They believe in plural marriage. They live near the Utah/Arizona border. But they have nothing to do with Warren Jeffs and his FLDS Church.

Those belonging to the Work of Jesus Christ in Centennial Park, just across the highway from Colorado City, believe they maintain the true gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by Joseph Smith and as practiced in the early Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However they believe the mainstream LDS Church has deviated from the teachings of Smith and that they — through the priesthood of The Work of Jesus Christ — have the true authority from God on Earth.

Joanne Yarrish says she is fascinated by religion. She owns a Koran, a Torah, a Bible and a Book of Mormon. But she says the fullest gospel of Jesus Christ that she has found is within the belief system of The Work of Jesus Christ.

“I go to church on Sunday and listen to the brethren (priesthood leaders) and that’s what I receive,” she says. “That’s my manna.”

The practice of plural marriage, or polygamy, is a major element of their faith that sets members of this group apart. Marlyne Hammon, who often acts as a spokeswoman for the group with the media, is in a plural marriage. She is her husband’s first wife and she has “sister wives” as they are called.

“I’m converted to what I am,” Hammon says. “I’ve chosen that and it’s worked well for me.”

Hammon often touts the blessings and advantages of polygamy. The group in Centennial Park, which numbers about 1,000 people, places a strong value on education, especially for women, so you might find many women among the group with Master’s degrees. Because of that education, there are more people in a household to contribute to a higher standard of living.

There are often allegations of welfare fraud among members of polygamous sects but those in Centennial Park say the allegations are false. On a drive through the community you’ll find plenty of large and beautiful homes — the fruits, they believe, of their faith.

“The people are hard working,” says Al Yarrish, a former Catholic from the East Coast who was baptized as a member of The Work. “I don’t know anyone on welfare.”

Because they are so well trained in many industries, Al says they don’t use welfare, they get jobs.

Joanne, Al’s only wife, runs the local health clinic and says all the welfare programs offered by the state of Arizona are underutilized.

“People are very proud of being self sufficient,” she says. “The more ladies that come into a family, the higher the income and the better standard of living that family has.”

Polygamy
Not all who live in Centennial Park and worship at the group’s Sunday meetings practice polygamy. However, they still believe in the practice as a gospel principle.
Al says his friends accused him of joining the group so he could have more than one wife. Yet he’s been married to Joanne for 13 years and does not feel he’s worthy to have another wife, even though Joanne would be open to it. However, he has come to appreciate his wife’s culture and beliefs.

“They’re really, truly dedicated to what they believe,” he says. “It has opened my eyes. The people here are honest. They’re certainly very proud of where they live. They love their kids.”

He says anyone who thinks all polygamists abuse children or marry underage girls needs to “have their head examined.” Members of The Work believe that only consenting women of legal age can enter into a marriage.

Hammon says she does not feel as if she was forced to stay in the Short Creek area and enter into a plural marriage. She said the group does not believe it is right to force the idea of plural marriage on anyone. But she acknowledges the practice might seem odd to outsiders.

“People don’t understand it,” she says. “So they fear.”

Joanne grew up in Colorado City as a member of what was then a unified group of people that would later split into two groups: the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and The Work of Jesus Christ.

Although she is not a plural wife, she grew up in that family structure. Joanne says she saw many things improve in her family when other wives came into it. She said she has seen similar blessings for those who believe in the principle in Centennial Park.

“We really feel very blessed,” she says. “We feel God smiles on us.”

Joanne notes that some might wonder how a father can love 60 children. She replies with a question of her own: How does God love billions of children?

“Love is not a finite amount … it’s limitless,” she says.

Yet Joanne acknowledges that for many it is a “constant crisis of faith” and some are on the losing side of that struggle. What will make sense to one person will not make sense to another. So she believes there needs to be understanding of those who chose to leave the sect.

Unlike the allegations of being trapped in polygamous marriages made against members of the FLDS Church, Al says the women in Centennial Park are not trapped there.

“They’re not slaves,” he says. “It’s their choice.”
Joanne agrees.

“To be told we are subservient … that’s so far out of reality … that’s negating us completely,” she says.

Al even says, with a laugh, that his wife is so liberated that he does all of the cooking.

And the women agree that the men who have plural wives are honorable men who take their beliefs seriously.
Community
Other than plural marriages, Hammon says members of The Work are not that different from others. She mentions how they encourage the young people to get an education. They want the girls to have confidence to face life, and that is not something they can do if they are marrying at age 15.

She also says the group does not believe the U.S. government is the enemy, as has been alleged about the neighboring FLDS group. A U.S. flag hangs at the front of the chapel in Centennial Park. Additionally, Hammon says many have served in the armed forces. Her husband served in Vietnam and her uncle died in Saipan during World War II.

“We’re a country together,” she says. “We’re very patriotic.”

She even sees polygamy as patriotic. Because it encourages large families, Hammon says the people of Centennial Park are creating many good citizens for the nation that follow the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Joanne says “bleeding the beast” — a term associated with allegations that members of the FLDS church rely on welfare to take money from the U.S. government — is not a problem in Centennial Park. However, she believes it is not a problem with most members of the FLDS church either.

Because of shared cultural and family ties there are still many connections with the two groups. Joanne believes healing the rift between the two groups could bring positive results but the FLDS members became increasingly hostile to those in Centennial Park under the leadership of Warren Jeffs.

The two groups split in 1986 after the passing of Leroy Johnson, who was regarded as the prophet by those who practiced plural marriage in the Hildale/Colorado City area. Rulon Jeffs, Warren’s father, then became the prophet and leader of what became the FLDS church but many believed he did not have the authority to lead.

Others belonging to the church’s ruling priesthood council — Jonathan Hammon and Alma Timson — split from Jeffs’ followers and created Centennial Park to provide a place for those who felt they couldn’t live in Hildale and Colorado City.

“That split rocked the world,” says Jonathan Dutson, Joanne’s brother-in-law. “It’s good to get back to that sense of community.”

His wife, Guinevere, says she loves the community and the safe environment it offers. All those who live in Centennial Park look out for each other’s children, she says.

Jonathan says the community is religious-based, yet they allow people be who they are.

“We might be considered odd because we’re a very religious-oriented community, but that would be the only reason to call us odd,” he says. “We truly believe that the gospel and what it can give you is beyond anything this earth can give you.”

“We’re willing to pay a price to be odd,” Guinevere, adds, referring to the modest way of dressing among the members. “If modesty is going to be odd in the community then we’re going to be odd.”

When it comes down to it, Guinevere says, it’s not how you dress but how you act that is important.