Lost Boy

Oct 29, 2012 Liz rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, books-to-avoid

Well, I was interested in this book because it is the story of a nephew of Warren Jeffs who has left the FLDS. However, the cover makes it look like the book is about boys who are shoved out of the city to allow the women to marry the older husbands who already have multiple wives. But this author left the church on his own because he was disillusioned and very rebellious. He later has memories return and realizes he was abused by Warren when he was very young. The book is sad, and on some point...more

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Oct 19, 2011 Adrianna Usticke rated it 4 of 5 stars

I definitely enjoyed this book overall, because I got to learn a lot about the polygamist lifestyle. The book was very good, and I enjoyed it even though it had some sad parts, such as Clayne’s suicide. I learned that Brent W. Jeffs did not enjoy being in a polygamist family because he always felt alone because he had so many siblings and with that many not every child got attention that they needed. Also Brent did not want to live the polygamist lifestyle and have multiple wives.
I learned that...more I definitely enjoyed this book overall, because I got to learn a lot about the polygamist lifestyle. The book was very good, and I enjoyed it even though it had some sad parts, such as Clayne’s suicide. I learned that Brent W. Jeffs did not enjoy being in a polygamist family because he always felt alone because he had so many siblings and with that many not every child got attention that they needed. Also Brent did not want to live the polygamist lifestyle and have multiple wives.
I learned that Brent and his brother Clayne had been raped by their uncle Warren who was a high official of the church. Brents mind suppressed his memory of the rape for many years. After suffering night after night from bad dreams he finally recalled what had happened when he was five. “I just said it. “I was raped when I was really young.”(Jeffs;Szalavitz, page 179) This is what Brent told his wife. Even though he thought she might leave him or be disgusted with him he told her because he knew she had to know. She was very understanding and I think that made him stronger and more willing to fight for justice. After finishing the book I thought Brent was a very strong person because of the molestation he endured as a kid and how he stood up to his Uncle to bring him to justice.
“Clayne killed himself, Clayne killed himself,” that’s what she said.”(Jeffs;Szalavitz, page 155) When Brent received this distraught phone call from Clayne’s wife he couldn’t accept what he had heard. It had affected him in numerous ways because he knew his brother had a severe drug addiction but nobody including him could help his brother’s addiction. Brent was very mad that he had lost his brother but Warren was still alive and free, and hadn’t gotten in trouble yet for what he had done to them and so many other children. He had been to rehab and treatment numerous times but nothing had worked. After a time in detox Clayne had revealed to a psychiatrist that he had been raped when he was a child. The book didn’t really give us much definite reason on why Clayne had killed himself except that he owed money to drug dealers. I think it would have been better to give more of an insight or explanation in why he killed himself.
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Jan 20, 2010 Tony rated it 5 of 5 stars

Brent W. Jeffs- Lost Boy (Broadway Books 2009) 5 Stars

Normally I would do my own summary of the book, but in this case I think that the author is the best person to summarize this portion of his life. Jeffs is the nephew of Warren Jeffs, the imprisoned leader of the FLDS. The son of a prominent family in the church, Brent could have grown up to have multiple wives of his own and significant power in the 10,000-strong community. But he knew that behind the group’s pious public image—women in chas...more Brent W. Jeffs- Lost Boy (Broadway Books 2009) 5 Stars

