Child's Way Out

My name is Naomi. I am the 36 year old niece of Warren Jeffs. I was born and raised as a daughter of the FLDS (Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints) - one of 36 children of my father and his six wives. My mother is Warren Jeffs' oldest sister. My family lineage dates back to the original settlers with Joseph Smith. My story is important to the children of the FLDS sect that are in desperate need of our help.

I remember my early childhood as a happy time. It was great being a part of a large and loving family, and a close knit community. With six mothers I was never without attention. My grandfather Rulon Jeffs was head of the Priesthood Council and was called "Uncle Rulon" by the members of the sect. He was thought of as kind and loving. His motto was "Keep sweet, no matter what." When I was a child we had joyous, massive family gatherings on my grandfather's property, shielded from outsiders by 8 foot concrete walls.

Although many of the families (a father, his multiple wives, and their children) lived in "normal" neighborhoods, we were never a part of the outside community. Secrecy and distrust of outsiders was taught to us from our earliest age. We were taught that outsiders were "wicked" and they would all be going to hell.

Starting at about age 6, my father began to do things to me that I did not understand. I asked my mother one day, "Do fathers marry their daughters?" I asked this question because my father was frequently sexually molesting me as well as his other daughters and sons, as I later came to discover. It's sad that this type of molestation was ongoing in many of the families, and although it was such a prevalent part of our lives we never spoke of it, accepting it as a part of our ever more confusing and secretive lives.

By the time I was 10 years old, I was assigned a "practice child" whom I was responsible for the feeding, diapering, bathing, making clothes for and nearly all other aspects of her care. In my recent visit to the YFZ (Yearning for Zion) Ranch [compound], I was united with that 'child' who is now age 25 and sadly, a deeply devoted member of the cult who would hardly speak with me.

By the time I was 12, I had an increasing concern that I would soon be assigned to a "husband," and become a mother of many children. I knew of other girls having been married as young as age 14. I am very sure the only reason the same did not happen to me was because of my mother's courage.

I was 13 when my mother refused to allow this fate for her children and arranged a daring escape for my younger brothers, sisters, and me. After we were on the outside, we were forced to live in the shadows because of the "right" of an FLDS father to kill a wife that would take his children from him, and therefore from God. In fact, within the FLDS belief, the only way that a wife who did take her children from their father could get into heaven, would be if she is killed by her husband. This is the principle referred to as "blood atonement."

After we were on the outside, it became apparent to all of us that we knew nothing about life in the real world. Our mother grew up in the same cult environment that we did. While she had worked on the "outside" for some years, she too had been raised with the same doctrines that we were all taught to follow. We knew nothing of social customs, public education, cultural diversity, or even what a birthday party was. We were faced with a transition from blind obedience to any elder and conformity to a rigid code of conduct, to an entirely foreign world.

We had no programs, no support, and no help. The one thing that was fortunate for us, which the current YFZ children do not have, is we had our loving mother who devoted her life to our care and survival in the outside world, without regard for herself. Her one wish for us all was that we have the choices she had been denied for all of her life.

With the love and encouragement of my mother, I was able to graduate from high school, support myself through graduation from a UC school, where I earned two degrees. I obtained a California teaching credential and taught Special Education in the Oakland Public Schools. I have always been active in outreach and support of underserved populations, and now that the YFZ issue has surfaced, I have a cause that is near and dear to my heart, helping the victims of the same system of abuse from which I was fortunate to have escaped.