paying
01:25:11
several visits to Mount Carmel. Each time she was escorted carefully through the compound in what felt like a
01:25:19
staged tour. However, she noted that the branch devidians let her speak to whoever she
01:25:25
wanted, and if she asked to see anything in particular, they would show it to her.
01:25:32
Joyce Sparks interviewed David Caresh, as well as some parents and children. No one said they had seen children being
01:25:39
harmed, and none of the children said that they had been hurt. Joyce found herself frustrated, feeling
01:25:47
that despite their apparent transparency, everyone she spoke to at Mount Carmel was giving her answers that
01:25:53
were prepared and well practiced. Caresh's tendency to always refer back to the Bible was also frustrating.
01:26:02
When Joyce explained to him that they had to keep religion separate from their conversations about caring for children,
01:26:09
he replied, "I can't do that." In April 1992, Joyce Sparks closed her investigation after conducting 9 weeks
01:26:20
of interviews. She felt defeated. Joyce knew that children were being spanked as a form of corporal
01:26:29
punishment, but couldn't find any evidence of the kind of abuse that was being alleged.
01:26:35
Nor was there any proof that Caresh had been raping underage girls, though Joyce
01:26:40
suspected that he was. Caresh had spoken at length about Psalm 45 from the Bible and how important it
01:26:49
was to him. Amongst the verses of Psalm 45, which is known as the royal wedding psalm, are
01:26:56
the following lines. Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention. Forget your people and your father's
01:27:06
house. Let the king be enthralled by your beauty. Honor him, for he is your lord.
01:27:16
Years later, something in particular that David Caresh had said to Joyce Sparks would continue to echo in her
01:27:22
ears. Feeling persecuted by the government's interest in the goings on at Mount Carmel, he made a prediction about what
01:27:31
was going to happen in the near future, Caresh had remarked, "The enemy will surround the camp and
01:27:39
the saints will die. There will be blood and fire. An explosion at the end to be continued next week.