Alex Joseph
Encyclopedia
Alex Joseph (born Alec Richard Joseph; also referred to as Ronald Ellison) was an outspoken polygamist and founder of the Confederate Nations of Israel
, Mormon fundamentalist sect. As mayor
of Big Water
, Utah
, Joseph was the first Libertarian Party
mayor of a community in the United States
.
, but was baptized into it in his late teens. He became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in 1965. In 1969, he abandoned the LDS Church and briefly joined a group
of Mormon fundamentalists under the leadership of Rulon C. Allred
in Pinesdale
, Montana
. In time, he convinced four students at the University of Montana to marry him and become his plural wives
. His wives were not Latter Day Saints; rather, two were Roman Catholics, one was a Methodist
, and one was a Presbyterian
. The parents of the students were outraged and confronted Allred with their displeasure. Allred was displeased that Joseph had married without his permission, and after Joseph pointed out that Allred had also taken multiple wives, Joseph was asked to leave the colony in Montana. Joseph's exposure to Mormon fundamentalist groups eventually led him to see them as oppressive and corrupt. "Atrocities are committed and people have no recourse because they're outside the law, like the Mafia", commented Joseph. From then on, Joseph followed his own Christian-based religious convictions.
Elizabeth Joseph, one of Alex Joseph's wives who served as Big Water City Attorney and an instructor at Coconino Community College, was a featured speaker at the Utah NOW conference in 1997.
to a deserted settlement known as Glen Canyon City; Joseph renamed the settlement Big Water
in 1983. Joseph became the first mayor of the newly renamed settlement. In 1977, he organized the Confederate Nations of Israel
, a hybrid church–political organization modelled after Mormonism's
Council of Fifty
.
and joined the Libertarian Party
and by so doing became the first American mayor to be a member of the Libertarian Party. Joseph also convinced the four other members of the town council to join the Libertarians, thereby creating America's first "Libertarian Party town government" in Big Water. The Libertarian government abolished all taxes on real estate
in the town. Joseph stepped down as mayor in 1994 after serving three consecutive terms.
producer a private investigator, and as a manager for country and western music performers. He also starred in a movie about himself known as Alex Joseph and His Wives. He requested that his occupation on his death certificate
be listed as "pirate". Although it has been estimated that he may have married up to twenty women at various times, Joseph was survived by seven wives and 14 biological children, as well as several adopted or fostered children. He died of liver cancer at the age of 62.
Confederate Nations of Israel
The Confederate Nations of Israel is a hybrid church–political organization with roots in Mormon fundamentalism that was organized in 1977 by Alex Joseph...
, Mormon fundamentalist sect. As mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Big Water
Big Water, Utah
Big Water is a town in Kane County, Utah, United States. The population was 417 at the 2000 census, a modest increase over the 1990 figure of 326. It is located 17 miles north of Page, Arizona on US-89 near Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam. It was originally called Glen Canyon City and housed...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, Joseph was the first Libertarian Party
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
mayor of a community in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Mormon fundamentalism
Joseph was not raised in the Greek Orthodox ChurchChurch of Greece
The Church of Greece , part of the wider Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the autocephalous churches which make up the communion of Orthodox Christianity...
, but was baptized into it in his late teens. He became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in 1965. In 1969, he abandoned the LDS Church and briefly joined a group
Apostolic United Brethren
The Apostolic United Brethren is a polygamous Mormon fundamentalist church within the Latter Day Saint movement. The sect is not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
of Mormon fundamentalists under the leadership of Rulon C. Allred
Rulon C. Allred
Rulon Clark Allred was a homeopathic physician and chiropractor in Salt Lake City and the leader of what is now the Apostolic United Brethren, a breakaway sect of polygamous Mormon fundamentalists in Utah, Colorado, and Arizona, United States...
in Pinesdale
Pinesdale, Montana
Pinesdale is a town in Ravalli County, Montana, United States. The population was 742 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pinesdale is located at ....