Normally I would do my own summary of the book, but in this case I think that the author is the best person to summarize this portion of his life. Jeffs is the nephew of Warren Jeffs, the imprisoned leader of the FLDS. The son of a prominent family in the church, Brent could have grown up to have multiple wives of his own and significant power in the 10,000-strong community. But he knew that behind the group’s pious public image—women in chaste dresses carrying babies on their hips—lay a much darker reality. So he walked away, and was the first to file a sexual-abuse lawsuit against his uncle. Now Brent shares his courageous story and that of many other young men who have become “lost boys” when they leave the FLDS, either by choice or by expulsion. Brent experienced firsthand the absolute power that church leaders wield—the kind of power that corrupts and perverts those who will do anything to maintain it. Once young men no longer belong to the church, they are cast out into a world for which they are utterly unprepared. More often than not, they succumb to the temptations of alcohol and other drugs. Tragically, Brent lost two of his brothers in this struggle, one to suicide, the other to overdose. In this book he shows that lost boys can triumph and that abuse and trauma can be overcome, and he hopes that readers will be inspired to help former FLDS members find their way in the world.
What an amazing memoir. Lost Boy is Brent Jeffs’ story growing up, from his most early memories to the most recent. He is brutally honest, even when it may make him appear in a negative manner. I respect the author greatly after reading this as I appreciated his honesty. I enjoyed some of his stories as they were humorous at times, other stories I did not enjoy so much (especially the ones of his being sexually abused) as they were very hard to make it through. I definitely felt very angry at times that such terrible things could happen to so many children. It was very educational though and I loved the fact that I learned so much about a religion that seems foreign to me as we do not have any FLDS compounds around my town, we do have other religious groups that can be very strict, but none that practice polygamy. I love to be able to learn new things when I read so it was very good. Now all of the news stories I heard make just a little more sense, as I could never get a proper grasp on what was happening through the media. This is a great book for anyone looking to learn about FLDS culture, or wishing to learn about how power can corrupt when abused, or given to one person. Religious texts should never be used out of context as it is so dangerous when in the wrong hands. A good speaker can make anything seem like it is backed by their religion, just look at what is happening to our world. The same is the case when someone declares themselves a prophet and then takes control of many putting in place their own restrictions, this is a dangerous power for anyone to have. Lost Boys was an eye opener for me and I will definitely watch for these things more closely.
Lost Boys is a great book for anyone looking to learn about FLDS culture, or wishing to learn about how power can corrupt when abused, or given to one person.

For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.com

Tony Peters
Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping
http://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/

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Dec 24, 2009 Mazola1 rated it 3 of 5 stars

Raised in a polygamous FLDS household, one of the dozens of grandchildren of the FLDS prophet, son of a man who didn't always see eye to eye with his powerful father, sexually abused as a child by one of the sons of the prophet, Brent Jeffs came to understand that it wasn't going to be his destiny to be one of the few FLDS men who married multiple wives and wielded great power in the sect. Instead, he became a "lost boy," one of the expendable young males the sect didn't care about, and threw aw...more Raised in a polygamous FLDS household, one of the dozens of grandchildren of the FLDS prophet, son of a man who didn't always see eye to eye with his powerful father, sexually abused as a child by one of the sons of the prophet, Brent Jeffs came to understand that it wasn't going to be his destiny to be one of the few FLDS men who married multiple wives and wielded great power in the sect. Instead, he became a "lost boy," one of the expendable young males the sect didn't care about, and threw away. Left to fend for themselves, and cut off from their families, many of these lost boys descend into lives of drug addiction, despair and poverty. Some even succumb to suicide.

Lost Boy is Brent Jeffs' story of what it means to be an FLDS lost boy. It's both typical and unique. Although much of what Jeffs experienced seems to be somewhat typical of young males forced to leave the sect, in other respects, Jeffs was unusual. He was born into a powerful family in the sect, but his father was something of a rebel, bringing the family into conflict with church leadership. Because of this, Jeffs had unique insight into the personalities and dynamics of that leadership.

Jeffs begins his book with a telling and poignant comment: "Every child believes he's special. But when you are number ten of twenty, with three "sister-mothers" -- two of whom are full-blooded sisters -- and a grandfather whom thousands of people believe speaks directly to God, it can be hard to figure out what "special" really means." Jeffs develops those thoughts throughout Lost Boy -- the specialness of being part of a big family, the stresses of living in a house with a father with plural wives, the emotional hold of strong religious beliefs, the fear, even terror, caused by breaking away, the difficulty of attempting to come to terms with and healing abuse.

Lost Boy is an interesting male counterpoint to the many female FLDS memoirs, and shows that although the sect is very male dominating, it can be just as difficult being a male in the FLDS as being a female. An interesting and sad tale. (less)

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Jun 25, 2009 Mindi rated it 3 of 5 stars

After reading Krakaur's "Under the Banner of Heaven" I was fascinated by the mormon religion and its ability to constantly adapt through its "Prophet" who can change any aspect of the religion, at any time, through divine revelation and reinterpretations of religious texts. When the Prophet rescinded polygamy, the FLDS splintered from the main church and continued to believe that polygamy was necessary to reach the highest levels of heaven.

