Warren Jeffs grew up outside Salt Lake City, Utah and attended Alta Academy, an FLDS private school where he later served as principal for over 20 years. 1 He was known for being a strict disciplinarian, chastising students for minor infractions and subjecting them to harsh punishments like beatings with yardsticks or hanging them upside down. 1 Jeffs was also involved in teaching math, history, and church doctrine at the school. 1 After years as an educator, he eventually became the principal of Alta Academy in 1976 at age 21. 2

During his time at Alta Academy, Jeffs instilled an atmosphere of control and obedience, monitoring students' appearances and behaviors closely. 1 Girls were reprimanded for perceived "cuteness" and instructed to "keep sweet" by avoiding interactions with boys. 1 Yearbooks and videos from this period show Jeffs leading children's programs and devotionals while enforcing FLDS principles. 1

After becoming the FLDS prophet in 2002 following his father Rulon's death, Warren Jeffs consolidated immense power and control over the church's followers. 12 He eliminated the ruling Priesthood Council, making himself the sole leader with authority over marriages, property, and all aspects of members' lives. 3 Jeffs enforced strict obedience, reassigning wives and homes as punishment, and excommunicating dissidents. 12

At the Yearning for Zion ranch in Texas, Jeffs created an isolated community for his most devoted followers, marrying underage girls and separating families. 2 He was considered God's mouthpiece, with followers believing he could reveal divine instructions. 3 Jeffs demanded "perfect obedience" through manipulation and fear tactics, grooming young girls as potential wives. 2 His authoritarian reign over the FLDS allowed him to commit widespread sexual abuse of minors. 12

Under Warren Jeffs' leadership, the FLDS Church embraced the doctrine of "One Man Rule," which concentrated absolute authority in Jeffs as the sole leader. 12 He abolished the traditional Priesthood Council model, allowing him to make unilateral decisions over all aspects of the community without consensus. 3

Jeffs wielded this unchecked power to arrange marriages, often involving underage girls, and dictate living arrangements among his followers. 14 Obedience to Jeffs was enforced through manipulation, fear tactics, and the threat of excommunication. 24 He promoted polygamy and positioned himself as God's mouthpiece, claiming to reveal divine instructions that his followers were required to obey perfectly. 35 This authoritarian control enabled Jeffs to commit widespread sexual abuse of minors within the insular FLDS community. 14

Warren Jeffs faced numerous criminal charges and convictions related to his role in arranging illegal marriages between adult male followers and underage girls within the FLDS Church. In 2006, he was placed on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted List for these crimes. 123

In 2007, Jeffs was convicted in Utah of two counts of rape as an accomplice for coercing a 14-year-old girl into marrying her 19-year-old cousin. 45 However, this conviction was later overturned by the Utah Supreme Court in 2010 due to faulty jury instructions. 25

Jeffs was then extradited to Texas, where in 2011 he was found guilty of sexually assaulting two underage girls, ages 12 and 15, whom he had taken as plural wives. 135 For these crimes, Jeffs was sentenced to life in prison plus 20 years and fined $10,000. 25 He is currently incarcerated in a Texas state prison serving this sentence. 5