All language subtitles for Under.the.Banner.of.Heaven.S01E04.1080p.WEBRip.x265-RARBG[eztv.re]

[ominous music]

♪♪ ♪♪

[crickets chirping]

- Nobody's reported them
missing.

Nobody's called
in a disturbance.

BILL:
These houses are an acre apart.

Brenda's neighbors
were 10 feet away

and all they heard over the
Orioles was pounding on a wall.

- Right.

BILL:
There it is. Bishop Low's.

JEB:
Porch light's off.

BILL:
I'll be at the front door.

♪♪ ♪♪

[banging on door]

Police!

[bangs on door]

JEB:
Bill.

♪♪ ♪♪

Police!

[busy signal beeping]

[glass shards crackling]

[clock bells chiming]

Hey!
[panting]

[sighs]

- Charming.

- Sorry.

♪♪ ♪♪

BILL:
It's all clear.

[Jeb sighs]

Judging by the jewelry
I saw dumped in the toilet,

wouldn't peg this a robbery.

- No. Checkbook's right there.

BILL:
Kidnapping?

- God, I hope that
they got outta here

before anything like
that could happen,

and somewhere
we can find them first.

BILL:
Okay. Thanks, Fred.

Well, at least half
of Sam's list is still alive.

Our boys just found
the Laffertys' stake president,

Mr. Stowe,
and his wife asleep in bed.

[Jeb sighs]

Say they haven't seen
anything unusual.

No bearded men.

But also said they haven't
heard from the Lows for a week.

Which is unusual.

- L--hey, Morris.
- Sir.

- First light, I need you to...
[sighs]

Track the last knowns
of the Lows.

- Yes, sir.
Where would you--

where would you like me
to look?

[police radio chatter]

- Talk to neighbors.

- Neighbors.

- The Lows' kids.

MORRIS: Kids.
- Um...

You know, phone records
and credit cards,

that kind of thing.

Careful. Go.

You and me, we need
to keep pushing Robin.

If he had these names
up his sleeve...

- That's fine with me.

JEB:
Yeah.

[inquisitive music]

[siren wailing]

Sorry, it's a letter
from Dianna asking for help

with, uh,
the Lafferty brothers'

questionable behavior.

- To the president
of your church?

JEB:
To the living Prophet.

It's kind of like
writing a letter

to Heavenly Father himself.

And it's--it's hard to imagine

an LDS wife doing this
to her own family.

It's extreme.

And this could have--

♪♪ ♪♪

Oh, gosh.
Bill, we have to find her.

[Jeb whistles]

Whoa, you guys are pros.

JOSIE: They look great.
ANNIE: Yeah.

- Hey, Jeb, I called, um,
Nana and Papa

and, uh, told them to hold off

on coming
for the girls' baptisms.

They're a little anxious
to know when we, um,

might be moving the date to.

- Girls do not need baptizing.

I mean, look at them,
clean as whistles.

- [laughs]

That's a bath, not a baptism.
- Bath, bath.

You're thinking of a bath.

- You know who should give
a God damn about baptism?

JEB:
Hey, Mom. That's a no-no.

[news reporter
speaking indistinctly]

CAROLINE:
Annie drew the rainbow.

[Jeb gasps]

JEB:
You guys did this?

JOSIE: It's great.
- See this? Beautiful.

REPORTER: Murder of the
young mother and daughter,

detectives are investigating
ties to Satanists

and other fringe sects known

to practice
ritualized killing.

[radio shuts off]

- Skates off
and shoes on in 20.

Honey--

JEB: Hmm?
- Is that true?

JOSIE:
The Jews, they need baptisms.

PR SECRETARY:
Hello? Are you still there?

JEB: Yes, uh,
this is Detective Pyre.

PR SECRETARY:
So sorry, Brother Pyre,

I hope your hair hasn't
gone gray from waiting.

- No, it's fine.

PR SECRETARY: I got ahold
of the original letter

that Sister Lafferty
mailed to the Prophet.

- Mm-hmm.

PR SECRETARY: I see here
he directed the matter

to Bishop Low and to a member
of the bishopric,

LeConte Bascom.

- Can you--

PR SECRETARY:
B-A-S-C-O-M.

- Wonderful--you've been
a great help, Brother.

Thank you so much.

PR SECRETARY:
You call back any time.

The Prophet's praying
for your investigation.

- He is?

That's all we're gonna need.

I appreciate that
very much, Brother.

Thanks. Bye.

JOSIE:
Everything okay?

JEB: Yeah.
Everything's great, Mom.

That radio reporter knows

as much about this case

as our toaster, okay?

REBECCA: Should we unplug
our toaster too?

[Jeb laughs]

JOSIE: You know, if the Jews
don't accept Christ,

they--they're gonna
find themselves

in the Telestial Kingdom
with Hitler.

- Josie, that kind of talk
scares the girls.

Remember we talked about that?
- Mom, Mom--

JOSIE:
Don't speak back to me,

because I don't speak
like that with the girls.

- You want to go for a walk?
JOSIE: Yes.

JEB: Yeah?

JOSIE: Yes.
JEB: Let's go for a walk.

JOSIE:
I'm sorry.

JEB:
She's sorry, Beccs.

JOSIE:
Sorry.

