:Bountiful, British Columbia

The first member of the group that bought property near Lister was Harold Michael Blackmore, who moved there with his family in 1946.{{cite book|last=Perrin, Dave |first=Palmer, Debbie|title=Keep Sweet:Children of Polygamy|year=2004|publisher=Dave's Press Inc|isbn=0-9687943-3-5|pages=x–xv}} Other members of the church who believed in the principle of plural marriage soon followed. After Winston Blackmore became the bishop in the 1980s, the group took the name of Bountiful.

Bountiful's estimated population was 600 in 1998 and has since grown to about 1,000. Most of the residents are descended from only half a dozen men.{{cite web|author=Religious Tolerance|title=Polygyny in Bountiful, British Columbia, Canada|url=http://www.religioustolerance.org/lds_poly1.htm|access-date=2007-08-09}}

Bountiful's Mormon fundamentalists have divided into two groups: about half are members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS Church), and the rest are members of the Church of Jesus Christ (Original Doctrine) Inc.,{{cite news|title=LDS Church wins, Canadian polygamist loses in fight for 'Mormon' name|url=http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/2058895-155/lds-church-wins-canadian-polygamist-loses|access-date=19 January 2015|publisher=Salt Lake Tribune|date=14 January 2015|quote=Finally giving up the fight, Blackmore has agreed to change his group's corporate name to the "Church of Jesus Christ (Original Doctrine) Inc.}} an FLDS offshoot based on the teachings of Blackmore, who split with the FLDS Church after concluding the president of the church, Warren Jeffs, had exceeded his authority and become too dictatorial. The FLDS bishop is James Oler.

On April 19, 2005, Bountiful's leaders held an extensive press conference in an effort to dispel many of the allegations of abuse that had surrounded their community.

Bountiful has come under intense scrutiny for its involvement in the polygamous FLDS Church. Warren Jeffs, who was one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, is thought to have visited a dozen or so times in 2005. On January 28, 2006, the Vancouver Sun released information that Utah's attorney general was collaborating with British Columbia's attorney general in attempting to deal with polygamy and the alleged abuse in these communities. Jeffs was captured by the authorities outside Las Vegas in August 2006 during a routine traffic stop. On September 25, 2007, he was found guilty of being an accomplice to rape. Prosecutors said Jeffs forced a 12-year-old girl into marriage and sex with her 19-year-old first cousin.{{cite book|last=Wall|first=Elissa and Liza Pulitzer|title=Stolen Innocence|url=https://archive.org/details/stoleninnocence00elis|url-access=registration|year=2008|publisher=Harper|location=New York|isbn=9780061734960}} Jeffs faced 5 years to life in prison on each of two felony charges. Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said, "Everyone should now know that no one is above the law; religion is not an excuse for abuse, and every victim has a right to be heard."{{cite news|publisher=CBC News|title=Warren Jeffs|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/polygamist-leader-jeffs-found-guilty-1.636408|access-date=2007-09-26 | date=September 25, 2007}}

On May 16, 2006, Blackmore's family invited the media to visit in response to a recent visit by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, indicating that they felt persecuted. Three of Blackmore's putative wives could face deportation, as they are U.S. citizens and would not be considered legally married to a Canadian.{{cite news |title=B.C. polygamists claim persecution |date=May 17, 2006 |publisher=CBC News |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/b-c-polygamists-claim-persecution-1.593092 |access-date=2007-08-07 }}

On June 6, 2007, the province of British Columbia announced the appointment of high-profile Vancouver criminal lawyer Richard Peck as a special prosecutor to review the results of a police investigation into possible polygamous activity or other offences by members of the community.{{cite news |title=Prosecutor to probe B.C. polygamists |author=Canadian Press |publisher=The Toronto Star |date=June 6, 2007 |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/2007/06/06/prosecutor_to_probe_bc_polygamists.html |access-date=2007-08-07 |author-link=Canadian Press }} On August 1, 2007, Peck concluded that there was not enough evidence to charge the group with sexual abuse or exploitation charges, as it had been extraordinarily difficult to find victims willing to testify, and the defendants were likely to claim "religious freedom" as a defence.

Peck suggested that British Columbia ask the courts whether current polygamy laws, specifically section 293 of the Criminal Code,Criminal Code, RSC 1985, c C-46, [http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-46/page-160.html#docCont s 293]. are constitutional. Peck said that it was time to find out whether Canada's polygamy laws would stand. He said, "If the law is upheld, members of the Bountiful community will have fair notice that their practice of polygamy must cease."{{cite news |title=Not enough evidence to charge Bountiful members: Prosecutor |agency=Canadian Press |work=The Toronto Star |date=August 1, 2007 |url=https://www.thestar.com/article/242313 |access-date=2007-08-09}} The Supreme Court of British Columbia upheld Canada's polygamy laws in a 2011 reference case.{{cite news |title= Canada's polygamy laws upheld by B.C. Supreme Court |url= https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/canada-s-polygamy-laws-upheld-by-b-c-supreme-court-1.856480 |publisher= CBC News |date= November 23, 2011 |access-date= 2011-12-05 }}{{citation |contribution= Reference re: Section 293 of the Criminal Code of Canada |title= 2011 BCSC 1588 |contribution-url= http://canlii.ca/t/fnzqf |publisher= CanLII |title-link= Supreme Court of British Columbia }}

