Exploring Cults Beyond the Headlines

Utah has a notorious cult reputation due to heavy media coverage of the Fundamentalist Latter-day Saints (FLDS).

In recent years, documentaries detailing cult activities have become popular and even I have to admit to being drawn into a few of them. They show some very frowned upon activities including polygamy, child marriage and other things that are both gruesome and interesting to watch.

Although these in no way reflect current Mormon believers, the stories remain compelling. While not all of them stay in Utah, many of them start here.

Warren Jeffs

A well-known cult story is that of Warren Jeffs it happened in the early 2000s in a community called Short Creek, near the Utah-Arizona border. There are some documentaries you can watch like Stay gentle: pray and obey on Netflix and Truth and lies: the prophet of the end of the world on Hulu.

Jeffs had numerous wives while sexually abusing his children in the name or because of religion. He restricted television, books, media and anything else that didn’t suit him. The dress, speech, and behavior of women in the community were severely restricted.

Many members of the FLDS community married as teenagers into cousins ​​or closer relatives.

The Laffertys

A small Mormon family in northern Utah was the victim of a shocking murder in the 1980s. The murder of Brenda Wright Lafferty and her daughter in their Utah home shocked Utah. All of this became linked to what was previously a well-known LDS family that had strayed into FLDS territory.

Polygamous views and excommunication from the LDS church lead brothers Lafferty, Dan and Ron to engage in disgusting behavior. Ron claimed that a divine message had ordered him to kill Brenda, his sister-in-law.

A hit miniseries on Hulu called Under the banner of heaven absorbed observers. This is a seven-episode series that delves into true crime committed right here in Utah.

These two incidents created a fascination for Mormons and non-Mormons across the country. Several documentaries and books have been released detailing the stories of those who suffered under the sectarian rules of the FLDS.

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