Viswa Vanapalli
Wallace Jeffs was one of the many half-siblings that Warren Jeffs, the prophet of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, had. Over the years, Wallace became increasingly disillusioned with what the church taught and eventually defied his half-brother’s orders, leading to his expulsion from the church. Netflix’s ‘Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey’ has Wallace, a former FLDS member, talk about life as part of the church and Warren’s influence within it before being sent to prison for sex crimes. So, let’s find out more about Wallace then, shall we?
Who is Wallace Jeffs?
Wallace was Rulon Jeff’s 30th child, with his mother being Rulon’s sixth wife. He said that his mother was a convert from the LDS church and worked as a nurse. As a result, Wallace was raised by Warren’s mother. According to him, Warren’s mother believed that Warren was special from the time he was born. Hence, she would often cover for him. Wallace added, “She was always trying to protect him and keep his reputation clean, so he would be revered by the people. He learned to manipulate because his mother taught him how. He believed he could do no wrong. A really classic case of narcissism.”
While being a part of the church, Wallace married twice and had 20 children. His second wife was actually his half-niece. At the time, Wallace said he was conflicted about the marriage, but Rulon told him that it was the Lord’s decision. “Again, it was not my choice but his (Rulon’s) choice,” he said. Regarding plural marriages, Wallace said, “The leaders use plural marriage as a way to control you. They came to me and said they had a girl for me to marry, and if I refused, I would lose everything.”
For Wallace, things started to change in 2011 when he learned that Warren had married an 11-year-old girl. At that point, he resolved to do everything to protect his children. Wallace was excommunicated after not following one of Warren’s orders, with the church keeping the children. He then worked with the authorities to build a case against Warren and filed a lawsuit for the custody of his kids. At one point in 2011, Wallace was in a car accident that he believed was caused by the church.
Where is Wallace Jeffs Today?
Today, all of Wallace’s family is out of the church. While they still think of Warren as the prophet, he said that the family learned not everything was right within the church. But sadly, Wallace mentioned that half of them don’t talk to him anymore. He added, “They still believe somehow that I’m evil and wicked in doing what I did, but I know in time it will come around.” After divorcing his two wives, Wallace was baptized into the LDS church and married again.
Wallace Jeffs also adopted eight children. Today, he lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is focused on raising his family. Wallace wrote a memoir titled ‘Destroying Their God’ and hoped to provide a male perspective of life within the church. He also hoped the story would help his children better understand what it was like growing up as part of the FLDS. Wallace added, “I’m just trying to set an example for them that the way we were living was wrong. We can have happy lives and not be controlled anymore.”
Read More: Rebecca Wall Now: Where is Rulon Jeffs’ Ex-Wife Today?
