Review: Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey, directed by Rachel Dretzin

Abstract

The Netflix documentary series Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey features interviews with participants in the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints (FLDS) who relate their experiences living under the leadership of Rulon Jeffs and his son Warren. It differs from Hulu’s miniseries Under the Banner of Heaven, which is a fictional retelling of Jon Krakauer’s book about Brigham Young in the nineteenth century and the Lafferty murders in the twentieth (reviewed in this issue). Although Keep Sweet includes clearly identified reenactments of events, its strength lies in the personal accounts of former members, as well as in historical photos, TV footage, and most chilling, an audiotape of Warren Jeffs as he is about to rape a twelve-year-old girl.The first two episodes show some of the attractions, as well as tribulations, of polygamous life—large families full of children, sister wives who may be competitors or cooperators, a clear identity and purpose, and most important, the pathway to eternal salvation. Despite the irony inherent in the title—taken from the exhortations of Warren Jeffs—some of these positive elements are apparent as the tale initially unfolds. Yet sexual abuse and criminal activity become the focus of the last two episodes, with the move to Eldorado, Texas, and the construction of the Yearning for Zion Ranch. It is here that the series earns its identification on IMDb as “Documentary, Crime.” In other words, this isn’t really a series about the FLDS or plural marriage. It’s an exposé—and a deserved one—of the heinous practices of men trafficking (as several people call the arranged marriages) in young women, including minors. Yet the filmmakers had to go over the top and put snake eyes on Warren Jeffs’ image and play rattles from a snake on the soundtrack. This cheapened, rather than enhanced, the gripping tales survivors told.The sincerity, honesty, and courage of the young women who shared their stories was remarkable, while the narratives of men expelled from the movement were also compelling. I don’t recall any former members use the word “brainwashing” in their admission of absolute and complete devotion to the Prophet. They had been raised to believe Warren Jeffs was not just God’s representative on earth, but God himself. They paid a high price for that belief.