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In this episode of the Jaden Jeffs podcast, Leona Blackmore (born Leona Johnson) shares her story of growing up in the FLDS in Hildale/Colorado City, being married at 16 in 2001, and later living in Bountiful, BC. She explains how she wanted to marry a Canadian to be near her sister and how political tension between Warren Jeffs and Winston Blackmore affected marriages and the Canadian community. Leona describes being rushed into a secret marriage trip to Mesquite, Nevada without knowing her husband’s name until clues emerged on the way, and she recalls being married by Warren Jeffs to Joseph (Winston Blackmore’s youngest son), who was 30 and already had a wife.
00:00 A Surprise Wedding Order: “You’re Getting Married Tomorrow”
01:05 Meet Leona Blackmore: FLDS Roots & Life in Bountiful, BC
01:51 Winston Blackmore’s Role in Canada (Bishop, Not Prophet)
03:10 Growing Up in Colorado City: “Life Was Good Back Then”
04:40 Rulon Jeffs Era: Sewing, Family Ties, and Faith
05:29 Wanting to Marry Young—and Why Canada Mattered
08:28 Warren Jeffs’ Ban on Canada Marriages & the Politics Behind It
09:54 Asking Dad to Get Married: Readiness, Pushback, and Preferences
13:36 Rushed Timeline: Wedding Dress, One Week, and No Name
18:10 Secret Nevada Caravan Wedding: Meeting the Groom at the Motel
26:39 First Days in Canada: Meeting Sister Wife & Settling In
32:30 Early Polygamy Reality Check: University in Calgary & Jealousies
36:23 First Baby, Sister Support, and Winston vs. Warren Tensions Begin
38:54 School Prayer Sparks the Split: Refusing to Acknowledge Warren Jeffs
40:36 Leadership Power Plays: Bishops, “Keys,” and the Rich Blackmore Episode
42:43 Lines Drawn in the Sand: ‘Warrenites’ vs. Everyone Else
45:03 Family Exodus & Being Labeled ‘Apostates’
47:58 Dress Codes in Canada: Colors, Patterns, and Long Underwear
50:22 Who Controls the Land? UEP Takeover and Property Wars in Bountiful
54:39 Isolation, 50/50 Community Divide, and Why the War Knights Are Fading
58:02 Marriage & Immigration: Living Between Canada and Bonners Ferry
01:00:04 2018 Tragedy and the Relationship Breakdown
01:04:05 Looking Back: Faith, Prophets, and Compassion for Everyone Involved
01:07:41 Arranged Marriage vs. Dating: Advice for the Next Generation
01:13:07 Choosing Singleness & Focusing on the Kids (Final Thoughts)
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