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An ex-member of the fundamentalist Mormon cult – which was run by pedophiles who dubbed themselves as ‘prophets’ – has revealed how she was forced to marry the group’s 85-year-old leader at the age of 19, while her sister was made to wed her cousin when she was just 14.
The two siblings, Rebecca and Elissa Wall, opened up about the horrors they faced growing up as members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) in a new Netflix documentary, Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey.
The docuseries, which premiered on the streaming site on Wednesday, has lifted lid on the heinous crimes that FLDS leaders Rulon Jeffs and his son Warren Jeffs committed while heading up the polygamous cult.
Rulon had 20 wives and approximately 60 children when he passed; now, one of his former wives, Rebecca, has spoken out about her forced marriage, describing the moment she had to have sex with the then-octogenarian for the first time while she was still just a teenager.
Rebecca remembered him ‘rolling on top of her’ and telling her to ‘spread her legs.’
‘At 19, I did not know what it physically took to get pregnant. I did not expect Rulon Jeffs to touch me in any way, shape, or form,’ she continued. ‘I felt like, this is everything we were told was bad. Why is a man doing this, let alone the prophet of God doing this to me?’
An ex-member of a Mormon cult has revealed how she was forced to marry the group’s 85-year-old leader at age 19, while her sister had to wed her cousin when she was 14 (pictured)
The two women, Rebecca (left) and Elissa Wall (right), opened up about the horrors they faced growing up in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS)
A new Netflix docuseries has lifted lid on the heinous crimes that Rulon Jeffs – and his son Warren Jeffs (pictured together) – committed during their time as the presidents of FLDS
Rulon (pictured) had 20 wives when he passed – and one of those wives was Rebecca, who recalled doing whatever it took to avoid having sex with the then-85-year-old
Warren, now 66, became the president of FLDS in 2002 after his father passed away. He is pictured with some of his wives
While serving as the self-appointed leader of FLDS, Warren married and sexually assaulted multiple children, and forced other young girls to wed adult men in the community
The then-19-year-old also revealed the excused she would come up to avoid having sex with him – like offering to give him a massage – in the hopes that he’d fall asleep before they got around to it.
‘I was clever, I knew he was tired so I’d have him get in bed and I’d rub his feet,’ she said in the documentary.
‘I’d do anything I could to make him fall asleep. And then I’d pass by another night without having him touch me. It worked until it didn’t work anymore.’
Warren (pictured in 2008) was charged with two felony counts of child sexual assault in 2008, and he had more than 70 wives, 24 of whom were underage, when he was arrested
FLDS was created in the early 20th century by a group of Mormons who got ostracized from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because they refused to give up polygamy – the act of marrying multiple women.
It was first founded in 1930, and Rulon served as its leader from 1986 until he passed away in 2002, which then prompted his son Warren to take over as the group’s ‘prophet’.
While serving as the self-appointed leader, he married and sexually assaulted multiple children, and forced other young girls to wed adult men in the community – before he was ultimately arrested and charged with two felony counts of child sexual assault.
He had more than 70 wives, 24 of whom were underage, when he was arrested in 2008.
Many of Rulon and Warren’s victims have spoken out about the terrible abuse that they faced while growing up in the cult, as part of the four-part Rachel Dretzin-directed docuseries.
Other former FLDS members detailed how they were not allowed to have any contact with the outside world and how they were made to believe that the prophet could read their thoughts – and that if they didn’t obey him they would die.
FLDS was created in the early 20th century by a group of Mormons who got ostracized from the church because they refused to give up polygamy. One of FLDS’ bases is pictured
Rebecca and Elissa grew up on one of FLDS’ bases in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are pictured as kids with some of their siblings
Their father had two wives throughout their childhood – his first wife had nine kids, and his second wife, who was their mom, had 12 other kids. Their dad is pictured with his two wives
Elissa (pictured with her siblings, her mom, Sharon, and her dad’s first wife, Myrna) recalled not leaving the property. She said, ‘There wasn’t a lot of exposure to the outside world’
Polygamy was renounced from the Mormon religion in 1904, when the then-president of the church said it would no longer be allowed in a declaration known as the Second Manifesto.
However, some members of the community didn’t want to stop the practice since they believed that ‘the more wives and children you have, the higher in Heaven you’ll be,’ according to the documentary.
Rebecca and Elissa grew up on one of FLDS’ bases in Salt Lake City, Utah. Their father had two wives throughout their childhood – his first wife was a woman named Myrna, who had nine kids, and his second wife was a woman named Sharon, who was their mom and had 12 other kids.
‘We didn’t really leave our property in Salt Lake City. We didn’t go to the movies, we didn’t go to theme parks, or any large gatherings,’ Elissa said in the doc.
‘There wasn’t a lot of exposure to the outside world, we just did activities within our group.
