Scattered throughout the RYMUR files included in the FBI’s released under the Freedom of Information Act are sections of affidavits written by members of Peoples Temple. Many were positive, attesting to the miracles and healing powers of Jim Jones or praising the work of Temple attorney Timothy O. Stoen before he defected from the group in 1977. Just as many, however, were critical, ascribing all manner of perversion to former members, defectors, and Temple critics – including those of the Concerned Relatives – and most especially Grace and Tim Stoen following their respective departures.
How the Temple intended to use these affidavits – whether planned or in reserve – is unknown. Much of that uncertainty comes from the documents themselves. While their format matches a formal legal affidavit, including the signature of the affiant and of witnesses, there is little about them that would stand up in court proceedings.
For example:
- Numerous documents have undated, handwritten corrections to spelling and grammar in another person’s handwriting (although only a small handful of people seems to have made the bulk of the corrections).
- More compromising to their value as legal documents is that many have additional words inserted: some are contextual like “at a Peoples Temple service” or “with Pastor Jim Jones”; others are more substantive, adding a detail which is new or different from the balance of the text.
- A number of the affidavits include substantial cross-outs, sometimes of a word, half-line, or sentence that is replaced by better wording, but there are also numerous paragraphs which have been x-ed through, and numerous others that include a handwritten comment on the side, “Don’t include this.”
- The signatures of the witnesses periodically provide additional questions, especially when taken as a whole. Many of the affidavits were seemingly written and signed during marathon sessions of composing and witnessing, with 75 people or more participating. Characteristic of these sessions is that some signatures do not match from one document to another, that the affiant misspells his or her own name, and that the affiant witnesses his or her own signature.
The final notation on each affidavit is the witnessing by a notary public. With few exceptions, there are no signatures of a notary and no official seals, which in turn means the signatures of both affiant and witnesses are invalid.
For these reasons – and despite their structure as such – these affidavits should more accurately be considered statements of loyalty to the Temple, which makes them more akin to the confessions of Temple members and their letters to their leader, Jim Jones.