In 2006, Warren Jeffs was placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted List. I was
working in Arizona as a sex crimes and homicide detective a few hours away from
the FLDS (Fundamental Latter-Day Saints) compound in Arizona City and Hildale,
Utah.
Through the years, I had come into contact with several women who had
escaped Warren Jeffs and the strict rules of the FLDS. Though they remained in
plural marriages, their families tried to stay under the radar and live quietly.
I worked with Mormon officers and found it strange that when I asked
about the FLDS, I was assured they were not and had never been Mormon. Through
my research, I’ve learned that this was not true. The FLDS and many other
Mormon sects that practice polygamy believe they are the true Mormons as
described by their founder and prophet Joseph Smith and continued by Brigham
Young, the prophet assigned after Smith.
As per the Latter-day Saints current website:
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“In biblical times, the Lord commanded some to practice plural marriage—the marriage of one man and more than one woman. By revelation, the Lord commanded Joseph Smith to institute the practice of plural marriage among Church members in the early 1840s. For more than half a century, plural marriage was practiced by some Latter-day Saints under the direction of the Church President.”
_____________________________________________
One of the shakeups within
the church happened in 1978 when the largest denomination of Mormons allowed Black
men to become priests (known as taking the priesthood). Many felt this went
against the teachings found in The Book of Mormon and they left the main branch
and went to one of many fundamental sects that continued their racist beliefs
and lived a plural marriage lifestyle. There are over 100 active polygamist
cults in the U.S. I had no idea the rabbit hole I would fall into when I began
my research.
_____________________________________________
"The attitude of the Church with reference to Negroes remains as it
has always stood. It is not a matter of the declaration of a policy but of
direct commandment from the Lord, on which is founded the doctrine of the
Church from the days of its organization, to the effect that Negroes may become
members of the Church but that they are not entitled to the priesthood at the
present time.”
—First Presidency statement, August 17, 1949
_____________________________________________
In 2006, fugitive Warren Jeffs was arrested in Nevada during a traffic
stop. In 2007, in Utah, he was sentenced to ten years to life for being an
accomplice to rape of underage girls, as young as twelve. In 2010, Jeff’s
conviction was overturned by a Utah court for flawed jury instructions
and he was extradited to Texas and sentenced to life plus 20 years for the rape
of two girls ages 13 and 15.
It was around 2010 that I became aware of the corruption in law
enforcement surrounding the Hildale, Utah compound that allowed the lifestyle
of child rape to flourish. To stop the corruption, a federal judge placed oversight
on all law enforcement within the Hildale community. My mind took me to what
if and Eve Bennet was born.
Eleven years later, I signed the 3 book contract for the Eve Bennet series with Bookouture Hachette. These books are the product of hours of blood, sweat, and research. If you are fascinated like I am, I encourage you to delve further into the following list of movies and articles I used to write the books:
MOVIES:
Banking on Heaven - 2006
The Man with 80 Wives – 2006
Damned to Heaven – 2008
Sons of Perdition – 2010
I Escaped a Cult – 2012
Outlaw Prophet: Warren Jeffs – 2014
Prophets Pray – 2016
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey – 2022
ARTICLES:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Jeffs
https://www.cnn.com/2017/04/19/us/flds-police-colorado-city-hildale-warren-jeffs/index.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mormon_fundamentalist_leaders
https://www.ksl.com/article/3092303/dress-of-flds-women-explained-by-former-member
https://www.teenvogue.com/story/escaping-warren-jeffs-flds-polygamy-cult
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fumarase_deficiency
https://www.hcn.org/issues/44.10/flds-continues-abusive-polygamist-practices-in-utah-and-arizona
https://www.religionnewsblog.com/15794/interview-with-former-flds-members
https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=55924890&itype=cmsid
https://greg.org/archive/2006/06/11/polygamist-slang-c.html
https://flds101.blogspot.com/2008/05/flds-beliefs-101-one-man-rule.html
https://flds101.blogspot.com/2008/05/flds-beliefs-101-family.html
https://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/p/POLYGAMY.shtml
https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=2962556&itype=CMSID
https://www.indexmundi.com/facts/united-states/quick-facts/utah/black-population-percentage#map
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/134957v1.abstract
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mitt-romney-and-the-true_b_1045900
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdg4RYM1nMo
https://www.cnn.com/2015/09/30/us/polygamist-flds-warren-jeffs-update/
https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2008/05/14/racist-flds-cult-surfaces-new-location
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cRSaq3PaK8
I want to thank the Reddit Community, specifically r/exmormon and r/FLDS.
Through you, I have learned people can escape sex cults and live good, happy
lives. Your strength is awe-inspiring.