Wiekes weetjes: 10 feitjes over de FLDS Kerk

Did you also have nightmares after watching Keep Sweet, Pray and Obey? Well, so did I. What a sick docuseries. I couldn't stop watching. I wanted to stop watching, but it really went from bad to worse. That there are people who can still live like this in 2022, I really can't wrap my head around it. After watching this, I had to know everything about this bizarre religion, so I dove down a rabbit hole. Because of that, I can now present you this: ten more bizarre facts about the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (also known simply as the FLDS) that the docu didn't cover.

1. Since the arrest of Warren Jeffs, the self-proclaimed prophet of this church, their doctrine has changed somewhat regarding polygamy: only men who can (better said: may) have children, called ‘seed bearers’, are allowed to have multiple wives. These men are chosen because of their favorable bloodline, and there are now about fifteen of them.

2. The majority of the members live in the following ranches in America: Short Creek (Arizona), Eldorado (Texas), Hildale (Utah), and Colorado (Utah). The latter two villages in particular are mainly inhabited by church members, and they are known for harassing non-members and trying to convert them. Quite a cozy atmosphere. They also have a significant colony in Bountiful, British Columbia (Canada).

3. Members still have to pray for Warren Jeffs, who is in prison. In fact: they have to do this all day long, every hour, no matter what they are doing.

4. In 2015, a public school was reopened after being closed for thirteen years. This school is run by members of the FLDS Church, and children learn here among other things that Warren Jeffs is the president of the United States and that no one has ever been to the moon, because God led Neil Armstrong away from there.

5.  Members are not allowed to vote. Why not? Because they believe that Warren Jeffs has been the president of the United States all along (yep, even though he has been behind bars for years) and voting is therefore not really necessary. They also don't even know that there are other candidates.

6. It is estimated that in 2022 there are still between 6,000 and 10,000 members.

7. And of all those members, it is estimated that about 67 percent are no more than nineteen years old. The average age? 12.6 years. For these statistics, they actually used data from Colorado City.

8. In the villages of Hildale and Colorado City, the condition known as ‘Polygamist's Down’ is most prevalent in the world. Also logical, considering that there aren't many people living there who are having a lot of children among themselves.

9. Mothers are forbidden to show affection to their children. According to the FLDS Church, only the head of the household (the father) is allowed to ensure that a child feels valued. Therefore, mothers are forbidden to give their children hugs or kisses.

10. Members of the FDLS Church are allowed to drink and have coffee. Members of the Mormon church (from which the FLDS originated) are absolutely not allowed to, but on many of the ranches, you will find bars and places to drink coffee.