Netflix's Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey: Does Warren Jeffs run FLDS from prison?

Netflix's latest true crime drama Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey exposes shocking truths about the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) and its charismatic leader Warren Jeffs. The four-part docuseries, directed by Rachel Dretzin and Grace McNally, premiered on the streaming platform on June 8, 2022.

The official synopsis of the series on Netflix reads:

''Family. Ideology. Community. FLDS leader Warren Jeffs controlled every aspect of members' lives — until someone dared to break away.''

Warren Jeffs was convicted of child s**ual assault in 2011 and sentenced to life in prison. Many, however, still believe that Jeffs continues to run the FLDS from prison. Read on to learn more details about Warren Jeffs, his arrest and more.

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Netflix's Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey: Who is Warren Jeffs?

Warren Jeffs is the self-proclaimed prophet and president of the FLDS. The FLDS is a fundamentalist Mormon denomination and its members are staunch believers in polygamy. The group has received widespread criticism, with many calling them a white supremacist group. They have also been accused of homophobia, racism and violence.

Warren Jeffs' father, Rulon Jeffs, was the president of the group. After Rulon's death in 2002, at the age of 92, Warren took over the FLDS. He allegedly controlled the finances of the group's members and s**ually abused a number of underage girls. In 2004, his nephew Brent Jeffs made a shocking allegation that his uncle had r*ped him when he was six years old and filed a lawsuit against Jeffs.

Over the years, several allegations of r*pe and s**ual abuse were made against Jeffs, including facilitating r*pe through arranged marriage. In 2006, he was included on the FBI's list of the Top Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. Later that year, he was arrested and later returned to Utah after being charged with two first-degree felonies of r*pe as an accomplice — he arranged a marriage for teenagers Allen Steed and Elissa Wall, who were cousins.

Police later raided the YFZ ranch and found incriminating evidence, including a tape of Jeffs r*ping an underage girl as well as several other child marriages arranged at the temple. Subsequently, the police took custody of over 400 children.

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Who runs the FLDS now?

Jeffs reportedly resigned as president of the group in 2007. Four years later, he was sentenced to life in prison after he was found guilty of two counts of child s**ual assault. Although he resigned as the president of the FLDS, the group reportedly continues to consider him as their supreme leader and believes he's an innocent man. The FLDS is still allegedly controlled by Jeffs from jail. According to an earlier A&E documentary titled Warren Jeffs: Prophet of Evil, Jeffs is believed to be controlling the group via his contacts and visitors in prison.

While in prison, Jess tried to commit suicide by hanging himself in 2007. He also had several health issues due to fasting in prison and was hospitalized in 2011. During his time in prison, he authored a book titled Jesus Christ Message to All Nations.

Jeffs is reportedly serving his life sentence at the Louise C. Powledge Unit in Texas and will be eligible for parole only after July 22, 2038.

You can watch Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey on Netflix.