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Escaping Polygamist Cult - Inside the Dangerous World of the FLDS 🇺🇸

Peter Santenello・70 minutes read

In Southern Utah, a man shares insights on life in the FLDS Church, detailing polygamous environments and strict rules under Warren Jeffs' leadership. Many residents still adhere to fundamentalist beliefs, despite revelations about Jeffs' teachings, with apostates receiving support at the Dream Center in transitioning out of the church.

Insights

  • The FLDS community, led by Warren Jeffs, enforced strict rules such as avoiding the color red and arranged marriages, leading to a secluded lifestyle with limited contact with the outside world.
  • Leaving the FLDS church, as experienced by individuals like Peter, was driven by a realization of the falsehood in Jeffs' teachings and the oppressive nature of the community's restrictions, highlighting the challenges and liberation involved in breaking away.
  • The Dream Center, established by former FLDS members, serves as a refuge for those transitioning out of polygamy, offering support and shelter to individuals, particularly women and children, seeking assistance during their departure from the church.

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Recent questions

  • What is the FLDS Church?

    A Mormon Fundamentalist group led by Warren Jeffs.

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Summary

00:00

Life in FLDS: Polygamy, secrecy, and escape.

  • Peter is in Southern Utah, heading to the Arizona border to meet a man who left the FLDS Church, a Mormon Fundamentalist group led by Warren Jeffs.
  • The man grew up in a polygamous environment with multiple sister mothers and dozens of siblings.
  • He provides insight into the secluded lifestyle of the FLDS community and its current status.
  • The man's childhood home was a double-wide trailer where around 15-16 kids lived, with three mothers initially.
  • The FLDS community had strict rules, like avoiding the color red due to religious beliefs.
  • Around 80% of the town's residents are still fundamentalists, but many no longer believe in Warren Jeffs.
  • Marriages were arranged by Jeffs, leading to a scarcity of women and some men having multiple wives.
  • Residents would tint their trucks and keep relationships secret due to the community's restrictions on dating.
  • The FLDS community avoided paying taxes by leaving houses unfinished and following Jeffs' directives on finances.
  • The man left the FLDS Church at 18, realizing the falsehood of Jeffs' teachings and the restrictive lifestyle.

13:43

Warren Jeffs' Followers Relocate, Seek Support

  • Many believers in Warren Jeffs have relocated due to the influx of apostates in the town, with many now residing in nearby towns like Cedar City and Kanab, Utah.
  • The Dream Center, formerly Warren Jeffs' home, now serves as a refuge for individuals leaving the church, particularly women and children seeking support and assistance during their transition.
  • Warren Jeffs was perceived as intimidating and believed to communicate directly with God, with followers considering him faultless.
  • Relationships with family members are severed if they go against the church's beliefs, leading to estrangement even from close relatives like parents and siblings.
  • The FLDS community prioritizes religious laws over secular laws, following Warren Jeffs' directives without question, even from prison.
  • Warren Jeffs maintains influence over followers through letters and phone calls, providing guidance and revelations on how to live.
  • Approximately 5,000 individuals still adhere to the FLDS church, with around 2,500 fully believing in Warren Jeffs as a divine figure.
  • Polygamous relationships within the FLDS community are complex, with potential for happiness but often marred by jealousy and other challenges.
  • The FLDS community views mainstream Mormonism negatively, while mainstream Mormons see the FLDS as deviant due to the actions of Warren Jeffs.
  • The Dream Center, established by former FLDS members, offers support and shelter to those transitioning out of polygamy, utilizing properties like Warren Jeffs' former home to aid individuals in need.

26:07

Leaving FLDS: Sister Wives, Family Support

  • The speaker's dad's second wife was his sister, leading to a close relationship with the family.
  • Carpeting was used down the hall to protect children from injuries.
  • The speaker left the FLDS about a year ago, finding it liberating.
  • In the FLDS, the speaker was one of four wives and enjoyed the support system.
  • The speaker misses her sister wives, but they refuse to communicate since they remain in the church.
  • Leaving the FLDS was necessary to protect her children from potential trafficking.
  • The speaker reflects on the positive aspects of having sister wives and a large family.
  • The speaker's daughters remain faithful to the FLDS, causing emotional challenges.
  • The FLDS did not celebrate Christmas, viewing it as a pagan holiday.
  • Fasting and prayer were common practices in the FLDS, with specific days dedicated to fasting.

