Utah residents traveling to North Shore with concerns over polygamous sect

A religious leader with a history of legal trouble in the western United States and deep family connections to the polygamous sect of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has purchased property along Pike Lake Road in Cook County and plans to build a large structure on the land.

Seth Jeffs purchased 40 acres of property in August near Pike Lake Road.

In response to this, a town-hall style meeting is scheduled for Saturday, May 18. The event will start at 9 a.m. and is open to the public.

Among those on hand to share information will be Tonia Tewell, the founder and director of Holding Out HELP, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to work with those inside and outside Utah’s fundamentalist and polygamous communities.

A group of Cook County residents, including some from the Lutsen area and others from Pike Lake Road, spearheaded the effort to bring author and private investigator Sam Brower and Tewell to Grand Marais for this event.  

WTIP’s Joe Friedrichs spoke with Tewell about her knowledge of the FLDS community, Seth Jeffs and the upcoming town hall meeting in Grand Marais.

WTIP is not affiliated with this town hall meeting.