The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was created as a more rigid interpretation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more specifically to continue practicing polygamy after the LDS church stopped. Because there was never any structure within the FLDS, there have been battles for power since its inception, and the cult has always been rife with abuse and corruption. When Rulon Jeffs became the prophet and his son manipulated his way to the position at his death, the FLDS reached all-new levels of depravity. He was a lunatic regarded as the mouth of God, and the obedience of his followers was essential to their access to heaven. The entire cult is an example of the repeating cycles of abuse and a lesson that the only good cult is a Creep It Real cult.
Our sources for this episode include:
Breaking Free: How I Escaped Polygamy, the FLDS cult and my father, Warren Jeffs
Prophet's Prey: My Seven-Year Investigation Into Warren Jeffs and the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints
by Sam Brower