‘As time went on, we got further and further away from society, and all of us knew that our way of life had to be concealed.’
Elissa explained that they were taught that the prophet was a ‘representation of God on Earth,’ and that he ‘would never die.’
Rebecca said that when a girl was ‘ready to get married,’ her parents would bring her to the prophet and say, ‘Here’s my daughter, do with her as you will.’ Her dad is pictured with Rulon
When Rebecca was 19 years old, she was told that she had to marry Rulon, who was 85 at the time. They are pictured at their wedding
Rebecca (pictured now) said that she was told her ‘soul purpose’ was to ‘be with Rulon, to pray, and to be obedient – to be adoring at all times’
She added: ‘We believed the prophet knew everything we did, every thought we had. He knew our dreams, knew our wishes, our desires. He was also the one that created all the arranged marriages.’
According to Rebecca, when a girl was ‘ready to get married,’ her parents would bring her to the prophet and say, ‘Here’s my daughter, do with her as you will. Whatever is God’s will.’
When Rebecca was 19 years old, she was told that she had to marry Rulon, who was the ruler of FLDS and was 85 at the time.
‘My dad was so excited. For any man in the FLDS, to have their daughter marry into the prophet’s family was a massive honor,’ she recalled. ‘But I was just like, “Ew.”‘
Rebecca said that she was told her ‘soul purpose’ was to ‘be with Rulon Jeffs, to pray, and to be obedient – to be adoring at all times,’ adding, ‘They didn’t let us work, they didn’t let us go to school.’
Alicia Rohbock also married Rulon when she was 20 and he was 86. By the time that they wed, he had 23 other wives already.
Alicia said that every night before bed, all of Rulon’s wives would form a line outside of his bedroom door so that they could give him a goodnight kiss.
But one night, he asked her to stay with him so he could do some ‘love making,’ but she had no idea what that was.
‘You don’t know anything. I did not know how babies were born, I just thought you made them when you kissed,’ she shared.
Alicia Rohbock also married Rulon when she was 20 and he was 86. By the time that they wed, he had 23 other wives already. They are pictured at the wedding
Alicia (pictured with Rulon) said that every night before bed, all of Rulon’s wives would form a line outside of his bedroom door so that they could give him a goodnight kiss
Alicia (seen as a teen) said that one night, Rulon told her wanted to do some ‘love making,’ but she had no idea what that was, explaining, ‘I did not know how babies were born’
‘You don’t know anything. I did not know how babies were born, I just thought you made them when you kissed,’ Alicia (pictured now) shared
Rulon had a ‘massive stroke’ in August 1998, and later passed away in 2002. Warren soon started to ‘take over’ as prophet, and that’s when ‘things really took a turn’ for the worst, according to Elissa.
‘[Warren] had this saying, “Obedience is led by a hair.” Meaning, hair is so thin, and true obedience meant that you could be led by a hair and you wouldn’t break it,’ she explained in the doc.
‘There could be absolutely no resistance to that obedience because any resistance would pop that hair.
‘Anything that had an outside influence was purged. The school libraries, they would take out any book that wasn’t specifically approved by Warren himself, those were completely banned.
‘Warren created a curriculum that was specifically for the girls in FLDS that he would teach in school.’
The women revealed that Warren started making many new rules and prohibiting anything that was considered fun, like watching videos or putting on plays. He also started to control the way the women dressed.
‘Before Warren, women dressed anyway we wanted to dress as long as we were covered,’ Myrna Wall, the first wife of Elissa and Rebecca’s father, explained.
Rebecca remembered Rulon (pictured with some of his wives) ‘rolling on top of her’ and telling her to ‘spread her legs’
Rulon had a ‘massive stroke’ in August 1998, and later passed away in 2002. He is seen at his funeral with all of his wives
Warren (pictured as a kid) soon started to ‘take over’ as prophet, and that’s when ‘things really took a turn’ for the worst, according to Elissa
‘And then Warren started restricting the clothing and what you wore. We were told, get rid of all your denim and prints. Everyone had to look alike.’
She said women had to keep their hair ‘immaculate’ and cover themselves ‘from head to toe.’
The women revealed that Warren (pictured with one of his wives) started making many new rules and prohibiting anything that was considered fun. He also controlled the way the women dressed
Throughout the years that he ran FLDS – which has bases throughout the Salt Lake City area of Utah, and Colorado City in Arizona, collectively known as Short Creek, as well as one in Eldorado, Texas, which is called the Yearning for Zion Ranch – Warren brainwashed, imprisoned, and abused multiple women and children, earning him a spot on the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted List.
He often used fear to keep them under his control, with Elissa explaining that his teachings were ‘so scary’ and that he’d ‘pound images of blood running down the Salt Lake City drains into their heads.’ He also told them that if they didn’t ‘obtain salvation’ they would die.
