Jeffrey Lundgren had grown up in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (RLDS) but had been excommunicated for stealing funds from the Kirtland Temple and defrocked as a lay minister for teachings counter to the RLDS.  When he left, he took several church members with him and started his own offshoot branch of the church, leading his followers to believe he was receiving messages directly from God.  One of those messages would, unfortunately, lead to the murder of the Avery family, who were members of Lundgren's community themselves.