VOLUME 2 |NUMBER 1 |2011 5 4 ICSA TODAY
Historical Background
A brief historical background may be of assistance to the
reader unfamiliar with the FLDS. The FLDS is a splinter
group from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
(commonly known today as Mormons). In 1890, the presi-
dent of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
Wilford Woodruff, issued a manifesto that officially termi-
nated all plural or polygamous marriages in the church.
In consequence of this Manifesto, the Fundamentalist
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized
by its leaders, who stated the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints had gone astray, buckling under the
pressures of the world, instead of remaining true to the
word of God. Since then, FLDS have been strongly critical
of this Manifesto and its application by the leaders of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. FLDS leaders
state as a basic tenet and principle of their church that
“we obey the laws of God, not man’s laws.”
With this manifesto, a group of church members believed
the president of the church no longer had authority to
govern it and consequently relinquished his authority to
the next senior apostle, John Wooley. John Wooley
formed a new church from the body of followers who still
believed in and practiced plural marriages.
The FLDS community became established in Colorado
City, Arizona and Hilldale, Utah. These two towns lie in a
remote area on the Utah/Arizona border. The current
leader of the FLDS is Warren Jeffs, who, incidentally, was
the president during the time the former FLDS members
with whom I have worked left the polygamous communi-
ty. Warren Jeffs was prosecuted and convicted on two
counts of being an accomplice to rape by the State of
Utah in 2007. This conviction was reversed and a retrial
was ordered in July of this year, citing deficient juror
instruction. Charges in Arizona were dropped “with preju-
dice” in June of this year, opening the door for the state of
Texas to begin the extradition process and pursue prose-
cution of Jeffs for his role in offenses committed at the
Yearning for Zion ranch.
There are terms unique to the doctrines and practitioners
of FLDS. I could make a larger glossary or dictionary of
these terms but will provide only the most fundamental
ones here:
Celestial Kingdom: This is another name for the highest of
the three levels of heaven. Only the most righteous can be
rewarded with life in the Celestial Kingdom. A prominent
belief among the FLDS is that a successful plural marriage is
a prerequisite for those entering this kingdom of heaven.
Eternal family: Many of the FLDS believe the doctrine that
their marriages can go on forever when a properly author-
ized priesthood holder officiates in the marriage ceremony.
Lost boys: This term refers primarily to young single men
who have been exiled from the FLDS community, often by
dictate from the leaders, at times voluntarily. A common
problem the author has encountered with these young men
is they lack the knowledge or experience to be successful in
society outside of the FLDS community.
One-man rule: This is the leadership model of the FLDS
church. Members believe that their leader (called a president
or prophet) has direct contact with God. Consequently, church
members’ eternal welfare depends on following his leadership.
Patriarch: This is a title of priesthood authority that a man
holds as the spiritual head of his family. This role is often
viewed in FLDS as the unquestioned right to rule in the fami-
ly without regard to the feelings of the wives or children.
Patriarchal society: A community in which the priesthood is
the authority that governs in society and the home.
Plural marriage: The marriage of one man to more than one
woman. Other interchangeable terms for plural marriage
include celestial marriage or patriarchal marriage. The pub-
lic’s use of the term polygamy may have a negative connota-
tion to those within the FLDS community. A term synony-
mous with polygamy is polygyny.
Priesthood: FLDS believe this is the authority to act for God.
Only the men hold the priesthood. Accompanying this priest-
hood is the right to preside over the family and religious
community. The priesthood head is a man who holds a posi-
tion of authority or leadership, such as "head of the priest-
hood" or "priesthood head of the family."
Prophet: The title for the man who can speak with and
receive guidance or revelation from God for all members of
the community. As it relates to plural marriage, FLDS mem-
bers believe the prophet receives revelation as to who should
marry whom. When this occurs the marriage is termed a
placement marriage.
Revelation: Communication from God to his children. In
addition to the belief that the prophet receives revelation for
members of the church, heads of families can receive revela-
tion for their families and individuals for themselves.
Revelation can come in many forms, such as a prompting,
voice, dream, or vision.
FLDS is a closed society in which secrecy and isolation of
its members predominate. Because polygamy is illegal, we
are confronted with an issue common to research of
closed societies. Whom do we believe? If we were to inter-
view mothers in polygamist families who did not desire to
leave their polygamous relationship, descriptions of their
experience would no doubt be different from what is
reported here by those who were unhappy enough to
leave. The reports of the women who remained in
polygamy would include descriptions of what were posi-
tive characteristics to them, and we would expect them to
be less revealing of their more negative experiences. At
the same time, we could consider the statements of those
who have left the community jaded or distorted. Based on
current views of church leaders and society’s laws, the way
will not be opened for us to perform quantitative or for
that matter qualitative research with this religious group.