‘I wasn’t scared of death, I was scared of disobeying the prophet. I would have rather died than disobeyed,’ a former FLDS member, named Erna Black, said during the docuseries.
Her husband, Jeff, added, ‘She truly believed that if she obeyed, she would have eternal life even if she died.’
After Rulon passed away, Warren started to wed all of the women that his father had been married to. And when Rebecca showed resistance, he was not happy about it.
She recalled: ‘Warren said, “I will break you. You’ve had too much freedom for too long. I will train you to be a good wife.” It felt like the world was caving in on me and I was so scared.’
Throughout the years that he ran FLDS, Warren (pictured with his dad) imprisoned and abused multiple women and children, earning him a spot on the FBI’s Most Wanted List
Warren often used fear to keep them under his control, with Elissa explaining that his teachings were ‘so scary,’ and that he told them if they didn’t ‘obtain salvation’ they would die
When Elissa was just 14 years old, Warren told her that she would have to marry her first cousin, who she had an ‘intense dislike for.’ She is pictured as a kid
She said she pleaded with Warren to not make her marry him but he said, ‘Are you questioning the prophet’s will? Do you believe you know better than the prophet?’
After the wedding, Elissa said she told her husband (pictured) that she didn’t want him to touch her – but he told her it ‘was his right and her duty,’ and proceeded to have sex with her
When Elissa was just 14 years old, Warren told her that she would have to marry her first cousin, who she had an ‘intense dislike for.’
‘There was a feeling I had around him, my skin would crawl and I didn’t feel safe in his presence,’ she said of her cousin.
Elissa (pictured now) voiced her concerns to Warren, who told her she ‘needed to go home and cement herself – mind, body, and soul – to her husband’ since he was her ‘pathway to Heaven’
‘I was quite defiant [about the wedding], I said, “I will not do this. I cannot marry him.” When I sat and talked to Warren [about it], I felt like I was fighting for my very life.
‘I was crying and scared and intimated to be sitting in his presence. He asked me, “Are you questioning the prophet’s will? Do you believe you know better than the prophet?” He was immovable. My pleas and my requests were ignored.’
After the wedding, Elissa said she told her husband that she didn’t want him to touch her – but he told her it ‘was his right and her duty,’ and proceeded to have sex with her.
‘The worst part was, I didn’t know what was happening to me. It hurt and it was scary, and I didn’t know what was going on,’ she shared.
‘I didn’t have words like “rape” or “violated,” those weren’t even part of our vocabulary at FLDS. So I just cried and asked him to please stop.
‘After it was all over he went to sleep, I pulled myself out of bed and went to the bathroom and cried and cried and sat there trying to find God’s will in all of it.
In 2005, Warren was charged with sexual assault of a minor, but the charges were eventually dropped. He is seen in 2006
In 2006, he was also charged with felony accomplice to the rape of a teenage girl. He was found guilty, but the conviction was later overturned. He is pictured in 2007
Police arrested Jeffs for a third time in 2008, after they found over 400 children and evidence of abuse on his Texas ranch. Members of the cult are seen leaving the compound after the raid
‘I went to see Warren and I told him what was happening in the bedroom because I truly believed in that moment that if he realized what was going on, he would validate that it wasn’t supposed to.
‘But he didn’t do that, instead, he told me that I needed to go home and cement myself – mind, body, and soul – to my husband. That he was my pathway to Heaven. It was the biggest feeling of betrayal.’
In 2011, he was sent away for life after he was convicted of two felony counts of child sexual assault for having sex with two girls aged 12 and 14. He is pictured in 2011
In 2005, Warren was charged with sexual assault of a minor and conspiracy to commit sexual misconduct with a minor after he allegedly forced an unidentified then-14-year-old girl to marry her 19-year-old cousin.
During the trial, the young girl claimed that her husband raped and impregnated her numerous times, however, the charges were eventually dismissed.
According to CNN, the case was dropped in 2010 by the prosecutor, after Warren was arrested for ‘much more serious charges.’
In 2006, he was also charged with felony accomplice to the rape of a teenage girl. He was found guilty, however, the conviction was later overturned by the Utah Supreme Court, who claimed there was a mistake in jury instructions.
Police stormed the Zion Ranch in 2008 and arrested Warren for a third time, after they found over 400 children and evidence of ‘sexual, physical, and psychological abuse,’ Rolling Stone reported.
In 2011, he was sent away for life after he was convicted of two felony counts of child sexual assault for having sex with two girls aged 12 and 14.
He is currently serving a life sentence plus 20 years for the charges, however, it’s been reported that Warren has continued to preach to FLDS’ remaining members from his prison cell.
As of 2018, the Guardian reported that there were still around 10,000 active members of the church.
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