- Born into a radical religious sect, 18-year-old Briell was completely isolated from the outside world
- Growing up, she was taught that it was normal for men to be married to at least three women
- Then came the day when she was forced to wed the cult leader, who already had 64 wives
Here, Briell, now 39, tells her story in her own words…
Feeling the warmth of the sun on my bare arms, I couldn’t help but smile.
I can be whoever I want, I thought, breathing a sigh of relief.
Aged 26, it was the first time that I could dress however I wanted, instead of the long-sleeve prairie dresses I’d been made to wear my whole life.
Born into a radical religious sect, The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), I was one of 14 children.
The sect was formed after the Mormon church outlawed polygamy in 1890.
Growing up, we were taught that every man in our community should have at least three wives, or more.
Even my dad had another wife who lived with us, but she didn’t bear any of his children.
Our leader, Rulon Jeffs, was rumoured to have between 19 and 75 wives in total, including one of my older sisters.
They’d wed when she was 18 and he was in his 80s.
Despite their massive age difference, I didn’t think it was strange.
Banned from contacting or socialising with anyone outside our community, we were led to believe such a marriage was normal.
We also were restricted from watching TV, listening to popular music and reading non-fiction books.
‘Plural marriage is required to enter the highest level of heaven,’ Dad would remind us every day.
‘You’re going to marry Warren Jeffs,’ people in the community would say, reminding me of my life’s purpose.
Thirty years my senior, I found the concept of marrying him terrifiying
The son of Rulon, Warren was destined to take over as our prophet when his father passed.
But as he was my school principal, and 30 years my senior, I found the concept of marrying him terrifying.
After Rulon died, aged 92, in September 2002, Warren took on most of his father’s wives.
He married the younger wives and took care of the older wives and the children.
Just three months after my 18th birthday, in January 2004, Dad took me to Warren’s brother’s house for my wedding.
I was to be our prophet’s 65th bride. There was no ring or white dress, but my fate was sealed with a kiss.
Afterwards, Warren, then 48, ordered my father out of the room before instructing me to sit on his lap.
When he touched my private parts, I froze, which made my new husband furious.
Women were taught to ‘keep sweet’, meaning we had to suppress our emotions, obey our husbands, and worship our leader, and I’d just broken all three rules.
‘Take her away, then!’ Warren spat at my dad.
The drive home with Dad was mostly silent.
Two weeks later, I was told to pack a bag and was sent to one of Warren’s compounds interstate.
My older sister – now Warren’s wife after Rulon’s death – came with me.
There, I was given a lesson on how to sexually gratify my husband, referred to by him as ‘heavenly trainings’.
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I had no interest in consummating the marriage, so whenever Warren came to visit, I’d hide in a cupboard, desperate to distance myself from him.
But I noticed he seemed to favour spending time with his younger brides – some were as young as 12.
Although we’d been taught to believe it was our destiny, something felt wrong.
But when I shared my concerns with the other women, they dismissed me.
When he touched my private parts I froze
I felt like the black sheep for doubting our prophet.
After we wed, Warren Jeffs was charged with two counts of sexual conduct with a minor, one count of conspiracy to commit sexual conduct with a minor and rape as an accomplice.
He’d gone on the run, leaving us women and kids to fend for ourselves.
By 2006, he was on the FBI’s Most Wanted List as police desperately tried to track him down.
Could this be the end, I wondered, hopeful.
Finally, in August that year, he was pulled over by police when they noticed the licence plate wasn’t visible on his red Cadillac SUV.
Inside the car, they found four computers, 16 mobile phones, three wigs, a dozen pairs of sunnies and more than $55,000 cash.
He was arrested, and in November 2007 he was jailed for 10 years after being found guilty of being an accomplice to rape for his role in the marriage between a 14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old first cousin, but the convictions were overturned three years later.
By then, Jeffs was facing other charges after child abuse material, including an audio recording of him having sexual relations with his 12-year-old bride without her consent, was discovered at one of his homes during a raid.
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Officers also discovered a 15-year-old at his ranch pregnant with Jeffs’ child.
In August 2011, Warren Jeffs, 55, appeared in the Tom Green County Courthouse, Texas, where he was found guilty of aggravated sexual assault and sexual assault of a child, against two of his wives.
He was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years.
By then, I was living in Short Creek, Utah, with my dad. When I learned Jeffs was jailed, I was thrilled beyond belief.
But even behind bars, Jeffs had a way of manipulating his followers.
I’d been locked in a bedroom after I’d made multiple attempts to escape the community.
Then one day in May 2012, aged 26, after finding a pair of scissors, I removed the screws from a window and climbed out while the rest of the house slept.
Running barefoot across town, I spied a woman in her yard. I could tell she wasn’t a member, thanks to her short sleeves and jeans.
‘Help!’ I begged, telling her I’d escaped from the cult.
Incredibly, the woman, Lori, helped me get in touch with a couple who were peer supporters for people like me.
Kristyn and her husband, LeRoy, took me in, offering me love and support.
I removed the screws from a window and climbed out while the rest of the house slept
As I unlearned all the rituals I’d been fed my whole life, I had fun applying make-up and styling my hair in different ways.
And in 2014, Kristyn and LeRoy legally adopted me, aged 28.
Although I still had crippling PTSD, I underwent counselling, and channelled my fear into determination.
After escaping, I studied at a regular school, watched television and finally listened to music.
It was incredible!
I also fell in love with Stevan, then 36, after being introduced to him by my oldest adopted brother in June 2015.
When Stevan proposed five months later, I said yes. I finally knew what true love felt like.
We tied the knot in October 2016.
This time, I picked out a beautiful white gown and we exchanged silver rings.
I felt so lucky to be free of my past.
But I couldn’t help but worry about all the women and children who were still living in the community.
My mum and some siblings are still under the spell
So that November, I managed to purchase my evil ex-husband’s former estate, and spent months transforming it into the Dream Center – a refuge for people who’ve escaped the cult or are fleeing other oppressive environments.
While Dad has been kicked out of the sect since my escape, sadly, my mum and some siblings are still under the spell of the FLDS.
But I’ve since rebuilt a relationship with some of my family, who are now living much more normal lives.
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