He retook control of the church four years later, after followers said he appeared to get more access to phone calls outside prison.Ĭhris Wyler - a lifelong church member until his expulsion in 2012 - told CNN that he witnessed instances when Jeffs was "patched in" by phone so he could speak with church leaders.Īlso, members were instructed to pray for God to free Jeffs, whom they call "the Prophet." In the midst of his legal troubles, Jeffs resigned as church president in 2007. There has been no response to CNN's multiple attempts to connect with an FLDS representative to get their side of the story.Ī convicted child rapist still leads the church "I'm 100% satisfied as a private investigator that it exists," he said. When asked about his sources for this information, Brower would only say he didn't want to violate confidences. Any touching between spouses outside rituals like these, even a simple handshake, can now be considered adultery in the church. "It's ritualistic procreation," Brower said, "performed on a ritualistic bed-slash-altar." As part of this new system, Warren Jeffs has withheld any relationships between husbands and wives, Brower said. Lyle Jeffs eventually agreed to share custody of their two teen children with Charlene Jeffs - the Salt Lake Tribune reported - with the children living with their mother.īrower said he was able to confirm similar reports of "seed bearers" through his own sources. Utah juvenile court records are not usually available to the public, so it's unknown if anyone filed documents disputing any details in Charlene Jeffs' petition, or the veracity of the petition's allegations. "It is the husband's responsibility to hold the hands of their wives while the seed bearer 'spreads his seed.' In layman terms, the husband is required to sit in the room while the chosen seed bearer, or a couple of them, rape his wife or wives," according to the document. That privilege belongs to the seed bearer alone," the petition said. Under a new doctrine, "FLDS men are no longer permitted to have children with their multiple wives. George, Utah, juvenile court by Lyle Jeffs' estranged wife Charlene Jeffs describes a group of followers called "seed bearers." "A seed bearer is an elect man of a worthy bloodline chosen by the Priesthood to impregnate the FLDS woman," according to Charlene Jeffs' petition. He played a key role in the FBI's investigation of Jeffs' and his eventual conviction.įirst obtained by the Salt Lake Tribune, a child custody petition filed in a St. So, what's the status of FLDS today? Several key issues continue to play a role in the church's future:Īlthough day-to-day leadership of the church is run mostly by Jeff's brother, Lyle Jeffs, Warren Jeffs actively directs church matters from prison, said Sam Brower, a private investigator who's been closely following FLDS activities for 10 years.īrower's New York Times best-selling book "Prophet's Prey" inspired a documentary of the same name, which debuted at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Other enclaves exist in Mancos, Colorado Boise City, Oklahoma Custer County, South Dakota and a Canadian community known as Bountiful, British Columbia.įLDS leaders seldom speak with the news media and did not respond to CNN's multiple requests for comment on this story. The church allegedly exercises control over the adjacent towns of Colorado City, Arizona, and Hildale, Utah - an area informally known as Short Creek. The FLDS broke away from the mainstream Mormon church more than a century ago because its members refused to renounce polygamy. He was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years. Authorities seized and shut down the ranch last year.Įventually, Jeffs was convicted in 2011 of "sexual assault" and "aggravated sexual assault" of two girls ages 12 and 15. Police removed more than 460 children from the property, including mothers under 18 years old. In 2008, authorities raided the church's sprawling Texas ranch. At one point Jeffs disappeared, prompting the FBI to put him on its 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list until he was captured. It gained worldwide attention in 2006 when authorities accused Jeffs of sexual offenses against girls he took as wives. Jeffs leads a polygamist sect known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (CNN) - It's hard to imagine that a convicted child rapist would be allowed to lead a church from prison, but that's exactly what's going on with Warren Jeffs.
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