- I'm gonna meet you
in the hallway, all right?

- Okay.
- Be right back.

- Okay.
- All right.

- Okay.

- I know she doesn't mean it.

It's just the things she says
around the girls,

and I--

I can't calm her down
like you can.

And you're not always here,
and so...

[pensive music]

Can we--can we please
try the medications?

♪♪ ♪♪

- Call her doctor and ask
about side effects, okay?

LECONTE: Brother Pyre.
JEB: Good morning.

LECONTE: Uh, LeConte Bascom.
- Brother Bascom.

LECONTE:
Ignore the creases in my tie.

Had to shake a leg
to meet you before we opened.

- Oh, I appreciate the haste,
Brother, thank you.

- Oh, it's nothing.

The, uh, Prophet's office urged
me to help you any way I can.

Take one. They're cinnamon.
JEB: Oh, gosh.

I can't keep
disappointing my dentist.

I can't do it.
Thank you, though.

But I was hoping
you could shed some light--

- Yes, yes,
about Dianna's letter.

The Prophet's office
filled me in.

- Oh, good. Good.

Okay.

So let's start
with what you did

when you first received
the letter.

LECONTE:
Well, I had a word with Ron

when he came in looking
to get approved on a loan.

Duplex sales
are in the dang gutter

because interest rates
are what they are, and--

and you are overleveraged.
I just wish it were less risky.

- "Risky"?

You've never used that word
with me before.

This is lean, it is a four-plex
with a heavily-vetted client.

You know my word is oak.
You know that.

- If it were up to me alone,

I'd give you
the dang bank vault, Brother.

- Who else is it up to?
Maybe I should speak to them.

LECONTE:
Ron, it's my file. I'm sorry.

- Brother Bascom,
I don't get this loan,

then I can't afford
to keep operating.

And I'm gonna lose my business
and I'm gonna lose my home.

What, my wife is next?

Do you want me
to lose my children, hmm?

- Ron...

The church has received
a letter

asking for intervention in your
brothers' anti-tax organizing.

The church passed it on to me.

- So you won't sell me
because Dan refuses

to pay sales tax in a store?

LECONTE: It's because
of his failure to pay tax

on your father's home

as part of a scheme to
challenge taxation as a whole.

Filing a lawsuit to say
the 16th Amendment

hasn't been ratified?

That's kicking up dust.

- Okay, and what's he got
to do with me?

- Ron, your wife
wrote the letter.

She seems pretty worried
about it.

[apprehensive music]

Now don't you lay the blame
at her feet, all right?

Those ERA types
spawn more varieties

of bad influence
than we can stamp out.

You know, Phil Donahue's

positively urging our wives
to run wild.

I'm sure it was
only out of concern

for the man that she loves--
that's you--

but anti-government schemes

leaves me in no position
to walk out on a limb with you.

- Look at my hands.
I'm a builder.

What use would I have
for anti-government schemes?

LECONTE:
I don't make it my business

to understand
that sort of thing,

but your brother's been
very outspoken

about his new
political hobbies,

and, well, he--

he portrays it
as a family affair, Ron.

RON:
Thank you for your time.

JEB:
Was Ron angry with Dianna?

- Oh, heck. No, no, no.

No, it was Dan that was making
a mess of their name,

not his sweet wife.

No, Dan was threatening
the reputation of the church,

and as a result,
Ron's own livelihood.

- So Ron was only
angry with Dan?

LECONTE:
Wouldn't you be?

It'd take hours to drive you

around all the homes that
Ron has put up around here.

Dan...

Dan's a wrecking ball.

ROBIN: Brenda just couldn't
let a thing alone.

- You think Brenda
helped write that?

ROBIN:
If Dianna wrote this letter,

then you can be sure that
Brenda put the pen in her hand.

BILL:
Did Dan know about this letter?

ROBIN: He wouldn't have paid it
much mind if he did.

He knows more than any
of the wives about her faith.

And at the time that
this letter was written,

his message was bigger
than the 4th of July.

[lively martial music playing]

[crowd cheering]

DAN: Don't let the government
steal any more money

out of your pockets.

You keep what's yours.

Where'd the founding fathers
say you needed

a Social Security number
to be an American?

They tag us like cattle,
track us down,

and then claim half
of what's ours is theirs.

No! They don't own me,
and they don't own you, either.

So vote Lafferty

and live free under the true,

original laws
of the U.S. Constitution.

BILL: I suppose
enough people tell you

you're the Kennedys of Utah,

you think it's your destiny
to be in charge.

- You ever heard of
Governor Boggs from Missouri?

He was shot in the head
one night...

[gunshot]

Then he pinned

the assassination attempt
on us.

So what did our Prophet do?

He launched
a presidential campaign.

- Well, correct me
if I'm wrong,

but Joe Smith
didn't become president.

- He could have.
He was very popular.

- Like your brother Dan?

- My brother Dan
has always been very popular.

And the only person

who had a problem with Dan
running was our father.

DAN:
Yeah, she's a gypsy. Huh?

Whoa.
[laughter]

Yeah, she's got me
under her spell.

Whoa, wait. Hold on.

What--what are you
making me do?

Oh, she's making--
what is she making me do?

I'ma--oh--mm.

Oh, no!
She's got me under her spell.

