Threat of Damnation: Some Thoughts on the Warren Jeffs Trial

The case is closing today in the trial of Warren Jeffs, self proclaimed prophet of the Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints* (FLDS). He is defending himself against charges of sexual assault of two of his child brides (one was 12, the other 15, with whom a child was conceived). Jeffs is, of course, arguing that his beliefs and practices are protected by the freedom of religion principle.

As Americans nothing makes us more uncomfortable than feeling that we may be trampling on another citizen's Constitutional rights. We are uncertain about the government's responsibility in a case like this. Should there be state/federal intervention or should Jeffs and his followers be left alone to practice what they believe is God's will?

I have studied the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints for many years and as many of you can attest, can discuss it ad nauseam. I won't go into the history of this group, other than to say prior to the reign of Rulon Jeffs, the defendant's father, the FLDS was ruled by a quorum of men who made decisions for the community. Under the senior Jeffs, and to a greater extent under his son, the FLDS become a theocracy guided by "the one man rule."

As leader and prophet of the FLDS, Warren Jeffs has sole authority over the members of the community. The cases brought against Jeffs have nothing to do with one having the right to practice freedom of religion and EVERYTHING to do with one man's obsession with power. Jeffs’ followers do not have the freedom to reject their leader’s direction because years of rigorous indoctrination taught that to disobey would mean forfeiting their salvation. Warren Jeffs' used threats of damnation as a means of enforcing his will.

Close examination of the case should alleviate the guilt of those of us who wish to allow our fellow Americans to practice their religious beliefs without outside interference. What Warren Jeffs did was not about religion or protecting his flock from eternal damnation. It was about one man who amassed sole control over a community and abused his power. He used his authority to force and coerce people into doing things they did not want to do.

In a traditional religious organization, one’s personal beliefs are influenced, but not mandated. For them, the only real choice permitted is one between salvation and damnation. For those people who say that they would never have remained in this environment-- or that they would have packed up their backs and left-- I would ask that they reflect deeper.

*The FLDS is a splinter group of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and is not affliiated with the mainstream Mormon Church.