Jeffrey Don Lundgren, Prophet of Death
Banishment and Fury
By September, church officials realized the extent of Jeff's unorthodox teachings and revoked his ministerial credentials. Angered, Jeff immediately withdrew his membership. Dale Luffman, president of the northeast Ohio chapter of the RLDS later stated, "He was silenced for ethical reasons. He would have been expelled from the church on the basis of unchristian conduct had he not withdrawn his membership." The RLDS leadership toldJeff to start looking for a new residence. His teachings would now increase in volume and violence.
rented
(David Lohr/Don Pender)
In need of a new residence, Jeff contacted Stan Skrbis regarding the farm property that had previously been available. The property was still vacant and Jeff arranged to move his family and followers in as soon as possible. Jeff's cousin Debbie Olivarez joined him at the farm shortly after the relocation.
During December of 1987, Ronald and Susie Luff moved to the Kirtland area. Ron had previously met Jeff when he worked as a guide at the Temple and had been smitten with his teachings ever since. The Luffs, raised in the RLDS church, had been married in 1981. The couple had two children together and appeared quite happy in their life together. It would not be long before the Lundgrens took them in as they had with countless others had before them.
Jeff's arsenal began to grow at a rapid rate throughout the remainder of 1987. Jeff's eldest son, Damon, was in charge of training the men in combat and marksmenship skills. Mock scenarios were often times played out on the farm and numerous times at the Temple at night. Plans to take the Temple were still discussed and hours were spent going over diagrams of the building and maps of the area. If ever there was a time to fear Jeff Lundgren it was certainly now, more so than ever.
In February of 1988, Kevin Currie, once again disenchanted with Jeff and his teachings, decided it was time to leave the group and never look back. Kevin was afraid for his life if Jeff ever found him and made sure to cover his tracks when leaving for Buffalo, New York. However, try as he may, he was not able to keep Jeff's plans out of his mind and decided to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The bureau, assuming the tip was a prank, decided to pass the information over to Kirtland Police Chief Dennis Yarborough.
Yarborough, forty-nine, had been chief of the Kirtland P.D. for nearly a dozen years. His career started in the military and, when he decided he wanted more of a challenge out of life, led him to law enforcement. Upon receiving the FBI fax, Yarborough was convinced that it was serious and started an investigation into Jeff Lundgren and his followers.
Jeff, still smoldering about the "treachery" of Kevin Currie, was even angrier when Shar told him she was leaving the group. She had wanted to leave for some time but also feared that she would be murdered. Finally, she got up enough courage to walk out of the Lundgren home in May. Shar later said that she had felt that anyone who continued to follow Jeff's teachings would wind up dead or in prison.
Throughout the remainder of the summer, Jeff and his followers regularly gathered at the rented farmhouse for scripture studies that often lasted for hours. Lundgren frequently wore military fatigues during the sessions and would keep a loaded pistol within reach at all times. Jeff fed the group a hybrid mixture of biblical and Mormon scriptures, all interpreted to meet his own personal goals. Most anything could be a sin — adding too much garlic to a meal, as Dennis Avery did at times, or keeping money for onesself.
On February 18, 1989, Jeff invited his old friend Larry Keith Johnson to the farm. Larry and his wife, Kathy, readily accepted the offer and began their move from Missouri to Kirtland. Larry, an old time friend of Jeff's from CMSU, had married Kathy Renee (Hubbard) Johnson during her freshman year in 1976. The couple had four children together and had remained good friends of the Lundgrens throughout the years.
On April 4, 1989, following Jeff's instructions, Greg Winship and Debbie Olivarez were wed in a ceremony performed by Jeff himself. The following day, Richard and Sharon were married in an identical ceremony. Within two months of the wedding, Sharon was pregnant with the couple's first child.