Lord, she's bending me
to her will!

- Dan. All right.

Hey. Hey, Dan.
- Conspirer!

Get hence, serpent. Get!

Get!

Get! Get! All of you!

Go! Get!

Are you wiser
than the Word of Wisdom?

Ungrateful to a wife who
stooped to marry a deadbeat?

I intend to tell Matilda
about this,

and we know
she does not fear divorce.

- The Lord guides
my political vision.

- Wrong!

The voice you hear
is the devil's.

Oh, he--he answers prayers too.

In your cheering crowds,

do you judge what is holy
on what is fashionable?

Yeah. Oh, no.

Your mother and I, we...

[train signal ringing]

We cannot return
to our mission.

All those souls in Louisiana
in need of baptism,

and we must stay here
to save our--our son now.

Flee from temptation, Daniel.
Look away from man's laws.

They're so...

small and temporary.

Lean back toward
Heavenly Father's designs.

Study them closely.

His Word.

Understanding His laws...

[apprehensive music]

Is bliss.

Be my good boy again.

Pray with us.

Our Father in heaven.

May I find the strength...
[mumbles]

Guide me...

JEB: How deep into study
did Dan go?

ROBIN: Dan just took
our father's words to heart.

Started spending his days
in the BYU library,

researching the early prophets,
and...

he grew frustrated
with the fact that

so much of our history

seemed to have been
purposefully removed

from every library in Utah,
including BYU's.

So Dan started
seeking out saints

who were living
by our original texts.

And then that gave Dan
an excuse

to drive us down
to Colorado City.

We're not supposed
to have anything to do

with these people, Dan.
Turn the truck around.

Dan!

- They study our scriptures,
don't they?

Live His commandments
better than we do.

- This isn't right, Dan.

This isn't--

I don't know about this, Dan.

- And that's what we are here
to address, Robin,

our lack of knowledge.

[cows mooing]

Quiet here, huh?

[grunts]

There's a lotta houses in need
of that finishing touch, eh?

[chuckles]

It's a joke. I'm joking.

Can't charge property tax
on a building

that ain't finished, right?

Yeah.
You guys got it figured out.

Yeah, up north,
they charge property tax

on a home that my dad
owns outright.

Yeah, it's like the government
who actually owns it.

It's highway robbery.

THIN MAN:
You finish up here.

Let these men get on
their way, Brother Nichols.

[apprehensive music]

♪♪ ♪♪

- You guys practice
polygamy here?

ROBIN:
Dan.

- No, well,
I've been reading about it--

how our church changed
the rules over time.

It started when
we abandoned the doctrine

of plural marriage.

That's when it started.
I mean, you tell me.

[chuckles]

From what I read,
prophet who renounced it,

he just wanted to keep federal
troops from marching into Utah.

That's all.

Ol' Woodruff
had nine wives himself.

You folks, you just
kept on doing it, huh?

- We do not pretend
to know more

than the founding prophets.

We do not change their beliefs

to suit
the fashion of the time.

- That's what
I'm talking about.

What happens
if the cops come around?

- "If man's law conflicts
with heaven's,

"then the faithful
will be ranged

under the banner of heaven
against them."

- Prophet Taylor, right?
I dig it, man.

ROBIN: All right, I think we're
pretty much finished here.

Mr. Nichols,
we'll head out now.

DAN:
You know, hey.

I want to be
as good of a saint as I can.

But everybody up north,
they're just so concerned

with being a good American too.

I just need some guidance.

D&C 132 says that,

"If a man espouse a virgin
and desire to espouse another,

"then he is justified.

He cannot commit adultery
for they are given unto him."

ROBIN: Dan.
- I gotta know, Brother.

I gotta know.
ROBIN: Dan, it's time to go.

- I gotta know, is polygamy
a part of salvation, Brother?

- Joseph Smith calls it
The Principle.

In The Peace Maker.

- Get on your way!

- "Peace Maker."

The Peace Maker.

♪♪ ♪♪

[truck engine cranks]

JEB: You know, Bill,
doing business with the FLDS

is kind of like doing it
with the mafia.

You don't just walk away
on your own terms.

So if our church
finds out that--

that Robin

continued to do business
with fundamentalists,

continued to visit
fundamentalists who--

who marry off 13-year-old girls

to 70-year-old men
to be raped and enslaved...

And to be punished
if they seek help...

Brother...

I don't have to tell you
that your excommunication

would be right around
the corner.

- I have the right
to a phone call, don't I?

I think I'll be
utilizing that now.

Right now, Detective.

[phone rings]

- Okay, so two days ago,

the Lows charged a hefty bill
at a sporting goods store.

I talked to the clerk there.

He said that they picked up
some fly-fishing gear

and they were talking about,
um, conditions

up at Granddaddy Mountain.

JEB: Granddaddy Mountain?
- Yes, sir.

- So get up there.
If the Lows are still alive,

they may know
how they ended up on this list,

and even better,

where Dianna
and Matilda are now.

- Okay, and--and if I find,
say, a suspect or something?

- You radio us.
- Right.

JEB: All right?
- Yes, sir.

JEB: Use your training.
- Yes, sir.

- Send that kid out alone,

he's liable to get
pecked to death by songbirds.

JEB:
Who else have I got?

