In addition to the government documents which members of Peoples Temple needed to travel to Guyana, such as passports and visas, the Temple leadership required would-be Jonestown residents to fill out a number of forms, including an Application to Go Abroad and a Release of Medical Records and X-Rays and Lab Work.

The Temple application asks for the information requested on most forms – name, address, phone number; sex and weight; date and place of birth; nature and place of employment; marital status; and Social Security number – but it also asks about issues that might affect the church’s decision to allow the applicant to go to Jonestown. They include a few questions about health conditions – high blood pressure, heart, diabetes, vision, and arthritis –  and, if the applicant is married to a non-member, how the spouse feels about the emigration.

The application also asks the Temple member to sign a statement which reads: “I understand that if I am seriously overweight or have serious medical problems I will not be able to go on the short-term trips because of the hazard to my health and the additional strain my condition will create. I also understand that air travel is extremely expensive and that I will have to donate my fair share of the cost for transportation, food and lodging.”

The medical release was intended to allow Jonestown doctor Larry Schacht to obtain records and x-rays from hospitals and doctors in the U.S. It also authorized any of four women in the Temple to pick up the records on behalf of the patient.

These documents are courtesy of Lela Howard, the niece of Mary Pearl Willis, also known as Malika Willis.

Application to Go Abroad

Release of Medical Records and X-Rays and Lab Work