Welcome to the thoughts of one named Vernon Howell. America knows him better as David Koresh. Anyone even half way familiar with current events knows the David Koresh that the media portrayed before the compound went up in flames on April 19, 1993, but what was David Koresh like up to the events leading to this event? After reading this paper one should have a better understanding of David Koresh as a person and his religious ideas.

David Koresh was born to a single mother in Houston, Texas in 1959. Growing up he was an indifferent student, yet very interested in the Bible and it’s teachings. He spent hours on end as a teenager memorizing Bible passages word for word. His next love to the Bible was playing the guitar. Later on in life he would use these two acquired talents to recruit his followers. Koresh’s religious experiences picked up its pace after he dropped out of high school in the ninth grade. He was raised in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, yet he felt more at home as a radical thinking teenager in the teachings of a spin off known as the Branch Davidians. One should be aware that Koresh did not create the Branch Davidian cult. Their roots trace back to

In 1986 Lois Roden passed away. Instead of choosing to take total control of the Branch, Koresh instead takes about 25 members and leaves. This new caravan moves around Texas for a bit and even makes its way out to California. About a year passes from the time they leave the compound, until the time that Koresh thinks that it is time to go back and claim it as his. Roden did not back down to Koresh this time. Instead he challenged him to a unique challenge. This challenge was not for people weak in the stomach. Roden dug up an 85 year-old woman and made the challenge to see who could resurrect the lady the fastest. Now one, after hearing the media sensationalize Koresh, would think that he would accept this challenge. Instead, he wisely declines.

According to David Mitchell, a former member, “He knew the Bible awful well.”

When Koresh was 18 he moved to Tyler, Texas. Here he tried to fit in by joining an Adventist Church. He just could not seem to fit in though. According to his grandmother Koresh became disillusioned with the church. This causes him to move to Waco and begin probably the most interesting chapter in the Branch Davidians history yet. Koresh could not have come at a better time. Lois Roden’s control over the Branch was weakening. Her son, George, though that he should be next in line to succeed his father as leader of the Branch. Several members of the Branch were already not too pleased with the Roden duo. Several were turned away by Lois’s idea that the Holy Spirit was feminine, and others didn’t like George either. As one can see this was an ideal opportunity for Koresh to use his Bible and guitar skills to impress his soon to be new followers. He succeeded getting close to the then current leader, Lois, by sleeping with her. Not too long after that he married Rachel Jones. After the marriage, and long enough to establish himself as a new powerhouse, he stopped sleeping with Lois just as fa

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