‘Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey’: How Many Wives Did Warren Jeffs Have?

Warren Jeffs took control of the FLDS, a religious sect known for its practice of polygamy, following the death of his father, Rulon Jeffs, in 2002. According to religious doctrine, Jeffs was seen as a prophet. During his command, Jeffs controlled most aspects of life inside his community, including the assigning and reassigning of wives. His arrest on sexual assault charges in 2006 began the dismantling of the religious sect, and his conviction in 2011 appeared to mostly finish the job. By the time he was convicted, Jeffs had assaulted numerous women, many of whom were underage. Now, years later, Netflix is allowing viewers a hint of what life was like inside the insular fundamentalist community in their original docuseries, Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey. So, exactly how many women did the convicted sex offender marry?

Warren Jeffs had dozens of wives

While Jeffs was arrested on two sexual assault charges, the religious leader likely assaulted dozens more women. According to a former FLDS member, at the height of his control, Jeffs had 78 wives. According to the same member, two dozen of those wives were underage when they spiritually married Jeffs.

Several sources believe Merrianne Jessop was likely the youngest woman in the sect to marry Jeffs. She was one of two women named in the charges brought against the religious leader. Merrianne was 12 years old when she married Jeffs in 2006. Following his arrest, She was placed into foster care; then guardianship was transferred to a non-FLDS family member. Her whereabouts are currently unknown. 

Who was Warren Jeffs’ ‘favorite’ wife?

While Jeffs was spiritually married to more than 70 different women, dozens of them were his former stepmothers. In 2002, Jeffs assumed his father’s position within the community and married nearly all his wives. According to several sources, just two women refused Jeffs’ command. One of Rulon Jeffs’ wives, Rebecca Musser, seized her opportunity and fled the FLDS. Musser went on to serve as a key witness. The second wife who refused was prohibited from marrying anyone else within the community. Jeffs also reportedly had a “favorite” wife. That wife was also once his stepmother.

According to several sources, Naomie Jessop was Warren Jeffs’ “favorite” wife. According to Oxygen, Jessop served as his “scribe.” She spent her days by his side, writing down his day-to-day activities. Naomie appeared in Preaching Evil, the Peacock series that looked into Jeffs’ life as the FBI closed in on him. The four-part series is told from Naomie’s perspective.

How many children did Warren Jeffs have?  

With numerous wives comes numerous children. While no one is certain just how many children Jeffs fathered, Oxygen suggests he fathered around 65 children before he was sentenced to prison. The names of all of his children are not known, but several have broken away from the FLDS and shared their own experiences. The actual number of children fathered by Jeffs likely will never be known.

One son, Roy Jeffs, spoke openly about being cast away from his family by the time he was 14 years old. He eventually left the FLDS. He died by suicide in 2019. Rachel Jeffs also stepped forward to accuse Jeffs of sexually abusing her. 

More children have come forward in recent years, but many more are still deeply entrenched in the FLDS community that Jeffs is believed to be running from behind bars. Still, the FLDS, as members formerly knew it, no longer exists, insists those who got out.