NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
The Branch Davidians Cult, which was until its demise headed by Warren Jeffs, had over 6000 members at its peak. These 6000 members lived in sister cities of Hildale and Colorado City in the barren US state of Utah. The cult in which control is the key is now considered by many to be closer to a terrorist organisation. The Branch Davidians had originated in the Seventh-day Adventist church where they in turn began to follow a Millerite which in short is a movement that believes the Bible sets out a date for the end of the world. The Branch Davidian's began mainly as The Davidians Seventh-Day Adventists headed by self proclaimed prophet, Victor Houteff, after his death his wife Florence took over leadership, proclaiming that the world would end in 1959. When the world kept on going, the Davidian's dispersed although a number reformed under the leadership of Ben Roden, the new group named themselves the Branch Davidian's.
After Ben Roddens death in 1978, his wife Lois took over the running of the organisation and made the most famous of all the cults proclamations, that the Holy Spirit was female and brought the female aspect into the Trinity. Vernon Hall, later David Koresh, joined the Branch Davidian's in 1981 and in 1983 he has his first vision from God. In 1990, after much friction between himself and other members, Hall became the leader of the Branch Davidian's. On 28 February 1993 a raid on the Branch Davidians compound at Waco, Texas is beaten back by the Davidian's. On 19 th April another raid occurs. During the fire fight the compound explodes into flames, killing eighty-six people, including seventeen children.
Vernon Howell (David Koresh) also dies in the flames. There are only nine survivors: Reno's Agree, Jaime Castillo, Graeme Craddock, Misty Ferguson, Derrick Lovelock, Ruth Ottoman-Riddle, David Thibodeau x, Marjorie Thomas and Clive Doyle. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents initiated the raid and other agencies soon joined the long stand off. The details become very sketchy at this time, with the cult proclaiming that they won the initial skirmishes while the agencies say that they severely damaged the cult members during these incidents. This is the same with the details of how the building was set on fire, the cult members say that they government agents light the building on fire with their attacks, while the government says that the cult members lit the building because they realised that they could not win and they did not want to be captured and persecuted. After Waco, the history of the Branch Davidian's gets a bit sketchy, although we do know that Warren Jeffs is the current leader after his fathers death in 2002.
Jeffs has introduced some new measures into his society, he has withdrawn himself from the society, while taking over all the businesses in the twin cities, pocketing all the profits, although it isnt know where this money has, or will go. The Branch Davidian's believe and follow the main teachings of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, but have their own variations. For example, rape, incest, pedophilia and polygamy are rampant in their society, their leader, Warren Jeffs is thought to have at least 70 wives, and have conceived children to some of these when they were under eighteen years old. His father, at the age of 90, married his 75 and 76; they were 16 and 14 respectively. Jeffs has also banned all book, newspapers and television, telling his followers that most of the outside world is evil, and that he is trying to protect them. He protects them through the use of his, God Squad who conduct random, impromptu inspections of properties in the twin cities to search for contraband or anything that is seen as insubordination.
The Branch Davidian's originally recruited members from the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, but this was halted in 1942 when Houteff cut all ties with the church. The Seventh-day Adventist Church follows most of the conservative Christian beliefs; creation, original sin, the virgin birth, the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden, the divinity of Christ, the Trinity, belief in Satan as evil, the infallibility of Scripture and the salvation by the atonement of Christ. The SDA although, is seen to place a bit too much importance on some of the fables of the Old Testament. There is no information on the current recruitment techniques used by the Branch Davidian's, so we have come to the conclusion that they have stopped taking new members, only growing from within. The Branch Davidian's cult have many practices that have been openly condemned by our society, condemned so much that many of them are now illegal, such as polygamy, which is illegal in almost all western countries, as well as rape and pedophilia.
Their leader, as we noted earlier has also banned all books, newspapers, magazines and television, as well as even the most basic forms of entertainment, such as dances and picnics. The sexuality of this cult is purely heterosexual, although it does not mention how they would deal with any other forms of sexuality, we are lead to believe that homosexuality would not be accepted. To deal with any disturbances, the Branch Davidian's have control over the local police and courts, as well as Jeffs personal guard, The God Squad, and just to make it more interesting, Jeffs is believed to have a stockpile of weapons in a fallout shelter near his home. Jeffs controls all of his followers lives, deciding from who they marry to what jobs they do. Also, since Jeffs has stopped giving his weekly sermons, he expects his followers to listen to his old sermon tapes, until they can recite them all word for word.
As far as our research has shown us, there are no real consequences for leaving the group, once you get out, your out. So the only real ramification is the segregation from the group. The hardest thing about leaving seems to be the getting out part. There are numerous people who have escaped, some alone and some with help from people on the outside. There was no information on how these people escaped; they did seem to make out that it was a difficult thing to do. The main characteristics of the many leaders of this group can be described in one word, radical.
From every source we have found it has described the most famous leader, David Koresh as a radical, and certifiably insane and the new leader, Warren Jeffs, who demands that each of his followers have at least one portrait above their mantel piece, is in the same boat. The Branch Davidian's will go down in the annuals of history as being one of the most radical cults of the 20 th century, with some of the most famous political incidents, fanatical leaders and extreme expectations.
Free research essays on topics related to: david koresh, seventh day, branch, branch davidians, cult members
Research essay sample on Branch Davidians David Koresh
