On Pioneer Day in 1984, in Utah, the Lafferty Brothers, Ron and Dan, decided it was time for their “Removal Revelation” to be carried out. Ron had been excommunicated from the Church of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) the year earlier, and since then, he and Dan believed Ron received orders from God to “remove” four people—two members of the LDS church as well as one of their younger brother’s wife and baby daughter.
Ronald and Dan Lafferty were raised in Orem, Utah. Ron was the eldest son of the family, which consisted of eight children—6 boys and 2 girls. They were brought up in a strict, religious family. Their father, Watson, was very stern and believed in harsh discipline and punishment.
Ron and his brother Dan were best friends growing up. They always stuck up for one another and would back each other up in a fight if needed.
As Ron grew into adulthood he himself was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS Church).
During the period between 1982 and 1983, Ron Lafferty began to change. Eventually, he became disgruntled with the LDS church. He spent increasingly large amounts of time with his brother Dan Lafferty. Dan had been in constant trouble with law enforcement for years for failing to pay taxes and disobeying licensing regulations.
Eventually, Dan began to follow Ron’s philosophies on religion and the government. At the same time, Ron’s marriage began to collapse as a result of his increasingly bizarre and twisted views.
In the spring of 1984, Ron Lafferty claimed to have received a revelation from God he called the “The Removal Revelation.” Part of the Removal Revelations specifically ordered the death of four people. Among those to be “removed” were his brother Allen’s wife Brenda, their fifteen-month-old daughter Erica, Richard Stowe, and Chloe Low.
Listen to Crimes & Consequences’ episode “The Lafferty Brothers’ Removal Revelation” to find out more.
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