Breaking Free: How I Escaped My Father-Warren Jeffs-Polygamy, and the FLDS Cult

by Rachel Jeffs

Even as the trial was under way, he continued to regularly send revelations, and life got stricter with every single one. Father had already been a big believer that cleanliness was next to godliness, but now we were required to submit a written report to the bishop saying that we had deep-cleaned every inch of the house the way the Lord had directed us to. The directions were very specific: start by cleaning with your right hand on the center of the ceiling in each room and work down from there. Hold the clean rags in the right hand—right hands must never touch anything dirty. When the rag became dirty, we were to take it in our left hand and wash it—left hands were for touching anything soiled. It was the same for getting dressed. We were instructed to put on our clothes right side first—right sleeve, right sock, right shoe—before putting on the left. The order of things was very important.

“Sometimes we have to go through hell ourselves before we are humble enough to listen.”