- Concerned about Dianna?

- Yeah.

BILL:
Any new information

that, uh,
speaks to her welfare?

- No, Lloyd, um,
contacted her folks.

Divorced, non-Mormon.

They haven't heard from her
for a long time.

Her dad said, uh...
[laughs softly]

That she joined a cult,
as far as he was concerned.

- We'll find her. We will.

- Yeah. We got to.

- Love note?
- Kinda.

- [chuckles]

Raising up
a couple of Picassos.

[Jeb laughs]
Thank you.

- Yeah, no. Thank you.

- Detectives, evidence files
for Dan Lafferty.

In from Salt Lake City.

[suspenseful music]

♪♪ ♪♪

MATILDA:
"On May 7th, 1982,

"at 1:30 or 2:30 p.m.,
we were about 20 minutes

outside of Salt Lake..."
- I'll be back.

- Yeah.
MATILDA: "On the I-15..."

DAN: Do you know how
I've been studying at BYU

to be the best priesthood
holder and husband that I can?

Couldn't find all
the original teachings there,

so I went
to an antiques dealer.

And he sold me something...
[chuckles]

Very, very special.

Take a look at that.

Yeah.

MATILDA:
The Peace Maker.

- Start--start where
it's book-marked.

- Is this from my
wedding bouquet?

Um, "Man is under
governing power of his wife,

"and wife is under
governing power of her husband.

"Now, which shall
be subservient?

"Certainly neither where
both have equal power.

"By depriving him of the right
of marrying more than one wife,

"um, you totally annihilate his
power of peaceable government

"over a woman

"and deprive the family of its

lawful and necessary head."
- "Lawful and necessary head."

- What is this?

- That?
An essential LDS tract,

printed by
Joseph Smith himself.

And it also says that a man
needs at least three wives

to achieve full exaltation
into heaven.

Did you know Joseph Smith
had 33 wives?

33.

His youngest was 14.

- No.

But if it's so essential,

why have I never heard of it,
like, in church?

DAN: Well, because
the U.S. government has been

whittling away our doctrines
for over a hundred years.

But our church vowed

that if man's laws
ever conflicted with ours

that we would be ranged
under the banner of heaven

and against the government.

So this is what my father
set me on track to find,

to understand God's laws

and how we have
perverted them with man's.

- [scoffs]
Perverted them? Right.

Do you know
what sounds perverted to me?

Is, uh, collecting wives.

- Was Abraham a pervert?

Huh?
Was--was Moses a pervert?

- I don't know.
How should I know that?

I didn't marry
Moses or Abraham.

Do you want to have
an affair on me, Dan?

Is that--is that
what this is about?

Do I not satisfy you anymore?
DAN: No, no, no, no!

And you will not speak to me
in that manner ever again!

You understand?

How can you possibly
see me as the head,

the way I see Christ,
if it's just the two of us?

- You don't have to go
marrying more women.

I know that you're the head.

- You always say that you can't
be happy unless I am happy

so I won't be so frustrated
anymore,

and you won't be so afraid

of falling short
of my expectations

because you won't be
the one-and-only!

[siren wailing]

MATILDA:
Dan, you need to pull over.

DAN: If you can just get over
your dang jealousy,

you might see what a blessing
this principle is for you too.

- Can you pull over?

[turn signal clicking]

- Howdy, officer.
What seems to be the problem?

- You were speeding, and you're
missing an inspection sticker.

DAN: Oh.

GEORGE: Can you roll the window
all the way down, please?

DAN: You wouldn't happen
to have pulled me over because,

uh, you read about
my run for sheriff

in the paper, would you?

GEORGE:
Can't say that I did.

DAN:
Oh, okay.

Well, Matilda, would you show
the good officer?

Now, see, I know it
disappoints you to hear that

I'll be enforcing
strict separation of powers,

so no more unlawful arrests
and--

- I got backup
at the ready, Dan.

- I'm sure you do.

I'm sure you've had
backup ready all day.

If you know want to arrest me,
you know where I live.

Get a warrant,
have it signed by a judge,

and bring it by my home.

- Okay.
Step out of the car, Dan.

- No.

[engine revving]

MATILDA: What are you doing?

You could have killed him.

- They're trying
to derail my campaign

and sabotage me!

[siren wailing]

[metallic clunk,
tires screeching]

MATILDA: What are you doing,
trying to kill me?

- I'm not! They are!

[dramatic music]

♪♪ ♪♪

[tires screeching]

[bell dinging]

[train horn blowing]

[tires screeching]

[siren wailing]

God's giving me an opportunity.

Tyrants! Tyrants! Witness!
Witness the tyrants!

Witness! Witness the tyrants!

Witness!

Witness the tyrants! Witness!
GEORGE: Game over, Dan.

Game over.

[police radio chatter]

[apprehensive music]

♪♪ ♪♪

BILL:
Let's go.

ROBIN:
Hey, Pyre.

I'm finished
answering your questions.

My representative
is on his way.

- So we think that Dan
remained the family leader

even after your folks
came back from their mission.

And we're aware
that he was advocating

for constitutional literalism,

but now we--

we suspect
he was also exploring

fundamentalist Mormonism.

- He took Robin on a lookie-loo
to an FLDS compound.

Maybe he let some of those men
in his life?