38:45

"Struggles of Leaving Religious Community"

  • The speaker hopes for contact from someone who has her number memorized, indicating she hasn't changed it for that reason.
  • She expresses a desire for the person or someone who knows him to see her message.
  • Gratitude is exchanged between the speaker and another person for sharing, with understanding shown for not wanting to be on camera.
  • The speaker recounts a visit to a house dedicated in someone's name by the Dream Center, mentioning the presence of three others with her.
  • A failed attempt to take someone with her is described, leading to a discussion on apostasy and its implications.
  • Apostasy is explained as a severe label within the context discussed, with the speaker emphasizing the gravity of the term.
  • The impact of apostasy on families, particularly children, is detailed, highlighting the fear and control instilled by the church.
  • The issue of children being taken to compounds and prepared for underage marriages is raised, with a focus on the mothers' fears and the difficulty in law enforcement intervention.
  • The challenges faced by mothers in custody battles and the church's control over family dynamics are outlined, emphasizing the difficulty in proving and addressing runaways.
  • The complexity of leaving a religious community is discussed, with personal experiences shared to illustrate the emotional and psychological struggles involved.

51:40

Centennial Park: Polygamy, Growth, and Beliefs

  • Rulon Jeffs was the first leader after the prophet's death, leading to a split in the FLDS Church with people moving to Centennial Park.
  • Centennial Park residents practice polygamy, similar to FLDS but with differences like avoiding underage marriages.
  • FLDS allowed marriages as young as 13 or 14, often forced, and with multiple wives.
  • Centennial Park residents have a norm of 10% tithing, with an elite group paying 20% for business support.
  • Polygamists believe in having multiple wives to reach the celestial kingdom and become gods.
  • Centennial Park residents have beautiful homes, multiple wives, and many children.
  • Centennial Park has a high percentage of followers, with some break-offs due to disagreements.
  • The community is growing, with some converting to the belief system.
  • The airport in Centennial Park was used by Rulon Jeffs, despite the belief that the devil controlled air and water.
  • Leaving the FLDS community was a gradual process of realizing the extreme beliefs and lack of external information.

01:04:53

"Community dynamics in secretive religious town"

  • Flavored toothpicks are toothpicks with various flavors like peppermint, used for freshening breath and picking food from teeth.
  • Home schooling was conducted in a building by mothers or older siblings, focusing on church teachings and history.
  • State or federal oversight was absent in the home schooling, allowing teachings on church-related topics.
  • Apostates are constructing large apartment buildings in the town, causing friction among residents.
  • Warren Jeffs controlled the community, determining who could live near the temple in Texas.
  • Warren Jeffs instilled fear in followers, claiming the meeting house was a safe space from evil influences.
  • The FBI attempted to apprehend Warren Jeffs at the meeting house, but he evaded capture.
  • The mountain behind the water tanks was believed to be inhabited by evil spirits, deterring residents from hiking it.
  • Cottonwood Park used to have a fence to keep outsiders out, but it was removed to be more welcoming.
  • Outsiders were unwelcome in the community, with residents using intimidation tactics to drive them away.

01:17:22

Community Pressure: Accepting Multiple Wives and Consequences

  • Men in the community are pressured to accept multiple wives as directed by the prophet, fearing loss of everything if they disobey.
  • The Law of Consecration in Mormonism dictates that the church owns everything, leading to severe consequences for those who are expelled from the community.
  • Warren Jeffs instilled fear in the community by publicly expelling disobedient members, causing them to lose their families and businesses.
  • The community used to hold events in a park with a train track and a large slide, fostering a sense of community and fun for the residents.
  • Sam reflects on his childhood in the community, reminiscing about the free community events and values he learned growing up.
  • Despite disagreeing with the actions of leaders like Warren Jeffs, Sam respects the FLDS people and their intentions, valuing the positive aspects of his upbringing.
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