This book is the biography of a man who grew up within a...more

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Jun 19, 2009 Louise rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoirs

Brent Jeffs is the nephew of Warren Steed Jeffs the now imprisoned former leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also known as the FLDS. The FLDS is a polygamous Mormon sect which was run by Rulon Jeffs, Warren’s father and Brent’s grandfather. Warren is now serving two consecutive terms of five years to life and is facing additional charges of sexual misconduct with minors.

The story is based on Brent’s own memories and recollections of people who were close to...more

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May 23, 2009 Katie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009

The topic of the book instantly drew me in as I was cataloging it; a boy who had grown up FDLS divulges secrets about life on the compound, polygamy, and the sexual abuse he experienced at the hands of the prophet. The writers/creators of the television show Big Love based some of the traits of Juniper Creek on FDLS and, in general, I find these closed communities to be very interesting. I expected that this book would be right up my alley.

The writing is fairly poor - choppy and often disorienti...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Michelle rated it 2 of 5 stars

I want to get this out first. This was one of the most horribly written books I have ever had to read. The content was good, however I'm not sure this book ever saw an editor or was proof read. Talk about being all over the place. On once sentence he is talking about something that happened when he was 5 and then in the next he's 14. All throughout the book it went like this. Sometimes it would get confusing as to what age he was in or exactly what situation was going on. At times it was confusi...more

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Aug 30, 2009 Lain rated it 3 of 5 stars

I sincerely regret the pain and suffering that Brent Jeffs went through as a child in the FLDS polygamist group. I read this book in hopes of understanding more about what it was like to be raised in such an environment. I got a clear picture of the brainwashing that can occur, and how absolute power can and probably will corrupt absolutely.

The story is a harrowing one, and the life he lived is something no child should ever have to endure.

The book itself was not that interesting, I hate to say...more

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May 17, 2010 Gwen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-read, non-fiction, memoir

Brent W. Jeffs is a so-called "Lost Boy" from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He grew up within the religious community, struggling to believe what he was taught versus what he felt in his heart. Warren Jeffs is the most recent prophet of the religion and Brent's uncle. He is also the person arrested and convicted for marrying underage girls and marrying too many woman.

Brent presents an eye-opening view of this quiet, isolationist religion, from his perspective....more

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Feb 11, 2013 Colleen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have read many of books focusing on polygamy and the FLDS. Ridiculous situations I can barely fathom interest me, and this is no exception! I thought when I began this book that it was going to be another well written story about the FLDS cult, and it was, but it was so much more! I truly felt that I received a first person account of what it was like to live in the compound under Warren Jeffs and be subjected to, basically, mind control. Brent Jeffs also happens to be the nephew of Warren Jef...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Christine rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: polygamy-flds-f-nf

Another book written by a child growing up in the Fundamentalist Mormon church under the rule of the "Jeff's" Family.
Some of the abuse was rather vivid and made me uncomfortable to read so I passed over it. Again, as I did when reading Elissa's story, I felt the author needed to beg the reader to believe his story. Not that it is unbelieveable, considering how many people have come foreward, but because so many of the people who stay in the faith are denying any negative stories.
I felt his p...more

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Sep 14, 2009 Awallens rated it 3 of 5 stars

In the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), girls can become valuable property as plural wives, but boys are expendable,
even a liability. In this powerful and heartbreaking account, former FLDS member Brent Jeffs reveals both the terror and the love he experienced growing
up on his prophet’s compound—and the harsh exile existence that so many boys face once they have been expelled by the sect.

Brent Jeffs is the nephew of Warren Jeffs, the imprisoned leader...more In the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), girls can become valuable property as plural wives, but boys are expendable,
even a liability. In this powerful and heartbreaking account, former FLDS member Brent Jeffs reveals both the terror and the love he experienced growing
up on his prophet’s compound—and the harsh exile existence that so many boys face once they have been expelled by the sect.

Brent Jeffs is the nephew of Warren Jeffs, the imprisoned leader of the FLDS. The son of a prominent family in the church, Brent could have grown up to
have multiple wives of his own and significant power in the 10,000-strong community. But he knew that behind the group’s pious public image—women in chaste
dresses carrying babies on their hips—lay a much darker reality. So he walked away, and was the first to file a sexual-abuse lawsuit against his uncle.
Now Brent shares his courageous story and that of many other young men who have become “lost boys” when they leave the FLDS, either by choice or by expulsion.