In July 2017, two men from the FLDS community, Blackmore and Oler, were convicted of one count each of polygamy.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2018/06/two-canadian-men-sentenced-to-house-arrest-for-having-multiple-wives.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180627065502/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2018/06/two-canadian-men-sentenced-to-house-arrest-for-having-multiple-wives.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 27, 2018|title=Two Canadian men sentenced to house arrest for having multiple wives|date=2018-06-27|work=Newshub|access-date=2018-06-29|language=en}} Blackmore and Oler are the third and fourth people in Canada history to be convicted of polygamy.{{Cite news|url=https://www.syracuse.com/us-news/index.ssf/2018/06/man_24_wives_149_kids_winston_blackmore.html|title=Canadian man with 24 wives, 149 kids sentenced to house arrest|work=syracuse.com|access-date=2018-06-29|language=en-US}} Blackmore was found to have married 24 women and fathered 149 children. In June 2018, both men were given house arrest as a result of their convictions.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/vancouver/2018/06/26/two-men-convicted-of-polygamy-in-british-columbia-to-be-sentenced.html|title=Two men guilty of polygamy given conditional sentences, to be served as house arrest|work=The Star|access-date=2018-06-29|language=en}} Blackmore received 6 months' house arrest followed by 18 months' probation, while Oler received 3 months' house arrest and 12 months' probation.

In August, 2017, Brandon James Blackmore and Emily Ruth Gail Blackmore were convicted of removing an underage girl from Canada for marriage in the United States. They were sentenced to 12 months and seven months in jail, respectively, followed by probation of 18 months, for transporting a 13-year-old girl to the U.S. in 2004 for marriage to Warren Jeffs.{{Cite news|date=2017-08-11|title=Couple jailed for luring child bride to US|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40903974|access-date=2020-05-04}} Oler was a third defendant in this case and was acquitted, which was successfully challenged by the Crown. In an August 2019 new trial, Oler was convicted of the same child removal charge and sentenced to 12 months in jail and 18 months' probation.{{Cite news|title=Year in jail, 18 months probation for ex-B.C. polygamist leader in child bride case|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/5831534/year-in-jail-18-months-probation-for-ex-b-c-polygamist-leader-in-child-bride-case/|website=Global News|language=en|access-date=2020-05-04}} During the trial, records revealed that Jeffs had directed Oler on June 23, 2004, to bring a 15-year-old to the U.S. for marriage. As of August 2011, Jeffs had been sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting two underage followers taken as brides.{{Cite news|date=2011-08-09|title=Warren Jeffs gets life in prison|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-14468085|access-date=2020-05-04}}

{{div col|colwidth=30em}}

• Factional breakdown: Mormon fundamentalist sects
• Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
• Human rights in Canada
• List of denominations in the Latter Day Saint movement
• List of Mormon fundamentalist leaders
• Mormon fundamentalism
• Mormonism and polygamy
• Polygamy in North America: Canada

{{div col end}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book|last=Bramham, Daphne|title=The Secret Lives of Saints:Child Brides and Lost Boys in a Polygamous Mormon Sect|year=2008|publisher=Random House Canada|isbn=978-0-307-35588-1|url=https://archive.org/details/secretlivesofsai00bram}}
• {{cite book|last=Perrin, Dave |first=Palmer, Debbie|title=Keep Sweet:Children of Polygamy|year=2004|publisher=Dave's Press Inc|isbn=0-9687943-3-5}}
• {{cite book|last=Krakauer, Jon|title=Under the Banner of Heaven:A story of Violent Faith|year=2004|publisher=Anchor Books|isbn=1-4000-3280-6|page=[https://archive.org/details/underbannerofhea00krak/page/337 337]|url=https://archive.org/details/underbannerofhea00krak/page/337}}
• {{cite book|author1=Wall, Elissa |author2=Pulitzer, Lisa |name-list-style=amp |title=Stolen Innocence|url=https://archive.org/details/stoleninnocence00elis |url-access=registration |year=2008|publisher=Harper|isbn=9780061734960 }}

• [http://www.religioustolerance.org/lds_poly1.htm Religious Tolerance: Polygyny in the Mormon Movement: Bountiful, British Columbia]
• [http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/polygamy/ CBC: The Fifth Estate - "The Bishop of Bountiful"]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070625135004/http://www.canada.com/globaltv/globalshows/globalcurrents/polygamyslostboys/index.html "Polygamy's Lost Boys" Global Documentary]
• {{BCGNIS|55039|Bountiful settlement (unofficial name)}}
• [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-needs-legal-opinion-before-polygamy-court-challenge-lawyer-1.731210 "B.C. needs legal opinion before polygamy court challenge: lawyer"] - CBC News

{{FLDS Church}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bountiful}}

Category:Populated places in the Regional District of Central Kootenay

Category:Unincorporated settlements in British Columbia

Category:East Kootenay

Category:Mormon fundamentalist denominations

Category:History of British Columbia

Category:History of human rights in Canada

Category:Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Category:1948 establishments in Canada