measure of carrying a handkerchief. All went bareheaded and barefoot. This practice lasted only a short time and was abandoned sometime before 1940. Members today wear normal modern clothing, although they are encouraged to be modest and keep a high standard of dress. Plural marriage is practiced by some members of the LDCJC and members make their own choice in who they marry. Some members of the church are also believed to practice consanguineous marriage, or marriage to relatives within the group. This practice has been attributed to "endogamous preference and the small size of the group’s population" according to recent research from the University of California. The group claims no preference for any particular family or surname stating members join every year "from a variety of different backgrounds and surnames." According to a 2011 document prepared by the attorneys general of the states of Utah and Arizona, the church describes itself as emphasizing family values, education, self-sufficiency, and the belief that every child is a priceless blessing. Children are allowed to attend public school and many go on to college. Controversies Consanguineous marriages In the late 1990s, three members of the LDCJC faced scrutiny for entering into incestuous relationships. During this time, some non-members and ex-members began claiming the practice stemmed from theories of genetic purification held by past leaders. These cases included: Jason Kingston allegedly had a relationship with his half-sister Andrea Johnson, who became pregnant in 1992. She suffered from preeclampsia before being brought in for medical treatment. A C-section was performed to save the baby, but Andrea died. Salt Lake County officials opened an investigation into the possibility that obstetrical care was withheld to conceal the relationship. Jeremy Kingston was sentenced to a year in prison in 2004 for taking LuAnn Kingston, his cousin and aunt, as his fourth wife in 1994; their relationship began when he was 24 and she was 15. David Kingston is alleged to have married his 16-year-old niece Mary Ann Nelson, who attempted to run away but was apprehended and beaten by her father, John Daniel Kingston. He was arrested and pleaded “no contest” to the charge of child abuse and served seven months in jail. David Kingston was convicted of incest and unlawful sexual conduct and sentenced to a 10-year prison term, of which he served four years. Mary Ann later filed a $110-million lawsuit against other members of the