Brent experienced firsthand the absolute power that church leaders wield—the kind of power that corrupts and perverts those who will do anything to maintain
it. Once young men no longer belong to the church, they are cast out into a world for which they are utterly unprepared. More often than not, they succumb
to the temptations of alcohol and other drugs.

Tragically, Brent lost two of his brothers in this struggle, one to suicide, the other to overdose. In this book he shows that lost boys can triumph and
that abuse and trauma can be overcome, and he hopes that readers will be inspired to help former FLDS members find their way in the world.
this book was compelling, just because I know it happens and I know it happens more often than people think. I also know I have read more compelling books on the subject, including the fictional the 19th Wife, which is a much more engrossing read. If you're looking for a nonfictional book, though, this is a good one to choose and does offer a valuable insight from a young man's point of view.(less)

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Aug 17, 2011 Curtis rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is an important story told by a victim of horrible acts. I will not fault the author for level of writing exhibited here as Brent Jeffs is not a writer. I did come into this story thinking it was coming from one who was kicked out of his religion, community and family - a true Lost Boy. Brent was never kicked out but chose to leave. His family never rejected him nor his brothers (a fact which got them excommunicated). Having stated that, Brent was definitely a victimized by Warren Jeffs as...more

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May 29, 2009 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, memoir, religion

I have to admit I have a bit of a morbid fascination about FLDS. I've mostly thought about it from a woman's point of view (see Escape by Carolyn Jessop for some insight). When I saw this book on the Goodreads Giveaway list, I entered the contest right away. I was eager for a opportunity to read about the group from a male perspective.

Most of Lost boy is a fast-paced engaging read. The author Brent Jeffs surely owes a lot to his collaborator, Maia Szalavitz in describing life with his family in...more

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May 13, 2013 Tina Smith added it

Shelves: 2013-read-for-myself

This was a fascinating book that I felt I learned a lot from. The abuse of the children in the FLDS is difficult to read but I found the culture of this polygamous sect fascinating. After reading this book, I had to immediately jump into another book by another former FLDS member, Elissa Walks (Stolen Innocence). Another fascinating read, but from a girl's perspective.

One troubling thing, however...and I Googled to find any mention of this and so far have found none. So I wonder if I'm the only...more

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Mar 08, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book made my heart hurt while it chronicled abuses that the "prophet" Warren Jeffs effected over the years in the name of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS). I'm glad Brent Jeffs was healed enough to come forward and testify to what Warren Jeffs put him (and undoubtedly countless others) through when he was too little to defend himself against it or even know to tell anyone what was happening to him. Brent Jeffs also tells about how he and hundreds of othe...more

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Aug 19, 2009 Michael Foley rated it 2 of 5 stars

Revealing. Yet as always, when dealing with this subject, it is difficult to know what is hearsay and what is fact. Surely the author was abused, and his personal experiences are true. Much of the book though deals with rumors, and when he misquotes Mormonism's history, it throws a shadow of doubt upon other facts.

My dream is to one day find a book written by someone who was in the FLDS, was kicked out by no fault of his own, then in normal life came to realize the life he was living in the FLDS...more

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Jun 13, 2009 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Although somewhat similar to two other recent ex-FLDS memoirs, Escape by Carolyn Jessop and Stolen Innocence by Elissa Wall, this one has a fresh perspective because it's from the point of view of a young man. As a former FLDS priesthood-holder and grandson of an FLDS "prophet", Brent Jeffs is articulate on the specifics of splits that occurred between polygamous groups during the 20th century. He also provides references to specific quotes from 19th century Mormon leaders which are used as the...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Mandeep rated it 3 of 5 stars

Depressing to think that this happened in North America recently, and parts of it are probably still happening today. I'm all for freedom, but maybe education about the wider world (and not just what your isolationist parents want you to know) should be mandatory for kids/teens.... sometimes I feel like our society still doesn't do enough to protect children. Why is a child's right to information/education worth less than the parents' right to raise him/her as they choose (in this case isolated...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Matthew Timion rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mormonism, memoir

I sincerely liked this book for the inside view of what it means to be a "lost boy" in the FLDS culture. Those of us "lucky" enough to have lived in Utah have heard of the Lost Boys before; young men kicked out of the FLDS church due to unfaithfulness. In truth many of the young men must be kicked out in order to facilitate polygamy.