Could have been
the bearded men you saw.

- Uh, I guess it's possible.
[clears throat]

- Yeah, you think?

He ever discuss this with you?

[pensive music]

♪♪ ♪♪

DAN:
See, it's--it's no different

than the
chiropractic principle.

If you're out of alignment,

then your whole body
begins to fail,

and we have been out
of alignment with God's plan.

I mean, is it any wonder
that there's such discourse

and disorder across the world?

I mean...
[scoffs]

How can it be any--
how can it be otherwise

when men are beset
with lust and frustration?

God could not be
any more clear.

We need to assert absolute
control in our married lives.

- So if I get Brenda
to--to agree

to the--
the "absolute control" thing...

- Mm-hmm.

- Is the multiple wives
thing mandatory 'cause--

- Well, if you want to get to
the Celestial Kingdom, it is.

[slam echoes]

[indistinct guard chatter]

- It's too far. It's too far.

It's illegal, and there's too
much at stake for all of us.

- Ron, our forebears
never fretted about

how much they risked by
standing firm in their faith.

- My faith. Yeah.

Ah, Dan.

Daniel.
DAN: Mm-hmm.

Ow, Ron.
- Arise and awake...

DAN: Ron.
- To your awful situation.

ROBIN: Ron, you're gonna
break his hand.

- If we don't regain
our footing,

I'll lose my business,
I'll lose everything.

- Ron, Mom, Mom--
Mom always said it was true.

She did, and now I know it.

I know it that you--

ow!
You are the true leader of us.

We all know that Dad
only chose me to lead things

because he's grown weak,

and he's afraid
of your strength.

And I need to cleanse myself
spiritually now,

as you can see.

Mm?

But it's you, Ron. It's you.

You are the true leader
of our family.

- I don't know about that.
- I do. I do.

Shoulder this responsibility
for us.

Fight these criminal tax laws.

Get the government
out of our pockets, hmm?

It's up to you now, Ron.

- You all feel the same way?

'Cause if you all feel
that this is

Heavenly Father's desire,
stand.

If no one--if no one--
if no one objects.

Right?

Okay?

[laughs]

If this is His desire,
then, um...

- Do me a favor, buddy.

Will you--will you pray
on The Peace Maker for me?

I know I heard
the Heavenly Father's voice,

and I just so badly want to see
you and Brenda in heaven.

Can you do that for me?

Okay.

RON:
Allen.

ALLEN: I prayed on--
on what he said.

I fasted.

But I--I couldn't hear
the Holy Spirit

in the same way
my brothers could.

I thought there was
something wrong with me.

- Well, you know
that the church

has long forbidden polygamy.

- Today's prophets
still believe

it's practiced in heaven.

- Allen, it's unholy
here on Earth.

ALLEN:
Is it?

I mean, why was Joseph Smith
almost killed in Illinois?

TOWN OFFICIAL:
"Prophet" Joseph Smith...

ALLEN: It wasn't just because
he was unfaithful to Emma.

He was acting upon
his principle here on Earth.

TOWN OFFICIAL: 'Cept now we
have a witness to your crimes

and whoredoms
committed over and again

with an unmarried woman.

ALLEN:
Taking wives,

some of them
so very, very young.

Once I learned what Joseph did,

I still put my faith in him,

so I believed
I could still love Dan

despite all of it too.

But instead,

like Emma, I, uh...

I was sick about it.

[door closes]

[apprehensive music]

♪♪ ♪♪

EMMA: Joseph,
your brother Hyrum visited.

He brought me your revelation.

In an attempt to persuade me
of its purity, I assume.

"If any man espouse
a virgin and desire

to espouse another,
he is justified."

Who else follows this
revelation now?

Brigham Young?

JOSEPH SMITH:
Only His anointed men.

Ours is an ever-evolving
church, Emma.

And Father knew it would
inspire opposition so fervent

that it would cut down
our church ere it grew roots.

- We made a vow, Joseph.

And I will not stand
to watch you say

it is holy to marry others

because you've grown
bored of me.

To marry mere girls.
I refuse.

- You accuse me

of falsifying revelations
to suit my own desires?

- I was at your side
when you discovered the plates.

I was your scribe as you
dictated their every word,

and I publicly supported
their divine authenticity.

So are you certain
in asking me now

to believe
that the Lord in heaven

commands you
to take more wives?

- Pray on it, Emma.

- Fine. Go forth, Joseph.

So shall I,

as he must want me
to take more husbands as well.

And I will.

- Thus sayeth the Lord...

"I command mine handmaid
Emma Smith

"to abide and cleave
unto my servant, Joseph,

"and to none else.

But if she will not abide
this commandment..."

♪♪ ♪♪

"She shall be destroyed."

- The Heavenly Father
will destroy me?

Me?

Are you certain, Prophet?

ALLEN: I did what the church
taught us to do--

put my questions on the shelf.

It's hard to keep them
up there,

isn't it?

- Did Dan keep his questions
on the shelf?

- If the men I saw
were from Colorado City,

then I guess
you have your answer, right?

- If an LDS man chooses
to take up polygamy again,

then why not blood atonement?

Slippery slope, isn't it?

