Mike Menning Interview Part 1

Answering questions by Bill McKeever Gary Johnson deals with 36 commonly asked questions by your LDS friends and neighbors.

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Be sure to pick up your copy today at your favorite Christian bookstore viewpoint on Mormonism program examines the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a biblical perspective viewpoint when Mormonism is sponsored by Mormonism research ministry since 1979 Mormonism research ministry has been dedicated to equipping the body of Christ with answers regarding the Christian faith in a manner that expresses gentleness and respect. And now, your host for today's viewpoint on Mormonism welcome to this edition of viewpoint on Mormonism. I'm your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry and with me today is a good friend of mine, Mike Manning, Mike Manning is with great commission, Utah.

We have had Mike on the show in the past but some things have happen that I had to have him come back and personal welcome to the show might glad to have you back if you get the beer I get your emails. They come out, usually on Mondays, rights, and there was a story that you told about what really is. If you understand the story behind it a miracle in and of itself that took place up in Pringle, South Dakota.

I was familiar with Pringle because I knew that that's where the fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints had a compound there and of course the F LDS is affiliated with Warren Jeffs, who is currently in prison and you have been dealing with those that are in not only the F LDS but other fundamentalist groups as they are called.

You've been dealing with them for a number of years and bringing the true gospel to these people. It's a tough job and that is one tough gig and but I thank God for you because folks what we don't normally deal with the fundamentalist.

Certainly we've talked about them in the past, but Mike is actually ministering. Among these people and especially the F LDS, and so when you sent this email out about what happened up in Pringle South Dakota.

I was just elated. Not that I got to have Mike tell the story and I was familiar with Pringle where it's located. Because my wife and I took a vacation up there in the Black Hills of South Dakota and there's an intersection right there. I think it's 385, which hits the road that goes up to Mount Rushmore and there's this little tiny place call Pringle doesn't look like much at all, but I did not know where the compound was located anyway so I didn't even try to find it, but something big is happen there and so I want you to tell the story and working to do this by me reading a paragraph from the email that you sent out by way of background, please let me review the events of the last few days about three or four years ago, my friend from the creek and you have to understand the creek is a reference to Colorado city, Arizona, which is another compound that the F LDS have you mention a man by the name of Andrew Chapman Andrew Chapman you say and to others from their one a lawsuit against the F LDS for wrongful arrest.

On two occasions that took place with a couple of days or so since the F LDS refused to pay the court ordered amount of money because they lost the suit.

Andrew and his two partners placed a lien on 2F LDS properties. We should probably mention that the F LDS has a number of properties.

Don't they all over the place and so the one was in Colorado the state of Colorado is great and you were telling me before we started recording that this is where Warren Jeffs would go is kind of a quote" hideaway or can you explain that yelp the F LDS actually has a number of those hideaways. There are there. They have own single-family dwellings and in towns and cities, and that sort of thing, but they also have a number of these properties hit away in the mountains.

Now the ones in Colorado states the state of Colorado.

I think there were 34 houses out there there all log homes.

It's beautiful. They got their own little pond way up in the mountains and and it's it's it's a beautiful place.

From what I've seen maybe that one of the biggest compounds that they had was in Custer County, South Dakota, sits near Custer State Park and in that little town of Pringle South Dakota in Pringle. I think maybe has a population of 15 or 20 people and so it's just a tiny little place and then back it is a you go through Pringle and then back up in the mountains where the county road even stops. There's there's a little gravel road that you have to take for 5 miles and that's where their main compound is and it's it's 140 acres. There's this little road separates two parcels of land that one parcel of land has the buildings on it.

Your email goes on to say the F LDS continued to refuse to pay. This would be Andrew in the two partners of his who were wrongfully arrested. So both properties were put up for Sheriff's auction. One of the state of Colorado is the one that you just described and the other in Custer County which he also discredits in Pringle now you wanted to go there for this Sheriff's auction you wanted to be there. You say you wrote just before the Custer County Courthouse closed on Friday afternoon the F LDS filed a motion with the court objecting to the sheriff sale of their property.

The County judge ordered a hearing on the motion for 1 PM this would be on February 25 that was changed to 3 o'clock on Thursday morning you arrive at the courthouse and he spent some time with Andrew. The sale started promptly at 10 you want to fill in the blanks on what happened and it is auction okay.

