Ex-FLDS Parents in Draper, Utah, Search for Missing Children They Believe Church Is Hiding

Parents who have left the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held a press conference in Draper, Utah, on Friday, April 19, 2024, to ask for help finding their missing children. They believe the children are being hidden by others still in the church, and they fear the church is keeping the children from them.

Ten families who have left the church are asking the public to help locate their children. The parents believe the children may be in danger within the church. Making the appeal in a public setting, one parent said that speaking up for children who may be at risk is a responsibility shared by the wider community (Proverbs 31:8-9).

The ex-FLDS members said that FLDS prophet Warren Jeffs, who is serving a life sentence in a Texas prison, is giving his followers revelations from his cell through his son, Helaman Jeffs. According to the parents, one of these revelations directs followers to return the children to the church by any means necessary.

Sarah Johnson, whose son has been missing since 2021, spoke at the event. “Now I am standing here in front of the world, because I need to believe that you’re watching and waiting for me,” she said. “I love you, son. It’s never too late to call me. I will always be here.”

Johnson said she fought for her children when she left the church and gained legal custody of all of them. She said one of her children did not leave with her. She believes that child is hiding with FLDS members. “I chose to leave FLDS, and the challenge we’re having is that I wasn’t able to bring one of my children out of the religion with me,” she said. “It’s not only the total culture shock of leaving a cult, but not being able to have one of your children with you. You feel like part of your soul and part of your heart are out in the world somewhere.”

Johnson said Jeffs has talked about gathering faithful children to help in the building of Zion. She said he has taught that the children would then need to die to become “pure” and “translated beings.” These are Johnson’s accounts of his teaching. Ex-FLDS members believe the current FLDS leadership is following in the footsteps of earlier tragedies, including those at Waco and Jonestown.

Johnson said that, for now, her options are limited. “I feel like I’m in limbo because I just can’t make a plan and say where I see myself in five years,” she said. “My mind won’t let me go that far until I know I have him.”

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