Answer Them Nothing: Bringing Down the Polygamous Empire of Warren Jeffs

Description

The compelling story of the struggle by law enforcement and activists to dismantle the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) is finally told. In 1953, when police raided the Short Creek compound of the FLDS, it soon became a political and publicity nightmare eventually costing the governor of Arizona his job. Thus began 50 years of skittish public officials turning a blind eye to heinous offenses such as child abandonment, kidnapping, statutory rape, and incest, as well as massive tax and welfare fraud. Warren Jeffs became the new FLDS prophet and president in 2002, and anti-FLDS activists watched in horror as he used his boundless authority and the resources of a tax-supported community to devastate thousands of lives on cruel whims. This expose presents a detailed, chilling account of how a hostile, destructive group can manipulate the U.S. judicial system. It is a mesmerizing journey into one of the United States's darkest corners, a story that stretches over three states and deep into the history of the powerful Mormon Church.

Debra Weyermann is an award-winning journalist who has written for numerous publications, including the Arizona Daily Star, the Denver Post, Harper's, and the Santa Barbara News-Press.

A worthy read . . . Weyermann writes crisply. --Phoenix New Times The book is undeniably unsettling--the author doesn't pull any punches in her descriptions of the FLDS' illegal acts--but it's also definitely worth reading as a reminder of the horros that can go on in our own backyards. --Booklist Weyermann's powerful expose on the FLDS' origins, its subsequent rise to power and how it held court over the U.S. political system is essential reading as the struggle for justice continues today. A masterful exploration of one of America's most shameful secrets. --Kirkus Reviews Weyermann's well-researched muckracking is colorful and gripping . . . a distrubing account of how a religious quasi-dictatorship can flourish on American soil. --Publishers Weekly