I must emphasize that what follows is based on the
reports of those who left the FLDS community and
sought my help as a psychologist in their recovery from
the effects of living there. They felt sufficiently sympto-
matic and dysfunctional to seek treatment. They knew
something was wrong with them. They felt unprepared to
deal with life outside the FLDS community. They lacked
life skills. They desired help for their children. Public agen-
cies such as Workforce Services or Crime Victims Repara-
tions referred them for psychological treatment as part of
their overall treatment program. Their reports of abusive
experiences and symptoms were consistent with the
thousands of others treated at the Trauma Awareness &
Treatment Center for domestic violence and abuse, as well
as with those of others who have left polygamous situa-
tions. I saw no motivation for them to malinger or make
up traumatic experiences or symptoms.
We must first understand that the basic structure of
polygamy is authoritarian. The men who practice it gener-
ally believe they have the authority to govern and control
their wives and children in the family relationship. In
polygamous communities, there is a hierarchy of polyga-
mous marriages that exist under the control of a central
leader. This leader is referred to as the prophet. One prob-
lem with a hierarchical structure has to do with the effects
of power and control. Absolute power does tend to cor-
rupt, and it is not unusual for the patriarch or prophet in a
polygamous community to become corrupted by the
sweeping power he possesses (as evidenced by the histo-
ry of these polygamous groups).
Prominent Characteristics of the FLDS Community
All control belongs to a central figure. As previously indicat-
ed, the central figure in the polygamous group is referred
to as the prophet. In the polygamous marriage, the central
figure is the husband. A child is responsible to his/her
father, and he in turn is responsible to the prophet. The
prophet, through the father, controls the places the chil-
dren will work and for how long, how much education they
receive and for what purpose, their status or loss thereof in
the community, extracurricular activities, acceptable foods,
and the town and house they will live in. He also directs
when and whom their children will marry. He also can
determine the rules of the society in which his followers
live, and change them at any time, without explanation.
Revelation from God dictates the words and acts of the cen-
tral figure. This principle is the basis of the prophet’s
power and authority and, in a corollary way, the polyga-
mist father’s power and authority over his wives and chil-
dren. Followers are taught to worship the prophet as a
god. No matter what the prophet instructs a person to do,
he should be obeyed without question, and the follower
should be "sweet" about it (cheerfully submissive). A
prophet can make even unreasonable and nonsensical
directives, which others are expected to follow because
the rules "came from God." The story of the patriarch
Abraham and his son Isaac in the Old Testament often is
cited to reinforce this control. Abraham was willing to sac-
rifice his son Isaac because God commanded it. In like
manner, a patriarch can dictate to a fourteen-year-old girl
that she is to be his wife because God revealed it. It is a
serious matter for her to refuse this proposal, and it can
bring negative consequences to her father’s status in the
community or to opportunities for her in the future.
Independent thinking and outside information are shunned.
It stands to reason that if characteristics 1 and 2 are cor-
rect, the follower should not be expected to think inde-
pendently or be exposed to outside information, either of
which may lead him or her away from the "true path" out-
lined by the prophet or patriarch. The fathers in the polyg-
amous group are figures to respect, but the mothers are
only to be obeyed if they are in "perfect harmony" with
the father. It is expected that children not seek informa-
tion or counsel other than what is offered by the leader,
and they are to accept this advice or information implicit-
ly. Generally, children are not given conditions that
require them to think. They fulfill their responsibilities to
the family, or they answer to someone over them. Chil-
dren are not to be provided information pertaining to the
outside world, except as it may apply to earning a living
for the family or community. Free expression is not
allowed if it is different from what the leaders teach, or
from the basic recognized group values. In fact, there is
no "approved" way for a child to question a mother, just
as there is no approved way for the mother to question
the father. It is difficult for persons outside the FLDS com-
munity to grasp that today, in this country, such basic
freedoms can be, and are, denied. But a moment’s reflec-
tion suggests that if such groups are to preserve them-
selves, such freedoms cannot be allowed.
Relationships with others outside the group are prohibited.
Relationships outside the group are not encouraged,
unless they are overseen, supervised, and even microman-
aged by the priesthood authorities. The group can make it
difficult for a child to see any family member outside the
religious community (father, mother, brother, sister, aunt,
uncles, grandparent, etc.). One example that was shared
was of a mother who repeatedly visited two of her chil-
dren who had left the FLDS group. As punishment, her
husband sent her away and told her that only her own
death could atone for the grievous sin she had committed.
