Adele Park's Review of Prophet's Prey by Sam Brower
Prophet's Prey by Sam Brower is one of
the most riveting books I've ever read http://www.prophetsprey.com.
I've been fascinated by the polygamist sect living in Colorado
City/Hilldale ever since I moved to Southern Utah. It seems
incredible to me that this Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) can commit so many atrocities against their
own people with few, if any repercussions.
While it's true that FLDS leader Warren
Jeffs is now serving a life sentence in Texas for the sexual assault
of two children, he wasn't brought to justice until many years after
his numerous crimes. In addition to raping and molesting countless
boys and girls, Jeffs proved himself to be a criminal with an unusual
taste for cruelty. Brower's book goes into explicit detail about the
heinous acts Jeffs committed against his family and community.
The saga involving the Jeffs reign as
leader of the FLDS occurred over a very long period of time. Bower
brilliantly describes what he uncovered during a seven year
investigation into the activities of this group. The story involves
a wide range of victims, locations and circumstances. It would be
easy to get confused by all the moving parts, but Bower lays out the
story on a chronological time line which the reader can readily
follow.
One of the important points Bower makes
throughout his book is the the issue of complicity. How is it that
the FLDS can operate in the open, breaking countless laws and still
not be held accountable? As a voter in Utah, I have watched three
Attorney Generals do little, if anything, to protect the victims in
the tragedy that is continuing to this day in Colorado City/Hilldale.
Brower's account of the Child Protective Services Department in
Texas was especially appalling. After raiding the FLDS compound in
Eldorado, Texas, the agency took custody of 463 children which they
believed were being abused. Even though 18 underage girls were pregnant as the result of spiritual unions with much older adults, the CPS of Texas returned these
children to the cult.
Brower's book also details the numerous
court proceedings involving Jeffs and his followers. To the shock of
many, justice wasn't always served. Jeffs was convicted in Utah of
being an accomplice to rape in 2007, only to have his case thrown out
on a technicality three years later. Fortunately, Jeffs was
extradited to Texas before he was freed, and subsequently convicted
on two counts involving the rape of a child.
Sadly, even though Jeffs is still in
jail, he continues in his capacity as the leader of an estimated
10-thousand FLDS members. It's shocking that the people who have
been victimized by this man continue to acknowledge him as their
prophet.
I have read many books on the subject
of polygamy, but somehow Brower's book escaped me until it was turned
into a film which debuted at the Sundance Festival this year
http://www.sundance.org/projects/prophet-s-prey
I have awarded Sam Brower and Prophet's
Prey five stars on my Goodreads Page
I commend Brower not only for his
excellent and detailed account of the FLDS activities, but also for
his efforts to try and make the perpetrators accountable for their
actions.
Here's where you can buy your own copy
of Prophet's Prey by Sam Brower:
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