You may be aware of Warren Jeffs–prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or FLDS)–either through one of the many documentaries such as Netflix’s recent hit “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey” or through ongoing news coverage when he made the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted, got caught, and eventually brought to justice. In this three-part series John interviews Elissa Wall; forced by Jeffs to be a child bride at only 14 to her 19 yr old cousin, she eventually escapes the abuse and community to become the woman to finally bring Jeffs down. In Part 1 we get background information on the schism from the largest branch of Mormonism headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT and various other differences in theology and practice. We learn how Elissa’s parents met and ended up in Shork Creek/Hildale due to Warren Jeff’s (failed) end-of-the-world predictions and how her mother & siblings ended up being forcibly split from her father and “reassigned” to a more “righteous” man. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:11:00 FLDS Formation/Split from main branch over polygamy 00:23:30 Elissa’s parent’s backgrounds 00:32:00 1953 Raids on the community and lasting effects 00:48:00 Death of LeRoy Jeffs causes another schism among FLDS. 01:06:00 Elissa is born as the 19th child of her father, to his 2nd wife living in Sandy, UT. 01:10:00 Healthy ways to view/interact with polygamists you meet 01:25:00 Elissa’s mother’s family was fractured by the split after LeRoy’s death 01:29:45 School life, Elissa’s brother’s ousting from the community, work camps 01:45:00 Life and views of women among FLDS. Mistrust of the medical community leads to chronic illness for Elissa 01:55:00 How Warren Jeffs’ begins to take power and his end-of-the-world predictions for 2002 SLC Olympics 02:11:00 An ill-fated call to Warren Jeffs by Elissa’s mother leads to the family being forcibly split. Elissa struggles with the loss of her dad. Episode Show Notes: https://www.mormonstories.org/podcast/warren-jeffs-take-down-elissa-wall/ Elissa Wall Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxq5opj6GqODSoWE84SO72AfXgAQwAhYV ABOUT US: Mormon Stories Podcast is the longest-running and most successful podcast in Mormonism - hosted by Dr. John Dehlin. At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We also occasionally interview scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1) Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology, 2) Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis, and 3) Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions. Mormon Stories Podcast is a product of the Open Stories Foundation - a 501c3 non-profit dedicated to supporting Mormons in religious transition. Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?d... Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Amazon Smile: Be sure to select “Mormon Stories” website: https://smile.amazon.com app: https://amz.run/5r2M Our Platforms: Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7d... Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstories... Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF Contact us: MormonStories@gmail.com PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117 #MormonStories #Mormon #lds