Investigating Warren Jeffs and the FLDS: Sam Brower's Seven-Year Journey into the World of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints

Mrs. E. A. Marks: I've read pretty much everything that has been written about the FLDS and I find it heartbreaking. This book is slightly different from most, since it is not written by an escapee, so to speak, but it is frightening that in this day and age a group of people in a country like America can be so bullied and cowed.
I'm so glad Warren Jeffs is never going to see freedom again, but truly it's time cult religions were looked at more closely, everywhere in the world, and the people trapped in them were properly educated.

United Kingdom on Jan 15, 2019

TJP: In 2011, Sam Brower published Prophet’s Prey, ostensibly a first-person account of a bounty hunter in search of a predator. The end result was a profile of gutless wonders at work, namely the child protection bureaucrats in the state of Texas.

The Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) had been under the iron-fisted control of Warren Jeffs since September 8, 2002. Brower, a mainstream Mormon, was initially drawn in to the insular FLDS society living in and around the twin cities of Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Arizona, to investigate a bizarre property dispute/excommunication issue.

Prophet’s Prey suffers a bit from an excess of chest thumping by the author. Like a mediocre baseball TV analyst, Brower insinuates himself into the narrative on a regular basis, passing up no opportunity to show the reading world that he just might be the manliest man in the manliest man-state (Utah) in the whole dad-gum U. S. of A.

A more scholarly work on the FLDS and mainstream Mormonism is Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. Incidentally, Krakauer would become a valuable resource for Brower during several stages of the investigation. Two excellent...

United States on Feb 15, 2017

Just my opinion!: Incredible but grotesque. I am not a Christian. For this I am grateful because for any God to condone such horrific abuse in all areas of a persons life is to me, completely unacceptable. I recently watched a short clip on YouTube where Flora Jessop (What an inspiring woman she is too) told a recent escapee words to the effect of.... Oh, you've been taught that out here we are all wicked? Well, your're quite right BUT..... We're not nearly as wicked as the FLDS are! My goodness how right she is!
This book is very well researched and excellently written. I wish I had another word to use instead of enjoy though, to enjoy implies something wholesome and healthy but this book is anything BUT that. Its certainly an addictive read and I could not put it down. To me it sees to be the complete epitome of pornography and by that I do not mean lurid sex though sex certainly features largely on Warren Jessop's agenda. This man is most definitely NOT a prophet and I can only hope and pray to my own higher power that when his time comes to depart this early world his own personal God (Himself? How does that work?) judges him as unfit and sends him straight to the depths of HELL for all...

United Kingdom on Jan 21, 2016

Val Robson: This is the most amazing book and quite hard to read at times as the abuse meted out by the FLDS men on women, children and young boys is horrific. Much kudos to Sam Brower for devoting much of the past decade to investigating this abuse and getting things done about it, not least being the jailing of the cult's leader Warren Jeffs. Unfortunately the cult members are still so brainwashed they follow him even when he's in prison. A lot more work needs to be done and a lot more people need to join Sam and the plucky ones standing up to this mass abuse in the name of 'faith'. I hesitate to use the word faith or religion as the FLDS are without doubt a cult and are completely different from the mainsteam LDS (Mormon) church. You need to read this book to understand that more if you don't already. I'm neither but appreciate this book making the two clear as I respect the LDS church and members but the FLDS needs to stop abusing people, especially young children. A well written and researched book.

United Kingdom on Nov 17, 2015

E. Dale: can't believe the audacity of the FLDS bishops thinking they're above the law, sadly it seems in some cases they are as cases of paedophilia, incest and girls as young as 12 giving birth or miscarrying without medical attention, it seems that the state is more bothered about all the paperwork and court costs than the safety of these kids.....so good on the author for not giving up.

United Kingdom on Mar 27, 2015

Cheralee: I found this book to be a good read in terms of information on the criminal practices of the FLDS. After reading Carolyn Jessop's books, I wanted to read other perspectives on this cult. I find the author's writing style to be reflective of his perspective as a private investigator. There is a wealth of information, but I found myself plodding along to finish. It's presented in a facts only style without much creative flare, and not exactly a page-turner in my opinion. I still consider it worth reading, although I am astounded at how this organization flourishes in it's innumerable crimes committed under the guise of religious freedom.

Canada on Feb 10, 2014

stellablack: I am an admitted cult-fanatic (yes, I realize the hilarious irony in that statement) and have and do read countless books on cult, specifically the FLDS and Scientology. Most of the books on the FLDS are written by former members, the brave and amazing "apostates" who were strong enough to wake up and leave. Brower is a PI who was extensively involved in investigating the cult for many years, and became entangled in the lives of many top members, families and former members. His account provides a unique perspective of an outsider who is intimately familiar with their extremely secretive practices and beliefs, who was not raised or personally involved with them as with other books on the subject. Don't get me wrong; books such as Escape by Carolyn Jessop, The Witness Wore Red by Rebecca Musser, Brent Jeff's and Flora Jessop's books are not only great reads but also very valuable because of their insider accounts, but having a person who is, by all accounts, a regular, law-abiding citizen of mainstream America, with a familiarity of the American justice system as well as the knowledge of what is right and what is wrong in terms of regular American values really helps bring to light...

United States on Jan 20, 2014