Warren Jeffs: From Pulpit to Maximum Security Prison.
Warren Steed Jeffs is a highly controversial figure in the history of American religious movements, particularly within the world of Mormon fundamentalism. Born 8 weeks prematurely on December 3, 1955, in Sacramento, California, Jeffs entered a family deeply enmeshed in religious leadership. His father, Rulon Jeffs, was a prominent leader within the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), a sect that broke away from mainstream Mormonism to maintain the practice of polygamy.
Early Life and Ascendancy to Power
Jeffs grew up just outside Salt Lake City, Utah, and from an early age, he was groomed for leadership within the FLDS. The FLDS Church, which promotes the practice of plural marriage, regards itself as the true continuation of the faith founded by Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, maintaining beliefs and practices that have been abandoned by the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).
Jeffs attended and later became principal of Alta Academy, an FLDS private school in Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah, in 1976. Known for his rigid adherence to religious principles, Jeffs earned a reputation for strictness and discipline, traits that would mark his leadership in later years.
Jeffs’s father, Rulon Jeffs, ascended to the presidency of the FLDS Church in 1986 and held considerable power, amassing numerous wives (between 19 and 20, depending on reports) and fathering around 60 children. As a counsellor to his father, Warren Jeffs gained experience in leadership and religious administration. When Rulon Jeffs passed away in 2002, Warren stepped into his father’s role, assuming the titles of “President and Prophet, Seer and Revelator” and “President of the Priesthood.” These titles gave him nearly complete control over the adult male church members and vast spiritual influence over the entire congregation.
Consolidating Power
Upon his father’s death, Warren Jeffs assumed control of the FLDS Church. His leadership, however, was not without controversy. Rulon Jeffs had many wives, and Warren Jeffs instructed his followers that these women should continue to live as though Rulon were still alive. In a highly unusual move, Warren married all but two of his father’s wives within the span of a week. One widow fled, and another refused to marry Warren and was consequently forbidden from ever marrying again.
As the sole authority in the FLDS Church with the power to perform marriages, Warren Jeffs had tremendous control over his followers’ lives. He assigned wives to husbands, often removing wives and children from one man to give them to another as a form of religious or social punishment. This concentration of power not only extended to spiritual matters but also to material wealth. At the height of his reign, Jeffs controlled nearly all the land in Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, part of the church’s trust known as the United Effort Plan (UEP). By some estimates, the value of the land controlled by Jeffs exceeded $100 million. However, in 2012, courts stripped the FLDS of control over the land and placed it in state custody pending further litigation.
Controversies and Legal Troubles
In addition to the power struggles within the church, Warren Jeffs’s leadership faced significant external challenges. His decision to excommunicate Winston Blackmore, a high-ranking leader in the Canadian branch of the FLDS Church, caused a significant schism in the congregation. Blackmore’s followers split from Jeffs, with many remaining loyal to Blackmore as their spiritual leader.
Warren Jeffs’s behaviour raised further alarms among law enforcement and the general public. Allegations of abuse and coercion began to surface, particularly involving the practice of marrying underage girls to much older men. Jeffs taught that plural marriage was necessary for a man to attain exaltation in the afterlife. He told his followers that having three or more wives would bring them closer to heaven.
In 2006, Jeffs became a fugitive after being charged with multiple counts of sexual misconduct, including charges related to his role in arranging marriages between underage girls and older men. His nephew, Brent Jeffs, was one of several family members who accused Warren of sexual abuse, dating back to the late 1980s. Brent Jeffs would later write a memoir, Lost Boy, recounting his experiences of abuse at the hands of his uncle.
Arrest and Conviction
Despite attempts to evade law enforcement, Jeffs was captured on August 28, 2006, in Nevada. The FBI placed him on their Ten Most Wanted list earlier that year. When apprehended, Jeffs was found in possession of disguises, large sums of money, and numerous cell phones, indicating he had planned to continue his life as a fugitive. After his arrest, Jeffs was extradited to Utah to face charges.
Jeffs’s trial in 2007 drew widespread media attention. He was charged with being an accomplice to rape, specifically for his role in arranging the marriage between a 14-year-old girl and her older cousin. The girl, Elissa Wall, testified against Jeffs, detailing how she was coerced into marriage and subsequently raped by her cousin. Jeffs was found guilty and sentenced to two consecutive terms of five years to life in prison.
Further Legal Battles and Imprisonment
Jeffs’s legal troubles did not end with his initial conviction. While serving time in Utah, he faced additional charges in Arizona and Texas, where authorities uncovered further instances of abuse within the FLDS Church. In Texas, Jeffs was convicted on two counts of sexual assault of a child and sentenced to life in prison in 2011. These charges stemmed from his involvement in marrying underage girls, some as young as 12 years old, to older men within the FLDS community.
Throughout his time in prison, Jeffs has continued to assert control over the FLDS Church. Despite renouncing his position as prophet in 2007, he later retook leadership of the group. His followers continue to regard him as their spiritual leader, believing that he communicates with God from his prison cell.
Legacy and Continuing Influence
Jeffs’s influence on the FLDS Church remains strong, despite his incarceration. Many of his followers still regard him as the true prophet, and his teachings continue to guide the sect’s practices. The FLDS community has seen significant changes since Jeffs’
Since his conviction, Jeffs has been serving his sentence in a maximum-security prison in Palestine, Texas. Despite being behind bars, Jeffs has engaged in various hunger strikes, which his followers and he himself have characterised as acts of spiritual protest. His declining health has led to multiple hospitalizations, though he has consistently resumed his prison sentence each time.
Jeffs has also used his time in prison to continue his leadership over the FLDS community. He reportedly communicates with his followers through written directives, telephone calls, and coded messages that are smuggled out of prison. His followers still regard him as their prophet, believing that he continues to receive revelations from God even while incarcerated. In fact, some FLDS members believe Jeffs will one day be miraculously freed and restored to his position of power.
Continuing Influence Outside Prison
Jeffs’s imprisonment has not completely severed his connection to the FLDS Church. According to reports, he continues to dictate strict rules for his followers, such as limiting communication with outsiders, controlling marriages, and enforcing conservative dress codes. Although there have been power struggles and internal divisions within the FLDS since Jeffs’s incarceration, he retains a core group of loyal followers who believe in his divine authority.
The FLDS community, particularly those still living in the traditional strongholds of Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah, as well as in other isolated enclaves, continue to follow Jeffs’s orders. His influence extends even to church finances and community affairs, as Jeffs reportedly controls decisions about church property and membership. For instance, he has excommunicated hundreds of people from the church while imprisoned, further consolidating power over the loyalist faction.
However, the FLDS Church has been significantly weakened since Jeffs’s imprisonment. Some former members have left the community, disillusioned by Jeffs’s crimes and harsh leadership. Additionally, many church properties and assets were seized by courts and redistributed, further diminishing the church’s influence. Law enforcement and social services have also taken a more active role in monitoring and intervening in FLDS communities to protect children and enforce the law.