Secrets of Polygamy

While FLDS leader Warren Jeffs was sentenced to life in prison in 2011 for sexual crimes against minors, his absence has created a power vacuum that several new prophets have stepped in to try and fill.

Despite serving a life sentence in prison, Warren Jeffs continues to influence the lives of his followers, issuing edicts that have linked to allegations of missing children within the FLDS.

Members of the Order, a polygamous sect based in Utah, have been convicted of incest, fraud and assault yet the group continues to thrive with a business empire some have estimated to be worth over a billion dollars.

The Order, a fundamentalist Mormon sect based in Utah has allegedly been tipped off prior to the exercise of search warrants seeking information related to allegations of incest and fraud. Is corruption in the Utah government to blame?

In the Order, leadership preaches the belief in a Holy Bloodline, linking their members directly to Jesus Christ. In an effort to keep that bloodline going, there have been cases of incest and allegations of genetic tinkering. Matt meets with three former members with firsthand knowledge of the devious tactics used by the Order to maintain their idea of "purity."

Leaders in the polygamous sect known as the Order have incredible power over their members. Unfortunately, this power is often used irresponsibly and many women in the sect suffer as a result. Lu Ann Kingston, founder of Hope After Polygamy, meets with two other brave survivors: a woman who left at 18 after years of sexual abuse and mistreatment and a woman who was beaten by her father and forced to marry her uncle. Meanwhile Matt sits down with a clinical psychologist who has helped people leaving polygamous groups heal from trauma.

Children in the Order are born into a society of strict obedience in which freedom of expression is discouraged, giving them little hope for a well-adjusted life.

What makes the AUB very different from other fundamentalist Mormon groups are rumors that they have also formed a dangerous militia known as the Priesthood Protection Team. Investigator Matt Browning goes on a mission to find out the truth and determine if the group poses a real threat. He meets with a man who broke away from the group and the daughter of an ex-military member who allegedly trained the militia.

A lot of attention has been focused on the abuse of women in polygamous sects but little is known about the stories of the young men who are often exploited for labor, given limited education and kicked out of their communities.

Even though Warren Jeffs will spend the rest of his life in prison, young girls within the FLDS are still at risk of becoming child brides. In his ongoing quest to protect the children, Matt Browning hears three powerful stories: First he meets with a woman who was forced to marry Warren Jeffs when she was just twelve years old. Then he sits down with two members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who led an investigation into the trafficking of young girls between the US and Canada. Finally, Matt talks to a young woman whose two pre-teen sisters were married off to a man claiming to be a new FLDS "Prophet."