ICSA_volume3_proof6 5/10/11 12:14 PM Page 6
Historical Background
A brief historical background may be of assistance to the
reader unfamiliar with the FLDS. The FLDS is a splinter
group from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
(commonly known today as Mormons). In 1890, the presi-
dent of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
Wilford Woodruff, issued a manifesto that officially termi-
nated all plural or polygamous marriages in the church.
In consequence of this Manifesto, the Fundamentalist
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized
by its leaders, who stated the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints had gone astray, buckling under the
pressures of the world, instead of remaining true to the
word of God. Since then, FLDS have been strongly critical
of this Manifesto and its application by the leaders of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. FLDS leaders
state as a basic tenet and principle of their church that
“we obey the laws of God, not man’s laws.”
With this manifesto, a group of church members believed
the president of the church no longer had authority to
govern it and consequently relinquished his authority to
the next senior apostle, John Wooley. John Wooley
formed a new church from the body of followers who still
believed in and practiced plural marriages.
The FLDS community became established in Colorado
City, Arizona and Hilldale, Utah. These two towns lie in a
remote area on the Utah/Arizona border. The current
leader of the FLDS is Warren Jeffs, who, incidentally, was
the president during the time the former FLDS members
with whom I have worked left the polygamous communi-
ty. Warren Jeffs was prosecuted and convicted on two
counts of being an accomplice to rape by the State of
Utah in 2007. This conviction was reversed and a retrial
was ordered in July of this year, citing deficient juror
instruction. Charges in Arizona were dropped “with preju-
dice” in June of this year, opening the door for the state of
Texas to begin the extradition process and pursue prose-
cution of Jeffs for his role in offenses committed at the
Yearning for Zion ranch.
There are terms unique to the doctrines and practitioners
of FLDS. I could make a larger glossary or dictionary of
these terms but will provide only the most fundamental
ones here:
Celestial Kingdom: This is another name for the highest of
the three levels of heaven. Only the most righteous can be
rewarded with life in the Celestial Kingdom. A prominent
belief among the FLDS is that a successful plural marriage is
a prerequisite for those entering this kingdom of heaven.
Eternal family: Many of the FLDS believe the doctrine that
their marriages can go on forever when a properly author-
ized priesthood holder officiates in the marriage ceremony.
Lost boys: This term refers primarily to young single men
who have been exiled from the FLDS community, often by
dictate from the leaders, at times voluntarily. A common
problem the author has encountered with these young men
is they lack the knowledge or experience to be successful in
society outside of the FLDS community.
One-man rule: This is the leadership model of the FLDS
church. Members believe that their leader (called a president
or prophet) has direct contact with God. Consequently, church
members’ eternal welfare depends on following his leadership.
Patriarch: This is a title of priesthood authority that a man
holds as the spiritual head of his family. This role is often
viewed in FLDS as the unquestioned right to rule in the fami-
ly without regard to the feelings of the wives or children.
Patriarchal society: A community in which the priesthood is
the authority that governs in society and the home.
Plural marriage: The marriage of one man to more than one
woman. Other interchangeable terms for plural marriage
include celestial marriage or patriarchal marriage. The pub-
lic’s use of the term polygamy may have a negative connota-
tion to those within the FLDS community. A term synony-
mous with polygamy is polygyny.
Priesthood: FLDS believe this is the authority to act for God.
Only the men hold the priesthood. Accompanying this priest-
hood is the right to preside over the family and religious
community. The priesthood head is a man who holds a posi-
tion of authority or leadership, such as "head of the priest-
hood" or "priesthood head of the family."
Prophet: The title for the man who can speak with and
receive guidance or revelation from God for all members of
the community. As it relates to plural marriage, FLDS mem-
bers believe the prophet receives revelation as to who should
marry whom. When this occurs the marriage is termed a
placement marriage.
Revelation: Communication from God to his children. In
addition to the belief that the prophet receives revelation for
members of the church, heads of families can receive revela-
tion for their families and individuals for themselves.
Revelation can come in many forms, such as a prompting,
voice, dream, or vision.
FLDS is a closed society in which secrecy and isolation of
its members predominate. Because polygamy is illegal, we
are confronted with an issue common to research of
closed societies. Whom do we believe? If we were to inter-
view mothers in polygamist families who did not desire to
leave their polygamous relationship, descriptions of their
experience would no doubt be different from what is
reported here by those who were unhappy enough to
leave. The reports of the women who remained in
polygamy would include descriptions of what were posi-
tive characteristics to them, and we would expect them to
be less revealing of their more negative experiences. At
the same time, we could consider the statements of those
who have left the community jaded or distorted. Based on
current views of church leaders and society’s laws, the way
will not be opened for us to perform quantitative or for
that matter qualitative research with this religious group.
