Review: When Men Become Gods: Mormon Polygamist Warren Jeffs, His Cult of Fear, and the Women Who Fought Back

When Men Become Gods: Mormon Polygamist Warren Jeffs, His Cult of Fear, and the Women Who Fought Back by Stephen Singular
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book tells the fascinating story of the Fundamentalist church in Southern Utah under the tyranny of Warren Jeffs. It exposes much of the secrecy of illegal behavior and corrupt powerful men. I struggled with the writing style which was choppy and inconsistent at times. Although much was accurate, as far as I knew from my limited interactions and the changes made under the different prophets (Rulon Jeffs sowed paranoia before Warren), I cringed at the opinions expressed and criticisms of the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The author found multiple opportunities to point out that the Salt Lake City based mainstream Church did nothing to curb the Southern Utah church. Which is true. Yet what authority does one church hold over another? FLDS Church is like the Protestant version of the LDS Church. The Pope could not prevent King Henry VIII’s behavior once he broke with the Roman Catholic Church as he didn’t recognize the Pope’s authority. No church has the right to dictate how another church is run. If illegal activity is occurring, law enforcement and the judicial system takes action, not a church. That is the way the Constitution is written.

With the previous rant expressed, it is important to note that, as the author correctly surmises, both Utah and Arizona governments were slow to investigate and act against a community so shrouded in secrecy but especially did not want to repeat the Short Creek Raid Of ‘53 by the AZ governor. The problems with the way the community ignored the child labor laws, collected food stamps and all kinds of government funding, and whispered child brides were far overdue to be exposed and addressed. Of course, the problem arises that the town straddles two states. How do you prosecute polygamy if a man is only legally married to one wife yet “spiritually” married to 12 others? You really don’t. The same rules that caught members of the mafia apply here. You get them on tax evasion. You also get them on statutory rape. The story of how it was investigated and what lengths they went to is fascinating.

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