Anyway, this is one of those stories, but it also involves a unique perspective; Brent Jeffs is Warren Jeffs' nephew. The story gave a much more pointed background o...more

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Nov 28, 2009 Sharon A. rated it 2 of 5 stars

Since all the media coverage of the YFZ raid in Texas, I've been somewhat fascinated by the polygamy religious communities. I've read one or two fiction books, but the most haunting are the true accounts. Elissa Wall's book was excellent, and I was looking forward to this one for the male perspective.

It was sometimes difficult to follow, as the story jumps around a lot. Brent obviously has disjointed memories, so I am sure that telling a chronological account would have been difficult.

As the mo...more

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Apr 11, 2010 Duane rated it 3 of 5 stars

Told through the eyes of a boy that struggled through a childhood of growing up in a cult. You can't really call it anything else but a cult. Being the nephew of the terrible man, Warren Jeffs, this young man shows you how even the men struggle in multiple wife situations. Being abused as a young boy, watching his older brothers being forced out, and his own family being thrown out of the church, you see how he struggles to understand if everything he's ever known is wrong. He does a great job o...more

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Aug 03, 2009 Kristen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: borrowed

The nephew of a Mormon sect leader chronicles life in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and what came after. Among a 10,000-member Mormon community, Jeffs grew up with three mothers, more than a dozen siblings, and a deep fear of the world outside of the church. Within the secretive community, Jeffs was taught that purity came from special attention to dress, hard work, generosity and, most importantly, obedience to one's elders (especially his uncle, the prophet Wa...more

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Nov 01, 2010 Eva Leger rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: autos-bios-memoirs, b-non-fiction, cults-polygamy-religon

Crap. I forgot to write the review when I was finished this. Those who know me well know my memory. All I can say is this is worth reading. It's a good book, tells a lot about the community where Brent W. Jeffs grew up. I'd recommend reading it in addition to some other memoirs, authors like Carolyn Jessop, Elissa Wall, etc.
What Warren Jeffs did to Brent is atrocious and the fact that this man lived through all of it, and what came afterward as a direct effect of Jeffs' actions towards Brent's...more

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Jan 21, 2011 Barbm1020 rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a horrifying story of child abuse, alienation, loss, addiction, dysfunction and the ultimate triumph of human decency, told in a simple, direct and well-organized way by a survivor of the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints under Warren Jeffs' regime. The book tells of Brent's escape from the bizarre polygamist cult, his troubled road in the everyday world, and his eventual reunion with what's left of his family to help his Dad, who also suffered. Now married and raising a child with his no...more

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Apr 22, 2011 Michelle Robinson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, polygamy

This book made me incredibly sad.

I felt so bad for the children and adults caught up in the grips of this cult it does not seem that something so horrible could happen in America.

I found the narrative easy to follow but had to read in one sitting just simply based on the way the subject matter made me feel.

I will think about this young man and his family for years to come. I have read extensively about this brand of polygamy in America and what he has had to say here seems to correlate with wh...more

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Dec 07, 2009 Sarah Long rated it 3 of 5 stars

Very interesting look into the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints. Shocking dysfunction with dire consequences for those who participated. Fascinating look at mind control and gross manipulation of human frailty for personal gain. Lower rating because of the author's desperate need to convince us of what is plainly wrong. He seems to be pleading for support and has difficulty containing his rage. These feelings are totally understandable considering the circumstances, but I would have rather had a...more

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Dec 13, 2011 Malaise rated it 2 of 5 stars

I read this book at my sister's recommendation. I think her dislike for the FLDS has colored her opinion on this book. Even with the help of a professional writer it is poorly written. I am sure that Mr Jeffs had a horrific childhood and I have no doubt he went through all he recounts in the book but I was bothered by the very personal tone. It seems that a lot of the people close to him had no responsibility... It was not his dad or mom but the other wife. It was not is grandfather but the son,...more

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Jul 29, 2011 Cindy rated it 4 of 5 stars

In the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS), girls can become valuable property as plural wives, but boys are expendable, even a liability.
In this powerful and heartbreaking account, former FLDS member Brent Jeffs reveals both the terror and the love he experienced growing up on his prophet’s compound — and the harsh exile existence that so many boys face once they have been expelled by the sect.
Knowing next to nothing about the FLDS, I was shocked at th...more

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