Stories

My journey with HOH began after I woke up one morning in agonizing tears and paralyzed by fear, guilt, and shame. The memories that woke me up were new to me and I did not understand what was going on in me.

Daniel, was born into the FLDS polygamist community. He was homeschooled until he was in the 7th grade and then worked all over the country doing construction as a child. When he was 16, his dad approached him and gave him an ultimatum...

Joseph was only 13 when he mustered up the courage to flee from the shed he had been forced to live in for 3 months. You see, he wasn't worthy to be part of the family. He was considered rebellious for talking to apostates (those that were part of the religion but chose to leave).

Holding Out HELP is sharing this petition to support transparency and ensure FLDS members have access to clear information and the opportunity to have their voices heard.

I left my polygamist community suddenly in response to an abusive situation. I did not have a clear plan in place as to how I would be able to take care of my four young children and myself.

Shortly after that, I was able to get onto my own two feet in my own place, working and all three of us receiving education, which I had never had in my life because of the lifestyle I was raised in. We are all three very healthy emotionally and physically and living an extremely happy, fulfilling and flourishing life I had never imagined living before leaving my situation. We could have never done this without HELP.

Locked in a shed with a thin blanket in below freezing temperatures, Isaiah sat by the fire that he had built from scraps, fully convinced he would be dead by morning. Two years earlier, at the age of 14, Isaiah had been sent to a “house of hiding” in Wyoming with other troubled and “unworthy” FLDS boys.

Enoch was only 15 when his father came to Salt Lake City and signed over guardianship papers to the Gutzwiller Family. He was immediately enrolled in school, which was more difficult than he had anticipated.

DOCUTAH International Documentary Film Festival will be screening Prophet’s Prey at the O.C. Tanner Amphitheater in Springdale, Utah, on September 11 at 8:00 PM. Based on the New York Times bestselling book Prophet’s Prey by private investigator Sam Brower, the film follows his ten-year investigation into the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the abuse of power by leader Warren Jeffs. Brower will be attending the festival and participating in a Q&

Sons of Perdition follows three teenage boys as they leave a polygamous community and try to build new lives. With limited education and little stability, they face major challenges but continue to pursue their goals and reconnect with family. The film highlights what it means to start over and, in partnership with Holding Out Help, raises awareness of the need for ongoing support and resources.