♪♪ ♪♪

NEWS ANCHOR: Dan Lafferty
is off the ballot for sheriff

for refusing to pay
a $15 processing fee,

but he emerged from jail today

to find he's not off the minds
of local Libertarians.

- He doesn't look too cheesed
off about his failed campaign.

What are we missing here, Jeb?

Motive.
JEB: [sighs]

- You all right?

JEB:
We're chasing our tails.

- What is Robert Wagner
doing here?

- What?
BILL: And why are our guys

greeting him like
he's Danny freakin' White?

- I'll take care of it.

- Brother Pyre.

I'm Orton Ballard,
president of Robin's stake.

He phoned me a brief while ago.

- President Ballard,
it's a pleasure to meet you.

How, um, how can I help?

- Well, Robin told me
he's badly in need

of spiritual counsel,
and under the circumstances,

he must be carrying
a heavy burden indeed.

- If--if you're here
to visit him,

I--I ask if it can
wait for tomorrow.

We're--we--the case
is very active right now.

- I know Heavenly Father
won't let you rest

until the evildoers
are in hand,

but Robin's a good boy,
as are Allen and Sam,

and seeing all three
in need of healing prayer,

I'd like you to release them
into my custody.

- Perhaps we can talk
in private.

- Oh, there's no need
to trouble yourself.

- I don't feel it's prudent
to release them just yet.

- Is everything all right?

- It's a very ghastly,
complicated case,

and we're all
doing our best here--

- Oh, no, I mean with you.

You're carrying so much here
and at home--

your mother, her suffering.

Your bishop told me
after he met with you

and your wife
about your daughters' baptism,

you introduced
some provocative questions.

"Blood atonement?"

This case
must weigh heavy on you.

But perhaps some questions
man isn't meant to answer.

Trust the priesthood.

Release the brothers
into my custody.

- Put my questions
on the shelf?

[soft suspenseful music]

Respectfully, sir,
I'm--I'm not detaining

the Lafferty brothers
for a questioning mind.

I'm investigating a murder.

- We've all made covenants
to protect the Lord's Kingdom,

even unto laying down
our lives.

Now, we wouldn't want anything
to embarrass the church,

would we, Brother?

I trust you recall
the repercussions of sharing

what is heaven's alone.

♪♪ ♪♪

- Thank you so much.

- [gasps]

[trash can rattles]

- Sorry, sir.

- [sniffs]
What is it?

- Couple boys showed up
at Bishop Low's home,

say they know something
about who broke in.

- All right, good.
Good. Let's go.

JEB: So you were rolling around
and you stopped, where?

TEEN:
Right around here, yeah.

- Why'd you stop here?

- The car in the driveway,
it wasn't the Lows',

and there were two men
in the back.

- Did you get a look
at the men?

- Honestly, sir,
we didn't get very close.

They--they worried us.

JEB:
Why'd they worry you?

- They were just sitting there.

They weren't talking
to each other or anything,

and they had long hair, sir.

- Long like when you need
a haircut or--

- Yes, sir.
Long like a woman's.

JEB:
All right, good.

- Did you get a look
at the car?

- It was a green station wagon.

TEEN:
An Impala, sir.

My parents had one
until Heavenly Father

answered my prayer
for a Skyhawk.

- [chuckles]

Green station wagon Impala.
- Yes, sir.

[tense music]

♪♪ ♪♪

[Jeb sighs]

[door opens]
JEB: Allen.

This is Ron's car, isn't it?

- Yeah.

- It was spotted at the home
of the Lows'

on the day of the murder.

Now the Lows are missing.

- What are you--
what are you saying?

What, that they got
to Ron, too, or--

or that they stole it?

Or Dan did?

- Dianna sent this.

To the Prophet.

DIANNA:
"Dear President Kimball,

"We write aware of how busy
Heavenly Father keeps you.

We need your guidance..."

[grunts]
"So desperately.

"Our husbands have begun
questioning some federal laws

"they believe conflict
with LDS teachings.

"Still, our prayers
tell us that

"a good Mormon abides the law.

"Please counsel us
on Heavenly Father's will.

"Is it ever right
for a Mormon to break a law

"they feel violates
our church beliefs?

My husband--"
DIANNA: Are we sure about this?

- I think so.
I think it's really good.

DIANNA:
Yeah?

Yeah!

[somber music]

- Br--Brenda wrote this.

I--I can hear her voice.

JEB: Did she ever tell you
about this letter?

ALLEN: No.
At some point, she--

she stopped complaining
about my brothers.

I assumed she...

she'd just
thrown up her hands about them.

And about me.

But, uh,

she still loved me.

[crying]

She--she'd see, you know, how--

how I struggled
to stand up to them.

So she did the standing.

- Did Ron ever tell you
about this letter?

- No.

- Holy wow, Robin.

You called your stake president
to get you out of jail?

May be the most saintly act
of entitlement

I've ever witnessed.

- You know,
you should really, um,

tell your partner here
who we regard

as the higher authority,
the church or the police.

I don't have to tell you that
disrespecting church authority

puts your own salvation
in the balance.

- Well, there's that.

- If you can answer me
one more question, Robin.

Was Ron at war
with Dan's views...

or was he drawn
to his ideas too?

- Well, Ron stayed out of it
until our father,

who was getting sicker
and weaker,

finally swallowed his pride,
practically begged Ron

to help bring Dan back in line.

