A study of the rise and fall of Hulon Mitchell, Jr.--a.k.a. Yahweh Ben Yahweh--a self-proclaimed messiah, chronicles his creation of a multimillion-dollar empire and the crimes that have left him serving time in federal prison. 25,000 first printing.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In an amazing feat of investigative reporting, Freedberg relates the bizarre saga of the Temple of Love (aka the Hebrew Israelites), a Miami-based sect founded in the late 1970s by Oklahoma-born evangelist-messiah Hulon Mitchell Jr., whose followers proclaimed him the savior of black people. To his supporters, Mitchell-now in prison on a 1992 conspiracy conviction; he will be released in 2001 and eligible for parole earlier-is a positive force who taught African Americans self-empowerment. But media and police accounts link his organization to a series of brutal murders, and testimony at his dramatic trial (which deadlocked on a racketeering charge of murder, arson and extortion) portrayed a cruel cult rife with mind control, assaults and slave labor. Mitchell, who calls himself Yahweh Ben Yahweh ("God, Son of God") also beat three murder raps when Florida state attorney Janet Reno (now U.S. Attorney General) lost one death-row case against him and dropped charges on two other homicides. Freedberg, who won a 1991 Pulitzer Prize for her coverage of this story for the Miami Herald, tells a searing cautionary tale of a man who used race and religion as a shield to exploit people and amass power and wealth. Photos.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
At the age of three, Hulon Mitchell declared that he was the messiah of black people, and at various stages of his life he was known as Hulon X, Father Michel, Brother Love, Moses Israel, Yahweh Ben Yahweh, Yashua the Messiah, and, finally, God himself. Freedberg, who won a Pulitzer Prize for her coverage of Yahweh for the Miami Herald, meticulously details the life of this charismatic son of a preacher, including his poor childhood in Oklahoma, his military service, his work in the Civil Rights movement, and his growing disenchantment with organized religion. His nationwide empire was eventually brought down by charges of murder, arson, sexual coercion, and mail fraud. The writing is crisp and well documented, and the black-and-white photos are numerous and graphic. An excellent chronicle of greed, exploitation, and murder, all ostensibly in the name of religion.
--Christine Moesch, Buffalo & Erie Cty. P.L., N.Y.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--Christine Moesch, Buffalo & Erie Cty. P.L., N.Y.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well-written Account on Cult Fanaticism,
By TruthSeekah (Planet Truth) - See all my reviews
This review is from: BROTHER LOVE: Murder, Money, and a Messiah (Hardcover)
This true account of the Nation of Yahweh is shocking, stunning, and at times painfully hilarious. I can honestly say the author was unbiased and is strictly reporting the facts, using exact times and dates when describing certain incidents and she uses the same vocabulary that the actual people who are part of this bizarre drama used. In the back of the book is a list of Resources that she used in the writing of this book. On the one hand, it seems that the Nation of Yahweh cleaned and straightened up poor neighborhoods in Florida. But it came at a price, as this book eloquently describes.
As I read the book I felt a sad pity for the families of the members of this cult, and the cult members themselves. I also felt compassion for those whose loved ones were caught in the line of fire by members swept away in delusional fanaticism. There were times when I wanted to believe that what I was reading couldn't possibly be true, but when I saw the black and white photographs in this book, and especially when I read the details that describe some of the practices that are still in use by members of the Nation of Yahweh at the present time, I had to accept the inevitable. The parts that were so ridiculous that I had to laugh were the incidents that took place during the trial- it makes one question the efficiency of law and order in America, the needless red tape and frustration for those who really are trying to bring justice. Also the frustration for those who have lost loved ones and yet see the murderers (and law breakers) get acquitted or just a slap on the wrist- in this case, the trial of Hulon Mitchell Jr. and Co. (also comes to mind is the O.J. Simpson case, and the police officers in the Rodney King beating.) This book also made me realize that we need to seriously rethink the jury process and how we select jurors in trials of this magnitude. The book re-affirms how when money talks, bull**** walks, and anyone can be bought. I am referring of course to the business peoples, law enforcement, and politicians of Miami (and the other Florida cities that were mentioned) during the 1980's when these events took place. Many of them simply looked the other way despite the growing evidence that murders and other abuses were taking place because it simply would have costed them their careers, money, and votes. As for the Nation of Yahweh, they are still alive and well; they're just not as out in the open as they once were and they are all spread out. Though there may no longer be any signs of racism in their present literature, many of the same rhetoric and codes of behavior that was described in detail in this book is still in use at the present time- example: Mr. Hulon Mitchell Jr. still believes he is the Messiah incarnate, Mr. Mitchell was "crucified" by the U.S. gov't (meaning he served jail time), Jesus never existed, women are unclean during their menstrual cycle, all forms of birth control are not to be used, having as many babies as soon as possible is the goal, occasionally wearing white tunics, turbans & tetragrammaton, tithing, mandatory attendance of the Feasts, the list goes on. I highly recommend this book to: -anyone who is dealing with a friend or family member who might be/or is in a cult -students of law, psychology, and sociology. -anyone involved with a Nation of Yahweh member, past or present. -those considering joining the Nation of Yahweh -those who like a good crime story-in this case, true crime. -anyone sincerely willing to take a deep closer look at the American society and how it creates situations like the ones described in this book. This book is a great example of excellent journalism- the kind that seems to no longer exists on most media outlets (be it ABC, NBC, Fox, or anything owned and operated by Clear Channel) unfortunately.
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