Just when you think that we have moved into a civilized society with the advancement of time, the truth is that in corners you don’t know, incidents of cults and sexual abuse are still happening.
Recently, Netflix used the case of well-known cult leader Warren Jeffs’ sexual abuse of underage girls as the main axis of the documentary “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey” to reveal the dark side of the hidden church.
In 2008, law enforcement agencies raided the Learning for Zion Ranch in West Texas and found horrific evidence of sexual exploitation and physical and psychological abuse, taking more than 400 children on the spot and drawing global attention.
Warren Jeffs is the leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), the largest offshoot of the Fundamentalist Mormon Church and the largest group practicing polygamy in the United States.
A self-proclaimed prophet, he has married a total of 87 wives, mostly minors, and about 50-70 children. He took over the leadership of the FLDS Church from his father in 2002, during which time he sexually abused and molested children.
He was arrested in August 2006 and sentenced to life in prison without parole on two counts of sexual abuse of a child.
According to reports, Warren Jeffs and his followers lived in a small desert town spanning Arizona and Utah, and later built a large church in Texas, where each believer was expected to contribute a portion of his income to the church and obey all its rules.
He had the right to expel disobedient men and to reassign the wives or children of other men to other men in the town at will.
The rules of this church were so strict that they believed men had to have at least three wives to enter heaven. In other words, the more wives you have, the closer you are to heaven.
On the other hand, women were taught that the only way they could enter heaven was to marry and have children, and that they had to wear long, modest dresses, take care of the household, and be obedient to their husbands.
In addition, many modern things are forbidden, such as toys, bicycles, the Internet, movies, telephones, etc., doing everything possible to isolate believers from the world.
Although Warren Jeffs, 66, was sentenced to life in prison, it is known that he still controls the group and his wives visit him regularly.
Netflix’s “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey” is divided into four episodes and is scheduled for release on June 8.
In addition to revealing never-before-seen footage, they also feature escaped victims sharing their personal experiences, from forced marriages and pregnancies of minors to Warren Jeffs’ cult-like practices of oppressing believers at every turn, all of which will be revealed to the public.
Related Post: Documentary “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey” Releases Official Trailer, it will hit Netflix on June 8.