- You got to remember
Article of Faith 12.

"We believe in being subject
to kings, presidents, rulers,

"and magistrates
in obeying, honoring,

and sustaining the law."

If you get yourself
thrown in jail,

you're mocking our prophet.
So...

- [clears throat]
What brought this to mind, Ron?

This unexpected visit?

- I felt a calling
from the Lord.

DAN:
Oh.

You sure it wasn't
a calling from Dad?

[laughter]

D&C 98, 6 and 7--
"I the Lord justify

"you and your brethren of my
church to befriend the law,

"which is the constitutional
law of the land,

whatsoever is more or less
than this cometh of evil."

And the 16th Amendment
is clearly "more than"

what the Constitution once was.
It is evil.

- Until the--until the church

calls us
to break the law, then--

- It can't.
That is why Joseph wanted us

to directly correspond
with Heavenly Father,

so we should "depend upon
no person for borrowed light,

"trusting only
unto the Holy Spirit,

who is ever the same."

- There's no place
in the church

for extremes, Dan, right?
[Dan stammers]

- What about extremely good,
Ron?

How about extremely good?

The government keeps
changing their rules.

We're simply trying to sustain
the rules that we started with,

our heavenly inspired
constitution.

I mean, it's the only way
out of this mess

and back to God's plan.

- God's plan? What's your plan?
Just to get us thrown in jail?

Is that your plan?
Or are you gonna become sheriff

and stack the juries
and rule how you wish?

Because if you do,
that's an embarrassment.

- Ron.
How do you think we feel?

I--I'm embarrassed I can
barely support my family.

I wish that we could
all be as successful,

as--as well off as you are,
but that's--

RON: Watch your tone with me,
all right?

- I'm sorry.
All right. I'm sorry.

- I'm curious.

Does it help your profits

to obey these illegal laws?

RON: What?
DAN: Yes or no?

- [laughs]

DAN:
But you follow them anyhow.

And why? Because you're scared.

- Dan--
DAN: Dad--Dad'll be gone soon,

and what has he left us with?

Lafferty men used to run things
in this state.

And I've had a vision to set
things back in that order.

Now, if you don't want
to be a part of that,

then you should
change your name

if all we do is embarrass you

because you're either a part
of this family or you are not.

I think it might be time
for you to leave, Ron.

- Okay.
Shut up and let me think.

You know, just--

[sighs]

I do own my own home,
and I do own my own business.

You all know that.

So did someone tell you that
I'm--I'm gonna lose it all?

Is that why you're speaking
this way to me?

- Ron--
[Ron stammers]

RON: You want to cut me down
in front of my own brothers?

Is that what you want?
- Ron.

I did not know that.

RON: Just--
DAN: Hey, Ron. No, no, no.

- Don't touch me, man.
You shame me.

DAN:
I didn't know that.

[pensive music]

Ron, you suffer
because you're persecuted.

And "persecution has rolled
on our heads from time to time

like peals of thunder
because of our religion."

"Because of our religion," Ron.

So "arise and awaken

unto your awful situation."

They changed the rules on us.

We're gonna put things
back in order.

Robin, will you come help me
hold our brother?

JEB:
Was this before or after

your dad confronted Dan
at the parade?

ROBIN:
It was before.

He only stepped in because

Ron hadn't succeeded with Dan

in the way
that our father had hoped.

- See, Allen claims that--

that Ron had nothing to do
with Dan's ideas.

But now you're telling me...

that Ron followed all of you
until the end?

- I didn't follow Dan
to the end.

But yes,
Dan shifted Ron's mind.

- Did Ron come to Dan's side
before or after this date?

- Before. Well before.

Ron was already with us
when Dianna sent that.

[tense music]

♪♪ ♪♪

[number pad beeping]

JEB:
If Robin is telling the truth,

that letter was all about
fixing Ron.

First, Dan brought Ron

into alignment
with his political views.

- So arise and awaken.

- Then Dianna sent the letter.

DIANNA: Yeah?
- Ron.

JEB:
Then Ron was denied the loan.

And when their father
derailed Dan,

Ron had to take over
Dan's efforts...

- Arise and awake...
DAN: Ron, Ron.

- To your awful situation.

JEB:
His father and his own wife

standing squarely in Ron's way.

BILL: See what Bascom says.
- Yeah. You ready?

BILL: What line?
- Three.

[line trilling]

Ringing.

LECONTE: Good afternoon!
LeConte Bascom.

- Mr. Bascom,
this is Brother Pyre.

Uh, we talked this morning.

LECONTE:
Oh, hi.

Detective, how's your day?

JEB: To be honest with you,
I--I've lost time

because, uh,

well, see, I worry
you may have fudged the truth

with me this morning about
Ron's reaction to that letter.

- Oh, dear. Uh...

I remembered as best I could,
Brother Pyre.

- Well, see, I don't think
Ron was upset with Dan one bit.

Did you misremember that or did
the Prophet's office set limits

on what you can say?

'Cause they'd rather us
think of Ron

as some kind of saintly victim
of Dan's extracurriculars

because the last thing
they need

is for Utah to find out its
treasured son had gone fundie.

- In all honesty, uh,
anything I might know,

I entrusted to the authority
of Bishop Low.

