In jail, Jeffs renounced church role

As he sat in jail awaiting trial, the leader of a polygamous sect renounced his role as church prophet and said he had been “immoral” with a sister and daughter decades ago, according to court documents.

The information comes from documents filed in July by Warren Jeffs’ attorneys, who sought to keep jail recordings out of his September trial.

Fifth District Judge James Shumate agreed, saying the recordings could be prejudicial. But he unsealed the documents Tuesday, revealing some contents of those recordings.

Jeffs, 51, was convicted on two counts of rape as an accomplice in the arranged marriage of a 14-year-old follower and her 19-year-old cousin. Jeffs is president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In telephone calls Jan. 24, Jeffs told family that he “had been immoral with a sister and a daughter” when he was 20, according to the documents.

He goes on to renounce his role as the church prophet and says the Lord had “revealed to him that he was a wicked man.”

Jeffs does not elaborate on the conduct. Some listeners responded by telling Jeffs he is the prophet and was “being tested,” according to the documents.

The court filings also recount a Jan. 25 visit to the Washington County jail by a brother, Nephi Jeffs.

On videotape, Warren Jeffs said he had been fasting for three days and had been awake through the night.

He began to dictate a religious message to followers but fell silent in mid-sentence and didn’t speak again for 13 minutes.

Again, he renounced his position as head of the church.