Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey - Netflix Documentary Series
Mar 17, 2024 2:37:18 GMT -5
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Post by ForeverFree on Mar 17, 2024 2:37:18 GMT -5
I just watched the Netflix documentary series on the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS). The similarities between the FLDS and the 2x2s are eerie. Below are some quotes from the show that sounded familiar:
Quotes from Warren Jeffs, the Prophet:
“Do you believe that you know better than the prophet? If you’re questioning me, you’re questioning God.”
“Whatever the Lord commands through his Prophet is right, even if it seems wrong to our traditions.”
Quotes from Interviews of Former Members:
“We were going to be condemned to hell if we did anything different. You have to submit yourself because it was for our salvation. You did whatever it took, even if it was wrong. You just did it.”
“To stand up against a multi-million dollar church, you’re going up against a lifetime of conditioning. A lifetime of fear.”
“You don’t know any better until you get away from it, and getting away from it is the hard part.”
“Even though I grew up in the United States, we knew we were different. The way that we dressed was obviously different, and in my family, and in the culture I grew up in, I was taught that we were the one and only true people of God on the whole face of the earth.”
“We didn’t go to movies, we didn’t go to theme parks or any kind of large gathering places, so there wasn’t a lot of exposure to the outside world. Our activities were within our own group.”
“Crimes that occur in a closed religious society controlled by men. That’s when all sorts of mischief can take place.”
“When you’re taught something from birth, from your mother and your father, you believe them because they’re your parents. And as your family, I was doing what I was taught to do.”
“The prophet is a representation of God. The best way to explain the prophet would be like the Catholic Pope, the Pope pretty much runs everything.”
(Prophet = Overseer)
“My dad was so excited. For any man in the FLDS to have their daughter marry into the prophet’s family was a massive honour.”
(Marry into the Prophet’s family = Go into the Work)
“Warren started getting very cozy with the sisters of the family. Uncomfortably cozy with the sisters. And it was seen by a lot of us brothers and we reported it to our dad (the prophet), at least I did. And my dad’s response was, “drop it, don’t talk about it, I’m handling it, forget about it, don’t ever talk about it again”.”
“As soon as he became principal he realized that he had this authority. He started exercising it vigorously. “I’m the boss, obey me at all costs”.”
(Principal = Overseer)
“We listened to Warren because we thought it was for our salvation.” (regarding the women’s dress code)
“This is something that’s hard for people in mainstream society to understand. Physically, somebody could probably figure out how to leave. However, far more powerful than the physical restraints is the social, religious and mental restraints these folks have. ….They’re taught that the outside world is evil. So, they’re afraid to leave. And they know that if they’re leaving, they’re going to be leaving their families. And that is really hard to do.”
“It was really hard. ….figuring out how to have a new life in the outside world. It just felt like constantly being in a foreign land. ….I have no idea what to wear, I have no idea about the social references that people make, like Saturday Night Live and Friends. I always felt like this constant dimwit and honestly it was incredibly lonely.”
“He said that they had disagreed with leadership and by disagreeing, that was an act of deception. ….He established dominance in that meeting (of excommunication). People saw the danger of offending Warren. Because if you do it to one of them, you will do it to one of us.”
“He didn’t just kick you out, but he tore your family from you. Physically and emotionally. …What you lived for, for 50 years was completely ripped apart.”
“My heart is telling me that this is not what is right for me right now. It’s telling me that’s it’s wrong. And he came right out and said, “your heart is in the wrong place”.”
Quotes from Warren Jeffs, the Prophet:
“Do you believe that you know better than the prophet? If you’re questioning me, you’re questioning God.”
“Whatever the Lord commands through his Prophet is right, even if it seems wrong to our traditions.”
Quotes from Interviews of Former Members:
“We were going to be condemned to hell if we did anything different. You have to submit yourself because it was for our salvation. You did whatever it took, even if it was wrong. You just did it.”
“To stand up against a multi-million dollar church, you’re going up against a lifetime of conditioning. A lifetime of fear.”
“You don’t know any better until you get away from it, and getting away from it is the hard part.”
“Even though I grew up in the United States, we knew we were different. The way that we dressed was obviously different, and in my family, and in the culture I grew up in, I was taught that we were the one and only true people of God on the whole face of the earth.”
“We didn’t go to movies, we didn’t go to theme parks or any kind of large gathering places, so there wasn’t a lot of exposure to the outside world. Our activities were within our own group.”
“Crimes that occur in a closed religious society controlled by men. That’s when all sorts of mischief can take place.”
“When you’re taught something from birth, from your mother and your father, you believe them because they’re your parents. And as your family, I was doing what I was taught to do.”
“The prophet is a representation of God. The best way to explain the prophet would be like the Catholic Pope, the Pope pretty much runs everything.”
(Prophet = Overseer)
“My dad was so excited. For any man in the FLDS to have their daughter marry into the prophet’s family was a massive honour.”
(Marry into the Prophet’s family = Go into the Work)
“Warren started getting very cozy with the sisters of the family. Uncomfortably cozy with the sisters. And it was seen by a lot of us brothers and we reported it to our dad (the prophet), at least I did. And my dad’s response was, “drop it, don’t talk about it, I’m handling it, forget about it, don’t ever talk about it again”.”
“As soon as he became principal he realized that he had this authority. He started exercising it vigorously. “I’m the boss, obey me at all costs”.”
(Principal = Overseer)
“We listened to Warren because we thought it was for our salvation.” (regarding the women’s dress code)
“This is something that’s hard for people in mainstream society to understand. Physically, somebody could probably figure out how to leave. However, far more powerful than the physical restraints is the social, religious and mental restraints these folks have. ….They’re taught that the outside world is evil. So, they’re afraid to leave. And they know that if they’re leaving, they’re going to be leaving their families. And that is really hard to do.”
“It was really hard. ….figuring out how to have a new life in the outside world. It just felt like constantly being in a foreign land. ….I have no idea what to wear, I have no idea about the social references that people make, like Saturday Night Live and Friends. I always felt like this constant dimwit and honestly it was incredibly lonely.”
“He said that they had disagreed with leadership and by disagreeing, that was an act of deception. ….He established dominance in that meeting (of excommunication). People saw the danger of offending Warren. Because if you do it to one of them, you will do it to one of us.”
“He didn’t just kick you out, but he tore your family from you. Physically and emotionally. …What you lived for, for 50 years was completely ripped apart.”
“My heart is telling me that this is not what is right for me right now. It’s telling me that’s it’s wrong. And he came right out and said, “your heart is in the wrong place”.”
.. "We found a pedophile and decided to move him elsewhere to see if he'll abuse a new group of children".. Then in the disastrous aftermath, "Respect that horrific decision we made because we are special".. Wow, what planet are these people living on? Life just doesn't work like that! In reality, ya screw-up and you pay. What I'd respect is someone who would own-up to bad judgement calls. 