I'm only in this bishopric.
Maybe speak with him.

BILL: In all honesty,
Mr. Bascom,

we can't find the dang Lows.

- I'm sorry, who's this?
BILL: Bill Taba.

Detective.
We haven't met yet.

But we can because
if you don't tell us

what you
"entrusted to Bishop Low,"

then I'll cuff your ass and
bring you in for interrogation.

- Uh, uh, forgive me,
I didn't, um,

realize the pertinence
of what I saw until now.

Now, don't you lay the blame
on her feet, all right?

[files shuffling]
Ron.

RON:
Thank you.

♪♪ ♪♪

- He was upset when I told him

about the letter
his wife wrote.

RON:
Shut your--

LECONTE:
But I--

I honestly thought it was
just a domestic, Brother Pyre.

♪♪ ♪♪

[phone clatters]

- Thank you so much.
Keep me posted.

The Herald and Tribune
are sending reporters.

You want the national outlets?

- No. We just want useful tips,
not publicity.

BILL: Yeah, we got an older
model Impala station wagon,

light green.

JEB:
Hit pause on calling more press

until we fill in the boss.

- Fred, do you mind holding?

JEB: Chief. Welcome back.
Thanks for coming back early.

LEROY: Yeah.
Where are we with suspects?

- We have a station wagon IDed
at a house

targeted by the killers,
belongs to Ron Lafferty.

- Dan Lafferty made contact

with a fundamentalist sect
down south.

We're putting out an APB now.
LEROY: Absolutely not.

Unless you're ordering pizza,
sunshine,

hang up the phone.

Come on. In my office.

- Welcome back, Chief.

- Time is of the essence.

We--we can enlist the public's
help with a press conference.

LEROY: All right,
you two know as well as I do.

Outsiders do not understand
the difference

between our church and
the fundies, the polygamists.

We struggle against that
perception every single day.

[tense music]

This is my press conference.

And you two will do as I say.

[camera shutters clicking]
And of course, a big thank you

to our detectives,
Jeb Pyre, Bill Taba.

They have been delivering
solid investigative work

that is gonna bring
this troubling situation

to a quick close.

Detectives have a quick update
as to where we're at.

Jeb?

- [clears throat]
Thank you, sir.

[camera shutters clicking]

Afternoon.

At this point,

we're not able
to name a suspect,

but we are asking the public
to help us locate a vehicle

we think may be connected
to the crime.

It's a green Chevrolet Impala.

[continuing indistinctly]

A as in Ada, 2-8-3.

REPORTER: Detective,
were the murders ritualistic?

REPORTER:
Have you identified a motive?

REPORTER: Are women with
young children being targeted?

- At this point, we don't think
that the public generally

needs to be afraid,
but we are a community

that isn't used
to locking its doors.

For the time being, we should
all err on the side of caution.

Okay? Thank you.

REPORTER: Sir,
do you suspect fundamentalism

as a motive for these murders?

LEROY: Uh, we, uh, are aware of
a constitutional fundamentalist

anti-tax group's proximity
to these events,

but we've found no direct link.
Thank you.

REPORTER: How about
Mormon fundamentalists?

- That's enough, gentlemen.
Thank you so much.

Thank you. Thank you very much.
- Detective Pyre.

Why were you present
at a cabin raid

outside of your jurisdiction?
Was that raid related?

And if so, which is it?
Satanists, FLDS, or neither?

♪♪ ♪♪

It's quite a simple question.

- Personally,

I wouldn't rule out
fundamentalist Mormonism.

REPORTER:
Why? What have you found?

JEB: Thank you, gentlemen.
That's enough.

REPORTER: No, detective,
what have you seen--

[indistinct chatter]

- Hey. You should, uh...

- Yeah, let's get up
to Granddaddy Mountain

and find Morris.
I'm ready.

- I was gonna say you should
take the night off.

Forgive my language...

But I'm goddamn proud of you.

You did the right thing.

So go, get some sleep.

You may well need it.

- Thanks, pal.

[sighs]

♪♪ ♪♪

[radio static crackling]

- Oh, no.

[static crackling]

[static cuts out]

I'm looking for Fern Lake.

- You're lost.

- Hey, hey.

♪♪ ♪♪

[indistinct chatter]

- Brother.

- [mumbles]

- Aren't we blessed?

- Good morning, Sister Dorren.
Yes, of course.

- Um, my husband and I
have been praying

with Stake President Ballard

to see you through
your current confusion.

- [mouthing]

- To conceive three children
that you will not meet

till you get to heaven

is a heavy burden, Sister.

But they are waiting
for you in heaven.

And we cannot let them down.

He's given you
these two beautiful girls.

Sometimes, when we wait
a long time for something,

it's hard to accept
when it's finally here.

But it is here.

Your children have reached
the age of accountability,

and it is time for your girls

to be baptized
into His one true church.

- We should head in.
Thank you.

Thank you.
DORREN: Bless you. Yes.

MORRIS:
Where are you taking me?

Hello?

Mister?

[ominous music]

♪♪ ♪♪

Dear Heavenly Father...

With your blessing--

♪♪ ♪♪

[crow calls]

Bishop Low!

Thank--thank you!

Bishop Low!

♪♪ ♪♪