Josh Powell is apparently shopping around for a new church. On the website Susanpowell.org, which is widely believed to be written by Josh and his father, Steven Powell, there was this paragraph:
“Finding trustworthy spiritual support is more critical now than ever, since according to the media, members of the Mormon community had been pressuring Susan to divorce Josh on the basis of his beliefs. Josh and his family have recently enjoyed the fellowship of religious communities that share his and Susan's pro-family values. They have been investigating Christianity as an alternative to Mormonism. Vibrant faith communities in the local area have been very supportive and have been helping Josh and his family through the turmoil.” (Emphasis added)
But Kiirsi Hellewell, a close friend of Susan Cox Powell and a member of the same LDS Ward in West Valley, disputes the claim of a conspiracy to split up Josh and Susan. She said, “Everyone was extremely supportive. Everyone was very friendly to Josh. After Susan disappeared, everyone gave him the benefit of the doubt, helped him move, and invited him over for dinner. We did everything we could to help him.”
Friends of Susan cannot believe that Josh could abandon his faith over something the “media” might have said. It is equally unbelievable to the family of Susan Cox Powell.
Tuesday evening, the family issued this statement through a spokeswoman:
“Susan would be heartbroken. He is making decisions that are contrary to her wishes. She was the one who took the lead in matters of faith. We see this as another attempt by Josh to close the door on Susan and forget all about her.”
Hellewell was even more blunt, “Every decision he’s made since she disappeared has been against what she would want.”
This weekend marks 6 months since Susan Cox Powell disappeared from her home in West Valley City, Utah. Josh Powell remains the only person of interest in the ongoing police investigation.
