Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey is a 4-part true crime documentary TV series that examines the rise of Warren Jeffs in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS) and his shocking criminal convictions. The documentary TV series demonstrates once more how easy it is for religious leaders to abuse their followers even in this modern day and age.
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey is presented very much in the traditional documentary style. The series tells its story in a linear fashion, in chronological manner. Thus, although there is a tacit understanding amongst the audience that ultimately Warren Jeffs was convicted for his heinous crimes, there is still palpable tension concerning how he arrived at his ultimate fate.
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey is actually the catch-phrase of Rulon Jeffs, the self-proclaimed Prophet of the FLDS, a sect of the Mormon cult, that returned to the extreme beliefs of its founders, i.e. that polygamy was the way to the purest form of salvation for a Mormon man. It’s hard to believe that in contemporary times, such illegal and regressive attitudes prevail in the USA. The extent to which under Rulon Jeffs, women were treated as mere chattels, is frankly rather shocking.
READ OUR REVIEW OF HEAVEN’S GATE: THE CULT OF CULTS.
As terrible as Rulon Jeffs was – he had over 50 wives and a multitude of children – his son and successor Warren was infinitely worse! From the narrative and interviews, the junior Jeffs’ utter and complete domination of FLDS members was laid out. Bad enough that polygamy was the order of the day but Warren Jeffs also pushed marriage with under-aged girls as well, some as young as 12 girls old! By the end of the documentary, it is revealed that the FLDS was also Jeffs’ sex cult! Disgusting.
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey highlights most of all, the real danger of religion and its leaders to exercise total domination and control over its members. Even after his conviction, most of the FLDS members still revere Warren Jeffs as their prophet and he continues to flourish, albeit behind bars. Do these deluded people deserve what is happening to them? Maybe. But for many of them, this is the only life they have ever known and thus the brainwashing is comprehensive and effective. Sigh.
An excellent warning to never ever take religion lightly or casually. The horror is real. Recommended!
Now streaming on Netflix.
… still there’s more …