The harrowing true crime documentary Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey has left Netflix viewers profoundly disturbed and disgusted, as it uncovers the horrific crimes and systemic abuse within the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), led by the self-proclaimed prophet Warren Jeffs.
Exposing a Polygamist Cult's Dark Secrets
First aired in 2022, this four-part documentary series delves into the shocking true story of the FLDS, a polygamist Mormon denomination. Through disturbing interviews with survivors and excommunicates, including individuals who had intimate relationships with Jeffs, the series reveals the extent of the abuse that ultimately led to Jeffs receiving a life sentence in prison.
The Crimes of Warren Jeffs
Warren Jeffs, who took over leadership from his father Rulon Jeffs, married 78 women by the time of his arrest. Netflix notes that 24 of these wives were underage, with one being just 12 years old. Furthermore, Jeffs arranged marriages between several underage girls and other adult men within the group. Despite his heinous acts and current incarceration at age 70, Jeffs is still considered the prophet and president of the church, maintaining thousands of followers.
The documentary highlights how victims and former FLDS members were coerced by Jeffs, with evidence of sexual, physical, and psychological abuse coming to light during a dramatic 2008 raid at the Yearning for Zion Ranch in West Texas. This raid resulted in law enforcement agents taking over 400 children into custody after uncovering stunning evidence of widespread abuse.
Viewer Reactions: Disgust and Anger
Netflix viewers have expressed overwhelming horror and disgust after watching the series. On Reddit, one viewer suggested it under a thread for "the most horrifying crime documentary ever watched," writing: "The ending of that one just left [me] so disgusted."
Another viewer called it "sickening," adding: "As someone who's a millennial, I was too young when Jeffs was arrested, and as a European this story hasn't crossed my path before... It just gets more maddening and sickening, with the worst at the end. I was left shedding tears in anger of how this suffering exists in this world."
Additional viewer comments include:
- "This documentary is absolutely eye opening and sad in so many ways."
- "It's definitely worth watching but get ready to be shocked that this kind of crap goes on in our country."
- "A gut-wrenching story" and "incredibly insane and sad."
- "My dear God, I am utterly shaken... It is heartbreaking to watch this."
Director's Approach and Archival Footage
Director Rachel Dretzin, an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker, prioritized allowing victims and survivors to tell their stories for the first time. She explained on Netflix's You Can't Make This Up podcast: "Our focus [is] not only on the experience of being in that cult... It's on the people, particularly the women who managed to defy it and escape it, which — if you know anything about the FLDS — is a pretty miraculous and incredible thing to do."
Dretzin faced challenges in visualizing the story since FLDS members were prohibited from using cellphones or the internet. However, she discovered "a treasure trove of archival footage from inside the FLDS [that] just existed in people's phones and computers." This documentation proved crucial, as Dretzin revealed: "Every crime he committed, he recorded on tape, or audio or journals," ultimately sealing Jeffs' conviction at trial.
The series synopsis describes it as giving viewers "an in-depth look into the secretive polygamous sect" and uncovering "extraordinary bravery battling tyrannical control in modern America," covering everything from forced underage marriage and pregnancy to the group's descent into an oppressive criminal cult under Jeffs' rule.
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey remains available for streaming on Netflix, continuing to provoke strong reactions from viewers confronted with this disturbing chapter of American religious extremism and criminal abuse.