The reason why wanted to be there if a couple reasons one I wanted to celebrate that if the F LDS did not buy the property back and then pay Andrew and his two friends. What was legally coming to them. I want to celebrate with the people of Custer County and the state of South Dakota celebrate that the F LDS was gone from the state of South Dakota and we have known a number of women that have been at that compound date they have enough room in that compound to to house 3 to 400 people and so there's there's six large log homes there between six and 7000 ft.² each. And then there's a large dormitory so it'll it is large and so you I wanted to be a part of the group that would celebrate just a small group of us with celebrate that they're gone and they're no longer a threat to the state of South Dakota, a threat they they were especially when you look at what happened in Texas and we should mention that the El Dorado, Texas. They had a compound out there as well and a big huge temple as well, and that that that when when they were rated by the local sheriff's office and the Sheriff's office had to go in because they knew the it was child abuse taken place there in Texas. What happened is they discovered there were 342 kids in that I think that's the number I'm just saying that for memory but anyway the state of Texas after six months, had spent $42 million on that case because the judge ruled that every child needs its own attorney and so so the status South Dakota had called me three years ago to tell them everything I knew about the F LDS because that type of a bill to the status South Dakota would be enormous. And so the other reason why was gone there mention Andrew Chapman and I got to know Andrew seven maybe seven state eight years ago and I've walked life with Andrew all these years and have led him to the Lord and Andrew lost his family. He lost his wife, his kids, all of his property to the F LDS they took. They took everything and another polygamist group got his wife so I want to be there with Andrew Enders, a good friend and a Christian brother and I just wanted to celebrate with Andrew and give him the moral support that he needed in and so they started the Sheriff's auction.

It's it's not like an auctioneer type thing. It's very slow moving but the property actually was evaluated at one point at $8 million, and the taxes alone on that property was 120,000 a year that's over $10,000 month taxes on the property. Long story short is the property was sold. Andrew and his three friends bought the property for 750,700 $50,000 for a piece of property that is $8 million and this is just bare property as you say, this has buildings on it. Substantial buildings yes. And like you say, this was supposed to house when up to three 400 people at this compound so Andrew and his partners are able to purchase this property but they buy it sight unseen, because that's the way these Sheriff auctions are done.

You're not allowed to go in and inspect any of this property. You basically just buy it sight unseen, but you knew hundred and 40 acres pleasant having these buildings can be worth a lot in as you say, was $8 million. Why wouldn't a developer by this will that was that was my question to Andrew after the sale. In an and their attorney. I said, guys, I can't believe what just happened. I said you bought it for 750,000.

I thought I thought you'd have to pay a minimum of 2 to 3 million maybe more, and Andrew just kinda smiled little bases Mike. You know the rumors that are going around this place. Don't you and I said no I don't know what you're talking about. He said developers didn't want the property because the rumors are that the property carries a curse. Well, they probably knew enough about the people who lived there.

Probably draw a conclusion like that, I guess, and so fortunately, that worked out well for Andrew. Now he sent out an email a few well. About a week or so after this year's in which you describe what was actually on the property because now Andrew and his partners been able to purchase it.

Now they're able to go on the property to see what they actually have and this is where Andrew I think is even shocked and surprised at what was left now describe very quickly what did the place look like the way Andrew described it when he was able to go on the property. We thought that maybe the property would be pretty much ruined. But they walked onto the property and or drove on. I should say and they started going through some of the buildings. Just as an example Andrew one of those houses so they decided sleep there for the night. In fact, they're going to be there for a long time and so Andrew walked into this one house. It's a log house big home between six and 7000 ft.² and he finds the bed to been slept in. So he said all I did as I pulled off the linens. I walked to the closet and took the fresh linens out. He said, and I made up my bed, got my bed made up and he said I was still hungry so I looked in the refrigerator. He said they must've left like 12 maybe 20 hours before he said the fresh milk was in the refrigerator.

There were fresh vegetables in there and so forth. And then they got into the other buildings and they found some astonishing things I want to talk about that in tomorrow's show but it's just amazing to me. It's they didn't even pack up and leave you they just left it with food in the refrigerator. Perishable food by the latest and they're just gone.

That is just an incredible story that were going to continue in tomorrow show. Thank you for listening you would like more information when guarding him in his research ministry. We encourage you to visit our website www.mrm.org you can request our free newsletter Mormonism research. We hope you will join us again as we look at another viewpoint is, is there not much of a difference between Mormonism and Christianity will actually despite what many may think there is and when it comes to this incident. Even highly charged issue that is eternal ramifications. The Christian may not know where to turn. Just trying to understand moments police to be both confusing and frustrating. That's why Mormonism 101 was written a book resourced by Mormonism research ministries Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson that contrasts final documents such as who is God what is Scripture and how a person is able to go to heaven. Religions are placed side-by-side differences are many. Mormonism 101 is help you better understand the doctrines of humanity same friend, family member or coworker even has witnessing tips to help you in future conversations. Published by Baker books Mormonism 101 is available. MRM.org or ask for it at your favorite Christian bookstore hold prepared to give an answer