Branch Davidian Compound

The Branch Davidian Compound was established as living-worship center for the members of the sect to reside. The residents of the compound lived, worked, learned, and worshipped in the isolated community. Because of the nature of the isolation and basis of the belief system of the Branch Davidian church created a unique way of life for the residents. Life in the compound was mostly dictated by David Koresh because he was a self-proclaimed messiah (equip.org) in which the members followed. Because of Koresh’s position within the church, he developed a strict layout for life in the compound. Day to day life revolved around religious practices. The Branch Davidian is a form of Christianity with four important beliefs that had great influence
The book of Revelations teaches of the apocalypse, prophecy, and how the true believers will be saved while the rest will perish as the world ends (Dunn). Members maintained daily routines of preparation for this day. In the Branch Davidians, David Koresh was a self-proclaimed messiah and convinced the members of the commune that following his teachings would make them true believers and save them at the end of time. The Branch Davidians relied heavily on prophecy from their leader, believing it was from the mouth of god. These sermons, rules, and teachings influenced the lives of the commune members. In a sense, the rituals and behaviors of the Branch Davidians revolved around sermons of David and his prophecy. David Koresh centered focus on the end of the world would be a clash between God’s followers and the armies of the World, led by the US (Agne). The fear of the apocalypse led David Koresh to establish an “Army of God by stockpiling weapons” (biography.com) to protect the “chosen people” in the compound. The paranoia of the end of the world is the major defining factor of the
Cults are classified by sociologists as a small group of members whose beliefs “were deviant from the perspective of religious and secular orthodoxy” (Campbell). Particular practices occur such as “unquestioning devotion to leader…leadership dictates life…encouragement of isolation/secularism” (csj.org). The practice of isolationism is particularly important because the compound it upheld the beliefs that “contact with the modern world was harmful for those who believed…” (wacohistory.org) and so the group became self-sustaining. This significantly affected the groups lifestyle since they had to provide for their own medical care, education, and