If we were to tell you that child marriage was very much alive and well actually happening in the Lone Star State (Texas) of the United States of America. I’m sure you will find this very dubious and incredulous!!
Unfortunately, that was the reality and the hard fact that the Fundamental Latter Day Saints Church (FLDS) host community had to deal with when the very remote people were ambushed by the FLDS cult farm into overwhelming discoveries.
The place was filled with many children and women, most of whom were allegedly raped, abused and sexually exploited by notorious cult leader Warren Jeffs for several years before his luck ran out and the big arm of the law finally grabbed him in 2006, convicting him in 2011 found rape, incest and marriage to underage girls.
Despite all the discoveries and revelations, and some members of the Basic Church of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) remain devoted to their prophet and leader, Warren Jeffs.
Who is Warren Jeffs?
Curiously, Warren Jeffs is the senior leader of a centuries-old Mormon sect founded many years ago in the Salt Lake area and previously led by his father before his death in 2002.
He married about 20 of his surviving former wivesdeceased father, solidifying his newly acquired position as leader of the sect. They continued to geometrically and exponentially accumulate child brides in the 12 to 15 age brackets, ending up with about 80 wives and 54 children.
Unapologetically, he led several childmarriages to older men. His teachings went against the dictates of the laws governing the affairs of state and humanity. Read on to learn more about this odd personality.
Here you will find everything you need to know
Biography of Warren Jeffs
He was born Warren Steed Jeffs on December 4, 1955 to Rulon Timpson Jeffs (Former President of the Mormon sect) and Marilyn Steed. He was raised in Sacramento, Texas, California, the 14th child of his father, who had 75 wives and more than 65 children. Born prematurely, Jeffs was considered a golden child according to the cult’s beliefs.
After completing his education, he served as principal of Alta Latter-day Saint Academy (FLDS). With an iron hand, he oversaw the operations and day-to-day running of the school and church.
Jeffs succeeded his father Rulon as President of the FDLS after he suffered a stroke in the early ’80s that eventually led to his passing in 2002 at the age of 92.
Successor to his father, Warren Jeffs married all but 2 of his father’s wives and adopted some of his brothers and sisters. Notable among Warren Jeffs’ 54+ children are Rachel, whose mother was Barbara Jeffs, who died of cancer in 2004 at the age of 39, and Raymond (Roy), whose mother was Gloria Barlow. He also moved FDLS headquarters to a ranch he christened Longing for Zion Ranch in West Texas.
His rise to power
The cult followers were about 15,000, mostly children and women. In the Longing for Zion Ranch members were denied access to television and the internet. Warren Jeffs has banned from the community all books that refer to his late father as God and himself as the incarnation of Jesus Christ. The women and girls have a distinctive way of dressing, as in the Victorian era.
Warren Jeff’s tenure as cult leader was marked by recklessness and questionable decisions that resulted in the dismissal of those who questioned them and severe punishment of loyalists who crossed him. It was like in North Korea, where the community wore what the leader recommends (usually modest prairie dresses for women). He even censored toys used by young children.
The polygamist cult leader reassigned the peoples wives and families as punishment for disobedience or infidelity; or moved them entirely to the other 17 branches scattered across Canada, Columbia, Crawford, Colorado, Las Vegas, Nev, Utah, SD and the list goes on. Barely two years after Warren Jeffs came to power, he faced a myriad of legal problems. Illegal dismissal of workers, embezzlement of funds, and sexual assault were high on his list of offenses, but none could snare the notorious leader.
The women of the sect were considered the property of their husbands, charged with pleasing them. FLDS maintains various businesses in various locations where the men and erroneous members are sent to work and earn a living or in extreme cases are not paid by Warren Jeff’s direction for their services rendered as his word was binding on everyone in his community.
He married out underage girls, engaged in incest with his children, conducted sexual training sessions, and proudly recorded the rapes and sexual training sessions.
Former members of the FLDS revealed to Rolling Stones like Warren Jeffs that only certain individuals were allowed to breed royal blood in the community. These ones were referred to as the seed bearers. They cover themselves with hoods and sheets during intercourse.
his imprisonment
The most wanted person on the federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) list, Warren Jeffs, was finally found in August 2006 after several months of his hunt with about $50,000 in cash, several disguises, sunglasses, wigs and electronic devices such as phones and laptops as well as his wives Naomie and brother Isaac snatched.
The process was rigorous and costlySt. George, Utah and Arizona ended from 2007 after being found guilty on two counts in August 2011. He was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment, which was commuted to probation in 2038.
Authorities’ interest was piqued in 2005 reports from Elisa Wall came in when she escaped her 4-year arranged (abusive) marriage to her 5-year-old cousin Allen Steed. Other evidence he collected in his vaults, including audios in which he raped minors, aggravated sexual assaults on his brides of 12 and 15, including Merrianne Jessop, and put the final nail in his coffin (Waterloo).
The total number of children on the ranch at the time of the raid was approximately 437 times to set up foster homes. The ranch itself was claimed by the state of Texas in 2014 and the bodies of members of the FLDS were relocated to reassigned lots.
It is reported that Warren Jeffs is busy for a very long hours praying on his knees, that the wounds on his knees began to fester and he went on several hunger strikes, which the prison authorities had to force at a certain point in order to feed the cult leader.
Unfortunately, although he had made several attempts to commit suicide in prison, his attempts were all cut short by the vigilant and vigilant prison officials.
The Prophecy
The 6ft 3in man prophesied that the world would end in 2013 and commanded his followers to prepare for the end. Well, this is 2018, so the prophecy is definitely wrong, even though he did write a book ordering his immediate release from prison. It hasn’t borne fruit, nor is he still in the Texas prison doing his time very much.