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
. In time, he convinced four students at the University of Montana to marry him and become his plural wives
Plural marriage
Polygamy was taught by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for more than half of the 19th century, and practiced publicly from 1852 to 1890.The Church's practice of polygamy has been highly controversial, both within...
. His wives were not Latter Day Saints; rather, two were Roman Catholics, one was a Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
, and one was a Presbyterian
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
. The parents of the students were outraged and confronted Allred with their displeasure. Allred was displeased that Joseph had married without his permission, and after Joseph pointed out that Allred had also taken multiple wives, Joseph was asked to leave the colony in Montana. Joseph's exposure to Mormon fundamentalist groups eventually led him to see them as oppressive and corrupt. "Atrocities are committed and people have no recourse because they're outside the law, like the Mafia", commented Joseph. From then on, Joseph followed his own Christian-based religious convictions.
Elizabeth Joseph, one of Alex Joseph's wives who served as Big Water City Attorney and an instructor at Coconino Community College, was a featured speaker at the Utah NOW conference in 1997.
Polygamy
Joseph's style of polygamy was formed out of his own reading of the Bible, and contrasted with that practised by some other Mormon fundamentalists in some notable ways. First, his wives entered into their marriages of their own accord, initiative and free will, rather than being designated by a paternal authority. Second, his wives were encouraged to be very independent. Third, he was open about his polygamist lifestyle rather than being secretive, and welcomed media coverage, believing that it is his constitutional right and because "he wants public opinion on his side".Big Water and Confederate Nations of Israel
Joseph and his wives moved to Kane County, UtahKane County, Utah
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,046 people, 2,237 households, and 1,628 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile . There were 3,767 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile...
to a deserted settlement known as Glen Canyon City; Joseph renamed the settlement Big Water
Big Water, Utah
Big Water is a town in Kane County, Utah, United States. The population was 417 at the 2000 census, a modest increase over the 1990 figure of 326. It is located 17 miles north of Page, Arizona on US-89 near Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam. It was originally called Glen Canyon City and housed...
in 1983. Joseph became the first mayor of the newly renamed settlement. In 1977, he organized the Confederate Nations of Israel
Confederate Nations of Israel
The Confederate Nations of Israel is a hybrid church–political organization with roots in Mormon fundamentalism that was organized in 1977 by Alex Joseph...
, a hybrid church–political organization modelled after Mormonism's
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
Council of Fifty
Council of Fifty
The Council of Fifty was a Latter Day Saint organization established by Joseph Smith, Jr...
.
Libertarian mayor
In April 1986, Joseph made news when he abandoned the Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
and joined the Libertarian Party
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
and by so doing became the first American mayor to be a member of the Libertarian Party. Joseph also convinced the four other members of the town council to join the Libertarians, thereby creating America's first "Libertarian Party town government" in Big Water. The Libertarian government abolished all taxes on real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
in the town. Joseph stepped down as mayor in 1994 after serving three consecutive terms.
Occupations, family and death
At different times in his life, Joseph was employed as a U.S. Marine, a police officer, a firefighter, a mail carrier, a car salesman, an accountant, an author of books, a health foodHealth food
The term health food is generally used to describe foods that are considered to be beneficial to health, beyond a normal healthy diet required for human nutrition. However, the term is not precisely defined by national regulatory agencies such as the U.S...
producer a private investigator, and as a manager for country and western music performers. He also starred in a movie about himself known as Alex Joseph and His Wives. He requested that his occupation on his death certificate
Death certificate
The phrase death certificate can describe either a document issued by a medical practitioner certifying the deceased state of a person or popularly to a document issued by a person such as a registrar of vital statistics that declares the date, location and cause of a person's death as later...
be listed as "pirate". Although it has been estimated that he may have married up to twenty women at various times, Joseph was survived by seven wives and 14 biological children, as well as several adopted or fostered children. He died of liver cancer at the age of 62.
External links
- Brandon Burt, "Utah's Gay Mayor", Salt Lake Metro : article contains background information on Joseph, his adoption of Libertarianism, and the founding of Big Water, Utah
- Sara Davidson, "The Man with Ten Wives"
- Information about the film "Alex Joseph and His Wives"