When Men Become Gods

As the leader of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints, a group based in Utah and Texas, Warren Jeffs held sway over thousands of followers for nearly a decade. In addition to pressuring girls into polygamous marriages with older men, Jeffs reputedly took scores of wives, many of whom were his father's widows. Television, radio, and newspapers were shunned, creating a hidden community where polygamy was prized above all else. In 2007, after a two-year manhunt, Jeffs' reign was forcefully ended. He was convicted of rape as an accomplice for his role in arranging the marriage of a 14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old first cousin. In "When Men Become Gods", Singular traces Jeffs' rise to power and the concerted effort that led to his downfall. The book offers new revelations into a nearly impenetrable enclave, granting a rare glimpse into a tradition that's almost a century old, but that has only now been exposed.