The tiny Bitterroot community of Pinesdale, home to a polygamous sect that broke away from the Mormon Church, is being torn apart by a schism over its leader.

A daughter and two nieces accused Lynn Thompson, the AUB president, of fondling or molesting them as girls. Some in Pinesdale — a community so small with so few surnames that they call one another by their first names — continued following Thompson, now 77 years old, either because they still believe he is a prophet of God or that the allegations against him aren't true or they just didn’t want to risk dividing their families.