Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey
Disturbing docu details corruption, abuse. Not for kids.
Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey is a documentary series about the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints that features very mature topics, including plural marriage, psychological, domestic, and sexual abuse against young women and underage girls (some of which is both visible and audible in archive materials), and religious exploitation. There some conversations about innocent romances, and descriptions of first-time sexual encounters. Cursing is limited, but drinking and cigarette smoking is visible. Rifles are visible, too. Viewers who are sensitive to, or triggered by, stories about abuse or sexual assault may find it very difficult to watch.
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What's the Story?
KEEP SWEET: PRAY AND OBEY is a true crime series that delves into the culture, practices, and abuses committed by an extremist offshoot of the Mormon church known as the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It discusses some of the church's culture and practices, including establishing patriarchally defined gender roles within the community, and separating themselves from the secular world to practice polygamy, which is illegal in the United States. It also reveals how former leader (aka Prophet) Warren Jeffs rose to power and succeeded his father Rulon, and how his authoritarian rule created an extremely repressive system in which corruption and abuse, including the sexual abuse of minors, escalated. With the help of archived footage and reenactments, former FLDS members like Rebecca Wall Musser, Elisse Wall, and Wallace Jeffs share their traumatic experiences before and after leaving the church. Meanwhile, conversations with attorneys and journalists address the reasons why the activities of the FLDS church went unchecked over the years, and how the victims that came forward made it possible to arrest and convict Warren Jeffs for rape.
Is It Any Good?
The disturbing docuseries reveals how the FLDS' attempts to conceal its practices make it possible for horrific abuses to be committed against women and girls. It reveals the different strategies Warren Jeffs and his inner circle used to hold onto their power over the religious sect, including pushing the community into further isolation at Short Creek, Utah, controlling its education system, and invoking the tenets of their faith for personal gain and gratification. However, Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey's main focus is on the life stories of those victimized by the church under Jeffs' leadership, especially those of young women and underage girls who were forced to marry him and others, and subsequently raped. These narratives are important, and highlight the courage and strength of the survivors, but are sometimes presented in ways that maximize their shock value. Outside of this, and some limited archive video and audio, the overall series doesn't offer much about the FLDS or Warren Jeffs that hasn't already been addressed in secular media.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. What makes it different from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints? Why do people often refer to the FLDS as a cult?
Is the intention of Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey to offer an indictment of the FLDS members' faith? To discuss its leaders' wrongdoings? Or is it produced to highlight how people survived living in what mainstream cultures consider to be a dangerous community?
If you or someone you know is suffering from abuse please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline (FVPSA) or the National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN) for help.
TV Details
- Premiere date: June 8, 2022
- Cast: Elissa Wall, Rebecca Wall, Wallace Jeffs
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Reality TV
- Character Strengths: Courage
- TV rating: TV-MA
- Last updated: February 17, 2023
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