I must emphasize that what follows is based on the
reports of those who left the FLDS community and
sought my help as a psychologist in their recovery from
the effects of living there. They felt sufficiently sympto-
matic and dysfunctional to seek treatment. They knew
something was wrong with them. They felt unprepared to
deal with life outside the FLDS community. They lacked
life skills. They desired help for their children. Public agen-
cies such as Workforce Services or Crime Victims Repara-
tions referred them for psychological treatment as part of
their overall treatment program. Their reports of abusive
experiences and symptoms were consistent with the
thousands of others treated at the Trauma Awareness &
Treatment Center for domestic violence and abuse, as well
as with those of others who have left polygamous situa-
tions. I saw no motivation for them to malinger or make
up traumatic experiences or symptoms.
We must first understand that the basic structure of
polygamy is authoritarian. The men who practice it gener-
ally believe they have the authority to govern and control
their wives and children in the family relationship. In
polygamous communities, there is a hierarchy of polyga-
mous marriages that exist under the control of a central
leader. This leader is referred to as the prophet. One prob-
lem with a hierarchical structure has to do with the effects
of power and control. Absolute power does tend to cor-
rupt, and it is not unusual for the patriarch or prophet in a
polygamous community to become corrupted by the
sweeping power he possesses (as evidenced by the histo-
ry of these polygamous groups).
Prominent Characteristics of the FLDS Community
All control belongs to a central figure. As previously indicat-
ed, the central figure in the polygamous group is referred
to as the prophet. In the polygamous marriage, the central
figure is the husband. A child is responsible to his/her
father, and he in turn is responsible to the prophet. The
prophet, through the father, controls the places the chil-
dren will work and for how long, how much education they
receive and for what purpose, their status or loss thereof in
the community, extracurricular activities, acceptable foods,
and the town and house they will live in. He also directs
when and whom their children will marry. He also can
determine the rules of the society in which his followers
live, and change them at any time, without explanation.
Revelation from God dictates the words and acts of the cen-
tral figure. This principle is the basis of the prophet’s
power and authority and, in a corollary way, the polyga-
mist father’s power and authority over his wives and chil-
dren. Followers are taught to worship the prophet as a
god. No matter what the prophet instructs a person to do,
he should be obeyed without question, and the follower
should be "sweet" about it (cheerfully submissive). A
prophet can make even unreasonable and nonsensical
directives, which others are expected to follow because
the rules "came from God." The story of the patriarch
Abraham and his son Isaac in the Old Testament often is
cited to reinforce this control. Abraham was willing to sac-
rifice his son Isaac because God commanded it. In like
manner, a patriarch can dictate to a fourteen-year-old girl
that she is to be his wife because God revealed it. It is a
serious matter for her to refuse this proposal, and it can
bring negative consequences to her father’s status in the
community or to opportunities for her in the future.
Independent thinking and outside information are shunned.
It stands to reason that if characteristics 1 and 2 are cor-
rect, the follower should not be expected to think inde-
pendently or be exposed to outside information, either of
which may lead him or her away from the "true path" out-
lined by the prophet or patriarch. The fathers in the polyg-
amous group are figures to respect, but the mothers are
only to be obeyed if they are in "perfect harmony" with
the father. It is expected that children not seek informa-
tion or counsel other than what is offered by the leader,
and they are to accept this advice or information implicit-
ly. Generally, children are not given conditions that
require them to think. They fulfill their responsibilities to
the family, or they answer to someone over them. Chil-
dren are not to be provided information pertaining to the
outside world, except as it may apply to earning a living
for the family or community. Free expression is not
allowed if it is different from what the leaders teach, or
from the basic recognized group values. In fact, there is
no "approved" way for a child to question a mother, just
as there is no approved way for the mother to question
the father. It is difficult for persons outside the FLDS com-
munity to grasp that today, in this country, such basic
freedoms can be, and are, denied. But a moment’s reflec-
tion suggests that if such groups are to preserve them-
selves, such freedoms cannot be allowed.
Relationships with others outside the group are prohibited.
Relationships outside the group are not encouraged,
unless they are overseen, supervised, and even microman-
aged by the priesthood authorities. The group can make it
difficult for a child to see any family member outside the
religious community (father, mother, brother, sister, aunt,
uncles, grandparent, etc.). One example that was shared
was of a mother who repeatedly visited two of her chil-
dren who had left the FLDS group. As punishment, her
husband sent her away and told her that only her own
death could atone for the grievous sin she had committed.
ICSA_volume3_proof6 5/10/11 12:14 PM Page 6
