Owen A. Allred
Encyclopedia
Owen Arthur Allred was the leader of the Apostolic United Brethren
, a Mormon fundamentalist polygamist group centered in Bluffdale, Utah
. He came to this position following the murder of his brother Rulon Allred on orders of rival polygamist leader Ervil LeBaron
, in 1977. Allred was born in Blackfoot, Idaho
. He had eight wives, twenty-three children and over two hundred grandchildren. In 1942, he was excommunicated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) when he married his second wife. After his death, he was succeeded by J. LaMoine Jensen.
Shortly after Allred became head of the AUB, Spencer W. Kimball
, the then-president of the LDS Church announced that all worthy males would be able to hold the priesthood
without regard to race or color. This effectively ended a century-long prohibition preventing black men from holding priesthood office in the LDS Church. Owen Allred stridently opposed this new practice. He immediately declared that the temples
of the LDS Church had been desecrated by the presence of black Latter-day Saints. In response, the AUB built its own Endowment House in Bluffdale and began performing ordinances.
Owen Allred is perhaps best known for his outspoken criticism of child abuse and marriages of girls under the age of 18. He publicly denounced the child abuse that occurred in many polygamist groups and encouraged members of the AUB to report such activities to law enforcement officials. Additionally, he campaigned for the legal marriage age in Utah to be raised from 14 to 16, noting that AUB members are forbidden to engage in any courtship before the age of 17.
In 2003, a federal judge ordered Owen Allred to return money that the AUB had received from Virginia Hill. Hill had accused the group of misrepresentation in a business transaction.
Approximately 1300 people attended his funeral.
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...
, a Mormon fundamentalist polygamist group centered in Bluffdale, Utah
Bluffdale, Utah
Bluffdale is a city in Salt Lake County, Utah, USA. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 4,700 according to the 2000 census...
. He came to this position following the murder of his brother Rulon Allred on orders of rival polygamist leader Ervil LeBaron
Ervil LeBaron
Ervil Morrell LeBaron was the leader of a polygamous Mormon fundamentalist group who ordered the killings of many of his opponents, using the religious doctrine of blood atonement to justify the murders...
, in 1977. Allred was born in Blackfoot, Idaho
Blackfoot, Idaho
Blackfoot is a city in Bingham County, Idaho, United States. The population was 10,419 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Bingham County. Blackfoot is self-designated the "Potato Capital of the World", because it claims to have the largest potato industry in the world...
. He had eight wives, twenty-three children and over two hundred grandchildren. In 1942, he was excommunicated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) when he married his second wife. After his death, he was succeeded by J. LaMoine Jensen.
Shortly after Allred became head of the AUB, Spencer W. Kimball
Spencer W. Kimball
Spencer Woolley Kimball was the twelfth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1973 until his death in 1985.-Ancestry:...
, the then-president of the LDS Church announced that all worthy males would be able to hold the priesthood
Priesthood (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , the priesthood is the power and authority to act in the name of God for the salvation of humankind...
without regard to race or color. This effectively ended a century-long prohibition preventing black men from holding priesthood office in the LDS Church. Owen Allred stridently opposed this new practice. He immediately declared that the temples
Temple (LDS Church)
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a temple is a building dedicated to be a House of the Lord, and they are considered by Church members to be the most sacred structures on earth. Upon completion, temples are usually open to the public for a short period of time...
of the LDS Church had been desecrated by the presence of black Latter-day Saints. In response, the AUB built its own Endowment House in Bluffdale and began performing ordinances.
Owen Allred is perhaps best known for his outspoken criticism of child abuse and marriages of girls under the age of 18. He publicly denounced the child abuse that occurred in many polygamist groups and encouraged members of the AUB to report such activities to law enforcement officials. Additionally, he campaigned for the legal marriage age in Utah to be raised from 14 to 16, noting that AUB members are forbidden to engage in any courtship before the age of 17.
In 2003, a federal judge ordered Owen Allred to return money that the AUB had received from Virginia Hill. Hill had accused the group of misrepresentation in a business transaction.
Approximately 1300 people attended his funeral.