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July 25, 2008 12:00:18 PM CDT

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Western Towns Rebuild Library Jeffs Destroyed

Posted Jan 21, 08 3:42 PM CST in Arts & Living,  US 

(Newser) – Two tiny towns on the Utah-Arizona border are pushing to restock the shelves of their library, reports the Deseret Morning News, in a first step toward healing rifts caused by imprisoned polygamist Warren Jeffs. With Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Ariz., firmly in the grip of the Mormon splinter group's leader, the library simply disappeared one day.

“Warren had them destroyed,” says a Hildale resident who plans to use part of her home as a makeshift library. “It’s just so sad," zays a local merchant. "It’s from the dark ages.” Now, community members are staging book drives to build up the town’s resources and, it's hoped, eventually mend some of the deep divisions Jeffs left.

Source Deseret News (Salt Lake)

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"There are a lot of people that are starting to step out of their comfort zone and associate and stuff," said one volunteer. "Books are a common thing. Books can kind of bring people together."   (Shutterstock.com)
The libraries of Hildale, Utah, and Colorado City, Arizona are being rebuilt by community volunteers after all the books mysteriously disappeared.   (Index Open)
In this photo released by the Utah Department of Corrections on Monday, Nov. 26, 2007, convicted polygamous-sect leader Warren Jeffs poses for his photo at the state prison Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2007, in...   (Associated Press)
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Utah  • polygamy  • Colorado  • Mormonism  • Mormon  • Warren Jeffs  • libraries


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