Winston Blackmore, a former bishop of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FDLS), is currently in tax court appealing a tax reassessment from the years 2000-2006 (excluding 2005) in which tax collectors allege that Blackmore underestimated his income by $1.5 million. 

In court, he testified that over a period of 20 years he paid money to the FDLS a total of 15 times, with the most recent sum being $25k, in order to prepare for various apocalypses that the president of the FDLS predicted.

Perhaps one would think that after the first few "end-of-the-world" dates came and passed without the world actually ending, Blackmore would have stopped forking over the money, but, alas, he claims that the belief in the imminent destruction of the earth is a part of his religion and that he was just following orders from top leaders.

I can't but help but find this claim of obedience fishy since Blackmore didn't seem too concerned with taking orders when he failed to transfer private property he owned to the FDLS, even though his religion and its leaders dictated him to. Under the rules of the FDLS, he wasn't even allowed to own any private property, but that didn't seem to stop him then. He also never transferred his company J. R. Blackmore & Sons, of which he owns 40%, to the FDLS trust, even though his religion and its leaders dictated him to. 

I'd have to assume that, by claiming he gave over massive sums of money for the apocalypses, he's a complete loon. Or, as the courts may learn, he may be trying to evade taxes. I've heard of many religions that believe in a similar doosmday scenario, but I'm not so sure that many of them urge their followers to hand over tens of thousands of dollars to the heads of the church in preparation for it because if you really think about it, that money wouldn't be of any value at the end of the world.  In fact, nothing would be of value at the end of the world because it would be the end of the world. There would be nothing. 

Blackmore claims his understanding was that the money was to get supplies in preparation for the coming apocalypse, but really, supplies? What kind of supplies would prepare you for the end of everything?  I don't buy it. 

Blackmore may be yet again trying to weasel his way out of the $4.3 million in back-taxes and penalties the Canadian Revenue Agency says he owes.  He has been the head of an independent sect of roughly 400 members in Bountiful, B.C., where he is known the "Bishop Of Bountiful," ever since FDLS leader Warren Jeffs ejected him in 2003.  He is trying to get the Canadian government to tax his group as a religious congregation with all their earnings going into a trust. 

The government, however, believes that he is just the patriarch of a large community, and he is trying to spread his personal earnings and tax burden around his community, often without their knowledge or consent.   

I'd have to agree with the government on this one because it seems pretty unquestionable that Blackmore is in fact the patriarch of Bountiful, which is comprised of roughly 1000 people, only 156 of them adults.  He was arrested in 2009 for polygamy and admits to having 22 wives and about 67 children, though the proud father cannot be sure of the exact number of kids. 

Although the real apocalypse never came, I can only hope that tens of thousands of dollars he's now shelling out for the trial will bring about the end of his little world.