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November 18, 1977
Lt. Governor Mervyn Dymally
Office of the Lt. Governor
State Capitol #1028
Sacramento, California 95814
Dear Mr. Dymally:
Again, thank you for being such a tremendous source of moral support and genuine help to us. There are no words to describe what it means to know you understand and appreciate what Jim is doing, what all of us are trying to do.
We have some very reliable information that pressure is being put on Tim Stoen; we are not sure just how, but we know it has to do with the child custody situation of John. Jim [Jones] wanted you to know because he trusts you and fears that Tim, because he is in a very real sense “white”, prestige conscious, and ambitious, may possibly have been persuaded to turn against us. He said he would never go against us and promised to always give help when we asked, but now his signals are somewhat changed and we are not really sure which way he will go. It is a terrible thing, the kind of pressure that can be brought to bear on a person – more than many or most could bear. Jim empathizes deeply with the kinds of pressures he is dealing with.
I think that Tim (in addition to many others, but in a large way Tim) has taken so very much from Jim. Hle has put Jim through a great deal, and I know for the sake of the entire church, Jim has always done whatever he could to help people in their development, not only as individuals but as individuals within a group with a much larger consciousness than Just ‘we four and no more’. The attempted frame-ups Jim has been through – though he has always been exonerated – the personal battles he has fought for each of us and the battles for the survival of our group. It makes me heartsick to think that someone he has loved so much could possibly have turned against him and all of us.
We are at a loss to reach Tim now, though he is in town. Several of us have seen him – I, for one, saw and talked briefly to him on the street. But despite our pleas, he has remained aloof when we asked to meet to talk. We don’t know how to ease into the situation at this point, nor where we stand with him. I just wanted to let you know, because this could have some far-reaching effects for us.
The project in Guyana remains a triumph and a beautiful new life for so many people. Dr. [Ptolemy] Reid, the Deputy Prime Minister, will be coming into the interior to visit with Jim and to see the development. This, of course,
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makes us very proud and confident that the Guyanese government is in overwhelming support of our efforts. Every day when we talk to “Jonestown” on the radio another group of officials is visiting, and all rave about the project. We are all looking forward to your visit with the greatest anticipation. You are a friend we admire and cherish.
The very best to you and all your family from Jim, Marceline [Jones], and all the Temple.
Very sincerely,
[Signature]
Jean Brown